Bangkok/Koh Samui May/June '13

[timmitch]

HI all

I am after some advice if i could please.

I am getting married in Koh Samui on the 6th of June next year and i need to be in Bangkok on the 28th of May. Sign paper work for the wedding etc. What i was wondering is should i look for flights now or should i wait. I will be flying qantas from Melb to bangkok but not sure on flight to Koh Samui.

Other question is do i buy economy and use points for upgrade to business both ways? (what are the chances of getting them?) as i can't afford to buy business tickets. Or i was thinking fly economy over and book an award fly back in business for us both. I see you can get them for around 100k on some days.

I will also use the trip i hope to hit platium as i am gold atm.

Any Advice would be great.

Thanks

 

[smit0847]

Can't speak out QF points upgrades etc but as you will be spending some time in BKK just purchase a separate TG ticket BKK-USM. Tickets are cheap, schedule is very regular (prob a flight every 60 or 90 minutes?), it's a really short flight and TG uses all sorts of weird aircraft and configs for these short domestic hops. Last year I needed to get from KBV-BKK in Jan peak. I booked literally 2 days before the flight, paid all of about $90 on TG and they flew us up there on a 747.

Also some general BKK advice. Weddings are supposed to be relaxing, peaceful, joyful occasions. BKK is anything but this. If you think you will be stressed the days before your wedding I would spend as little time there as possible. The more time you can spend lying on the beach before your wedding the more relaxed you will be.

 

[ozmille]

HI all

I am after some advice if i could please.

I am getting married in Koh Samui on the 6th of June next year and i need to be in Bangkok on the 28th of May. Sign paper work for the wedding etc. What i was wondering is should i look for flights now or should i wait. I will be flying qantas from Melb to bangkok but not sure on flight to Koh Samui.

Other question is do i buy economy and use points for upgrade to business both ways? (what are the chances of getting them?) as i can't afford to buy business tickets. Or i was thinking fly economy over and book an award fly back in business for us both. I see you can get them for around 100k on some days.

I will also use the trip i hope to hit platium as i am gold atm.

Any Advice would be great.

Thanks

Hope you are not going the QF flight number but operated by JQ on the MEL-BKK. Requesting an upgrade on QF is always a gamble and you have to be willing to sit in the seat you paid for. Maybe look at JQ to BKK one way and an award ticket BKK back to MEL via SYD (don't forget that if you buy a One Way ex BKK that you have to go to the QF office in the city to show your CC before they issue the ticket which is not very handy if you don't have to be in BKK a couple of days after you book the ticket :shock: )

Have you looked at the US DM option to book a TG flight instead?

Can't speak out QF points upgrades etc but as you will be spending some time in BKK just purchase a separate TG ticket BKK-USM. Tickets are cheap, schedule is very regular (prob a flight every 60 or 90 minutes?), it's a really short flight and TG uses all sorts of weird aircraft and configs for these short domestic hops. Last year I needed to get from KBV-BKK in Jan peak. I booked literally 2 days before the flight, paid all of about $90 on TG and they flew us up there on a 747.

Also some general BKK advice. Weddings are supposed to be relaxing, peaceful, joyful occasions. BKK is anything but this. If you think you will be stressed the days before your wedding I would spend as little time there as possible. The more time you can spend lying on the beach before your wedding the more relaxed you will be.

TG only have 2 daily flights from BKK to USM, PG on the other hand has heaps. We used them in FEB and were quite happy with the service for the very short hop to USM

 

[kamchatsky]

+1 on PG. I used them in December for BKK-USM and they are good for the trip. Sure the food provided is very average but it is only 1 hour flight.


So it is best to get a cheap ticket to BKK and then book BKK-USM on PG on their website separately.

 

[timmitch]

thanks for the feed back. I was in USM in june and we flew thai. Long story but flew with them was a good trip. We will be in Bangkok as short a time as we can.

an award ticket BKK back to MEL via SYD (don't forget that if you buy a One Way ex BKK that you have to go to the QF office in the city to show your CC before they issue the ticket which is not very handy if you don't have to be in BKK a couple of days after you book the ticket :shock: )

does this apply even if you book an award ticket?

Have you looked at the US DM option to book a TG flight instead?

not sure what you mean by this

 

[smit0847]

HI all

Other question is do i buy economy and use points for upgrade to business both ways? (what are the chances of getting them?) as i can't afford to buy business tickets. Or i was thinking fly economy over and book an award fly back in business for us both. I see you can get them for around 100k on some days.

Any Advice would be great.

Thanks

You can probably afford J if you buy Lifemiles through Avianca now (they have a 100% share bonus on at the moment). You should have absolutely no trouble booking MEL-BKK and then USM-BKK-MEL as 2 x separate one-ways in J on TG this far out. Price would be less than $700 each way in J + minimal taxes. Happy to walk you through the process if you want to PM me. http://www.australianfrequentflyer....programs/avianca-life-miles-new-ff-40866.html

That being said, JQ often have J class fares MEL-BKK so thats another option. I think TG J is indefinitely better than JQ J but YMMV.

 

[timmitch]

sounds interesting smith0847 would like some more info help with this please

 

[ozmille]

thanks for the feed back. I was in USM in june and we flew thai. Long story but flew with them was a good trip. We will be in Bangkok as short a time as we can.



does this apply even if you book an award ticket?

Yes it does, because there is still a part of the fees that are paid by CC they need to sight the credit card before they issue the tickets. As I am in BKK a couple of times a year I made my bookings and then call them to say can you hold the booking till I get there in a couple of weeks and that is usually not a problem.

not sure what you mean by this

there is a couple of threads on the forum about this one is here

As smit0847 mentioned there is also the new one aviance LM but I am not up to speed on that one