Business Class Fares & Offers

[boxershrimp]

You answered that like a Politician.

 

Said lots but did not answer the question.

 

I do get your point that said.

I think you misunderstand me. Let me rephrase it in a simpler way.

 

The one single way to consistently get good prices is to keep checking and checking and checking. This takes a lot of time. Time is money.

 

I'm guessing what you wanted was a website like www.Icantbearsedtoactuallycheck.com that would simply give you the answer without any effort. This does not exist.

[Luv2Phuket]

WOW where are you getting Business class this cheap mate ????

 

Sorry, I've been having those computer woes, lately. So a bit late to answer.

 

But it's really a question of being interested and keeping an eye out for the really good sales. To be honest, if you count all the time I spend looking for great fares and translate that to actual paying work hours, my business tickets would probably be more like £5k ;)

So unless you approach it as a kind of hobby, it might be rather a bit too tedious and you're better off just paying the normal price.

 

I think you misunderstand me. Let me rephrase it in a simpler way.

 

The one single way to consistently get good prices is to keep checking and checking and checking. This takes a lot of time. Time is money.

 

I'm guessing what you wanted was a website like www.Icantbearsedtoactuallycheck.com that would simply give you the answer without any effort. This does not exist.

 

There are some airfare monitoring websites that will email you an alert when the prices drop.

 

I signed up for a free website, but can't say one way or the other how well they work -- I get emails from them touting low fares, but haven't actually followed up to see if I could find one to book.

 

Like boxershrimp, I'll dig around online to see what kind of fares I can find.  It does take time, but in a warped way, I actually enjoy seeing how much I can save.  As  has long been recognized, a penny saved is a penny earned.

[boxershrimp]

There are some airfare monitoring websites that will email you an alert when the prices drop.

 

I signed up for a free website, but can't say one way or the other how well they work -- I get emails from them touting low fares, but haven't actually followed up to see if I could find one to book.

 

Like boxershrimp, I'll dig around online to see what kind of fares I can find.  It does take time, but in a warped way, I actually enjoy seeing how much I can save.  As  has long been recognized, a penny saved is a penny earned.

There are sites that help a little bit, but most of them can't find the really good deals. I'm totally kicking myself for not booking what must have been a mistake fare, a couple of days ago. It was ARN-BKK for about $1700 on Austrian and Swiss, and not P class either. (I need a whole bunch of miles in my M&M account sometime soon, and I think it was actually Z and D class, which pay out quite well.) Fuck my cowardly self for wanting to check it out with the boss first! Only reason I saw that was that I was booking a trip to Frankfurt with LH directly and thought I'd just try a search for BKK at a good date, while I was at it.

 

Or, for example, the Cathay flights I'm thinking of taking over Christmas and NY, they don't show up anywhere except Cathay's own site. Well, not for any reasonable prices, at least.

[thinkingallowed]

Unfortunately this year at Christmas I have set dates I need to fly on due to work. Economy flights from UK airports with short stopovers were all about £850 which made me want to weep. A bit of research got me a business class flight with China Southern from Amsterdam for £950 with short connections. I've loads of Skyteam miles so can get to Amsterdam fairly cheaply on klm plus China Southern are Skyteam members so I get most of the points back by the end of the trip.

[davidge]

Just starred looking at flights for next June/July to cheer myself up as it's looking likely I'll have to cancel my Xmas trip

:-(

 

If anyone is looking to book well in advance then Thai are offering Business around £1640 for flights out in June and back in July. I didn't check many dates so don't know how widely available it is. It only appears to be available on one of their daily flights - though it may be the second will stop again anyway?

 

Eva are currently around £1970 for the same dates.

 

Edit: having looked in more detail on the Netflights website, the fare is available for UK departures 1Apr-30Jun with max stay of one month. It is on the A380. I 'think' the current plan is for Thai to drop the second daily flight again?

The fare is non-cancellable and no changes allowed.

Edited October 2, 2015 by davidge

[davidge]

Received an email from Trailfinders today about the latest Thai sale out of London.

 

Not as low as was on offer a few weeks ago, but £1729 Business Class direct with Thai is still a good deal. Economy under £500.

Departures up to 11 December.

 

[davidge]

Just thought I'd mention that EVA appear to have introduced a new category of Business fare out of Heathrow.

 

It shows up at just over £1600 on many dates next year but is non-changeable & non-refundable.

 

When I was looking at fares over last winter they didn't have this category.

 

They still have the cancel for £100 and changes possible fare at just over £2000.

[QuotaMan]

Last week Cheapo Air had business class roundtrip from LAX to Bangkok last 2 weeks of December for 3300 dollars on ANA, seemed like a pretty good price for a quality airline. Those tickets no longer available of course.

 

Today I checked Cheapo Air and cheapest business class for last 2 weeks of December is China Eastern for 3043 dollars. Next highest is China Southern for 3855 dollars.

 

Just based on the reports of nightmarish connection ordeals in mainland Chinese airports, in general I would be wary, personally, of flying these airlines. And quality might not be as good as other airline business. But for that price, why not, still part of Sky Team.

Edited November 10, 2015 by QuotaMan

[boxershrimp]

Just based on the reports of nightmarish connection ordeals in mainland Chinese airports, in general I would be wary, personally, of flying these airlines.

Ha ha, if you haven't done an overnight 12 hour connection in Beijing and woken up on a shitty sofa to 30 Chinese people standing around watching you, it wasn't nightmarish enough.

 

My decision to never travel long haul Economy again wasn't made because I had much of a choice, it's because I felt I would eventually have to go postal if I kept that shit up.

 

Edit: Hell is other people, (to quote something Sartre possibly didn't actually mean to write ;)

Edited November 10, 2015 by boxershrimp

[davidge]

Got an email from Netflights today.

Qatar sale.

Checked a number of dates from LHR to BKK and Business Class seems to be around £1550 on a number of dates up to the middle of June.

[UKmember]

These prices return?

 

 

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[davidge]

Yes, sorry.

If I quote a price, always return :-)

Edited January 16, 2016 by davidge

[UKmember]

Not too bad at all, always best to go BK then Pattaya?

 

 

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[davidge]

Have to fly to Bangkok - unless you go to SIN or KUL then switch to budget airline.

Only 90 minutes in taxi from BKK to Pattaya. Costs about £20 if you pre-book.

[UKmember]

That's not too bad in the taxi then.

 

 

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[davidge]

Just make sure you book beforehand with one of the companies recommended on here.

You'll pay much more if you just get in one at airport and much, much, much more if you use the taxi/limo desks in arrivals!

[Jack Frost]

If you have flown Business class from UK or Europe for £1,500 or lots more why have a small £20 taxi when at Bangkok airport you can have a super nice car like a Mercedes E class to Bangkok for £40 or to Pattaya for £80.

 

With all my luggage I also like the Toyota Camary as it fits in the boot as the cheap taxis have gas tanks in the boot & they have to ram the luggage in the car as well as me.

[davidge]

I've not settled on a regular taxi yet but won't book one of the airport limo cars at Swampy prices. I used them at Don Muang before Swampy opened but the Swampy prices are silly. I'll pay a bit extra for travel comfort but won't be ripped off.

 

I fly Business as I wouldn't survive Economy because of a back problem. Also promised myself years ago that I'd fly Business or not fly at all. It is a lot of money for me but I have to do it. It is bloody annoying that compared to when I flew all the time a few years ago, Economy is cheaper but Business is 50%++ more expensive on average.

 

I was very unhappy with the taxis on my last trip (booked with Condo) so will try someone else next time.

 

Same with hotels. I won't stay in a dump but a lot of hotels in Pattaya now charge rip-off prices in my book so I stick to a self-imposed limit of 1500 baht a night.

Edited January 16, 2016 by davidge

[davidge]

I check fares every so often for my possible dates June/July and BA are showing at £1671 which is the lowest I've seen it.

Not sure I'd want to use them even in Business but thought I'd share.

[socrates]

I check fares every so often for my possible dates June/July and BA are showing at £1671 which is the lowest I've seen it.

Not sure I'd want to use them even in Business but thought I'd share.

 

I am seeing lower prices around £1570  - great fare in my opinion for Business Class - have flown before and it was more than acceptable for BC

[davidge]

Both EVA & THAI had £1600 for my dates a few weeks ago. No longer.

I won't know if I'll be able to go this Summer until about the middle of March so hope one of them has decent fares available them. I prefer to fly direct.

If they are both high and BA is a lot cheaper I guess I'll have to consider them - depending what indirect fares are around.

[Judge Dredd]

If you can get to Gatwick, Turkish airlines come up at around £1150 business class

[davidge]

If you can get to Gatwick, Turkish airlines come up at around £1150 business class

Gatwick is just too long a drive for me.

Also, I'll be handing the car keys to my sister as she flies in from Oz to look after my our parents for me to have a break. She'll be flying into Heathrow.

Turkish have a decent reputation in Business though.

[socrates]

Looking at March/April even economy the fares are disgusting - potential dates one month from around 23rd March - £1000+

[davidge]

Looking at March/April even economy the fares are disgusting - potential dates one month from around 23rd March - £1000+

Last weekend in March is Easter this year. Always a rip-off time.