Booking Thai Airways Online

[JimGant]

Just bought a ticket on Thai Airways, CNX-BKK, at the CNX airport. All inclusive total: 1885bt.

Made the reservation on the phone, then had to pick the ticket up within two hours. This is the way we've done it now for several years, as this is apparently the only way to get the cheapest TG tickets (could probably do the same with the TG ticket office downtown).

However, a few years ago, I could also find these same "cheapest" tickets on the Thai Airways website, and thus save myself a trip to the airport to obtain. Today, and for a long time past, I haven't seen these "cheapest" tickets offered on their website (the latest cheapest offered, all inclusive, was 2655bt for CNX-BKK). Yes, they do throw out great deals randomly -- today was Saigon-BKK, yesterday was Melbourne-BKK. But, the great deals we've managed to get direct with their operation at the airport, seemingly anytime we've wanted, are no longer available on-line (unless, maybe, randomly).

Am I missing something? Is their a little-publicized link out there?

How do others get their best deals on TG?

Thanx.

[londonthai]

if tg office can't book you a ticket with your cc details, than find some travel agent who can charge

[piercefilmlid]

Chiang Mai Air Ticketing is a small travel agent on the end of the soi next to Amari Rincome hotel (Nimmanhamein) which always manages to beat the Thai airways website price. I have booked a few tickets there this year and they are always helpful and pleasant.

I have just paid the same as you for CNX to BKK - 1,885 baht.

Rgds

Edited November 28, 2009 by piercefilmlid

[Thailand]

Chiang Mai Air Ticketing is a small travel agent on the end of the soi next to Amari Rincome hotel (Nimmanhamein) which always manages to beat the Thai airways website price. I have booked a few tickets there this year and they are always helpful and pleasant.

I have just paid the same as you for CNX to BKK - 1,885 baht.

Rgds

Similar price from the travel agent in the airport (can't remember the name), used to be next to the Thai Airlines office but now nearer the domestic exit doors. Used them many times, always better then Thai direct.

[iainiain101]

I have found that you can get cheaper flights by phone than on the internet with Thai Airways.

Could this be that phone staff are cheaper to employ here than internet experts?

Iain

[siam2007]

A lot of guessing here, but no facts:

you indeed CAN book those domestic cheapo fares on their website, did the same thing for 2 flights, BKK to Ubon Ratchathani and returning to BKK from Udon Thani just days ago.

though, they somehow "hide" those fares a little, to make it not toooooo easy for "rich Farang" to find it.

you have to go to their homepage ( http://www.thaiair.com/mainpage.shtml ) , then you will easily see the huge Banner showing the latest promotions. when you open the website. it will start with promotion number 1: "Enlighten a spiritual journey with THAI....blablabla".

after a few seconds, the next promotion offer will show. the cheapo-domestic-fare is promotion number 4.

you can click to the small number 4 at the bottom left side of that banner, then you will immidiately see it.

Now click on that banner quickly because ONLY THEN a special booking window will open and you can book those fares (as long as they are still available - but I booked my cheapo-flight Udon-Bkk less than 24 hours before departure time, so it's usually no problem)

Edited November 29, 2009 by siam2007

[JimGant]

though, they somehow "hide" those fares a little, to make it not toooooo easy for "rich Farang" to find it.

Ok, thanx for pointing me in the right direction. I guess I didn't click around their website enough.

A lot of blackout days for their 1035 + 855 baht fare to BKK, which is understandable (denoted as "sold out," although there are seats available, at higher prices). I assume on-line reflects the same availability info I'd get if I tried to buy at the TG counter at the airport....?

And, do those "sold out" signs ever come down at some time close to takeoff time?

[JimGant]

I have found that you can get cheaper flights by phone than on the internet with Thai Airways.

The 1030 + 855 baht price reflected on the internet is exactly what I got by phone to TG (whereby I was instructed to finalize the purchase in person in a timely manner to lock it in).

But, until Siam07 pointed me back in the right direction, I too thought phone purchases trumped internet purchases.

[siam2007]

though, they somehow "hide" those fares a little, to make it not toooooo easy for "rich Farang" to find it.

Ok, thanx for pointing me in the right direction. I guess I didn't click around their website enough.

A lot of blackout days for their 1035 + 855 baht fare to BKK, which is understandable (denoted as "sold out," although there are seats available, at higher prices). I assume on-line reflects the same availability info I'd get if I tried to buy at the TG counter at the airport....?

And, do those "sold out" signs ever come down at some time close to takeoff time?

actually there are no black-out-dates as such for this promotion, but during high season those cheapo tickets are of course sold out quickly.

for example: next weekend, when there is the public holiday on monday for the King's birthday, you won't be able to get any cheapo ticket anymore to anywhere on sunday or monday. same goes for X-mas season and new-years-eve-period.

apart from that, those Promo-tickets are available (in limited numbers, of course) on all domestic flights.

no need to book Budget-Airlines for domestic flights anymore, because with the exception of Chiang Mai, where BANGKOK AIR (not a Budget-Airline either) is usually by far the cheapest nowadays, THAI AIR will always beat AirAsia and NOK if you book just a few day in advance - and no extra charges for luggage, seat allocation, credit card fee.....

plus you still can earn 500 Star-Alliance-Miles per flight, even on those domestic cheapo-fares.....

Edited November 30, 2009 by siam2007

[JimGant]

THAI AIR will always beat AirAsia and NOK if you book just a few day in advance - and no extra charges for luggage, seat allocation, credit card fee.....

You're saying there's a chance the price *may* go down a few days before departure? (Of course the other side of that coin is that it may be 'sold out' if you wait that long.)

Interestingly, sometime in the last day or two, TG raised there CNX-BKK cheapo fares from 1030+855 to 1160+855.

[siam2007]

THAI AIR will always beat AirAsia and NOK if you book just a few day in advance - and no extra charges for luggage, seat allocation, credit card fee.....

You're saying there's a chance the price *may* go down a few days before departure? (Of course the other side of that coin is that it may be 'sold out' if you wait that long.)

Interestingly, sometime in the last day or two, TG raised there CNX-BKK cheapo fares from 1030+855 to 1160+855.

THAI AIRWAYS fares will not go down, but NOK and AIR ASIA fares will go up invariably a few days befoe the flight.....

and NokAir charges a ridiculous Fuel surcharge of 1.200 THB, where as AirAsia charges extra for a) luggage food c) credit card payment d) blablabla.....