hello all, my wife is needing a flight soon back to the states, Bkk to Lax to be exact... she does not currently hold a ticket, had just been planning to purchase right before the PAD incident took place so no concrete plan at all now nor any idea where to even start looking for a ticket.

can she just go onto Expedia and buy a ticket online? apparently according to their online systems there is plenty of availability, but i am suspect at this stage and cannot find much concrete information as to what flights are available, which are even leaving the runways and what, if any, backlogging is present...

if anyone could give us an idea of the current status of leaving Thailand to return to the states that would be most appreciated. thanks in advance for any insight and/or advice friends..!

Thai airways

These are return flights 11 Dec / Return 10th Jan

Fare type Fare description = Lowest price

Thai Advantage TG Flex Economy Class, flexible date and partially used Non-refundable ฿37,235.00

Thai Flexi Saver TG Flex Economy Class, flexible date and partially used Non-refundable ฿42,175.00

Thai Flexi TG Super Flex Economy Class, flexible date and refundable with fee ฿45,270.00

I suggest that you seek a local travel agent where you live and see what they can do. I have been using All-Season Travel in Pattaya for several years and they have always given me excellent service and competitive pricing. I do this from the other end of the country up in Chiang Mai via email and phone and it has worked well. PM me if you need contact data.

I suggest that you seek a local travel agent where you live and see what they can do. I have been using All-Season Travel in Pattaya for several years and they have always given me excellent service and competitive pricing. I do this from the other end of the country up in Chiang Mai via email and phone and it has worked well. PM me if you need contact data.

Really. skyman offers excellent advice. The agent will make a couple bucks comission, but even if you buy your ticket from Expedia, Orbitz, Travelocity, or any one of many sites, they too will add a small charge, usually about $15 for each ticket.

If you go to a travel agent, a reliable one that is, HE will do all the work, and all you'll have to do is pay for them, pick up your tickets and report to the airport, and if there are any changes in the situation he'll be the first to know and will notify you. If possible, pay for the ticket with a credit card, then, if all else fails, the credit card company willl refund the price you paid.....and usually without hassle. The CHEAPEST place to buy your ticket is directly from the airline's website, but they are sometimes a little hard to navigate if you're unfamiliar with them.

Just for your own satisfaction, before you go to an agent, check out kayak.com. They don't sell tickets, but they're a search engine that searches ALL the airlines that flies your route and gives you the various prices for each airline, and the webssite that sells the ticket at that price. (Orbitz is usually the cheapest). Enter your route, (BKK/LAX), and the dates, click enter and sit back and watch the different entries come up, (usually takes about a minute), and when the list is complete, the cheapest fares will be on top of the list. Pick the one that strikes your interest and Kayak will then transfer you to the website that advertises that flight, at THAT price, and you're through with "Kayak". You will deal directly with Orbitz, or whoever it happens to be, and they will give you complete instructions as to how to buy your ticket. It will be an "E" paperless ticket which you can print out on your computer, and must be paid with a valid credit card.

Then, at airport check-in, all you REALLY need is your credit card, but I always take a copy of my confirmation with me, or at

least the confirmation number. It's all tied together on their computer anyway.

Something to think about. Due to the traumatic and devastating experience wee have just gone through, some of the airlines may be tryig to fill their seats with cheaper tickets. Your travel agent will probably be in the best position to sort this all out so he will probably be your best bet. Good Luck. ErnieK

hello all, my wife is needing a flight soon back to the states, Bkk to Lax to be exact... she does not currently hold a ticket, had just been planning to purchase right before the PAD incident took place so no concrete plan at all now nor any idea where to even start looking for a ticket.

can she just go onto Expedia and buy a ticket online? apparently according to their online systems there is plenty of availability, but i am suspect at this stage and cannot find much concrete information as to what flights are available, which are even leaving the runways and what, if any, backlogging is present...

if anyone could give us an idea of the current status of leaving Thailand to return to the states that would be most appreciated. thanks in advance for any insight and/or advice friends..!

I just got off TG 794 BKK to LAX today, December 6. The flight was 40,000 one way with only one day's advance booking. I enquired about a return ticket which would be 52,000 if the return lag was within 6 months or 65,000 within 1 year. I would say the flight was 70% full so plenty of availablity. Be warned that this flight may stop in Osaka as it did on our flight, much to everyone's suprise. Nobody got on or off at Osaka. My guess is the LAX did not want any direct flights from BKK because of security concerns, so they cleared it at Osaka. Beware also that Thai, like everybody else I imagine, has been cancelling and rescheduling flights quite frequently because they were rushed to get the airport open again, it would appear. We we set for 7:30 pm originally but ended up going at 3 am. Nice of them to shuttle us over to the Novotel for some dinner and a room for a few hours, though.

Beware of Expedia. Getting a refund from them is a major hassle if you need to change anything or cancel. Plus they charge fees you dont need to pay.

I usually fly Singapore airlines. There are (or were) numerous flights out of BKK to Singapore and from there to LA. Your wife would be out of Thailand and into a 'safer' area where the flight is unlikely to be delayed. She might want to book an early flight from BKK to Singapore, just in case of cancellations.

Research your fares first. 30 minutes of time can save you a bundle.

IMHO the major search engines like orbitz and expedia help but they are biased in favour of certain airlines that pay referral fees. Expedia will spit out the "favoured" routes unless you input a specific departure time. The best booking engine for research is kayak. Once you have an idea as to basic flights & routes, check the airline websites directly. Do not forget to look at EVA.

Always double check your pricing by look at one way fares as well. Often, an airline will price a portion of trip alot less than its competitor depending upon its historic load factor. For example, I made a trip to North America in Oct using ANA one way with EVA the other.

Don't pass your flight selection on airline point rewards earned either. The cost differentials don't justify the points. (Airlines value the points at between .01 and .02 USD cents per point)

hello all, my wife is needing a flight soon back to the states, Bkk to Lax to be exact... she does not currently hold a ticket, had just been planning to purchase right before the PAD incident took place so no concrete plan at all now nor any idea where to even start looking for a ticket.

can she just go onto Expedia and buy a ticket online? apparently according to their online systems there is plenty of availability, but i am suspect at this stage and cannot find much concrete information as to what flights are available, which are even leaving the runways and what, if any, backlogging is present...

if anyone could give us an idea of the current status of leaving Thailand to return to the states that would be most appreciated. thanks in advance for any insight and/or advice friends..!

Since you are in Thailand right now why not just use a local travel agent? A local travel agency will be cheaper than going on line and paying surcharges, credit card fees and other "extras" they usually tack on! At least get off your butt and check out the prices for flights to LAX just to see what price you have to beat! I have used China Airlines out of BKK several times to LAX.

Good luck.

The cheapest options from Bangkok to Los Angleles are with China Airlines, Philippine Airlines and Asiana Airlines. The fastest way is with Thai Airways although their flight operates with a stopover in Osaka. Anyway, I found Mox Travel to be the best way to compare prices for air tickets from Thailand. They sell all airlines and their airfares are sometimes even cheaper than if you buy on airline websites. Check it out and compare.