Flying Lhr-bkk With Eva And Then Internal To Chaing Mai

[slippery when wet]

Hello all.

I have a small query.

I will be flying from London to Bangkok with Eva air but with to get an internal flight to Chaing Mai.

Is there anyway I can not pass through passport control at BKK but arrange to have my bags sent ready for collection at Chaing Mai as it will be a completely different airline.

Many thanks

[NanLaew]

Contact EVA air directly (not the travel agent that may be supplying your tickets) and ask if they have an 'interline' agreement with the airline that you are flying to CNX on... Thai Airways? Somehow I doubt it as I think all bags have to be cleared in BKK but good luck anyway.

[true blue]

at check in,in london if they have the facilitie they will foreward bags to cnx,my advice is pick luggage up at bkk,and check it in at bkk,for cnx,(not very ofay with customs chaing mai),by the time you clear immigration bkk luggage is waiting for you.

[KhunDave]

If you haven't booked yet, EVA have just announced a codeshare agreement with Bangkok Airways to start in March, so that might be an option: http://airlineroute.net/2010/02/10/brpg-co...are/#more-17356

[endure]

Chiang Mai is an international airport so you can clear immigration there. When I fly Chiang Mai to LHR or BHX I always check my bags all the way through.

[Ricardo]

However if your connecting-flight is with Air Asia Thailand, it is very unlikely that the same book-through service is possible, hope you're flying up here with TG !

[Ricardo]

Sorry ... double-post

[endure]

Yes, Air Asia and Nok are both point to point airlines and won't check your bags through onto other flights. You need to fly Thai.

[KhunDave]

Or Bangkok Airways.

[beano2274]

Remember if the OP uses Nok, he will actually have to exit the Airport and transfer to Don Muang

[Nip]

I have recently flown three times with EVA from Lon - BKK - Phuket and booked my luggage all the way thru. However on two of the three occasions my bags went missing for almost a week. To increase your odds I would suggest although it is time consuming pick up the bags in Bangkok. My problem was Thai Airways ( BKK to PKT ) first said EVA did not place the bags on the flight in London then they said that the bags went on to Taipei. EVA said they handed the bags over to Thai Air and that they lost them in Bangkok... Bags finally arrived without an explanation.

[hugocnx]

A friendly lady who checked me in at EVA desk Amsterdam, offered me to have my luggage go all the way to CNX without customs in BKK. That's a great service. Off course I said yes. But the lady wasn't aware of any agreement with Air Asia and so was I.

I was lucky getting the luggage next day in CNX, but I hated to go to my hotel feeling like atramp. Check in and first thing had to do in a strange town is to find a mall to buy some necessities. Bummer for a start.

Then the hussle at the airport (2x), no more for me whatever they say at EVA desk.

[bkk_mike]

Ask at check-in, but there are no guarantees when changing carriers...

(i.e. - flying Virgin to HK then from there to BKK on Thai, Virgin absolutely refused to label the bags to be transferred, even with me flying in Upper Class. This meant I had to take the train to immigration, collect my bags in Terminal 1, push them to Terminal 2 and check in, go back through HK immigration, and two more train rides to get to my departure gate which was 2 gates along from where my Virgin flight came in... Suffice it to say that I haven't flown with Virgin again after that...)

[theoldgit]

Ask at check-in, but there are no guarantees when changing carriers...

(i.e. - flying Virgin to HK then from there to BKK on Thai, Virgin absolutely refused to label the bags to be transferred, even with me flying in Upper Class. This meant I had to take the train to immigration, collect my bags in Terminal 1, push them to Terminal 2 and check in, go back through HK immigration, and two more train rides to get to my departure gate which was 2 gates along from where my Virgin flight came in... Suffice it to say that I haven't flown with Virgin again after that...)

If Virgin don't have an arrangement with the second carrier, is it called an interline agreement or something? they are not set up to check bags through.

When I flew Virgin to Hong Kong I simply went to the Thai transfer desk, very near the Virgin gate, they collected my luggage and put it on the Thai flight, there was no need for me to clear Immigration. I have done this a number of times, either on my own or with my partner, and will be doing it again in a few weeks.

[stevenl]

Fly Bangkok-Chiang Mai with Bangkok Air or Thai Air and yes, you can check through at Heathrow.

Fly Bangkok-Chiang Mai with Air bAsia, and you have to collect luggage, clear customs and recheck in at Suvanabhumi

Fly Bangkok-Chiang Mai with Nok Air, and you have to collect luggage, clear customs at Suvanabhumi, and move to Don Muang for re checkin.

[bkk_mike]

Ask at check-in, but there are no guarantees when changing carriers...

(i.e. - flying Virgin to HK then from there to BKK on Thai, Virgin absolutely refused to label the bags to be transferred, even with me flying in Upper Class. This meant I had to take the train to immigration, collect my bags in Terminal 1, push them to Terminal 2 and check in, go back through HK immigration, and two more train rides to get to my departure gate which was 2 gates along from where my Virgin flight came in... Suffice it to say that I haven't flown with Virgin again after that...)

If Virgin don't have an arrangement with the second carrier, is it called an interline agreement or something? they are not set up to check bags through.

When I flew Virgin to Hong Kong I simply went to the Thai transfer desk, very near the Virgin gate, they collected my luggage and put it on the Thai flight, there was no need for me to clear Immigration. I have done this a number of times, either on my own or with my partner, and will be doing it again in a few weeks.

I think that's a Homer Simpson moment on my part... Doh...

It's the first time my bags haven't simply been checked through in advance so I didn't know they could pick up my bags for me...

[stiffoak571]

Coming back from Phuket I was going Thai to BKK then Eva to Heathrow - bags checked in and I was actually amazed they reappeared at Heathrow - pleasing amount of cooperation between airlines.