Air Travel In October.

[tlusername]

Hi All,

Myself and my wife plan to travel Thailand (BKK) in October 2010 (approximately the 20th) from the UK and I am trying to work out the best approach to booking a bargain flight.

We will have our baby with us (wife is 36 weeks now) so the baby will be 7 months old at time of travel.

The travel will be 8 months away from now so I am trying to work out if it may be better to book earlier in advance or a shoter amount of time before (for example one month before travel)?

I understand this may be difficult to give a certain answer on. I am not expecting anyone to predict the state of the aviation industry and its relation to prices, I understand this is susceptible to up's and down's. I am more making a call out as I should imagine there are a lot of people on this forum with family in Thailand who arrange annual travel to thailand from the UK.

Thanks in advance!

Edited February 21, 2010 by tlusername

[gotlost]

OH great one, when is the lowest air fair to be?

[tlusername]

OH great one, when is the lowest air fair to be?

Did you even read my post?

"I understand this may be difficult to give a certain answer on. I am not expecting anyone to predict the state of the aviation industry and its relation to prices, I understand this is susceptible to up's and down's. I am more making a call out as I should imagine there are a lot of people on this forum with family in Thailand who arrange annual travel to thailand from the UK."

[ralfbkk]

First of all. Congrats on the baby!

Now, Mid April to Mid June and Mid Sep to Mid Nov are pretty slow months on the Euro - Bangkok Sector. You didnt state how long you are going to stay in Thailand, but if you return to the UK before 15 Nov 2010 you will be fine and should be able to get a descent fare.

However, and IMHO, do yourself a favour and get a nonstop flight. I am the father of a 2 1/2 son and found it extremely difficult to change planes in the middle of the night somewhere in the Middle East. Of course you may end up paying a little bit more, but you will be less exhausted also. As earlier as you book as better is the chance of making a seat reservation in front row where they have the baby baskets. For me, as a parent, travelling on Thai is always a pleasure, while Lufthansa and Singapore Airlines did a great job as well.

My 2 cents.

[richm7]

Having struggled for years with this kind of conundrum (and I still do) I have reached the conclusion that Albert Einstein originally decided to figure out airline pricing but decided it was too difficult so chose something easier. There is no simple answer; it is a crapshoot. Direct flights are always best but are usually the most expensive. The cheaper carriers are (currently) Etihad and Emirates, but you have to change in the Middle East. Not too difficult in my opinion, but certainly not as nice as a direct flight. As for the nipper, that's another crapshoot. The baby might be as good as gold or might scream the whole way. I've always been lucky, largely because I take one flight and the wife and kids take another (just kidding).

You might book a flight today and find it cheaper tomorrow. You might book one in 5 months and find it is a more than you could have got it today. You just don't know. Frankly, since cost is obviously a major consideration I would not book yet, unless you also take out insurance, because a lot can happen in 6 months. If you do book now, find the best fare you can, be happy with and and DON'T CHECK fares again. We all get pissed off if something we've bought is cheaper next week but what you don't know about you don't worry about. One good point about early booking is that the cheap allocation of seats might be more plentiful early on. Or, as Einstein discovered, they might not. Buy and forget, that's my best advice.

Not terrible helpful I know, but you really posed a very difficult question to which there is no definitive answer.

[KhunDave]

Finnair are doing some good prices at the moment - around £530. A good deal for a European carrier I think, just grabbed one for myself.

[tlusername]

Thanks ever so much ralfbkk, richm7 & KhunDave!

Learned alot from this - has to be a direct flight as I don't want to wake a sleeping baby up to sit around in transit...good point!

I will be coming back before November the 15th (a couple of days before I suspect).

As for prices I will just have to keep monitoring and hopefully strike at the right time. I think i might well make it sooner as I don't mind paying around the 500 pound mark.

Finnair sounds good, are the direct from London?

Has anyone tried Eva air with a baby? They do a direct flight.

[chanthas]

HI

two weeks ago i booked with thai air for travel mid may, direct flight from LHR-bkk ,£520 each for me and wife and £90 for my babe(will be 7 months old then) not bad for a direct flight (economy) i thought ,when checked air fares with EVA they wanted £550 each for me and my wife and a STAGERING £460 ish(economy) for a 7 month old,so needless to say i passed on that one.

Also booked flights two days ago with etihad for travel 2nd march 10 but with a transfer in abu £530 each and £99 for the babe,

[tlusername]

HI

two weeks ago i booked with thai air for travel mid may, direct flight from LHR-bkk ,£520 each for me and wife and £90 for my babe(will be 7 months old then) not bad for a direct flight (economy) i thought ,when checked air fares with EVA they wanted £550 each for me and my wife and a STAGERING £460 ish(economy) for a 7 month old,so needless to say i passed on that one.

Also booked flights two days ago with etihad for travel 2nd march 10 but with a transfer in abu £530 each and £99 for the babe,

I did not even know they charged for a baby! Just goes to show how valuable this thread has been.

Maybe I need to try Thai then as ralkbkk recommends them too.

[KhunDave]

Finnair needs a change of plane at Helsinki. It's an easy transfer though as the airport is not too big, and connection times are usually short.

[richm7]

Yes I've done the Finnair route. Not too bad as already stated, but not sure on their fare. Definitely better than two long hauls through the ME with a nipper.

The Thai fare quoted was excellent. If you see one at 600 squids or less I'd grab it quick.

Airlines always did charge for under two's on long haul flights, right back to my first (longer ago than I care to remember) and it is generally 10% of the adult fare. In fact, I rember flying from San Francisco to Rome in Business Class fiftenn years ago using frequent flyer miles and it cost me $500 for my daughter to sit on my lap!

(Apologies for the typo's but I can't fix 'em because for some stupid reason Firefox suddenly won't let me edit)

Finnair needs a change of plane at Helsinki. It's an easy transfer though as the airport is not too big, and connection times are usually short.

[Bedrockguesthouse]

You could try air asia although u transfer in Kuala Lumpur. Wouldnt be that comfortable with the baby but probably the lowest cost.

[Carmine6]

Thanks ever so much ralfbkk, richm7 & KhunDave!

Learned alot from this - has to be a direct flight as I don't want to wake a sleeping baby up to sit around in transit...good point!

I will be coming back before November the 15th (a couple of days before I suspect).

As for prices I will just have to keep monitoring and hopefully strike at the right time. I think i might well make it sooner as I don't mind paying around the 500 pound mark.

Finnair sounds good, are the direct from London?

Has anyone tried Eva air with a baby? They do a direct flight.

I don't have a baby so can only comment 2nd hand. Plus I don't know how big a 7 month old is so perhaps this doesn't apply.

EVA seems to put parents of babies right behind the bulkhead. Then after takeoff they pull out a baby bassinet (basket?) that sticks to the bulkhead right in front of the parent's seats. So the parents seem to be relatively unencumbered during the flight. I've sat nearby several times and can not remember a baby making a lot of noise. They seem to do very well laying in the basket.

I fly Los Angeles to Taipei and Bangkok so the aircraft may be different, as well as other things like length of the flight and number of kids needing a bassinet.

[CPH]

London Stansted to Kuala Lumpur with Air Asia is 84 pound on oct 20, 2010. You can then stay at Tune Hotel in the airport. There is a trottle bus to the hotel outside to the right. Just ask air asia desk for directions. Tune hotel is maybe 15 pound. (room is very small, but nice). The return flight is maybe slightly cheeper. But the webpage only covers up to Nov. 2010 for now. You then take the flight KUL to BKK (15 pound). And vica versa for return. You have to book tickets very soon to obtain mentioned prices. Do not know price for baby, but low. Nice trip.