Direct Flights To Cnx From Korea Or Taiwan

[Mekong Bob]

Anyone taken a recent flight from USA to Chiang Mai via South Korea or Taiwan?

Is it true that the fare is much cheaper than flying into Bangkok?

[Dean1953]

I'm checking on flights from either MCI (Kansas City) or LAX to either BKK or CNX for my wife and 3 children for next summer. The cheapest that I found from LAX to CNX was on Korean Air for around $1,320. LAX to BKK was around $1,150, also going through Korea. I'm going to wait until after the holidays to see if prices go down.

[mgbcnx]

Besides the post-midnight departure from CNX, the other thing you have to consider very carefully (especially if you have children in tow) is the long, long layover at Inchon. A hotel room will add to your ticket price...

Returning to Chiang Mai, connection times seem to be much better.

[davevi]

My friend flies directly to CNX from the US (he lives in the Southeast) using Korean Air through Incheon And my partner frequently flies from Shanghai to CNX on the same flight as the last-leg of the US to CNX Korean Air flight. My US friend flies out of Atlanta on a codeshare with Delta and Korean Air. He stops for a bit in ICN (Korea) and then directly into CNX. It's an awesome flight. The ICN airport has lounges with showers for a small fee and a "day room" where you can catch a nap. There are several flight options with different layovers depending on where you are coming from in the US. The airport in ICN is top-notch and I find it very comfortable and spacious and somehow quiet.

The good news for you is that the last leg of the flight ICN-CNX is now changed to the larger and more sane aircraft choice of Airbus 330. In low season this flight was replaced with a Boeing 737 which in my opinion is far too small and cramped for the 4.5 hour flight between ICN and CNX.

Cautionary note: The Korean Air flight into CNX does not fly daily. My last check indicates it flies on Tuesday and Thursday night.

The other upside to Korean Air into CNX (besides bypassing Bangkok) is that the CNX outbound flight (which usually leaves before midnight) is very easy to get into and out of at CNX. There are few other flights at this time of the night and getting in and out of the airport is quite easy, and compared with other international airports I'd say it's extremely easy.

[mania]

We always use Korean Air for that reason

( going direct to CNX )

As someone mentioned it does have a long lay over ( 12 hours )

in Inchon when going from CNX to USA but they have a

nice hotel in the airport that is very inexpensive IMO

https://www.airgarde...glish/index.php

Works out good because you leave CNX at midnight.

So we usually stay awake then sleep in the hotel in Korea for

8 hours, shower & then go eat etc leaving fresh.

The next leg seems shorter that way.

When coming to CNX the stop in Korea is very short usually

2 hours or less.

As for price it is usually cheaper because you do not need

to buy a ticket from BK to CNX but it is not a lot cheaper

The biggest benefit IMO is not stopping in

Bangkok. Much nicer going direct to CNX for everything not the least of which is clearing

a simple customs grab your bags & go home.

You also mentioned Taiwan. China Air use to have a flight that spent the night in Taipei

& that was included in the price of their ticket. I do not know if they still do as we have used Korean Air

for years now because we prefer everything about them more than China air.

[BuddhaMind]

Last month I flew, one way, China Air from LAX to Chiang Mai, stopping over in Taiwan. The stopover was 12 hours. The cost of the ticket was $700. I bought the ticket 3 days before I left. All the other carriers were booked and wanted $2500-5000 for full fare seats and up. The layover was a drag, but the cost was exceptional. And directly to Chiang Mai.

[Johpa]

I took the Korea-CNX flight early this month. It was an A330 and, to my astonishment, there was not an empty seat on the flight coming here. Cost was a little higher than to BKK but made up in the cost of the BKK-CNX as well as the convenience. My agent has me booked out of Korea on a flight to LAX with a minimum layover and then a short lay over at LAX to my home arriving several hours before the non-stop from ICN to my home airport. Total cost was $1,200. Well worth the extra money to avoid BKK.

[Dean1953]

Thanks for the link for the hotel in Inchon. That 12-14 hour layover on the way back was a concern. Forme, having to buy 4 tickets, price is a concern. As of now, for flights leaving on June 4, returning August 8, ther is a difference of $170 per person (depending on flying into BKK or CNX). I can get them a hotel room in Bangkok for $50-60 and the train to Chiang Mai would be around $20 per person. They can get some shopping done while in Bangkok (which they want to do at some point). I'm using Delta FF miles to go over for July and that was a no brainer. There are too many fees involved in using the mileage to go on Korean air, around $500 and 160,000 miles. My ticket from Kansas City to BKK was 80,000 miles and $86.00 in taxes.

[hellodolly]

Not sure but will certainly be looking into it if I fly Korean. The lay over in Inchon you can choose a tour or a hotel at an added price unless you are traveling first class then it is free.

I have used up my points on Eva and will defiantly be looking around. I used Eva because the deluxe economy seats were worth it to me.

Not sure if you can find them any where else.

I had not considered China air as they had dropped their flight to Seattle might check them out to see if they go into Vancouver Canada

Edited November 29, 2012 by hellodolly

[just_Elaine]

Last month I flew, one way, China Air from LAX to Chiang Mai, stopping over in Taiwan. The stopover was 12 hours. The cost of the ticket was $700. I bought the ticket 3 days before I left. All the other carriers were booked and wanted $2500-5000 for full fare seats and up. The layover was a drag, but the cost was exceptional. And directly to Chiang Mai.

Wow... Is that a return fare?

[Mekong Bob]

Last month I flew, one way, China Air from LAX to Chiang Mai, stopping over in Taiwan. The stopover was 12 hours. The cost of the ticket was $700. I bought the ticket 3 days before I left. All the other carriers were booked and wanted $2500-5000 for full fare seats and up. The layover was a drag, but the cost was exceptional. And directly to Chiang Mai.

I guess there's no way to avoid a 12-hour stopover in either Inchon or Taipei.

[Johpa]

I guess there's no way to avoid a 12-hour stopover in either Inchon or Taipei.

EVA flights out of Taipei connecting Thailand to the US are short lay overs. My Korean Air flight from CNX lands in Korea at 6:40AM and flight KE0001 departs for LAX just after 11AM. My travel agent was able to get me a code shared flight (Alaska Airlines)from LAX to my home aiport for the same price as the direct flight from Korea but without the 10 hour lay over.

[Mekong Bob]

I guess there's no way to avoid a 12-hour stopover in either Inchon or Taipei.

EVA flights out of Taipei connecting Thailand to the US are short lay overs. My Korean Air flight from CNX lands in Korea at 6:40AM and flight KE0001 departs for LAX just after 11AM. My travel agent was able to get me a code shared flight (Alaska Airlines)from LAX to my home aiport for the same price as the direct flight from Korea but without the 10 hour lay over.

Wow! Nice! Was your Korean Air flight taken this year?

The direct flight to CNX from Taipei is China Air. Eva Air flies into Bangkok from Taipei.

[Dante99]

I guess there's no way to avoid a 12-hour stopover in either Inchon or Taipei.

KAL is changing flight schedules, March/April flights are available with much shorter times between flights.

[hellodolly]

Besides the post-midnight departure from CNX, the other thing you have to consider very carefully (especially if you have children in tow) is the long, long layover at Inchon. A hotel room will add to your ticket price...

Returning to Chiang Mai, connection times seem to be much better.

Return flights seem to be what the OP is asking about.

[hellodolly]

Last month I flew, one way, China Air from LAX to Chiang Mai, stopping over in Taiwan. The stopover was 12 hours. The cost of the ticket was $700. I bought the ticket 3 days before I left. All the other carriers were booked and wanted $2500-5000 for full fare seats and up. The layover was a drag, but the cost was exceptional. And directly to Chiang Mai.

I guess there's no way to avoid a 12-hour stopover in either Inchon or Taipei.

Thats a tough call hard to tell from this thread. Most agreee going is a long lay over but a friend of mine goes to Seattle and thasat is only a 8 hour lay over. Depends on where the flight from Korea goes.

How ever you asked about coming back it seems that somne posters have not had a long lay over coming back.

It was two years ago when I was kind of involved in a friend going to Portland. Trying to book on Korean Air was a nightmare it seemed like the price was insane. We took him to a travel agent and he got a reasonable deal. I remember looking on line and according to it he would also have had a stop over in Japan.

See a travel agent after you have determined your price on line. I recently saved 1,000 baht on a return ticket to Krabi with an agent. I knew what the price on line was but the agent got me it for 1,000 Baht less. Both prices were for Thai air.

[BarnicaleBob]

I just returned from a round trip to Daytona Beach, FL via Korean Air. I flew out of CNX, had a two hour layover in Inchan, from there to Atlanta, Ga. with a four hour layover then on to Daytona. On the return trip Daytona to Atlanta, four hour layover, Atlanta to Inchan 1 hour layover, Inchan to CNX. Total cost for cattle class seating was $1,630.00 purchased six weeks in advance. Service on Korean Air was good, nice food choices with wine for dinner free of charge.

I was very happy with it all except that there was a minor problem with the number of checked bags I was allowed. Going to the States Korean Air allowed me two checked bags but on the return trip Delta who was the airline that took me from Daytona to Atlanta would only allow me one checked bag so I had to pay $75.00 for the second bag on that flight.