How do we book a sealed route flight for the Samui+ at same time as international ticketing?

[ding]

How do we book a sealed route flight transiting through Suvarnabhumi to Samui for the Samui plus quarantine program? 

The TAT site says they must be ticketed at the same time as the international flight. In my case this is from Seattle-Tacoma International in the USA.

EVA Air shows "error" when I try to book to Samui without a real explanation.

 

TAT FAQ's

 

Quote

Q: What flights can I take to Samui?
A: You can fly to Samui on a direct international flight or international flight via Bangkok and being connected with approved sealed flights as details below. For the flight via Bangkok, the ticket must be issued on the same booking with international flight in conjunction with such approved Bangkok-Samui-Bangkok flights. Any flight reservations booked separately will not be allowed.

 

[gearbox]

I guess you may need to book a "one ticket" flight with an airline which code shares with Bangkok Airways.

 

As far as I know there were no truly direct flights yet (meaning landing directly here from overseas). The Samui+ people all came via Bangkok.

[khunPer]

1 hour ago, ding said:

How do we book a sealed route flight transiting through Suvarnabhumi to Samui for the Samui plus quarantine program? 

You can read more HERE on Bangkok Airways' web-page about the Samui+ program.

[khunPer]

Bangkok Airways' said the following on their Facebook profile yesterday...

Bangkok Airways

Based on the latest update of CAAT that all airlines cannot operate the flights from Suvarnabhumi Airport 14 days. In this case, we will temporarily suspend Bangkok-Samui-Bangkok from 21 July-3 Aug due to the Covid-19 situation. Sorry for the inconvenience.

 

Furthermore they says...

Bangkok Airways

For your information, the sealed route of Samui Plus Model, the flights are operated normally. As mentioned above, only for the normal domestic flights (flight number 3 digits).

The sealed route is a codeshare flight and has to make the through-checked reservation : all flights in the one ticket number or single ticket only.

For more details via this link: "https://www.bangkokair.com/samuiplus"

 

And for code share flights...

Bangkok Airways

Yes, they can by contacting the participating carriers or travel agency who can made the through-checked booking directly for checking more details.

For the participating carriers information via the link at "https://www.bangkokair.com/eng/through-check-in".

 

1 hour ago, gearbox said:

I guess you may need to book a "one ticket" flight with an airline which code shares with Bangkok Airways.

 

As far as I know there were no truly direct flights yet (meaning landing directly here from overseas). The Samui+ people all came via Bangkok.

You can find the code share list HERE.

 

 

 

[khunPer]

2 hours ago, ding said:

EVA Air shows "error" when I try to book to Samui without a real explanation.

ECA Air don't seems to be included on the Bangkok Airways' code share list.

[lom]

3 hours ago, khunPer said:

ECA Air don't seems to be included on the Bangkok Airways' code share list.

Number 19

[NanLaew]

TAA

 

(try another airline)

 

Old Aussie joke from the TAA, Ansett days.

[NanLaew]

Maybe the layover/transfer time at BKK prevents using this approved carrier? With the idea of keeping the Samui+ 'clean' pax moving, I imagine the Covid-secure 'tunnel' through Suvarnhabhumi's E and D gates doesn't allow for an excessive stopover?

 

For those interested, here are the simple rules for joining the exclusive Samui+ Club.

 

[khunPer]

54 minutes ago, lom said:

Number 19

Thanks, I missed that,..????

[ding]

Excellent help, above & beyond - very grateful!

 

I got all nostalgic for a minute when Bangkok Air directed us to contact out "travel agent".

???? I remember travel agents, RIP. Haven't seen a travel agent in the US for years.

 

EVA Air is impossible to deal with in recent years.  I guess I'll try Bangkok Air call center.

 

OR... Maybe go back to Korean Air that always had a miserably long layover and seats like a locker room.

 

 

Edited July 19, 2021 by ding

[ding]

3 hours ago, NanLaew said:

TAA

 

(try another airline)

 

Old Aussie joke from the TAA, Ansett days.

Just checked Korean Air... $6,353.78 Economy Flex, 2 passengers (pax).

$3,176 a person!

I checked EVA Air to BKK last month and it was 600 something/pax

 

Shortest KA flight time was  33 hours with their nasty layover of 11.5 hours in Bangkok.

 

So, I tried emailing Bangkok Air Reservation as their site directs. The auto-reply says they'll try to respond in 3 days.

 

I thought they wanted this Samui+ program to actually WORK.

 

Edited July 19, 2021 by ding
had to pick jaw off of floor, changed shorts

[crazykopite]

Don’t waste your time or money Samui is decimated there is absolutely nothing to do except sit in your room but if your that desperate to come fly to Phuket do your sandbox quarantine there and then fly to Samui that’s exactly what a friend of mine has done but he is not a tourist he is an expat who was desperate to get back as he has a small property complex with long term renters 

[gearbox]

On 7/20/2021 at 1:44 AM, ding said:

Just checked Korean Air... $6,353.78 Economy Flex, 2 passengers (pax).

$3,176 a person!

I checked EVA Air to BKK last month and it was 600 something/pax

 

Shortest KA flight time was  33 hours with their nasty layover of 11.5 hours in Bangkok.

 

So, I tried emailing Bangkok Air Reservation as their site directs. The auto-reply says they'll try to respond in 3 days.

 

I thought they wanted this Samui+ program to actually WORK.

 

Try flying with the Middle East carriers, with Qatar return Samui - JFK is around 29000 baht, less than 1k USD. The Bangkok - Samui leg of the ticket is already covered  with Samui+ flight - would show as PG XXXX.

 

The Middle East carriers are also usually more reliable, as they are government funded and so far their governments don't worry too much about empty planes.

[Tropicalevo]

6 hours ago, crazykopite said:

there is absolutely nothing to do except sit in your room

A little bit of an exaggeration there.

Some bars are open. Bangrak (most of them), Fisherman's Village, Maenam and even a few in Chaweng now.  (I can only quote the towns where I live and travel.)

Beach clubs and restaurants are also open in those areas, but not so much in FV. Mind you, I am told that Coco Tams has never closed. Nor has Chi in Bangrak!

It varies daily. Do not expect to go out and have a 'rave of a time' on a Sunday/Monday night.

Edited July 25, 2021 by Tropicalevo

[gearbox]

6 hours ago, crazykopite said:

Don’t waste your time or money Samui is decimated there is absolutely nothing to do except sit in your room but if your that desperate to come fly to Phuket do your sandbox quarantine there and then fly to Samui that’s exactly what a friend of mine has done but he is not a tourist he is an expat who was desperate to get back as he has a small property complex with long term renters 

The beaches are still here, and better than ever...I thought people come to Samui for a beach holiday? In fact, if one stays longer the prices are down quite a bit, especially the accommodation. 

[Kilick]

Better check if you can even transit through Taiwan at this time with EVA.

[Letseng]

On 7/19/2021 at 5:37 PM, NanLaew said:

Maybe the layover/transfer time at BKK prevents using this approved carrier? With the idea of keeping the Samui+ 'clean' pax moving, I imagine the Covid-secure 'tunnel' through Suvarnhabhumi's E and D gates doesn't allow for an excessive stopover?

 

For those interested, here are the simple rules for joining the exclusive Samui+ Club.

 

So simple that one may decide not to bother.????

[HappyFalang]

Hello everyone,
Does this mean I have to book the connecting flight to Samui at the same time as book the international flight to Bangkok? When I use Skyscanner for example I can't get it to show the Bangkok Air Samui+ Flights PG5125 or PG5171.

 

Do I need to book directly with the airlines? Even then these two flights don't show up.

 

Thank you!

 

 

[Neilly]

1 hour ago, HappyFalang said:

Do I need to book directly with the airlines? Even then these two flights don't show up.

Yes you do...but also the airline has to have a code sharing agreement with Bangkok airways

 

 

[HappyFalang]

5 minutes ago, Neilly said:

Yes you do...but also the airline has to have a code sharing agreement with Bangkok airways

 

 

I just spoke with Thai Airways that are on the list for participating carriers. They had no idea if they could book a ticket with Bangkok air and said they would call me back. Has anyone booked directly with any airlines recently?? 
 

[goa4711]

23 hours ago, HappyFalang said:

I just spoke with Thai Airways that are on the list for participating carriers. They had no idea if they could book a ticket with Bangkok air and said they would call me back. Has anyone booked directly with any airlines recently?? 
 

Yes I did with KLM (changing an existing ticket, changed flight date and route from BKK-AMS-HAM to USM (Samui)-BKK-AMS-HAM), no problem. KLM has a code sharing agreement with BKK airlines, somebody published a list of all airlines which do have such an agreement a few weeks ago in this forum. You should be booked on a 4-digit Bangkok Air flight number for USM-BKK, the 4 digit flight number (mine is PG5172) indicates it's a Samui+ flight as compared to 3 digits for regular flights.    

Edited August 13, 2021 by goa4711

[Tropicalevo]

The secret is to quote the Airport code - USM.

On 8/12/2021 at 10:38 AM, HappyFalang said:

I just spoke with Thai Airways that are on the list for participating carriers. They had no idea if they could book a ticket with Bangkok air and said they would call me back. Has anyone booked directly with any airlines recently?? 
 

The secret is to quote the airport code - USM.

I had many problems with tickets and checking in. Samui, Ko Samui, Koh Samui - what to type.

USM always worked, as well as quoting PG for the code share.

[gearbox]

On 8/12/2021 at 12:06 PM, HappyFalang said:

Hello everyone,
Does this mean I have to book the connecting flight to Samui at the same time as book the international flight to Bangkok? When I use Skyscanner for example I can't get it to show the Bangkok Air Samui+ Flights PG5125 or PG5171.

 

Do I need to book directly with the airlines? Even then these two flights don't show up.

 

Thank you!

 

 

I think it is a bit complicated. It probably depends on the dates of your bookings - if you book a flight for the next week probably it is 100% certain you'll get a Samui+ flight, just because there are no other flights. If you try to book far ahead, they may book you via the normal Bangkok Airways domestic flights. Usually the airlines show their codeshare flight number, not the Bangkok Airways PG number. You can chat with Bangkok Airways via FB to match the codeshare code to Bangkok Airways PG number before booking and paying.

 

My advice is to book directly with the airline, and get some sort of a flexible ticket, in case you need to change it to fit the Samui+ flights.

 

For this reason I changed my return flight back to Thailand to Phuket - there are direct flights available which remove the need to guess whether the domestic flight is a Samui+ flight. My inbound flight is Abu Dhabi - Phuket direct. Also there is a bigger choice of SHA+ hotels in Phuket. No issues moving from Phuket to Samui later - my gf is going to come and stay with me, and we'll drive back to Samui later.

 

[ding]

On 8/12/2021 at 11:56 PM, gearbox said:

I think it is a bit complicated.

 

...and unnecessarily miserable.

 

UPDATE:

We want to retire to Samui but are willing to sandbox in Phuket or Pattaya too.

The 11.5 hour layover n BKK for the Samui+ is reduced to 9 hours. Phuket is 8.5 hours. Pattaya is "not available".

We're almost willing to be sentenced to 7 days in a BKK ASQ before laying on the floor of an airport for 9 hours. BUT! the price-gouging rtPCR tests and silly COE requirements - only to have Thailand close the beaches because cheap imported labor caused a covid cluster somewhere. Silliness.

 

We're departing from Seattle which had always been a popular point of departure.

The ToT or AoT could require airlines to coordinate better. Airlines are absolutely disconnected and can't/wont help.

I have to use consolidator sites to get an idea of what MAY be possible.

 

I try not to complain about Thailand's efforts to deal with this pandemic, so I'll just say ....we'll pass for now. This is silly.

[PoorSucker]

Fly Singapore airlines or Qatar airways directly to Phuket. 

When you come to Phuket you take a PCR test at the airport. 

You get result within 6h and are then free to enjoy Phuket. 

Not like the Samui + program where you can't leave the hotel. 

Also Phuket sandbox hotels are a fraction of Samui + hotels. 

 

Stay 7 days in the sandbox program and then fly to Samui for another 7 days in sandbox program. 

[khunPer]

Via Singapore you can also fly directly to Samui, Hong Kong might also be a hub worth checking, if using BKK as transit to Samui, while Doha in Qatar is off route when coming from US.

[bolt]

Dear ALL 

has anything changed regarding Flying into to BKK and then connecting for Samui

 

my airline has gave me 

to BKK EY 430

4 hours then 

to Samui USM PG 5171

 

also can my Thai wife whos currenlty in Thailand join me on the same Samui flight???

 

[Tropicalevo]

1 hour ago, bolt said:

Dear ALL 

has anything changed regarding Flying into to BKK and then connecting for Samui

 

my airline has gave me 

to BKK EY 430

4 hours then 

to Samui USM PG 5171

 

also can my Thai wife whos currenlty in Thailand join me on the same Samui flight???

 

I believe that all is the same.

Your wife will not be allowed to join that flight. The transfer at Bangkok to Samui is a sealed route and cannot mix with other passengers.

The flights PG5nnn are the special Samui Plus flights.

She will have to catch a scheduled flight. (3 digits eg PG123)

[bolt]

3 hours ago, Tropicalevo said:

I believe that all is the same.

Your wife will not be allowed to join that flight. The transfer at Bangkok to Samui is a sealed route and cannot mix with other passengers.

The flights PG5nnn are the special Samui Plus flights.

She will have to catch a scheduled flight. (3 digits eg PG123)

Thanks for your reply.

 

But the Bangkok Air websites has the same flight time available, and I understand the International arrivals need to be sealed in case of spreading the virus

But the flight looks the same it has one number less than mine

Mine is PG 5171

for the wife PG 171

 

Has anyone managed to hook up with anyone domestically at BKK

[Tropicalevo]

2 hours ago, bolt said:

Thanks for your reply.

 

But the Bangkok Air websites has the same flight time available, and I understand the International arrivals need to be sealed in case of spreading the virus

But the flight looks the same it has one number less than mine

Mine is PG 5171

for the wife PG 171

 

Has anyone managed to hook up with anyone domestically at BKK

Could be the same flight.

In theory, Bangkok Airways should not mix passengers. But this is Thailand?

Maybe with the new 'opening' rules it is OK?

Try contacting the airline.