So after literal months of planning and checking flights, while waiting for vacation time to be approved, which happened just a couple hours ago. Im all booked up, and i managed 2 extra nights. Im in town May 18th, flight lands at 11:20pm friday night, fly out June 3rd at 6:50am sunday morning. 

If anyone has info on late check ins, let me know, i updated my hotel booking with a note about checking in after midnight. Im assuming im just gonna have to call like a week before and talk to someone. 

Also about booking flights. Like i said I've been checking flights and different combinations like crazy, incognito tabs, clearing cache and data on my apps, using my work computer, every trick i can think of, i ended up booking 2 separate round trip flights, and saving about 300 bucks. 

So a little back story, i live in central Michigan, if you are at all familiar, detroit is 90 min east, grand rapids 60 min west. 2 international airports. I found tons of round trip flights to BKK, absolute cheapest 974, everything about 30 hours travel time, return trips even more, like 40, crazy shit. All terrible departure and return times too. I end up booking a round trip out of chicago to bkk for 778. Leave at 11am. Booked a separate round trip from GR to chicago for 214. About a 3 hour layover there before onward to LOS. Most flights i looked at with layovers there were 4-7 hours, totally fucking ridiculous. Those are like the 1300 range for RT, with similar departure times. The return flight from bkk to chi is 20 hours, then wait 45 min for my flight back to the mitten. Both inbound and outbound flights have a 4 hour layover in tokyo. 

So after that long too much information style rant, im pretty happy with my setup. But im curious if anyone else has had this similar situation. I can honestly say there is not a cheaper or faster route there or back, not under 1800 bucks anyway, which is where i started a new search. Economy all day. Im one anxious fuck, so speed is important to me. So my whole goal with booking this flight was leaving as early as possible in the morning without it feeling like its actually a night flight, and being able to rest a few hours on my last night in town as well, 650am out of bkk. Thats straight on a sunday morning. Oh and by the way, i am not at all a traveler, or in any way, shape or form, do i like flying. Ive said it before, i do not own a parachute, so i dont want to get on a plane. This is how i have always felt. But im gonna let my balls drop for a couple weeks and make this a trip of a lifetime. So back to this, im rambling, i know, how do you guys pick and decide on flights? Are certain days or times more important to you? Is it normal to book separate flights like this? Did i make it too difficult on myself by having 6 fucking apps on my phone and searching a thousand combinations of flights just to save 300 bucks? All in i have the maximum amount of time available to me with feet on the god damn ground. So it seems worth it. I was going to post this in the May roll calls but after realizing im typing way too much here im making this thread. hopefully im not the only retard that did this. So guys. Thoughts? 

I do sometimes, feel sympathy for you blokes. It's a long way from your joint to here. I am lucky, if I want to head home, 8:40 later I will be there.

As for finding flights, I find skyscanner and momondo pretty good options.

Fly to SFO, 12 am China air lines or eva.  SFO to Taipei one hour layover.  Taipei to BKK.  Cheers 

From where you are at most flights out of Michigan will end up connecting in Chicago

Nothing wrong with a layover in the overseas connection because often that flight will end up being late.  

Don't think I have had a flight into Hong Kong yet that hasn't been delayed.

I look for the shortest flight time as possible for the price but I also want that Narita or Hong Kong layover to be at least 2 hours

The time I arrive in BKK also dictates where I head to after that.  Most BKK flights come in around 11pm so I generally stay in Bangkok the first night.  Starting to see a few mid morning flights into BKK now as well.

Have you decided where you are going to be spending your time while in Thailand?

 

 

Ive done everything humanly possible to avoid anything chinese. No flights, layovers, offshoot brands or connections after seeing some of the horror stories of people dealing with them here. I will book a taxi straight to pattaya when i land. 

6 hours ago, j_d66 said:

  Most BKK flights come in around 11pm so I generally stay in Bangkok the first night. 

Similar. My flight from Melbourne lands about 2030 but with the time change it is after midnight on my body clock .

I pre-book a hotel near the airport https://www.agoda.com/golden-jade with shuttle bus. Send porter to 7-11 for a half bottle of Sansom and some soda. Two large glasses and then good night's sleep in a comfy bed.

Breakfast, then shuttle bus to the airport to get the 1000 or 1200 BellBus http://www.belltravelservice.com about 90 minutes/250 bahts to Pattaya bus station. Change to minibus (check your case is on board) to the door of your hotel.

Lots of hotels near Suvarnabhumi, check Agoda for names and prices.

9 hours ago, artie1234 said:

Fly to SFO, 12 am China air lines or eva.  SFO to Taipei one hour layover.  Taipei to BKK.  Cheers 

• Same here and I get my tickets directly from the airline websites to avoid any third party foulups. 

5 minutes ago, likeaking said:

• Same here and I get my tickets directly from the airline websites to avoid any third party foulups. 

Have you compared direct airline website prices with 3rd party places like expedia or priceline? 

I was originally looking at a 1091 price for a flight with klm, when i would go to their website the price went to 1700 and some. That was all links through the apps too, not independently going through the site, so you would think it would be similar. Syke.

3 hours ago, MF-AJ said:

Have you compared direct airline website prices with 3rd party places like expedia or priceline? 

I was originally looking at a 1091 price for a flight with klm, when i would go to their website the price went to 1700 and some. That was all links through the apps too, not independently going through the site, so you would think it would be similar. Syke.

i always book directly through the airline website.  Airline prices change frequently and the problem with third party sites is they don't always update right away so often that great price you see no longer exists

A pretty good place to start is google flights as it will give you a better idea as to whats out there on different dates than go to the airline website to zero in on the exact flight that you want.

 

 

 

4 hours ago, Bonkabit said:

Similar. My flight from Melbourne lands about 2030 but with the time change it is after midnight on my body clock .

I pre-book a hotel near the airport https://www.agoda.com/golden-jade with shuttle bus. Send porter to 7-11 for a half bottle of Sansom and some soda. Two large glasses and then good night's sleep in a comfy bed.

Breakfast, then shuttle bus to the airport to get the 1000 or 1200 BellBus http://www.belltravelservice.com about 90 minutes/250 bahts to Pattaya bus station. Change to minibus (check your case is on board) to the door of your hotel.

Lots of hotels near Suvarnabhumi, check Agoda for names and prices.

I always stay in the Nana/Sukhumvit area the first night as I don't want to wait another day to get the fun rolling and after flying from America have had plenty of time to sleep on the plane.

4 hours ago, MF-AJ said:

Have you compared direct airline website prices with 3rd party places like expedia or priceline? 

I was originally looking at a 1091 price for a flight with klm, when i would go to their website the price went to 1700 and some. That was all links through the apps too, not independently going through the site, so you would think it would be similar. Syke.

I flew for years on China Airlines and can state no one beat their website ticket prices in my experience. For the last two trips I used the EVA website and it was a bit cheaper than any other ticket finder I tried though I'm not sure of this with EVA as I am with China Airlines. I don't fly mainland Chinese, African or American airlines. I had to get out of those 747s China Airlines was flying.

I now like EVA because you get both tickets for the two flights to Bangkok rather than waiting in line in Taipei for the connecting flight ticket to Bangkok. You also get seat choice for all four r/t flights confirmed at time of purchase. When I've decided which flights I want, I call EVA on the phone and do the purchase and confirmations with a live person who is pleasant and knowledgeable. 

I use Google flights and after a really bad experience with Expedia I now avoid third parties and always book directly. The price is ime the same or 20-30 bucks more expensive which is worth it in my opinion.

4 minutes ago, greggras said:

I use Google flights and after a really bad experience with Expedia I now avoid third parties and always book directly. The price is ime the same or 20-30 bucks more expensive which is worth it in my opinion.

Can you elaborate on the bad expedia experience? How long ago? Thats who i used. 

Last year, I booked a flight 3 months in advance, a week before the flight Expedia called me and canceled the flight and only offered other flight that didn't work for me. I had to book one on my own which cost me 1000€ additional. I called the Expedia for reimbursement (you get money in the eu when flights get canceled on short notice) but they told me they are not an airline. So I called the airline who told me in writing they informed Expedia a month ago. I called Expedia again but was not able to get any information because no one was responsible and since they are not an airline are under no obligation to reimburse me.

29 minutes ago, greggras said:

Last year, I booked a flight 3 months in advance, a week before the flight Expedia called me and canceled the flight and only offered other flight that didn't work for me. I had to book one on my own which cost me 1000€ additional. I called the Expedia for reimbursement (you get money in the eu when flights get canceled on short notice) but they told me they are not an airline. So I called the airline who told me in writing they informed Expedia a month ago. I called Expedia again but was not able to get any information because no one was responsible and since they are not an airline are under no obligation to reimburse me.

Oh that fucking figures doesn't it. 

 

I use google flights.   I live in middle of now where in CA.. 4hr dive to either SFO or LAX if no traffic.   So if prices are high at those places I look at other airports that I can fly too easy from my local small airport.  For you.. looking at google.. there are flights on air france for $1060 with 5hr connection in Paris out of Detroit which is not bad since you won't have to check in twice.   One thing to be careful on is if your flight to Chicago is late and you miss your flight to Asia you are on your own since it is two different bookings, the airlines will not help you.

I find it difficult from North Carolina... for my trip, I’m doing CLT > LHR > DOH > BKK. Yes, it’s 3 flights but about 7 hours each on average which is just about what I can manage on 1 plane. I then get about 2 hours between flights to stretch my legs and arrive about 1pm in Bangkok. About $1300 total.

On your return flight 45min. To clear immigration & get to your connecting flight could be a real challenge if you don’t have your connecting flight ticket(separate bookings) even with GE/TSA pre-check.  Even with GE/TSA, I give myself 2hrs.  Anything less than an hour for your connecting flight, you should let the FA’s know. 

 

I’ve flown with EVA(Taipei) & Cathay Pacific(HK),  both are good airlines. From what I’ve read, China Air(Taipei) is also good. I also avoid the mainland airlines.

 

 

17 hours ago, MF-AJ said:

Ive done everything humanly possible to avoid anything chinese. No flights, layovers, offshoot brands or connections after seeing some of the horror stories of people dealing with them here. I will book a taxi straight to pattaya when i land. 

This is not always true and depends on the airline. I use Hainan out of ORD , they fly a 787 to PEK , but use Terminal 2 there which is a very quiet terminal.  They also have a new Bizz class lounge that is less than a year old .I am usually only 1 of 3 connecting passengers , last flight I was  the only one making a connection. Got a personal escort to transfer and the security girls were very cute in their para-military uniforms and boots. 

Regarding research.... Skyscanner, Google Flights, for guidelines but always  book directly with the airline. 

With your hotel..... book for the night you are arriving, tell them you will be in after midnight . I usually check in at 02:00....  But I always stay a few nights in Bangkok.

 

Edited March 13, 20188 yr by baddog666

I usually fly out of Norfolk, VA, which is supposedly an international airport (but I've never seen it). If you have the time available, book a flight the day before to Atlanta, Houston, DFW, or Seattle. I usually do this leg with credit card points so it's nearly free. Airport hotels are usually cheap, and almost always have a free shuttle. Great way to get out of your home city and preparing for a trip to LOS. 

On 3/11/2018 at 19:17, MF-AJ said:

The return flight from bkk to chi is 20 hours, then wait 45 min for my flight back to the mitten. Both inbound and outbound flights have a 4 hour layover in Tokyo.  

Hate to be the bearer of bad news, but there is no fucking way that you are going to make that connection, and your flight back to the (Murder) Mitten is going to cancel, because it is not on the same itinerary.  If you are on the same itinerary, then they may put you on a later flight if you miss your connection, but with 2 separate RT tickets, I think you may be out of luck if you miss it.

When you get to Chicago, you are going to have clear immigration, get your checked bag(s), clear customs THEN go check in for your other flight (which may be at another terminal (check this link:  http://chicago-ord.worldairportguides.com/flight-connections.php)  At a small airport it may be possible, but I think it is impossible at ORD, even with Global Entry.  I have Global Entry, and I would be uncomfortable with anything less than 2 hours.

Another issue is that your seat can be bumped if you don't check in at least 30 minutes before a domestic flight.  That effectively reduces you to 15 minutes.

Hate to be an alarmist, but I urge you to figure out what the change fees are on the RT that brings you back home and fix that asap.

 

As for my own flights, I am lucky in that I live less than 20 minutes from LAX (more like 10 minutes, but getting to the Bradley terminal once I get to LAX takes another 10 minutes!). 

I almost always fly using airline miles, so I call Alaska, American, United, Korean, etc. to book it.

I always try to get a very late night departure from LAX, connecting in Hong Kong, Taipei, Incheon, etc., then on into BKK, where I arrive late morning/early afternoon.  Rarely connect in Japan, but no idea why -- just hasn't worked out on prior trips.

For my return, I shoot for flights around 4 p.m. to 7 p.m., but had a 1 a.m. departure last time.  Got a late checkout, had dinner with my teerak overlooking the Gulf and then grabbed my taxi.  I left WAAAAAY too early, as I misread my departure - thought it was 12:05 a.m., but it was 12:55 a.m.!  I was going to get there too early any way, but that made me ABSURDLY early!

I had a late night arrival once -- caught a taxi straight to my hotel, dumped my stuff and headed out.  Came up empty, as I am not a "discos" kinda guy (never seem to pick anyone up).  I prefer to get in and relax before heading out.  If I did the late night arrival again, I think I would try to contact an "old flame" by Line and have something set up before I got there.

As noted above, with late night arrivals, book your hotel for the night you arrive.

5 hours ago, Luv2Phuket said:

Hate to be the bearer of bad news, but there is no fucking way that you are going to make that connection, and your flight back to the (Murder) Mitten is going to cancel, because it is not on the same itinerary.  If you are on the same itinerary, then they may put you on a later flight if you miss your connection, but with 2 separate RT tickets, I think you may be out of luck if you miss it.

When you get to Chicago, you are going to have clear immigration, get your checked bag(s), clear customs THEN go check in for your other flight (which may be at another terminal (check this link:  http://chicago-ord.worldairportguides.com/flight-connections.php)  At a small airport it may be possible, but I think it is impossible at ORD, even with Global Entry.  I have Global Entry, and I would be uncomfortable with anything less than 2 hours.

Another issue is that your seat can be bumped if you don't check in at least 30 minutes before a domestic flight.  That effectively reduces you to 15 minutes.

Hate to be an alarmist, but I urge you to figure out what the change fees are on the RT that brings you back home and fix that asap.

 

You know, i honestly never considered immigration on my return trip. So i could very well be fucked if it takes too long. But i wont have any checked bags, im taking a backpack and small duffle as carry on/personal item. I will literally throw my duffle in the trash and stuff my pockets or layer up before i check that shit. What is working in my favor, is that chicago is a 4 hour drive from home, 5 hour train that drops off 10 min away from home, and i still have 4 major airports (detroit, flint, lansing, GR) to catch the next flight out if necessary. Hopefully it just doesnt cost too much. On the return flight im still not too concerned though, i have just over 4 hours to chill before my flight out on the way to LOS so no say in hell am i missing that. 

6 hours ago, MF-AJ said:

You know, i honestly never considered immigration on my return trip. So i could very well be fucked if it takes too long. But i wont have any checked bags, im taking a backpack and small duffle as carry on/personal item. I will literally throw my duffle in the trash and stuff my pockets or layer up before i check that shit. What is working in my favor, is that chicago is a 4 hour drive from home, 5 hour train that drops off 10 min away from home, and i still have 4 major airports (detroit, flint, lansing, GR) to catch the next flight out if necessary. Hopefully it just doesnt cost too much. On the return flight im still not too concerned though, i have just over 4 hours to chill before my flight out on the way to LOS so no say in hell am i missing that. 

Sign up for Global Entry -- that will greatly speed things up.  With no checked bags, I could make it out of LAX pretty quickly.

What airline have you booked from ORD to home?  Southwest will allow cancellations/changes with no charges, so you could always re-book it over the phone if the immigration lines are too long when you get there.

14 minutes ago, Luv2Phuket said:

Sign up for Global Entry -- that will greatly speed things up.  With no checked bags, I could make it out of LAX pretty quickly.

What airline have you booked from ORD to home?  Southwest will allow cancellations/changes with no charges, so you could always re-book it over the phone if the immigration lines are too long when you get there.

I have united in and of ORD from home. What is global entry? How do you sign up?