Air Fares

[BOBBYTIN]

just a question,i am sure i am missing something here. trying to book flights to uk for myself,wife and daughter. Etihad,are by far,as i can see,the cheapest,and having flown with them before,i think a good airline. quote phuket to manchester 106,000, give or take a few quid. flights from Manchester to phuket 80.000 give or take. thats the same dates,even the same plane. why is that. anyone throw any light on that,and does anyone use an agent who can get a decent deal. thank you.

[pagallim]

You're not missing anything. The disparity has occurred over the last 4 years due to the devaluation of most if not all western currencies against the baht, i.e. 4 years ago the fare for the journey you mention would have been roughly the same value be it in sterling or baht. The only way around this would be for you (or somebody on your behalf) to buy your tickets in the UK. I would also try Emirates, as they are doing a direct Dubai/Phuket/Dubai flight from 10th December, and have good connections to Manchester.

[BOBBYTIN]

You're not missing anything. The disparity has occurred over the last 4 years due to the devaluation of most if not all western currencies against the baht, i.e. 4 years ago the fare for the journey you mention would have been roughly the same value be it in sterling or baht. The only way around this would be for you (or somebody on your behalf) to buy your tickets in the UK. I would also try Emirates, as they are doing a direct Dubai/Phuket/Dubai flight from 10th December, and have good connections to Manchester.

thanks,i need to travel next month,but ,that kind of explains it.

[radster2212]

I got my return flight to Bangkok from london Heathrow on Eva Air for £554 direct if it helps.

[BOBBYTIN]

I got my return flight to Bangkok from london Heathrow on Eva Air for £554 direct if it helps.

thank you,it does, did you use an agent,if so ,please can you pm me.thanks.

[Stanley Jerd]

www.skyscanner.com

This is a good site for indicating what airlines travel to certain destinations, I personally wouldnt book through them as the stop overs are normally horrendous. Just see what is flying on that day on skyscanner and book direct with the airlines websites.

[wtk]

flights from london to thailand will have different price than flights from thailand to london

i recommend skyscanner as well

[Kernow86]

You're not missing anything. The disparity has occurred over the last 4 years due to the devaluation of most if not all western currencies against the baht, i.e. 4 years ago the fare for the journey you mention would have been roughly the same value be it in sterling or baht. The only way around this would be for you (or somebody on your behalf) to buy your tickets in the UK. I would also try Emirates, as they are doing a direct Dubai/Phuket/Dubai flight from 10th December, and have good connections to Manchester.

The price in sterling from BKK-LHR is more expensive than LHR-BKK.

I pay with my UK credit card but still have to pay more. East to West is just more expensive, I'd expect the other way around!

[petercallen]

Personally i do not find booking direct with airlines cheaper booking through Jet set travel in Australia a open return 1 year ticket cost approx 30,000 baht with Thai Airways

When i checked the price with Thai Airways here they quoted 102,000 baht for the same return ticket if you can find a decent travel agent they can usually give you a much better price if they buy airline tickets in bulk

Malaysian Airlines give good prices but they have long stopovers between connecting flights which puts me of using them

Edited September 24, 2012 by petercallen

[pagallim]

You're not missing anything. The disparity has occurred over the last 4 years due to the devaluation of most if not all western currencies against the baht, i.e. 4 years ago the fare for the journey you mention would have been roughly the same value be it in sterling or baht. The only way around this would be for you (or somebody on your behalf) to buy your tickets in the UK. I would also try Emirates, as they are doing a direct Dubai/Phuket/Dubai flight from 10th December, and have good connections to Manchester.

The price in sterling from BKK-LHR is more expensive than LHR-BKK.

I pay with my UK credit card but still have to pay more. East to West is just more expensive, I'd expect the other way around!

Correct, for the reasons that I quoted in my original post. As an example, 4 years ago, a return BKK/LHR fare would be say circa 50,000 baht (then approximately 666 pounds - which would be the approximate fare LHR/BKK also), and the same costings now would be 50,000 baht or 1000 pounds BKK/LHR. There have been annual price increases in fares in both directions, but the largest impact is with the exchange rate, i.e. buying what is a baht priced ticket with Pounds/Euros/Dollars etc.

[Stanley Jerd]

Ringing Singapore airlines in Singapore often leads to better prices than online

[stevenl]

You're not missing anything. The disparity has occurred over the last 4 years due to the devaluation of most if not all western currencies against the baht, i.e. 4 years ago the fare for the journey you mention would have been roughly the same value be it in sterling or baht. The only way around this would be for you (or somebody on your behalf) to buy your tickets in the UK. I would also try Emirates, as they are doing a direct Dubai/Phuket/Dubai flight from 10th December, and have good connections to Manchester.

The price in sterling from BKK-LHR is more expensive than LHR-BKK.

I pay with my UK credit card but still have to pay more. East to West is just more expensive, I'd expect the other way around!

Correct, for the reasons that I quoted in my original post. As an example, 4 years ago, a return BKK/LHR fare would be say circa 50,000 baht (then approximately 666 pounds - which would be the approximate fare LHR/BKK also), and the same costings now would be 50,000 baht or 1000 pounds BKK/LHR. There have been annual price increases in fares in both directions, but the largest impact is with the exchange rate, i.e. buying what is a baht priced ticket with Pounds/Euros/Dollars etc.

I don't think that is the reason. I think the reason is simple: they can get away with the prices here, people will still book.

[chiang mai]

You're not missing anything. The disparity has occurred over the last 4 years due to the devaluation of most if not all western currencies against the baht, i.e. 4 years ago the fare for the journey you mention would have been roughly the same value be it in sterling or baht. The only way around this would be for you (or somebody on your behalf) to buy your tickets in the UK. I would also try Emirates, as they are doing a direct Dubai/Phuket/Dubai flight from 10th December, and have good connections to Manchester.

Not true, try this:

"EXPENSIVE FROM THAILAND

The question we get almost daily is as to why fares from the UK and Europe are much lower than from here, absolutely valid point. Airlines tell me that because Thais need visas for almost anywhere and shall we say only the better off or sponsored get them, the actual market here is not as competitive or big as from the other side so the economy prices are higher but business ones lower! Also change fees on tickets from BKK are lower than those from Europe".

[pagallim]

You're not missing anything. The disparity has occurred over the last 4 years due to the devaluation of most if not all western currencies against the baht, i.e. 4 years ago the fare for the journey you mention would have been roughly the same value be it in sterling or baht. The only way around this would be for you (or somebody on your behalf) to buy your tickets in the UK. I would also try Emirates, as they are doing a direct Dubai/Phuket/Dubai flight from 10th December, and have good connections to Manchester.

Not true, try this:

"EXPENSIVE FROM THAILAND

The question we get almost daily is as to why fares from the UK and Europe are much lower than from here, absolutely valid point. Airlines tell me that because Thais need visas for almost anywhere and shall we say only the better off or sponsored get them, the actual market here is not as competitive or big as from the other side so the economy prices are higher but business ones lower! Also change fees on tickets from BKK are lower than those from Europe".

You're not saying where your quote is coming from, however it sounds like the most bullshit excuse (cost of visas/poor Thai people etc) that I've heard in a long time. The root cause of the pricing discrepancy remains the difference in exchange rates when converting western currency to baht over the previous few years. This isn't only relevant in Thailand, other regional countries (Singapore and Malaysia for example) also now have large differences when converting their home currencies to Western ones, compared to Western originated ticket purchases.

On the Business Class front, here's an example. A couple of years ago I arranged for my Mother to visit me here in Phuket, and as she's well advanced in years, wanted to make the journey as comfortable as possible. She travelled Business Class in Singapore Airlines A380 LHR to Singapore, then onto Phuket with Silk Air. Great journey and well looked after etc, though it cost me (buying the ticket in Phuket) slightly more than 5000 pounds equivalent. The following year she made the same journey, same flights and Business Class, paying for it herself in the UK, which cost nearly 2000 pounds less. Reason? Exchange rate deterioration since 2007/8. Having to buy in baht using Western originated funds has cost more for the last 4/5 years.

[chiang mai]

For the longest time I also thought the reason for the price discrepancy was because of currency strength, but when I put that argument forth in a thread on the subject on TV a few months ago it was shot down by a majoirty of posters. Subsequently a travel agent posted the quote I provided above and to be honest it sounds alot more plausible, simply there's alot more price competition out of the UK than there is out of Bangkok and the travel numbers are higher also. So I started to ask travel agents that I know both here in Thailand but also in Hong Kong and in London and the overwhelming consensus was that the reason is traffic volume and market competition, believe what you will.

EDIT - can't spell, type or proof read!

Edited September 25, 2012 by chiang mai

[Stjohnm]

Getting a good fare depends on when you book as much as anything, I'm booked to go back to the UK for a month in Feb, my return fare (BKK-LHR-BKK) was THB29,500 on Eithiad but that is a use it or loose it ticket & was only available for 72 hours during one of their sales. These types of restricted lower fares are available all the time, more so from the middle eastern airlines, Qatar are also good for special deals. I have frequent flyer cards from all the major airlines operating the Europe to Asia routes & Qatar, Emirates & Eithiad are the ones who have more deals on than any of the others. At the other end of the spectrum TG are a rip-off, however their domestic & short-haul service is good, I have only ever taken a long haul flight with them when I've enough miles for a freebie.

Sent from my iPad using ThaiVisa app

[Stanley Jerd]

For the longest time I also thought the reason for the price discrepancy was because of currency strength, but when I put that argument forth in a thread on the subject on TV a few months ago it was shot down by a majoirty of posters. Subsequently a travel agent posted the quote I provided above and to be honest it sounds alot more plausible, simply there's alot more price competition out of the UK than there is out of Bangkok and the travel numbers are higher also. So I started to ask travel agents that I know both here in Thailand but also in Hong Kong and in London and the overwhelming consensus was that the reason is traffic volume and market competition, believe what you will.

EDIT - can't spell, type or proof read!

Ive booked from Phuket to Sydney and its cheaper than on the same days the other way round. Same with excess baggage going out of Thailand is cheaper than going out of Australia. Its what people are willing or can afford to pay, or the market dictates the price

[chiang mai]

I'm convinced it's all driven by supply and demand, the number of seats required and the number of people willing/able to travel. There may be a lot of visitors to Thailand each year but hardly any of them ever buy their air tickets here, they buy return tickets in their home country hence the number of ticket purchases here is actually quite low. Bangkok is of course a major avation hub which means it attracts flights from a range of countries to link those passengers up with connecting flights, none of them I would guess actually buy their tickets here. Conclusion, ticket sales volumes out of Bangkok are low whilst traffic is high, out of the say London or Amsterdam it's high and high hence more competition and cheaper prices.

[sportsman69]

www.skyscanner.com

This is a good site for indicating what airlines travel to certain destinations, I personally wouldnt book through them as the stop overs are normally horrendous. Just see what is flying on that day on skyscanner and book direct with the airlines websites.

I agree that skyscanner is a helpful tool in planning a flight. Unfortunately they keep you in the dark especially re the bargains on offer from airlines that do not use agents as a regular part of their business model.

As an example I went to OZ a few months back Phuket / Gold Coast, ( Sydney was an option for the same price ) via Sin for the total sum of $A 257 including 25 kg checked baggage. HKT to Sin via Tiger, http://www.tigerairways.com/ Sin to OOG via Scoot. http://www.flyscoot.com Return was about 20 bucks more but using Jetstar on the Sing - HKT to save an overnight stopover.

Ok, it was cattle class but a night flight over meant a normal nights sleep, albeit partially upright, and a nice dinner at Sing airport b/4 departure after 1/2 a days look around at the sights using cheap local transport made the trip almost enjoyable. They're using new Boeing 777's with a 403 seat config. with seats big enough for humans so that's a help. No frills, no in flight entertainment unless you want to rent an I Pad, basic food and drinks, but near a plane full of punters. That will be the success of their plan. Basic point A to point B.

Even checking the prices / availability today Scoot ( Singapore Airlines little publicised budget carrier ) is offering Sin / Syd for $ Sing105 + a bit extra for checked baggage and the add ons comes to A$154 for the Nov - Dec period on many flights, 100's of $$ better than the travel sites have to offer. Tiger, http://www.tigerairways.com/ their other offshoot likewise has deals far better than Air Asia with their ++++ policy that you won't find promoted on mainstream travel sites especially from here to Sin.

Anyway that's my own 2 baht's worth. Happy travels.

Travel tip... Sit in the back seat, planes don't back into mountains. Any landing you walk away from is successful, any landing the plane can take off again is outstanding!.

[Lannatyne]

Chiang Mai is correct in all this. There's much more impact from supply / demand, than from exchange rates.

Anyone who regularly travels 'home' each year should really consider looking at getting a one-way back, then book a 12-month open return from there to LOS and back again. In the long run, that will be thee cheaper option.