Thai Airways Royal Orchid Plus - International TG to UA connection time

Hi, I'm new to this forum, but couldn't find my specific question before, so hoping the experts here can help.

Planning a trip to Thailand in December - will spend some time in the country, then to MAA, and then back to catch my return flight back to the US.

I think the preferred plan for my return would be to arrive on TG from MAA, scheduled arrival 5:10am, and connect to the UA flight to NRT which departs at 6:50. Would have checked baggage. Is the 1:40 enough time to make the connection?

Assuming, since both carriers are *A, that TG agent at MAA could check bags through to my final US destination, as long as I have the second ticket to show them. And that I wouldn't have to collect bags, nor formally enter Thailand again, since this is an international to international connection.

Is this also correct? Any advice?

My other option is to do the return to BKK on Thai AirAsia, which arrives to DMK at 3:00. This flight is cheaper, which obviously isn't a bad thing, but not my prime goal for this segment. Obviously the connection is longer (~ 4 hours), but could forsee any possible issues causing problems, including C&I, having to collect bags (what if they don't make it?), then time to transfer DMK to BKK, then re-check in, etc., not to mention particularly conecerned about AirAsia's inflexibility, even with changes that they initiate.

KVS is fighting me at the moment so I can't bring up MCT, which I believe is 70min, so 90 min is sufficient IIRC. There's some risk in cutting your flights so close though.

I would shelve completely any thought about taking Air Asia unless you come in the night before your UA connection. There's just no reason to take a chance with them. I think the MCT for DMK-BKK is 3.5 hrs, and your arrival at 3AM would cause no problems getting over to BKK in time, but that requires FD be on time and that's a risk I'd never take.

If the UA flight is an award I'd advise you to come in the day before.

Thanks for the info. UA flight is going to be a revenue flight, not award.

Realize now there is also an NH departure I can take from BKK at 8:25, but that shortens the NRT connection to a little over an hour. I've heard that the NRT security line can be long when connecting, so would prefer the longer connection there l, I think. TG out of MAA, at least according to flightstats, seems to be pretty good at arriving on time.

Thanks for the info. UA flight is going to be a revenue flight, not award.

Realize now there is also an NH departure I can take from BKK at 8:25, but that shortens the NRT connection to a little over an hour. I've heard that the NRT security line can be long when connecting, so would prefer the longer connection there l, I think. TG out of MAA, at least according to flightstats, seems to be pretty good at arriving on time.


I've taken, a few months ago, the 8:25AM NH flight connecting to NRT-LAX (UA). The NH flight landed a few minutes before boarding but I still had time to get through transit security, have a shower and head down to the UA gates. The NH flights IME gate adjacent to the 50's NH lounge.

KVS is fighting me at the moment so I can't bring up MCT, which I believe is 70min, so 90 min is sufficient IIRC.

There you go:

[KVS Availability Tool 7.0.3/Diamond - Reference: Minimum Connection Time [MCT]: BKK/TG-UA] (http://www.KVSTool.com/)
DD DI ID II
STANDARD: BKK 075 075 075 075

EXCEPTIONS:
A/L FLT-NBR DEPARR

TG BKK 210 --- 210 ---
-ALL- DMK

TG --- 075 --- ---
UA FRA

TG --- 075 --- ---
UA HAN

TG --- 075 --- ---
UA LHR

TG --- 075 --- ---
UA SGN

TG 7100-7103 --- --- --- 075
-ALL-

TG --- --- --- 075
-ALL-
**END OF DISPLAY**

Thanks. So seems like the 100 mins I have should be ok. TG counter at MAA should be able to check bags through, correct?