Thai To British Airways

[folium]

Just want to confirm that if you are flying CNX-BKK on Thai, then connecting with a BA flight BKK-LHR, that it is possible to check for both legs and clear immigration in CNX.

Appreciate this works with Bangkok Airways, is it the same with Thai?

[OldeBellPedr]

I always check my bags right the way through at CNX when I travel Thai and then Emirates, so I'm sure the same applies with BA. If you clear immigration at Chiang Mai they will ask you to wear a sticker saying 'CIQ' and some pretty little thing will point you in a different direction when you get to Suvarnabhumi, The only issue you may want to consider is if you're one of those people that likes to check in early, there is virtually nothing in the way of shops or restaurants airside at Chiang Mai international departure lounge, so it gets quite boring. It is perfectly feasible to book your bags right through to UK and do immigration at Suvarnabhumi.

[folium]

I always check my bags right the way through at CNX when I travel Thai and then Emirates, so I'm sure the same applies with BA. If you clear immigration at Chiang Mai they will ask you to wear a sticker saying 'CIQ' and some pretty little thing will point you in a different direction when you get to Suvarnabhumi, The only issue you may want to consider is if you're one of those people that likes to check in early, there is virtually nothing in the way of shops or restaurants airside at Chiang Mai international departure lounge, so it gets quite boring. It is perfectly feasible to book your bags right through to UK and do immigration at Suvarnabhumi.

Thanks for that.

As I live close to the airport and never check in early the joys (or lack of) re the departure lunge at CNX are not a problem.

Given all the recent issues at BKK I am tying to avoid going through immigration there.

One follow up question- do you check in at CNX domestic or international with Thai to do the CNX-BKK-LHR legs?

[millwall_fan]

To the best of my memory, you check in at the Domestic terminal as your first leg is a domestic flight, You need to ask them specifically to check your bags through to your final destination.

I'm cant remember 100% if this applies if you are doing immigration in CNX, - which sounds like a sensible thing to do with the rebuilding work going on at Suvarnabhumi! I'm sure some more seasoned ThaiVisa traveller than I, will give you that last piece of information shortly!

[wales01]

To the best of my memory, you check in at the Domestic terminal as your first leg is a domestic flight, You need to ask them specifically to check your bags through to your final destination.

I'm cant remember 100% if this applies if you are doing immigration in CNX, - which sounds like a sensible thing to do with the rebuilding work going on at Suvarnabhumi! I'm sure some more seasoned ThaiVisa traveller than I, will give you that last piece of information shortly!

Check in international counter at CNX.

[Dante99]

Why not call Thai Airways and ask them?

[iainiain101]

In May Last year, traveling in the opposite direction, BA said they could not check our bags through to Chiang Mai as Thai are not part of the One World tie up.

If have not used the reurn leg of the ticket yet, so have not tried at CNX. I do recall my parents tried to check there luggage through to LHR at CNX 2 years ago and were told that BA are not part of Star Alliance so Thai could not do it.

Are you saying BA can now check your bags through from LHR to CNX and Thai from CNX to LHR?

Would be excellent if they could.

Iain

[eyecatcher]

its a great advantage being able to clear customs/immigration here, rather than worry about missing a flight due a slight flight delay or long queues at immigration in bkk.

i was asked on my last trip by Bangkok air..and was surprised but well pleased in the end.

I am hoping Thai airways will do the same for me next time.

[beano2274]

Folium when are you travelling by BA? What class?

Am going home in April, been reading about them, but wanted someones first hand experience of them, would you mind posting your comments about them as soon as you can.

thanks in advance.

believe that BA and Thai do not co-operate so I believe you might have to actually check in again at Swampy.

[beano2274]

I always check my bags right the way through at CNX when I travel Thai and then Emirates, so I'm sure the same applies with BA. If you clear immigration at Chiang Mai they will ask you to wear a sticker saying 'CIQ' and some pretty little thing will point you in a different direction when you get to Suvarnabhumi, The only issue you may want to consider is if you're one of those people that likes to check in early, there is virtually nothing in the way of shops or restaurants airside at Chiang Mai international departure lounge, so it gets quite boring. It is perfectly feasible to book your bags right through to UK and do immigration at Suvarnabhumi.

Emirates and Thai are in the same group, also they do codeshares, so would be no problem checking all the way through.

[iainiain101]

We left Chiang Mai on Monday, 19.25 Thai Air flight, then on to LHR on the British Airways 00.10 flight.

At domestic check in I asked if we could check our luggage through to LHR using BA from Bangkok, and the answer was yes, as long as you have over 2 hours transfer time at Bangkok.

We could not clear immigration at CNX and had to do that at Bangkok. Didnt take more than 10 minutes to go through security and immigration, though this could have been because we went through the VIP route by mistake.

Heathrow was amazing, landed at 5.50 am and was in the car home by 6.40am! no queue at immigration and the luggage was already on the carousel when we got through. We were last off the plane too, having two small children!

[folium]

We left Chiang Mai on Monday, 19.25 Thai Air flight, then on to LHR on the British Airways 00.10 flight.

At domestic check in I asked if we could check our luggage through to LHR using BA from Bangkok, and the answer was yes, as long as you have over 2 hours transfer time at Bangkok.

We could not clear immigration at CNX and had to do that at Bangkok. Didnt take more than 10 minutes to go through security and immigration, though this could have been because we went through the VIP route by mistake.

Heathrow was amazing, landed at 5.50 am and was in the car home by 6.40am! no queue at immigration and the luggage was already on the carousel when we got through. We were last off the plane too, having two small children!

Looks like we were on the same BA flight.

Similar experience even though I got the 2050hrs Thai flight out of CNX. Still able to check my bags all through to LHR.

Like you had to clear immigration in BKK, but went to departure gate 3 on advice from the guys at BA check-in, and took exactly 6 minutes to get through. They have added four extra booths, were making an obvious effort to speed people through, and were under the watchful gaze of senior immigration types. Looks like they are taking the issue of delays seriously and fixing it. Well done and great to see a problem being sorted (at least it was being last night).

Like previous post flying into T3 at LHR was a total breeze and I have never been through Heathrow so quickly.

All in all one of the easiest and least stressful trips to the UK ever. Hope the return goes as smoothly.

[beano2274]

We left Chiang Mai on Monday, 19.25 Thai Air flight, then on to LHR on the British Airways 00.10 flight.

At domestic check in I asked if we could check our luggage through to LHR using BA from Bangkok, and the answer was yes, as long as you have over 2 hours transfer time at Bangkok.

We could not clear immigration at CNX and had to do that at Bangkok. Didnt take more than 10 minutes to go through security and immigration, though this could have been because we went through the VIP route by mistake.

Heathrow was amazing, landed at 5.50 am and was in the car home by 6.40am! no queue at immigration and the luggage was already on the carousel when we got through. We were last off the plane too, having two small children!

Looks like we were on the same BA flight.

Similar experience even though I got the 2050hrs Thai flight out of CNX. Still able to check my bags all through to LHR.

Like you had to clear immigration in BKK, but went to departure gate 3 on advice from the guys at BA check-in, and took exactly 6 minutes to get through. They have added four extra booths, were making an obvious effort to speed people through, and were under the watchful gaze of senior immigration types. Looks like they are taking the issue of delays seriously and fixing it. Well done and great to see a problem being sorted (at least it was being last night).

Like previous post flying into T3 at LHR was a total breeze and I have never been through Heathrow so quickly.

All in all one of the easiest and least stressful trips to the UK ever. Hope the return goes as smoothly.

Were the flights full?

Was service on the plane adequate?

Nice to see that it was a breeze getting through LHR, was last time for me as well, and even got my wife through the European Visa queue.

[iainiain101]

Fight was probably 95% full, but got to say thats the first time I have seen that with BA on the route. It has usually been full.

Service was excellent. Mainly older staff and giving double drinks without being asked,

[infernalman7]

Truth is you can always check your luggages through most of the time on most airlines.

Until the introduction of low-cost airlines that are not willing to participate in the "bag transfer pool" because it's too costly for them.

Today most of the time when you don't fly with low-cost airlines you can check your luggages through to the final destination but some airlines can also issue you a boarding pass for the second or third leg as well, for example Thai Airways to United, etc.

[folium]

Just to complete the CNX-LHR trip notes:

checked in at CNX on domestic side for Thai flight to BKK

bag checked all the way from CNX to LHR

had to check in and clear customs in BKK as BA not member of Star Alliance

BKK immigration a breeze on the way out with lots of bodies, extra desks and eager faces (try departure point 3 for best results)

LHR T3 equally easy, 11 minutes plane door to exiting terminal

Coming back not able to check luggage all the way through as BA does not have that arrangement with Bangkok Airways.

Arriving today at BKK at around 3.20pm the terminal was almost deserted and exactly 3 other people at immigration when I got there. Again lots of bodies, open desks and people checking you had filled out landing cards as you approached. Looks like they are making a big effort to remove the issues at immigration.

After a 2/3 full Bangkok Airways flight home, it concluded one of the easiest trips I have done for many years. Maybe I was lucky but it does seem that AOT has taken the criticism about BKK seriously and have sorted things out.

[beano2274]

Just to complete the CNX-LHR trip notes:

checked in at CNX on domestic side for Thai flight to BKK

bag checked all the way from CNX to LHR

had to check in and clear customs in BKK as BA not member of Star Alliance

BKK immigration a breeze on the way out with lots of bodies, extra desks and eager faces (try departure point 3 for best results)

LHR T3 equally easy, 11 minutes plane door to exiting terminal

Coming back not able to check luggage all the way through as BA does not have that arrangement with Bangkok Airways.

Arriving today at BKK at around 3.20pm the terminal was almost deserted and exactly 3 other people at immigration when I got there. Again lots of bodies, open desks and people checking you had filled out landing cards as you approached. Looks like they are making a big effort to remove the issues at immigration.

After a 2/3 full Bangkok Airways flight home, it concluded one of the easiest trips I have done for many years. Maybe I was lucky but it does seem that AOT has taken the criticism about BKK seriously and have sorted things out.

How full were the British Airways flights?

Were there many little kids on the flights?

Overall impressions of BA, if you wouldn't mind?

[folium]

Just to complete the CNX-LHR trip notes:

checked in at CNX on domestic side for Thai flight to BKK

bag checked all the way from CNX to LHR

had to check in and clear customs in BKK as BA not member of Star Alliance

BKK immigration a breeze on the way out with lots of bodies, extra desks and eager faces (try departure point 3 for best results)

LHR T3 equally easy, 11 minutes plane door to exiting terminal

Coming back not able to check luggage all the way through as BA does not have that arrangement with Bangkok Airways.

Arriving today at BKK at around 3.20pm the terminal was almost deserted and exactly 3 other people at immigration when I got there. Again lots of bodies, open desks and people checking you had filled out landing cards as you approached. Looks like they are making a big effort to remove the issues at immigration.

After a 2/3 full Bangkok Airways flight home, it concluded one of the easiest trips I have done for many years. Maybe I was lucky but it does seem that AOT has taken the criticism about BKK seriously and have sorted things out.

How full were the British Airways flights?

Were there many little kids on the flights?

Overall impressions of BA, if you wouldn't mind?

Outbound probably 75%, inbound pretty full, but not surprising given it was a Fri evening.

Kids very few and I managed to snaffle a bulkhead seat each way (where they have the bassinet capability).

if you are after cute FAs forget it, if you want professional service and a direct flight you're on the right track. Slept most of the way both flights and if you like Indian food sign up for the Hindu food option!!

Any chance to get 7-8 hours unbroken sleep is good for me.

Also as previously posted flying into T3 at LHR was a total breeze, 11 minutes plane door to terminal exit, including picking up bags and immigration.