Which low cost airline?
Dec 5, 2006, 9:23 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Rimini , Italy
Programs: IHG RA - PC Plat - SPG Plat - Hilton Diamond - Sixt Plat
Posts: 246
Which low cost airline?
i'm going to book a Bangkok-Chiang Mai and a Phuket-Bangkok flight in mid January and I'm wondering which low cost airline you would reccomend me upon your experience.
Nok Air and Air Asia are giving me virtually the same rates...which one would you choose? why?
All your suggestions and experiences are welcome!
Ciao
Nok Air and Air Asia are giving me virtually the same rates...which one would you choose? why?
All your suggestions and experiences are welcome!
Ciao
Dec 5, 2006, 10:20 pm
#3
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: PHL
Programs: US, UA
Posts: 476
Without hijacking the thread too badly, Luca, I'm making the same decision now. I got an "unable to process international credit card" message when trying to book Nok. Please let us know if you figure out how to book.
Dec 5, 2006, 10:36 pm
#4
Join Date: May 2000
Location: San Francisco, CA, USA
Posts: 1,960
I've used Air Asia and everything worked out fine: shorter lines than Nok, no frills flight was fine, price was amazing. The only thing is that both airlines have a really tiny baggage allowance. Depending on how much you're carrying, you could work your way up to the Thai Air price with luggage. And Air Asia's credit card machine wasn't working properly when I went to pay my minimal extra baggage charge, so I held up the line for 10 minutes---- (!) CASH was the way to go. Odd, as this is an airline. Try giving cash to UA!
Dec 6, 2006, 4:14 pm
#5
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: somewhere Cl. III / III+, with green waves and friendly holes
Programs: *wood Platinum, HH Gold, OneWorld Emerald, QF GOLD, AP Premium, Mabuhay Elite, bunch o others...
Posts: 584
happy with NOK, after the international credit card issue resolved!
I flew NOK 2 weekends ago. Chiang Mai is really busy right now with the floral exhibition, and getting a weekend flight in and out was difficult. Nok showed flights, but it took me 3 days to get them back and forth with email and fax and finally a phone call to sell me a ticket! - they wanted photocopy fax of both sides of my CC and my passport - I appreciate they don't want to get scammed, but BOY, I don't like faxing that info off, what if I get scammed?
anyhow... service was good, return flight delayed 45 minutes... would use them again ...
anyhow... service was good, return flight delayed 45 minutes... would use them again ...
Dec 6, 2006, 4:40 pm
#6
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: Chiang mai, Thailand
Posts: 239
I've used Air Asia and everything worked out fine: shorter lines than Nok, no frills flight was fine, price was amazing. The only thing is that both airlines have a really tiny baggage allowance. Depending on how much you're carrying, you could work your way up to the Thai Air price with luggage. And Air Asia's credit card machine wasn't working properly when I went to pay my minimal extra baggage charge, so I held up the line for 10 minutes---- (!) CASH was the way to go. Odd, as this is an airline. Try giving cash to UA!
Randy and Ning
Dec 6, 2006, 4:43 pm
#7
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: Chiang mai, Thailand
Posts: 239
Randy and Ning
Dec 6, 2006, 9:40 pm
#9
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: Terra Australis Cognita
Posts: 5,350
I'll add my voice to the choir and recommend Nok, but Air Asia is also perfectly acceptable. For both, try to fly in the morning, not in the evening (which increases the odds of cumulative delays and surprise cancellations significantly). And do not fly Orient Thai.
Comparative trip reports on all three:
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=411032
Comparative trip reports on all three:
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=411032
Dec 10, 2006, 1:11 pm
#10
Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: Queens, NY
Programs: Bonvoy Titanium, OW Emerald, HH Diamond
Posts: 1,066
You should also check www.bangkokairways.com
I used them for my flights to Chaing Mai, Phuket and Koh Samui. Everything was very smooth. They also served meals for even the 1hr short-hops.
Someone put the following together on Wiki, which is a good resource everyone should keep handy:
http://wikitravel.org/en/Discount_carriers_in_Asia
I used them for my flights to Chaing Mai, Phuket and Koh Samui. Everything was very smooth. They also served meals for even the 1hr short-hops.
Someone put the following together on Wiki, which is a good resource everyone should keep handy:
http://wikitravel.org/en/Discount_carriers_in_Asia
Dec 11, 2006, 2:51 am
#11
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: Seoul, Korea
Programs: ROP Gold, BD Gold, Asiana Club Silver
Posts: 678
You should also check www.bangkokairways.com
I used them for my flights to Chaing Mai, Phuket and Koh Samui. Everything was very smooth. They also served meals for even the 1hr short-hops.
Someone put the following together on Wiki, which is a good resource everyone should keep handy:
http://wikitravel.org/en/Discount_carriers_in_Asia
I used them for my flights to Chaing Mai, Phuket and Koh Samui. Everything was very smooth. They also served meals for even the 1hr short-hops.
Someone put the following together on Wiki, which is a good resource everyone should keep handy:
http://wikitravel.org/en/Discount_carriers_in_Asia
Dec 11, 2006, 3:28 am
#12
formerly known as 2lovelife
Join Date: Dec 2000
Location: ORF : UA_Premier_Gold4Life, Bonvoy_titanium, Accor_Plat
Posts: 6,952
Myself, I prefer www.fly12go.com . Other's may not like it, but I've had great experiences.
To note on the flight delays. Thailand's system is full of games. Delays are part of them, but not exclusive to one airline, or even to the LCCs. I've had as many delays on TG as the other carriers. (Although it seemed to me that AirAsia had fewer, I've only flown on them when other LCCs endorsed me over.)