Flight <> Thailand - Hotel Thailand

Flight comfort (fly more comfortably)
During a long non-stop flight some travellers can’t stand the lack of space in the airplane. They look enviously at the Business and First Class passengers. The daily newspapers keep reporting about the link between thrombosis and long-distance flights. However, the extreme price surcharges mean that desire for comfortable flights soon disappears. In the meantime, some airlines have reacted and are trying to offer an inexpensive alternative. Some airlines have introduced an additional intermediate class, with seats of the Businesses Class and reduced service (meal of the Economy Class).

Business Class

Intermediate Class

Economy Class

Investigation NOV 2006

Rail & Fly-Ticket
Many airlines offer a free rail ticket in connection with the flight ticket, as a shuttle-service to the airport. Together with the flight tickets a sheet is included as a ticket for the rail journey. Make sure that the conductor rips out the correct sheet. Such a ticket is available only in Europe for the flight direction Europe to Thailand.

Frequent flyer programs
Many airlines offer a so-called “frequent flyer program”. The miles flown are collected as points. Starting from a certain amount of collected flight miles you are entitled to privileges, such as upgrade to business class or even a free flight. It can therefore be the case that a more expensive ticket with a frequent flyer program is, in the long term, less expensive than a cheap ticket. Many airlines have united into alliances. The miles can also be collected with the partners in a group.

Ethnic-tariff
Spouses or children of Thais can fly at reduced prices. The tariff is called “Sawadee” at Thai Airways international and is more commonly known as the “Ethnic tariff”. A photocopy of the Wedding certificate is sufficient as proof. On the outward flight the pair must travel together. The return flight, can however, take place separately. This tariff allows each person to take 30 kg of luggage. According to my knowledge, this tariff is available only for the flight direction Europe to Thailand.

Criteria for choosing an airline company

• Reputation
  Is the airline generally considered as respectable, safe and reliable? Here is a list of the airlines, which the European Union has forbidden:
  http://ec.europa.eu/transport/air-ban/list_en.htm
  First hand reports of travellers on these airlines:
  http://www.airlinequality.com Skytrax
  http://www.worldairlineawards.com The Skytrax World Airline Awards
   
• Space available
  Is the passenger space in the aircraft sufficient to travel comfortably?
  http://www.seatguru.com
   
• Price
  Apart from the actual price of the ticket, consider that even a cheap ticket can become very expensive in the following situations:
• Missed flights
  When a ticket is low cost or is obtained from companies that serve primarily as charter companies, it is often the case that when the booked departure is not used or is missed, the return flight becomes invalid. The additional charges and taxes may be refunded, but usually not without a fight. For booked flights where the departure part has not been used, it is also often the case that companies will refuse to honour the return part of the flight. This can occur, for example, when a flight has been missed, that the return part of the flight reservation will no longer be considered valid.
   
• Departure flight not used, return flight invalid
  Some airlines insist that the sequence of the booked flights is observed exactly. So if an outward flight was not used, the return flight ticket is regarded as cancelled. However, some courts have ruled that this practice should not be allowed in individual cases.
   
• Change in booking
  Be sure to check if it is possible to change a reservation and if so, what the costs may be. These costs may differ considerably from airline to airline.
   
• Excess baggage
  The handling of overweight baggage differs widely from airline to airline, with many airlines suspiciously using this situation as a welcome and lucrative source of income.

Airports Thailand
http://www.airportthai.co.th

Bangkok International Airport (Arrivals/Departure timetable
http://www.bangkokairportonline.com/node/129

Link-Lists Airlines
http://www.airlines.de

Air Passenger Rights (Euroean Commission)
http://europa.eu.int/comm/transport/air/rights/doc/2005_01_19_apr_leaflet_en.pdf (PDF-Datei, 278 kB)

 You need Adobe Acrobat Reader to view the file. [download]

Outbound flight not used – return flight is lost
Some airlines companies insist upon the correct use of flights reserved in the correct order. It can therefore mean that the ticket for a return flight is not valid if the outbound ticket has not been used. Some individual cases of this type and the practice of this rule have been declared invalid in German courts.

Airline Accident and AirlineSafety
http://www.airsafe.com

Traveller’s reports and appraisals of airlines
http://www.ciao.co.uk/Airlines_13496_3 ciao
http://www.dooyoo.co.uk/airline dooyoo
http://www.airlinequality.com Skytrax
http://www.seatguru.com

Hotel and Flight reservations
http://www.searchtravels.com an on-line travel agency in Bangkok

Hotel reservations (with illustrations and descriptions of hotel)
http://www.latestays.com/thailand Thailand Last Minute Hotels
http://www.agoda.com
http://www.atsiam.com
http://www.gothailand.com
http://www.hotels.chiangmai-online.com
http://www.hotelpricechecker.com
http://www.resorthotelreviews.com
http://www.sawadee.com
http://www.thaihotels.com
http://www.thaihoteldiscount.com
http://www.ThaiHotel24.com

All data provided without guarantee!
I, the operator of www.Siam-Info.de (Heinz Klaus Thiesen), have no business connection, with the enterprises specified on Siam-Info. I therefore naturally take no responsibility for the information of the enterprises specified above. The contributions show only my personal opinion.