Originally Posted by
geo1005
OK, I am currently in the US and will be flying later this month to HKG on ANA on an award ticket.
Once in HKG, we will have a few days.
We then fly HKG to CNX, CNX to HKT and then HKT to BKK. We want to fly C class.
My question is should I buy those flights now while still in the USA? Or should I go to the TG office in HKG and buy them there? Or should I try and find a travel agent who knows what they are doing either here in the USA or in HKG? Seems like buying them through the TG phone rep here in the US is not a good option. Any advice would be welcome!
Also, as a Star Alliance Gold member, I should have access to the TG lounges in CNX and HKT right? So maybe flying C from HKG to CNX and then coach for the CNX-HKT and HKT-BKK flights makes sense?
Thanks for the help!
TG does not fly direct HKG to CNX. Are you flying on TG with a connection in BKK, or on some other airline that flies direct?
Flying all those segments in C will add up to quite a bit more than if flying in Y. If you choose to fly the domestic segments in Y, then you have some options on saving money. If you fly them in C, then it's rare that there are any promotions or discounted fares. TG does occasionally run a promotion for domestic C, but don't think there are any currently.
One option is to purchase a TG Discover Thailand Pass or a Star Alliance Thailand Airpass. Both of them seem to be pretty much the same thing, and allow you to fly three domestic segments for $169. That's a pretty good discount off full-fare Y, especially being the CNX-HKT route is a bit costly due to it's distance. Your routing is probably the best to make maximum use of one of these airpasses. I believe they can only be purchased in conjunction with an international ticket, which in your case should be fine. I'd seriously consider this option.
The other option, if you're flying by September 30, is TG's current promotion,
Explorer Thailand Fares. BKK-CNX is 1,200 THB, CNX-HKT is 2,720 THB, and HKT-BK is 1,440 THB. All those prices exclude tax and service charges. The booking class is 'W', and no changes or refunds are allowed. They specify that these tickets are only available in Thailand via a TG office or travel agent. By the time you add up all the taxes, it's probably about the same price as the Discover Thailand Airpass, but much less flexible. But if you purchase an international ticket HKG-CNX, then you only need two domestic tickets, so this option might be better in that case. 'W' class will only get you 50% miles, but with TG's ROP the minimum 500 miles willl still apply, meaning you'll only lose out on the CNX-HKT route, being the others are less than 500 miles anyways. The Discover Thailand Airpass is 'H' class, so full miles apply.