Had booked Bangkok Airways flghts from BKK to MaeHongSon (Connect at ChiangMai) for weeks, a couple of days ago they called to say that the morning CNX-HGN flight was cancelled, so changed to the afternoon flight, as I got to Chiangmai yesterday, turns out the afternoon flights in to MaeHongson was cancelled due to smoke/haze, the airline offers option to either refund the leg of the journey or a replacement minivans, so I took the minivans and after 6 hours of gruelling ride instead of what would have been a 30-40 minutes flight, I am now in MaeHongSon dreading the return I have booked for Saturday.

 

To be fair, the Van and drivers were very nice and professional, they had us in 6-8 pax per vans and there must have been around 60people who choose to take the van. There were a fleet of vans in the airline livery lined up when we left Chiangmai, they also drop us directly to our hotels instead of the Airport which by now would be very late for any pre-arranged transfers. By the look of things, this must have been a regular occurence during the burning season? Looking at the arrivals on Flighttracker looks like no flight made it in since Tuesday.

 

Now on my return leg, if the flight is cancelled again, If the van back to Chiang Mai leave around the same time as the Scheduled flight, there's no way It can make it back in time for the connecting flight to Bangkok, would Bangkok Airways offer a hotel room in Chiang Mai until we can get a flight back to Bangkok the Next Day? I know I should have asked the ground agents at Chiang Mai yesterday but it was quite hectic and I didn't realize then how much of a journey the van ride will be.

 

My options now is 

1. Wait and see - if I'm lucky I get the normal flight back on Saturday
2. Stay a 1 or 2 more days in MaeHongSon if the condition improves and fly back? I see there's also direct Nok Air flight to Bangkok on Sunday 

Are there any other options I should explore? Earlier bus or van to Chiangmai just in time for my Chiangmai-Bangkok flights? 

 

 

WHY the heck do you even ask that here? In the time you wait you could have called them and ask for a proper answer. Do you really think someone on this board would know better?

Yes, this is pretty common and yes, they know to handle it well giving the circumstances.

Make your appropriate plans when you have their final say if its very imptt to be back in BKK at this prebooked time. That flight is booked and you should get a refund for the missed sector if they cannot organise it for you to reach it. My impression would be for those vans to leave MHS early morning to deliver the pax intime at CNX for onward. Also: NO, you are not entitled to whatever compensation as this is what they call ´act of nature´. If you persist they will explain that this whole replacement cost them more as running the tiny plane.