Korean Air or Air China - Thai Air too expensive

[quadlo]

Thai Air has gotten way too expensive for my next trip (July 1 to 24) from New York (JFK).

 

Korean Air, and China Air are both about $300 cheaper - any opinions about either airline?

 

Thai Air is non-stop, the others have layovers, Thai Air gets me into BKK around 4pm, the others around midnight.

 

Thanks for you input,

 

Quadlo

[OKAY]

How is Cathay Pacific ? I used them once from JFK to BKK with a stop over in Hong Kong. Was a wonderful airline.

[windman657]

I just used Korean air, and am convinced that they are the best. They must have pretty high standards of beauty for the stewardeses, because they all were incredible. They seemed to all speak excellent english, as well. In fact better english than the american stew fom the united leg I had to take...Perfect service, on Korean. My only complaint was, that on the flight from Seoul to BKK(5.5hours?) The seats did NOT have the individual entertainment systems on each seat. Just one movie, shown on the little screen up front. None of my flights were 747, all A300. The 14 hours from ORD to BKK was actually made bearable, with all the entertainment, and sweet and hot airline crew! I also had 6 to 8 hour layovers at every stop, but that was the only thing available in my timeframe.

[troilist]

Matbe no help from the states but I have travelled business class China airlines and have found them to be very good and cheap

[BangkapiBoy]

Any Chinese airline would always be my last choice... Korean Air would by far be the better choice.

[timorno]

China Airlines or Air China??? Thats a big difference. The latter is a shabby mainland airline while China Airlines is from Taiwan and an ok airline....

 

Apparently they serve great bi-bim-bap on Korean Air.... would be my choice

[17hrs2freedom]

Thai Air has gotten way too expensive for my next trip (July 1 to 24) from New York (JFK).

 

Korean Air, and China Air are both about $300 cheaper - any opinions about either airline?

 

Thai Air is non-stop, the others have layovers, Thai Air gets me into BKK around 4pm, the others around midnight.

 

Thanks for you input,

 

Quadlo

 

 

i usually fly EVA airlines- lands in tapei and then to bkk. economy deluxe - bigger seat so i can sleep and not share an armrest with someone- costs about $1000 to $1100. leave at midnight, land in tapei at 5am, 2 hour layover- in bkk about 10am/11am. since im sleeping when i leave LA, it feels like a new day when i land in BKK.

 

thai was expensive the time i flew it. its nice since it doesnt have stops, but damn, that was expensive.

 

 

-17

[Soondae]

The problems using Korean Air or Asiana Air (also Korean) is that they put you into BKK at 2300 hours, means you get to PATTS around 1 AM. That is their only legs from Seoul (ICN) to BKK. Korean air is more expensive then Korean Air and IMO both are the same excellent quality. Asiana has babes as stews also.

 

Korean air just started this year a direct flight from Seoul (ICN) to U-Tapoa; however this flight is costly.

 

For those wishing to travel to Angeles, PI Asiana has a direct flight to Clark Field from Seoul. When flying from Seoul to BKK I like Thai TG659 as it get's me to BKK at 1320, plenty of time to travel to Pattaya or Hua Hin and then have time for dinner and beer.

[Pheromone]

I am flying with China Airlines with a layover in Taiwan. Flight cost me $1,114 out of San Francisco. What sealed the deal for me was the arrival time, 12:20pm, which is perfect IMHO.....

Edited May 29, 2008 by SoCo MoFo

[BangkapiBoy]

Truth is -- I am a mileage junkie. So I first want to make sure I get Skyteam miles above all else.

[chokdee bob]

your lucky to have option for direct here in Hawaii we have to lay over we fly china best flight for us into tapei 1 hr lay over and then onto BKK arrive at 4pm.we arrive Los on june 2nd and paying 980 us(110 more than i paid in Nov)freeking Fuel cost my ass

[HDELUX]

Hi Man

 

Must be the direction of the flight.

 

From down under Thai is far cheaper than anyone else even the Budget airlines.

 

Qantas and Air NZ are $500 more expensive.

 

I always fly Thai from this end of the world.

 

HD

[troilist]

Amsterdam to BKK is direct and easy - take a break in Europe and fly from Holland

[badboy15001]

i use Eva air out of LAX with a stop over in Tawaiin - $999.00

[likeaking]

My last return trip via Cathay Pacific my seatmate said he usually flew China Air. He said the service was just as good and all the planes were new.

[Sheist!]

Thai Air has gotten way too expensive for my next trip (July 1 to 24) from New York (JFK).

 

Korean Air, and China Air are both about $300 cheaper - any opinions about either airline?

 

Thai Air is non-stop, the others have layovers, Thai Air gets me into BKK around 4pm, the others around midnight.

 

Thanks for you input,

 

Quadlo

 

 

 

Korean Air really is top-shelf quality for the money; their ads in that light blue motif are bizarre, but if you've flown Korean repeatedly, they make the others look like they are flying in slow motion, quality-wise. China Air, I've had only great experiences with as well, but I prefer Korean if given a choice. Korean usually has the more-reasonable fare and leg lengths, but China Air is alongside.

 

It's all in which stopping point you prefer; Taipei or Seoul. Seems to make no difference in overall time, too.

Edited June 24, 2008 by jryanb

[MrDK]

I have flown Korean a number of times and have experienced all three classes.

The service is excellent

The seat pitch is among the best 33-34" on most flights and 32-35" on some. The industry norm is 32"

[altec123]

You may want to confirm that your flight has not been cancelled on Thai Air from JFK. This flight is being phased out this ssummer. I have heard that it is happening in a couple of weeks, which sucks for those of us on the east coast. All Nippon Air is how I am going to go now. They have flights out of New York as well as Washington Dulles. They are pretty good, the only bad thing is they get to LOS around 23:00 hours and I am dead from traveling. I am going to miss Thai Airlies Premium Economy!!!!!!!!!!!

[nookiebear]

Korean Air may be good for cabin service but they came very ,very close to being banned from UK airspace a couple of years ago through 'maintainence lapses'!!!!!!!!This was shortly before I retired from LHR in 2005.

[MrDK]

Korean Air may be good for cabin service but they came very ,very close to being banned from UK airspace a couple of years ago through 'maintainence lapses'!!!!!!!!This was shortly before I retired from LHR in 2005.

 

If I remember right that is a little more that a couple of years ago.

This and some disciplinary and procedural issues almost kept them out of (or kicked them out of) SkyTeam

The disciplinary and procedural issues were (for example) that the copilot could not question the captain, or at least it was culturally wrong.

 

It took a lot of training and monitoring by Delta to overcome the problem

There are extensive reports on this and the monitoring continues.

I am confident that the problem are water under the bridge.

[nookiebear]

They came under the microscope after the 747 freighter crashed on take-off at Stansted & a couple of months later a 747-400 was grounded by the CAA at LHR.It stayed on the deck for around 10 days until the said 'maintainence issues' conformed.

[bullseye]

Thai Air are good but are getting expensive to use from London. I will be seeking an alternative this November.

[altec123]

Korean Air was really hammered becuase of their lack of cockpit resourse management as a result of their culture.(ie- not questioning the captian when appropriate). There was a accident in Guam (I believe) a number of years ago that highlited this. Apparantly they have made steps in changing the culture in the cokpit and a co-pilotwill not watch the captain fly the plane into the ground without saying or doing something.

[Al.]

I booked my tickets yesterday with Thai Air in London Lhr - Bkk & Bkk - Manilla I initially called them to see if the seats were available and was going in today to book & pay for them until they told me if I waited until today it would cost an extra £ 335 in fuel charges

 

London to Bangkok £ 230 & Bangkok to Manilla £ 105

 

Al.

[payoff]

Will be flying China Airlines business class. AMS-BKK in Sept. Will report on the service after the flight. I hear they have a lot of new aircraft though so it might be a good trip.