Most affordable way to get from Bangkok to Male (MLE)?
Mar 25, 2016, 10:28 am
#1
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Most affordable way to get from Bangkok to Male (MLE)?
I'm planning a trip to SE Asia next February, and want to go from Thailand to Maldives. The only direct flight from BKK is on Bangkok airways, which is almost $500 OW per person, which is more than I want to pay. I looked at airlines that fly to MLE, and another one that services Bangkok is Maldivian, which flies to DMK. Google flights indicates that Maldivian has 2 Friday flights from DMK-MLE, but when I search the website, nothing comes up for any of the dates I searched for. I figured it was too far out, so I tried looking for flights in late March 2016 and still don't get anything. Is this a seasonal thing? I tried looking into using JAL miles to book Bangkok Airways, but sounds like people aren't able to get that to work. Any other ideas?
Mar 25, 2016, 11:29 am
#2
Join Date: Feb 2015
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Have you considered SriLankan or Air Asia? They usually have very reasonable prices. Air Asia doesn't release its schedule that far out but you can usually get round trips in the $300 range on them. I've booked Bankok Air with JAL miles for Thailand and Cambodia very easily and cheaply but never to Madives so not sure what availability is like.
Mar 25, 2016, 11:54 am
#3
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Have you considered SriLankan or Air Asia? They usually have very reasonable prices. Air Asia doesn't release its schedule that far out but you can usually get round trips in the $300 range on them. I've booked Bankok Air with JAL miles for Thailand and Cambodia very easily and cheaply but never to Madives so not sure what availability is like.
From what I read, availability to MLE with the JAL/Bangkok deal is pretty much nonexistent.
Mar 25, 2016, 3:31 pm
#4
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Mar 25, 2016, 3:40 pm
#5
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It's not like there's a huge wave of airlines doing nonstop BKK/DMK-MLE service, though, is there?
Personally I'd either pony up the airfare for the PG nonstop or bite the bullet, take a one-stop on AK or UL and pay less.
In theory you should be able to use a source of OW miles (AA, BA, whatever) to fly UL if you're really trying to save a buck. Maybe not the most awesome use of miles ever to fly UL in economy but if $500 per person on a one way ticket is really going to kill your budget...
Personally I'd either pony up the airfare for the PG nonstop or bite the bullet, take a one-stop on AK or UL and pay less.
In theory you should be able to use a source of OW miles (AA, BA, whatever) to fly UL if you're really trying to save a buck. Maybe not the most awesome use of miles ever to fly UL in economy but if $500 per person on a one way ticket is really going to kill your budget...
Last edited by eponymous_coward; Mar 25, 2016 at 3:46 pm
Mar 25, 2016, 6:59 pm
#7
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Mar 25, 2016, 8:07 pm
#8
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There's a thread about this. Looks pretty discouraging.
I'm looking for alternatives at this point.
I'm looking for alternatives at this point.
Mar 26, 2016, 12:42 am
#9
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I'm planning a trip to SE Asia next February, and want to go from Thailand to Maldives. The only direct flight from BKK is on Bangkok airways, which is almost $500 OW per person, which is more than I want to pay. I looked at airlines that fly to MLE, and another one that services Bangkok is Maldivian, which flies to DMK. Google flights indicates that Maldivian has 2 Friday flights from DMK-MLE, but when I search the website, nothing comes up for any of the dates I searched for. I figured it was too far out, so I tried looking for flights in late March 2016 and still don't get anything. Is this a seasonal thing? I tried looking into using JAL miles to book Bangkok Airways, but sounds like people aren't able to get that to work. Any other ideas?
A o/w ticket, if that's what you want will set you back $445 since PG limits lower fare classes to r/t only for international flights. The r/t, at $575 a/i, prices out into 'V' which is a special promo fare while the o/w goes into N, an upper mid-level eco fare.
There is award space available on the hand full of random days i tried in Feb.
I responded in there.
Mar 26, 2016, 6:09 am
#10
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If you check i.e. 13th of April you will get up results for Maldivian. The price is around 9000THB for one way.
However, their current routing ends in late October.
If you hang on they will probably publish their new routing (I have no idea when), unless they're closing the route down
Other than that, your best bet is probably Air Asia via Kuala Lumpur.
However, their current routing ends in late October.
If you hang on they will probably publish their new routing (I have no idea when), unless they're closing the route down
Other than that, your best bet is probably Air Asia via Kuala Lumpur.
Jun 2, 2016, 1:40 pm
#11
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You can fly Island Aviation. They operate under the name of Maldivian. This is The Airlines of Maldives. They have five flights a week from Don Muang in Bangkok. Right now the prices are about 385 US dollars a return. It is a direct flight and the service is not good compared to the major airlines of the World. The flight time is under 4 hours.
They fly Airbus A320 or a321. There are a few business class seats but I do not know the price for that.
Jun 2, 2016, 10:20 pm
#12
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So you're not even going to try? If you don't try for it, I can absolutely guarantee that you won't get it. As they say about the lottery, you can't win if you don't play.
Jun 3, 2016, 3:24 am
#13
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I'm not sure that JL can even access PG's award space. My guess is this has all began when PG redid their front and back end and JL's queries are simply coming up nil.
Jun 3, 2016, 8:12 pm
#14
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Instead, I'm going to transfer AMEX MR to EY miles (30% bonus) and then use those to book Bangkok Airways. If there's no availability, at least I'll be able to use EY in other ways and I'll have gotten the 30% bonus.