best flight times
 

Hello, we are traveling to Bangkok and I was wondering if it was better to start the flight in the evening or late morning and which airline is the best way to go out of Iad, thanks

I find that arriving BKK late evening works best for me since I can just go right to bed when I get to the hotel.

From IAD there are lots of options. I think the shortest travel time is probably still via PEK on UA and then connecting to Thai Airways. But the problem with that is you have to fly UA and then connect in PEK.

Another option is to fly via NRT on ANA with options to connect to either ANA or TG in Tokyo. Or you can fly via ICN on Korean.

The last several times I have gone I've used AA miles so for me that means flying via either JFK or ORD and then connecting to Cathay Pacific via HKG.

Or you can go via the Middle East on either Emirates, Etihad or Qatar.

I don't think there's necessarily any one "best" option. Depends on class of service, what you value, if you're using miles or cash, etc.

I agree with glenna11 about landing in the evening/night. Stay awake as much as you can on the flight, go to sleep when you get to Bangkok and you might breeze through any jet lag.

As for airline, IMO that depends on whether you are flying in Business or Coach, and what fares you find. Personally, if it's business, I prefer doing the long haul in an A380 because of the roomy upper deck. The lounges and the bar on the plane let you sit somewhere else and on a different type of seat while enjoying self-serve snacks and drinks. Some people do not like that the seats are not truly lay-flat but have a very, very small elevation. To get the best fare on an A380, you may need to first fly to JFK or ATL.

If it's coach, the A380 is a cattle car to be avoided at all costs. I also try to avoid changing planes in China. IMO, ICN is the best transfer airport in Asia, although security screening between flights can get backed up. When I do coach, it's for financial reasons, so I tend to go with the lowest cost. From IAD, you can get fares below $600.

Hope that helps.

I did BKK from IAD via:
PEK - got free night in Beijing on Air China. There is no way you will make your flight even if IAD-PEK flight arrives on time. Not enough time.
NRT - Did it with UA and ANA. About 2 hours connection time in Narita.
HKG - with AC via YYZ. Loooong flight, but when you get to HKG you only have 2 more hours to go :)
LHR - This flight is actually the fastest one, 6 hours to LHR then 10.5 hours to BKK

Thanks for the speedy replies, we were looking at Korean air but noticed that the layover at ICN is only 45 minutes is that even doable? Would they put us on the next flight or do we have to fend for ourselves?

IME that is doable, but tight. Keep in mind you will likely not be the only ones with that connection, and KE tends to hold flights a few minutes in ICN awaiting connecting passengers, unlike US airlines in the US.

If you don't make the connection then Korean will put you on another flight. Like Air China did to my itinerary. However, that caused us to be one day short in BKK on a 4 day trip that was something I didn't like.
Also, there was not enough time to see Beijing. We've arrived at 7pm, by the time we've got tickets for next day and hotel, it was 9pm. Next day the flight was departing at 2pm so not enough time to go anywhere.

If it was me, I wouldn't book such a short connection.

when are you planning to go? Looks like KE94 (IAD-ICN) arrives at 16:30 and then KE659 to BKK departs at 18:50. So that should be plenty of time

There are numerous flights between ICN and BKK. If you don't make the connection you will be rebooked on the next flight; really not a problem.

Go for the short ICN connection. You will make it unless your inbound flight is very late. ICN is very efficient and makes an easy transfer.

I was all set to choose Korean air and then the price jumped $250pp, now looking at Qatar or Emirates any opinions on who has the better economy seats? Do prices go down much after the holidays or did I miss my window of opportunity for a cheap flight for end of March to Bangkok? Thanks

Prices are always unpredictable, but I would expect them to go back down again. In addition to setting a price alert, check them daily, as it could happen at any time and by the time you get an alert the fare could be gone. IME, they do go down after the holidays, but it could be Jan or Feb. They usually go up around the holidays when people may be giving trips as a present, but anything can happen.

Sorry, but I cannot be of any help on the Qatar vs Emirates question, although either is likely better in coach than KE.

The prices to BKK drop significantly for February/March. Just check the sites frequently.
Last year I was looking for February trip and Etihad had the best deals (around $600 from IAD), until I found Air Canada via HKG even cheaper :)

Give it some days; check the KE fares regularly. It sounds if the last seats of the cheaper booking class were taken before you completed the booking. It is likely that the booking class will become available again later. There is plenty of time until March.

In this situation my advice is to wait and see if the fare becomes available again rather than hurrying to book the more expensive fare or with other carriers.

I have no idea if fares to BKK for March will decrease. Very difficult to predict. If you are happy with the fare you should book it now.