Tickets To Europe -- Sticker Shock

[Ricardo]

Just got another email from Jet Airways, to say they will run another 48-hour sale, on Friday 20th only ? ! Go figure.

Hope this helps some more fellow TV-posters.

[rixalex]

Just got another email from Jet Airways, to say they will run another 48-hour sale, on Friday 20th only ? ! Go figure.

Hope this helps some more fellow TV-posters.

Very helpful thanks Ricardo. I tried to make a booking on Sunday, and every time it did, after having gone through the business of entering all my details and clicking on purchase, it came up with a message: processing error, start again. I had then to start from the beginning. I went through this cycle about 20 times before giving up. Frustrating doesn't begin to describe it! I hope to have better luck tomorrow! Thanks again.

[ignis]

Mostly find it easier after finding the seat/airline to phone or email an Agent, OK the fee is + 200 baht, but saves all these constant errors.. Pay via ATM = 'E' ticket arrives within the hour

[NanLaew]

Without stating the travel dates, the OP doesn't leave the 'experts' here much to go on. There's certain days of the week to avoid and certain holiday periods to avoid.

As far as I can recall, it has pretty much ALWAYS been cheaper to purchase a r/t ticket in Europe or US than to buy the r/t in Thailand. The really cheap fares that will be quoted by others were either advance purchases or well-timed special offers. I was playing with the @ita app on my android last night and Oman Airlines came up with a price in the low-30k baht range and only one stopover that wasn't too long.

My only advice is to use one of the Indian or Oman Air on a one-way ticket to your European destination and purchase your Bangkok r/t ticket at home. You can do BOTH purchases online as most airlines now operate country/region specific websites. I do this now that I have a family traveling to the UK with me and makes a huge difference in prices. The big advantage is I can now purchase a ticket issued in the UK that has date change flexibility which is still cheaper than the one purchased in Thailand that has heavy penalties for making changes if indeed changes are permitted.

my thai wife only gets a visa with a return ticket from Bangkok to Europe.

My Thai wife traveled on a one-way to the UK but was in possession of another r/t ticket. Admittedly she already has her UK visa but I am pretty sure that a visa can be issued while holding two tickets, ie. a separate ticket for each leg of the round trip.

What country stipulates that a round-trip ticket needs to be acquired BEFORE applying for the visa anyway? I thought most countries instructed applicants to NOT purchase any ticketing until the visa has been approved. THEN you need to make sure she has either a return ticket or a o/w to get there and a r/t for coming back (and going again). Inevitably it's the airline that does the first check that return travel is enabled through ticketing. The second check is at immigration at your destination but to be honest, my wife has never been asked to show the return ticketing on her 3 trips to the UK.

during the last 10 years my wife had to produce a return ticket every time at the Munich immigration when entering the country.

Fair enough, that's in Germany whereas I was stating my wife's experience at a UK regional airport. She hasn't passed through London yet!

You said that your wife needed to have r/t ticket in order to get the German visa. Is this correct?

[bunnaag]

@ NanLaew

at the moment you have to produce a paper from a travel agency stating that you booked a return flight.You may be lucky to encounter an immigration official who does not check the return ticket but I would not take the risk.As I already mentioned my wife had to produce the ticket every time.

[steve187]

Just got another email from Jet Airways, to say they will run another 48-hour sale, on Friday 20th only ? ! Go figure.

Hope this helps some more fellow TV-posters.

I just checked with jet, and they are showing web special fares of 30,000baht out in feb/march returning a month later.

[steve187]

thaifly.com are showing one month returns with eva at 35,575baht

[Ricardo]

Just got another email from Jet Airways, to say they will run another 48-hour sale, on Friday 20th only ? ! Go figure.

Hope this helps some more fellow TV-posters.

I just checked with jet, and they are showing web special fares of 30,000baht out in feb/march returning a month later.

Yes, definitely not as good a price, as the earlier Sale.

[kimamey]

If you can stomach the flight times, the food, the disgraceful transit via Mumbai - give Kingfisher Airlines a check - I would make sure you are of low blood pressure, strong stomach and don't carry a lighter, people complain about Bangkok Airport - go try Mumbai......it is another planet!

I've never used Kingfisher but I have flown Jet Airways twice. Nothing wrong with Jet although I did notice one plane looked like it was well used. The first time the airport was being refurbished I think. Instead of the big pile of boxes at the scanners we had to wait to use a few boxes which looked like they should have someone's sanwiches in them. Some security guy pushed me to near the front of the queue anther told me to get back and then I was moved forward again upsetting everyone. Second time wasn't so bad but still a mess.

The flight times are a problem, particularly coming back to London. Bangkok to Mumbai is ok but Mumbai to London is over 9 hours. I was lucky last time as I was upgraded to business class on the first leg. For various reasons I was late going through passport control at BKK and a relay of their staff were waiting to guide me to the gate as I ran through the airport and boarded just in time. I made sure I wrote a thank you for that.

One thing that does annoy me at many airports is the question of what to put in your hand luggage and what to put in the box for scanning. Such confusion. I think it was BKK last time where there was a sign telling you to put cameras, phones, ipods and the like in the box 10 feet way from a guy telling everyone to put them to take them out and put them in their bag.

Just remembered I've just booked flights with Qatar (5 star airline) for gf and her daughter to come to UK and all of us to return to Thailand. I hope the flight is better than their website. No easy way to see fare rules. T&Cs contradict themselves and also contradict their call centre.

Edited January 21, 2012 by kimamey

[maprao]

All these people that will risk life and limb to save a few Baht. Don't get it.. Cheap ass airline equals cheap ass maintenance. Been through Mumbai airport ...... it is a dump!

each to their own