From California To Chiang Mai - Eva Elite Or ?

[sante]

I've been following this forum for months, trying to prepare for my long-term and possible retirement in Thailand. And finally the time for making tangible plans is here.

I'll be arriving at the end of March so am trying to make decisions about airlines. I've read a lot of good opinions about EVA so am considering EVA Elite from San Francisco to Bangkok and then Bangkok Air or Thai Airways to Chiang Mai. But I have some questions.

There have been mention of EVA flight cancellations so am wondering the best day for travel to avoid that possibility. I initially considered a Wednesday departure but am concerned middle of the week would be susceptible to cancellation.

Also, I went to the EVA Air online site but am confused by the various Elite Booking Class codes, such as V, Q, M, etc. What's the difference? And is it better to book online on the EVA site or by phone or through a travel agency, maybe Vayama or Priceline?

I usually travel light but because this stay may be very long term I'll be dragging two big heavy duffel bags. Can I check the bags with EVA for automatic transfer to my Bangkok or Thai Air to Chiang Mai flight? What would be the best interval between arrival of my EVA flight in Bangkok and departure to Chiang Mai? I'd like to arrive at my destination at the same time as my luggage.

Another question--how early should I book the late March flight?

Thanks for any help. I'm really looking forward to this new adventure but the transition process is overwhelming. Right now I'm trying to drastically reduce all my belongings to fit into two large duffels.

[sfokevin]

EVA Air and Bangkok Air have a code sharing agreement. so you can check your baggage all the way thu to CM and also at Suvarnabhum you get to go thru a special and much less congested immigration

[uptheos]

"Another question--how early should I book the late March flight?"

Maybe look at EVA website regularly, to check availability?

If you're sure of your dates and there are seats available, why not book it now?

[CMX]

1. March is our one notorious month for heat combined with smoke; the later the better.

2. Korean, which is also a four-star airline (like Eva) according to Skytrax, could save you upwards of $400 OW. Also they fly to Chiang Mai via Seoul, which is a friendlier airport than BKK, where clearing customs and immigration can be a chore. (On the other hand, a transfer to Bangkok Air earns you their comfortable lounge while waiting).

3. Cathay Pacific is rated five stars by the same outfit, Skytrax, and they Cathay are somewhat cheaper than Eva.

4. It mystifies me why folks don't try use the non-commercial itasoftware dot com, owned now by google. By using their "Airfares" search engine, all fares available are shown and by clicking around you can not only get fares but times of flights and layovers, all in a bar-chart. It helps to know identifiers, though - San Fran of course is SFO and we here are CNX. Also, it omits budget airlines such as Southwest and Air Asia, but on the other hand will search an entire month's time for your departure in order to get a best price. You can also discover available seats. Then you have to go to the airline.

Edited December 14, 2011 by CMX

[zippydedodah]

i would go elite class, if you prefer to go thru BKK.... did it several times and enjoyed the extra arm rest room, larger seats, etc. Have 2 friends who just arrived last week from SFO and they used elite class and they were VERY happy that they spent the extra bucks. Personally, i prefer the Seoul or Tapei direct to CM route now, since we now live here and don't need to stop into BKK to visit relatives.

just a quick note: when we checked into KAL desk at LAX in November, on our return leg... because i did not have a return ticket to USA and the staff did not notice my residency visa for thailand, at first the refused me a boarding pass and said i needed a ticket out of thailand. Once i showed a supervisor where my residency visa was stamped, they apologized and gave me a boarding pass.

[hellodolly]

The choice is up to you

I have always used EVA mainly because of the Deluxe Economy class. As the previous poster said the seats are bigger and you have more leg room. All in all a comfortable ride. I am really big and find to long of time in the economy very very uncomfortable. I have also used their business class and found it to be OK but for some reason I was more comfortable in Deluxe Economy seats

I also recommend Bangkok air from Bangkok to Chiang Mai. They save you time at Bangkok and you can check your baggage through with them.

I have no more reward points so next time I go I am going to be looking at alternative ways. Korea seems to be popular but to Seattle it is a 8 hour lay over in Soul.

I will be looking into the availability of a Eva Air Deluxe Economy type seating. If they do not have that I will probably go with Eva.

While price is a bit of a concern I will not let it dictate to me.

[NxaiPan]

i would second that Eva provides a very decent service, but not a patch on Cathay.

The Korean flight avoiding BKK is also a great option, especially if you get a leg on their new A380.

My only original input would be based on the fact that I always like to see more places en route somewhere if I have the time and the prices are reasonable.

If I was retiring out here my logic would be driven by the fact that I had no time constraints and as March can be (not this year, thank goodness) a pretty grim time of the year in CM. Hot, humid and potentially smog that makes LA look clean.

If I was beginning a trip here from CA I would consider cherry blossom in Japan, Hawaii, the Phillipines, or go totally wild and head down to the S.Pacific and/or Australia. Obviously depends what you are in to, and how leisurely you want to travel.

Just a few off the wall ideas!

[seedy]

Korea seems to be popular but to Seattle it is a 8 hour lay over in Soul.

I always fly YVR - TPE - BKK via EVA Elite.

3 hour layover Taipei. Time for a wash and breakfast.

Edited December 14, 2011 by seedy

[nikster]

I have no more reward points so next time I go I am going to be looking at alternative ways. Korea seems to be popular but to Seattle it is a 8 hour lay over in Soul.

Same going from CM -> SFO via Seoul... 8 hours layover, and the flight leaves at midnight. Not worth it IMO, it's better to go via BKK. So if you go Korea, make sure the layover is reasonable. Seoul Incheon is a great airport but the novelty wears off after 5 hours or so...

I like staying in BKK overnight if I have time.

Here's my laundry list of tips, having done this route many times:

- March is the worst month in CM, hot and dry and quite possibly some serious pollution due to the burning of forests and fields in this season. Think LA, only worse. This happens every March / April, it's usually over by mid-April when the rainy season starts.

- I'd book a month ahead to get the best price. After that, the closer to the date it gets, the higher the price.

- Check Kayak and a travel agent of your choice - travel agents are usually cheaper than online booking but why not make sure. Hipmunk is another great site because they sort flights by "agony" which is a combination of price, layovers, and total travel time. Perfect IMO. Not sure you can book anything but economy with these though. EVA elite class is a good deal.

- I prefer to fly Cathay from SFO. The airline is great; HK airport is great; layovers are short, and the flights arrive and depart at reasonable times. Oh and they're pretty cheap - sometimes the cheapest, and sometimes a tiny bit more than the total garbage airlines like Air Philippines (avoid!).

- Eva elite is good; China Air is OK. Taipei airport is a bit of a dump but not horrible. Both Seoul and HK are very nice. Eva and Korean have the advantage that you can avoid BKK.

- Pretty much all airlines will allow you to check your luggage through. But if you stay overnight in BKK you might have trouble - in that case I always fly Thai from BKK - CM, they make the least trouble when it comes to having too much luggage. Bangkok Air is a good airline but they made me take 2kg out of my bag at the check-in counter which is something I don't appreciate at all and for that reason I don't fly with them anymore when going internationally.

Edited December 14, 2011 by nikster

[Dante99]

Eva and Korean have the advantage that you can avoid BKK.

How do you avoid BKK flying EVA, do they fly to CM now?

[sfokevin]

If you log into EVA Air with an account and choose "HOT E-FARE" from the drop down you might find a good price ($1,414 for Evergreen Deluxe)

Edited December 14, 2011 by sfokevin

[Johpa]

How do you avoid BKK flying EVA, do they fly to CM now?

I believe that the EVA flight to CNX was canceled awhile ago. The new flight on Korean via Seoul may be the only direct connection from North America to CNX.

Be warned that customs in CNX can be a bit more hassle, at least subject more often to inspection, than when entering in BKK. I have never had my luggage inspected in BKK. Other long time residents that I know share the feeling.

[Dante99]

How do you avoid BKK flying EVA, do they fly to CM now?

I believe that the EVA flight to CNX was canceled awhile ago. The new flight on Korean via Seoul may be the only direct connection from North America to CNX.

Be warned that customs in CNX can be a bit more hassle, at least subject more often to inspection, than when entering in BKK. I have never had my luggage inspected in BKK. Other long time residents that I know share the feeling.

Thanks. After many years of easy CNX customs, they looked into my bags about 18 months ago for the first time and I paid a bit of duty on vitamins. Not for sure but they talked of checking when a person has more than one piece of luggage which I did that time. In and out several times since then with one bag and no check. There is CM one customs officer who is into it heavy so wait until he is busy then go through.

[highonthai]

I prefer the Thai airlines Nonstop flight from LAX to BKK with my bags checked through to CNX, Clear customs and Immigation at CNX.

[sante]

First of all, thanks for all the replies and suggestions.

And yes, I'm aware of the awful heat and air quality in Chiang Mai during March and part of April but that's the best time for me to relocate. The suggestion from NxaiPan to add travel stops, delaying my arrival in Chiang Mai would be great if it wasn't for all the luggage I'll be dragging around. So as long as I'm aware of the temporary climate problems it shouldn't be that bad. I'll probably be arriving around March 29th and may sleep through the last days of the month which means I'll only have to deal with the smoke for a few weeks in April.

I did consider Korean Air to avoid Bangkok but don't want to arrive at midnight. Once I'm familiar with Chiang Mai that would be okay but probable exhaustion from eighteen hours in the air in addition to extended layover time and then combined with my feeble Thai language skills make a middle of the night landing intimidating. I've been studying the excellent High Speed Thai course daily but am pretty sure once I'm in Thailand and natives are speaking at their natural fast pace, I won't understand a thing--at least at first.

Actually now I'm considering EVA's Laurel Business Class. I've never traveled Business before and probably won't in the future but it may be worth the money to preserve my mental health. Lately I've been wandering around my house in a daze. The reality of getting rid of all my stuff--emptying all the closets, drawers, cabinets, and garage seems like an impossible task although I know I'll do it (as many of you have done). Anyway, I'll have some very long layovers, especially in San Francisco so access to the EVA lounges, available to the Laurel ticket holders, would be a stress saver. I'm taking a small plane from central coastal California to San Francisco and the airline is notorious for cancellations so I'll book an earlier-than-necessary flight just in case. I had a bad experience with them in the past where a planned 50 minute plane flight turned into a nightmarish 8 hour road trip through Los Angeles rush hour traffic because the last flight of the day had been canceled. And so I'm opting for a 7 hour wait at SFO for the EVA flight.

Once again, I appreciate all the help. And I'm sure I'll have more questions in the near future. Thanks.

[jaideeguy]

I've done the run more times than I can count and have found by far, the easiest route is via China Air which has a stop over in Taiwan and if you hit it on a tuesday or thursday, they give you a free layover with meals in a decent hotel before flying direct the next day to CNX. Check with your travel agent if they still make that run.

The layover really lessens the jetlag from west coast....then it's only a 3+hr trip direct to CM and customs there no prob.

[jaideeguy]

And don't underestimate the heat of april/may/june. That's when I hope to be away from CM.

but welcome to CM anyway!!

[hellodolly]

I've done the run more times than I can count and have found by far, the easiest route is via China Air which has a stop over in Taiwan and if you hit it on a tuesday or thursday, they give you a free layover with meals in a decent hotel before flying direct the next day to CNX. Check with your travel agent if they still make that run.

The layover really lessens the jetlag from west coast....then it's only a 3+hr trip direct to CM and customs there no prob.

You might want to check that out I heard that China air no longer flew into Chiang Mai.

This is in the last year.

[hellodolly]

First of all, thanks for all the replies and suggestions.

And yes, I'm aware of the awful heat and air quality in Chiang Mai during March and part of April but that's the best time for me to relocate. The suggestion from NxaiPan to add travel stops, delaying my arrival in Chiang Mai would be great if it wasn't for all the luggage I'll be dragging around. So as long as I'm aware of the temporary climate problems it shouldn't be that bad. I'll probably be arriving around March 29th and may sleep through the last days of the month which means I'll only have to deal with the smoke for a few weeks in April.

I did consider Korean Air to avoid Bangkok but don't want to arrive at midnight. Once I'm familiar with Chiang Mai that would be okay but probable exhaustion from eighteen hours in the air in addition to extended layover time and then combined with my feeble Thai language skills make a middle of the night landing intimidating. I've been studying the excellent High Speed Thai course daily but am pretty sure once I'm in Thailand and natives are speaking at their natural fast pace, I won't understand a thing--at least at first.

Actually now I'm considering EVA's Laurel Business Class. I've never traveled Business before and probably won't in the future but it may be worth the money to preserve my mental health. Lately I've been wandering around my house in a daze. The reality of getting rid of all my stuff--emptying all the closets, drawers, cabinets, and garage seems like an impossible task although I know I'll do it (as many of you have done). Anyway, I'll have some very long layovers, especially in San Francisco so access to the EVA lounges, available to the Laurel ticket holders, would be a stress saver. I'm taking a small plane from central coastal California to San Francisco and the airline is notorious for cancellations so I'll book an earlier-than-necessary flight just in case. I had a bad experience with them in the past where a planned 50 minute plane flight turned into a nightmarish 8 hour road trip through Los Angeles rush hour traffic because the last flight of the day had been canceled. And so I'm opting for a 7 hour wait at SFO for the EVA flight.

Once again, I appreciate all the help. And I'm sure I'll have more questions in the near future. Thanks.

I generally fly business class for myself the seats in deluxe economy were more comfortable. I could not sit up straight in the business class. The service was great in Business but it was also very good in Deluxe Economy.

The lounge in Bangkok and Taipa made for a lot more comfortable trip. I would recomend Thai air first class from Bangkok to Chiang Mai That way you get a lounge in Bangkok.

With Bangkok air you also get a lounge in Bangkok.

Both airlines will pick your baggage up from EVA and forward it to Chiang Mai. Be sure they know that when you check them in.

The reason I had said Thai first class was because it was a long wait for Bangkok air my last trip back.

Bottom line is welcome to Chiang Mai.:jap: A great Choice.

[zippydedodah]

i recently flew (oct) on KAL and avoided the long layover in seoul by taking a flight - kal- from seoul to narita, then narita to lax... got me into lax almost 4 hours before the scheduled flight from seoul direct... had a 1.5 hr layover in seoul and 1.5 layover in tokyo.

had friends come in and go out from sfo to cm and cm to sfo via the china connection thru taipei..., all in the last 90 days.

[bluweyze]

try opening a frequent flyer account with EVA. It can be done easily online. As a previous pollster commented this then gets you access to some members only promotions even if you have never flown with them, but still shop around because there are often promotions cheaper than these.

[moe666]

I donot know the flight times from SFO but I take the 0100 flight from LAX on EVA get to Taipai around 0600 have a shower in the lounge. Depart for Bangkok around 0800 to 1000 arrive bangkok before 1200 and you can connect with the bangkok airlines afternoon flight to Chiang Mai. Go on line and join the frequent flyer club for Bangkok Airlines and you get extra luggage weight. Also request the exit, extra leg room

Even if you get to Chiang mai late at night no problem getting to hotel

It seems you are worrying unduly EVA is a great airline join the frequent flyer club and if you are flying business you get lounges in SFO, Taipai, and maybe in Bangkok if you are bak wan, sweet mouth. Talk to the counter in SFO and tell them you have lay over in bangkok and would like to use the lounge while waiting and since I paid thru the nose for Business I would really like that invitation to the bangkok lounge. If that doesn't work do it in Taipai as well EVA has always treated me well.