WTF is going on with the cost of flying

[Greg_B]

8 hours ago, Pinoydave said:

I haven’t visited Thailand since Corona…… done Dominican Republic, Gambia (quite a few times), Kenya and I’ve just booked Tanzania.

 

Gambia and Kenya flights were a few hundred cheaper. Tanzania is about the same cost. But once you get to those places the day to day expenses are much cheaper and you get the old fashioned GFE. 
 

Haven’t experienced a star fish in Africa usually the girls are too sexually demanding …..555

i need to fall in love with Thailand again

Djibouti is also a fun place to visit 

[Kandinski]

13 hours ago, Magic040 said:

International 500 km per hour train would be nice, it would take more than double the time but for less than half of the cost it's worth it imo.
It could hold more passengers and you could even have bunk beds in there.  
Enough tech and billionaires in the world to make it happen.

Elon Musk has been talking about the Hyperloop (1000 km ph) for over a decade now but it can't hold many passengers.

Yeah, train is way to go. Technology for a 4000 mile tunnel is still a bit in the future so with the route from US  via Alaska, Russia, North Korea and China scenic view and interesting intermezzo at borders are 100% guaranteed 

[KyleReading]

Years ago I was talking to Striderman (RIP) as he was wandering the beach. He had flown his first trip in 1988 to Thailand on Gulf for exactly £500 from UK (its the reason I remember it so clearly)

35 years ago. Now consider how much lower our incomes were all the way back then

Air travel is still exceptional value but feels expensive currently because of the low (economy) fares we were used to

Edited September 10, 2023 by KyleReading

[Magic040]

2 hours ago, Kandinski said:

Yeah, train is way to go. Technology for a 4000 mile tunnel is still a bit in the future so with the route from US  via Alaska, Russia, North Korea and China scenic view and interesting intermezzo at borders are 100% guaranteed 

Let NATO & Friends sanction Russia for all the shit they did in the last 7 decades by taking everything East of the Lena River/Lake Baikal and give the native Siberians a piece of their land back, would probably make the project go faster.

Wouldn't have more than 15 stops as that would take too much time.
Las Vegas (bypassing the San Andreas vault)-Calgary-Anchorage-Magadan-Harbin-Tianjin-Wuhan-Guangzhou-Hanoi-Bangkok-Kuala Lumpur-Singapore is a nice start until they can make the trains go faster.

[Olderhand]

I'm still waiting for the Chinese airlines to restart their flights from the US to Asia. To be honest the quantity wasn't bad for the prices they charged. 

Edited September 10, 2023 by Olderhand

[beethoven]

3 hours ago, KyleReading said:

Years ago I was talking to Striderman (RIP) as he was wandering the beach. He had flown his first trip in 1988 to Thailand on Gulf for exactly £500 from UK (its the reason I remember it so clearly)

35 years ago. Now consider how much lower our incomes were all the way back then

Air travel is still exceptional value but feels expensive currently because of the low (economy) fares we were used to

i think this is correct i recently got a flight for my next visit feb/march 2024 for £574, this is fully £100 more than i have ever paid in 19 years of visiting thailand, ive paid as little as £300 in the past and average price between 2004 and 2023 for me has been about £400,   in fact i have seen flights from UK TO Bangkok lately for as little as 470 but often with long stayover times

cheers Beet

[Gaztop08]

45 minutes ago, beethoven said:

i think this is correct i recently got a flight for my next visit feb/march 2024 for £574, this is fully £100 more than i have ever paid in 19 years of visiting thailand, ive paid as little as £300 in the past and average price between 2004 and 2023 for me has been about £400,   in fact i have seen flights from UK TO Bangkok lately for as little as 470 but often with long stayover times

cheers Beet

Those prices for return tickets?

[Kale]

20 hours ago, beyondthenorm said:

For the past 30 years, I felt the same way about Mexico and Colombia, and have traveled exclusively to Thailand and the Philippines.  It was only due to the covid restrictions that I finally decided to travel to those countries after having done extensive research.  I am not looking to change your mind because it just doesn't matter to me.  But I will tell you that I have been very happy in both Mexico and Colombia for the past two years now, and intentionally passed on going to Thailand during that time period.  This is from a guy who visited Thailand over 40 times.

Where you are flying from and where are you going?  You can probably get to Cancun for $500 from Toronto but I can't even get to Mexico City for that from Vancouver.

How about some details where you are getting hot slim Mexican girls for the equivalent of 1000-2000 baht?

Edited September 10, 2023 by Kale

[beethoven]

On 10/09/2023 at 10:51, Gaztop08 said:

Those prices for return tickets?

hi yep, all return tickets

Cheers Beet

[The Game 1690]

On 11/09/2023 at 11:27, beethoven said:

hi yep, all return tickets

Cheers Beet

Where are you buying your tickets from mate ?? 

[davetherave3311]

Booked last minute with Qatar. First time flying with them. Was impressed with the food served. Quick stop in Doha from UK.

Return price was about same as an advanced booked direct flight in 2022. 

 

[beethoven]

7 hours ago, The Game 1690 said:

Where are you buying your tickets from mate ?? 

hi

i generally hunt around the net , that flight was via 

https://www.cheapflights.co.uk/?lang=en&utm_campaign=Destination+-+TH+-+Bangkok+-+City%2326166&utm_content=City+-+cheap+flights+to+bangkok+-+T%3Dcheap+-+P%3Dflights+-+D%3DCity%2326166&utm_medium=cpc&utm_source=bing&utm_term=cheapflights+bangkok&skipapp=true&tags=d%3Ad_c-26166

Cheers Beet

[BIGFREE1]

I live in California. I checked round trip flights from SFO to BKK in April/May 2023 and there weren't that many available and the prices were between 4-4.5k USD. I choose to go to Colombia instead. Round trip there was only 1100 USD at the time.

Recently I found the same trip from SFO to BKK for just over 2K USD with a 1.5 hour layover in HKG. The trip to Colombia (SFO to MDE) also came down a bit to between 800-900 USD, depending on the length of layover.

I think more airlines are coming on-line (post COVID) and also bringing more of their planes back into service each month. While this lowers individual ticket prices, in general, it increases the airlines overall margin of profit.

[Sac Les]

15 hours ago, BIGFREE1 said:

I live in California. I checked round trip flights from SFO to BKK in April/May 2023 and there weren't that many available and the prices were between 4-4.5k USD. I choose to go to Colombia instead. Round trip there was only 1100 USD at the time.

Recently I found the same trip from SFO to BKK for just over 2K USD with a 1.5 hour layover in HKG. The trip to Colombia (SFO to MDE) also came down a bit to between 800-900 USD, depending on the length of layover.

I think more airlines are coming on-line (post COVID) and also bringing more of their planes back into service each month. While this lowers individual ticket prices, in general, it increases the airlines overall margin of profit.

What airlines and class of travel are you quoting prices?

[BIGFREE1]

4 hours ago, Sac Les said:

What airlines and class of travel are you quoting prices?

Premium Economy on Cathay Pacific (SFO-BKK)

Economy on COPA (SFO-MDE) (connects in Panama)

[Tighthead]

On 10/09/2023 at 01:24, Timon88 said:

Somewhere someone is booking a flight on Saudi Air, through "E-dreams", with a 10KG total carry on limit, extra for checked luggage and will get a middle seat for 1000 USD round trip.. just to get to BKK.  They will say we are complaining. 

I feel sorry for their life. lol

And no Alcohol 

[KyleReading]

On 09/09/2023 at 19:37, mattmoore1965x said:

I've been to Patts from the UK three times since Covid, and each time the flights have cost me c30% more than pre-covid.  I don't like these price increases, but I don't blame the airlines though.

Each flight I have taken has been fully rammed, with every seat taken.  So, yes, everyone on that plane must have beeen pissed off with the flight increase costs but its not stopped them from flying.  I presume there are less overall seats available from the UK to BKK as BA still have no direct flights, which must effect pricing, but whatever price airlines chooses to charge seems to be accepted by customers, well enough to fill the plane anyway.

I had some bargain BHX or LHR to BKK flights pre-covid, and I remember sometimes having a whole row to myself.  The flighst were cheap because they were just wanting bums on seats.

There is no way flights are going to be reduced unless loads of people are priced out of it.  At the moment, I don't see that happening.

Most of the motors are running at 99% capacity

There are cheaper airlines out there that do keep having flash sales especially the Chinese based carriers. Not ideal I agree but if you're price sensitive than worth a look

[KyleReading]

On 30/12/2023 at 02:23, Tighthead said:

And no Alcohol 

lol who would avoid an airline superbly priced if no alcohol was served

Everyone alive can go without booze for 7 hours or whatever surely,

[bck]

2 wars might have something to do with it 😉

[Thomaz73]

57 minutes ago, KyleReading said:

lol who would avoid an airline superbly priced if no alcohol was served

Everyone alive can go without booze for 7 hours or whatever surely,

For me it's a deal breaker. For others it isn't. Simple. 

[Kale]

1 hour ago, Thomaz73 said:

For me it's a deal breaker. For others it isn't. Simple. 

I usually avoid alcohol and caffeine.  I find it helps reduce jetlag.

Edited December 31, 2023 by Kale

[Bonkabit]

3 hours ago, KyleReading said:

lol who would avoid an airline superbly priced if no alcohol was served

Everyone alive can go without booze for 7 hours or whatever surely,

Royal Brunei Airlines do not serve any alcohol on their flights. I have flown Melbourne-Brunei-Bangkok return.

Modern planes, on-time. Good food and cabin service.

Will cheerfully fly them again if timetable and prices suit. Bonus is that there are no grog artists onboard too!

The cabin staff turn a blind eye to modest and discreet addition of a slug of duty-free to the soft drinks they serve.

[KyleReading]

2 hours ago, Thomaz73 said:

For me it's a deal breaker. For others it isn't. Simple. 

Well fella I suggest you book into an alcohol addiction clinic

I actually think you're serious as well

[AngelCty2Nit]

With a 13-hour flight on JAL, I didn't mind any or all the serious Japanese whiskey they had on offer.

And I'm not really much of a drinker, but you go where the road leads right?

[Thomaz73]

27 minutes ago, KyleReading said:

Well fella I suggest you book into an alcohol addiction clinic

I actually think you're serious as well

I am indeed. It's one of the very few delights of a flight. 

Oh, and it also facilitates the slight chance I might be able to nod off a bit. 

Edited December 31, 2023 by Thomaz73
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