Travel Nightmares And A Pleasant Surprise

[geriatrickid]

Well, I'm in transit on my flights from and to hel_l. Here's a warning for those of you leaving soon, get to BKK early. The weather in europe and the fog in Delhi has been playing havoc with the flight scedules. it's a zoo at BKK now. 4 days ago I received word I had to be somewhere fast. idiot me didn't buy my ticket from HKT to BB right away with a result everything was sold out. Using some inventive routing I went via USM on Bangkok Airways. My first time, It wasn't bad on the ATRS. However, what I wasn't expecting was my arrival at a 5 star resort airport. Seriously now, how come none of you buggers ever mentioned how beautiful and efficient Koh samui's airport is? It's not an airport but an Oasis of calm. The Bangkok Airways staff were wonderful.

BTW if you are leaving from HKT this week, leave an extra hour early. The lineups at checkin are crazy. It took me an hour to checkin. There are all sorts of Thomos cook and Russian big jet charters and I have never seen it like this before. I nearly didn't make my flight despite arriving 90 minutes before departure.

Also if transiting in Narita, the idiots only had one security screening device open at the international transit gate so it was panic time with people screaming etc. If you can leae lots of connecting time.

And I'll say it again, koh samui's airport is one of the most beautiful in the world and it is well run. Makes the AoT and its toilet at HKT and even BKK look 3rd world. Well done Bangkok Airways.

[LaoPo]

^^^^

I'm not sure but couldn't you have avoided the busiest weekend of the new year ?

ALL westerners (and Russsians) are flying back home; holidays are over and of course it's a mess. Where are you flying to?

Europe is a disaster now and the UK, Germany and rest of the mainland in particular with REAL heavy snow all over

The UK is covered for 100% in show: see this link with photo from a satellite

Germany is in a travel chaos for the weekend since all skiers are going home (car + flying); Spain, France, Holland, Belgium...everything is in bad weather with LOTS of snow even on Spanish beaches!

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/in_depth/8447023.stm

Wish you a good trip.

PS: you should have seen Samui airport 20 years ago...... ....a dream fit for a postcard!

LaoPo

Edited January 10, 2010 by LaoPo

[geriatrickid]

Orders are orders. When I was given instructions Tuesday, I saw there were tickets galore, so I said bah, Ièll wait until wednesday. By then everything was sold out. Nok, Air Asia, TG. I had to be inventive with the USM routing. I had never flown into Samui before and it was like, OMG, itès Fantasy Island. So calm, so clean. The toilets were spotless. The staff were all polite and smiling. The flights I was on were full, but they handled everything smoothly. I feel like such an idiot for arguing with my friends from Surat Thani that I can't leave Phuket. I know itès busy but I have flown at a similar time for the past 5 years and it was nothing like this.

Leave lots of time for checkin. And I had no idea of the weather in Europe. The lady that met me in BKK to guide me through my layover was telling me she had worked 1 day straight due to the airline delays and cancelaltions. Apparently. there are a lot of stranded PAX in BKK because the aircraft due to take them home, never arrived.

[ding]

^^^^

I'm not sure but couldn't you have avoided the busiest weekend of the new year ?

ALL westerners (and Russsians) are flying back home; holidays are over and of course it's a mess. Where are you flying to?

Europe is a disaster now and the UK, Germany and rest of the mainland in particular with REAL heavy snow all over

The UK is covered for 100% in show: see this link with photo from a satellite

Germany is in a travel chaos for the weekend since all skiers are going home (car + flying); Spain, France, Holland, Belgium...everything is in bad weather with LOTS of snow even on Spanish beaches!

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/in_depth/8447023.stm

Wish you a good trip.

PS: you should have seen Samui airport 20 years ago...... ....a dream fit for a postcard!

LaoPo

I remember Samui airport from that era and I came home and found myself describing it to anyone standing still. I still think it's a great place, with all it's polish.

Best of luck to you geriatrickid. I've been surprised by the sellouts too. I was trying to get a ticket to Vietnam from Bangkok. You couldn't by a ticket to VN in the USA back then. Before I could find my feet, Clinton lifted the 'No Trading With the Enemy" act which prohibitted trade with VN.

"poof"

All the tix were sold out, unless I wanted to fly Aeroflot or something... but I soon wanted to stay in the LOS and only LOS.