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AIR
TICKET BOOKING
Getting a cheap airfare to Thailand, Laos,
Cambodia and Vietnam
You're heading to Thailand, Laos, Cambodia or Vietnam and you need a
cheap flight. To get a good, cheap airfare to Asia, you'll need to
spend time researching cheap air ticket websites or telephoning
travel agents. The best time and place for this research is during
office hours at a desktop where nobody can see the screen.
Searching the internet
for cheap flight to Asia deals can be tedious and boring, but
persist and you could easily save yourself $100 and, in doing so,
score yourself the cash to pay for another week in a beachside
chalet on a tropical Thai island. However don't ignore the human
travel agent -- one who can work the system and deliver the goods.
As with any
"deal" if it sounds too good to be true, it most likely
is, but there are great cheap airfares to Cambodia, Laos, Thailand
and Vietnam out there. Regardless of which route you choose, put the
time in and you will be rewarded.
Here are some common points
to consider:
1) Airport taxes
Does the quoted price include these charges? Many airports now
charge you for the privilege of arriving and/or departing, but
agents and websites may forget to tell you these "minor
details".
For example, Don Muang
International Airport in Bangkok, has an international departure tax
of THB 500 - around $12.50. Ponchentong International Airport in
Phnom Penh charges (on an international flight) $25. When a
Cambodian beach hut goes for $6, the $25 is worth a lot!
2) Is the flight direct?
I once met a French guy in Agra who had flown from Paris to Delhi -
via Moscow and Kabul - the flight took over 30 hours -- sure his
airfare was less than mine (I flew direct from London to Delhi) --
about thirty pounds less. What you may save financially in taking an
indirect cheap flight, you will lose in lack of sleep, comfort and
convenience. A lot of flights to Asia from Europe come via the
Middle East -- particularly Dubai, but in most cases the layover is
just an hour or so -- there's nothing wrong with that -- but if
you're routing yourself from Sydney to Bangkok via Manila in order
to save fifty bucks, spend the extra money.
3) Airmiles
If you will be taking frequent domestic flights and plan to return
to Asia again, don't dismiss miles out of hand.
For example Star Alliance
member Thai Airways has affordable and convenient domestic flights
-- if you flew from London to Bangkok return with Thai and did two
sets of internal flights, and repeated that trip the following year,
the year after you'd have close to enough miles for a free return
ticket to Thailand.
4) Restrictions
What happens if you miss your flight? Be sure to check carefully
what the restrictions are on any cheap ticket - especially on
refunds and particularly regarding changing the ticket? There's no
point saving yourself $50 by buying a cheap ticket if it will cost
you $100 to change it when you decide to spend an extra week on the
beach.
5) Human or machine?
The only time I buy online is when I know I can't get a cheaper
price with an agent or if I'm using a discount carrier where I have
to book online. I do this for the following reasons:
a) When I beg in front of
my laptop it doesn't respond
b) Cheap flight sites are not aware of upcoming deals that are
starting tomorrow and so won't tell you to come back tomorrow to
save yourself $50.
c) Cheap flight sites tend not to cover all airlines, rather they
will work with the bigger players - it's often the little players
that offer the best deals.
d) Cheap flight sites will not wait-list you on 25 different flights
to Singapore (and eventually get you on) when everything appears to
be full -- a website will just tell you all the flights are full.
e) Humans are still (mostly) more intelligent than machines and will
be able to show you unique ways to plan out a flights itinerary.
f) A cheap flights site doesn't remember (nor appreciate) the gift
you gave it last time it helped you out at the last minute to get
you squeezed onto a full flight.
6) Low-cost carriers
There are now a throng of low-cost-carriers serving Southeast Asis,
led by KL-based AirAsia. Fares can be ridiculously low --AirAsia was
recently flying Bangkok to Hanoi for
US$25 one way -- now that is simply unbeatable! The main low-cost
players in the region are AirAsia,
Tiger Airways, Jetstar
Asia (which also owns Valuair) and Nok
Air. All of these except for Nok Air fly internationally
within the region. Check their individual websites for fare
information, or check AsiaNewsDesk
for news on the latest deals.
With deals like these, it
can be more cost effective to fly from your home country to Bangkok,
Singapore or KL with a traditional carrier, then pick up a LCC
flight to your final destination. Don't expect your ticketing agent
to suggest doing that -- they'll probably try to suggest you fly
with the international carrier's partner -- at a considerably higher
cost.
Unless you're travelling
overland, everyone needs to fly to reach Thailand, Laos and
Cambodia, spend a little bit of time researching online ticketing
sites and talk to a few travel agents - it's not difficult, is bound
to be more interesting than what you should be doing at work, and,
at the end of the day will probably save you some of that money
you're working so hard to earn.
Take a look at AsiaNewsDesk
for regularly updated news on Asia's busget carriers.
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