Try booking a flight online - it's great, if you're in to self-affliction

[boomerangutang]

This morning, I tried booking a simple one-way flight from Chiang Rai to Bangkok. I checked two sites, to see which was cheaper. Nok Air and Asia Air both started with reasonably low fares, but then both airlines kept tacking add-ons - some of which were voluntary, others were mandatory, so the fares came out 30% higher than advertised. But that's a given, and that's not what I'm bellyaching about.

It's the payment methods. I tried both companies and, (surprise!), both online payment methods were difficult and rendered them virtually unusable, for me, anyway. I have a Thai credit card, and am willing to go to an ATM or 7-11 to pay, but that's not good enough for online payments. The client must be willing to jump through convoluted, ill-defined mish-mash of instructions. We all know how screwy Thai translations of English are, on menus and signs. And we all know how convoluted and complicated bureaucratic Thais render things which could ordinarily be simple. Well, combine those two impediments, and you've got Thai method of online payments.

Asia Air has a nutzoid policy of getting lower fares online, than from their agents at agencies. That's another story.

[speedtripler]

my kasikorn debit card works fine for bookings on every airline

the new bkk bank chip cards seem like step backwards (they will only work in bkk bank atms and i dont work on paypal either )

Edited January 27, 2014 by speedtripler

[boomerangutang]

It's odd. I booked online 13 months ago with Nok air, and paid via ATM. No problem. Now I try the same, and it doesn't happen. Air Asia is worse, if that's possible, because they require double assurance for a credit card order, and the 2nd form is in Thai and convoluted and (to me)not decipherable. I guess I'll go to a travel agent and just pay the 15% commission, plus it means an hour's drive downtown through traffic burning petrol and breathing 10,000 cars' fumes.

[boomerangutang]

update: I just had a 20 minute phone talk with a Nok Air helper. We decided to use his tel#, and I was able to book the flight I wanted. Aparently, my Nokia phone (bought new 20 months ago) was too primitive to function as needed. I don't know. However, the support person at Nok was helpful.

[samran]

So it was your phones fault?

[orchis]

the title of this topic should be changed since it is the OP's phone that is faulty and not the airlines' payment systems .

[boomerangutang]

So it was your phones fault?

not sure

the title of this topic should be changed since it is the OP's phone that is faulty and not the airlines' payment systems .

if it was my phone, which is less than 1.5 years old, then the payment process should be improved to accommodate different types of phones. Note; the phone was possibly a glitch on just one of the two payment processes. The over-riding problems are with the web sites themselves. They're not clear on what a customer should do, and they over-complicate and convolute a process which could be relatively simple.

[i claudius]

Tried to book an Emirates flight with my Thai debit card ,immposible ,ended up going to the agent ,they charged me same as online . most airlines only want a credir card , crazy.

[samran]

So it was your phones fault?

not sure

the title of this topic should be changed since it is the OP's phone that is faulty and not the airlines' payment systems .

if it was my phone, which is less than 1.5 years old, then the payment process should be improved to accommodate different types of phones. Note; the phone was possibly a glitch on just one of the two payment processes. The over-riding problems are with the web sites themselves. They're not clear on what a customer should do, and they over-complicate and convolute a process which could be relatively simple.

That's why they build the apps for the phones.

[boomerangutang]

So it was your phones fault?

not sure

the title of this topic should be changed since it is the OP's phone that is faulty and not the airlines' payment systems .

if it was my phone, which is less than 1.5 years old, then the payment process should be improved to accommodate different types of phones. Note; the phone was possibly a glitch on just one of the two payment processes. The over-riding problems are with the web sites themselves. They're not clear on what a customer should do, and they over-complicate and convolute a process which could be relatively simple.

That's why they build the apps for the phones.

Not everyone has a 'smart phone' and even those who do, don't have all the slickest, most recent apps.

The online payment process should be made simpler, full stop.

During the 90's, I had an online payment option for people who wanted buy what I was selling. I made it as reasonably simple as possible. I had scores of customers per week and no glitches, except a woman who claimed a charge-back for a charge she didn't make. I got suckered for that one. Oh, and another problem when a man called and said he didn't buy my publication, although his c.card was charged. After checking in to it, we found that his Thai maid had taken his c.card without permission and made the $12 purchase. He was steamed. The Thai maid probably had some pink marks on her rump that night. Time to get out the buggy whip.

[KhunBENQ]

Don't know whether it is any helpful...

When booking online at Thai Airways you can only pay at the ATM if the flight is at least 72 hours ahead (and payment has generally to be done 24 hours before departure at latest).

Can not use it for very short term booking. Need a credit card in this case.

There is description how to enable the Bangkok Bank ATM card for online payments.

I did the procedure successfully.

Later trying to pay online at tarad.com.

Didn't work. No idea why, no happy.

Instead did a bank transfer via internet banking (Bangkok Bank).

I will definitely visit my Kasikorn branch (other account) to make sure this card is usable for onlne payments.

Edited January 28, 2014 by KhunBENQ

[kurnell]

Try booking Air Asia flights from Thailand between 2 countries outside of Thailand! Impossible.

[namdocmai]

I suspect Air Asia of using your email-address to send phishing emails to your address. I got them as well after buying a ticket online with creditcard.

They made it pretty hard to book and you have to examin what you are paying for because they add some extra costs that you might not want.

Etihad is the worst airways for booking online though, it doesn't work at all and when you call them how to pay your reservation they will say there is no reservation at all and you will have to pay 20 euro extra for the phone-booking.

With Emirates i never had any problems.

[HerbalEd]

I regularly book flights on Thai Air's web site and have never had a problem. The site's English is excellent and using my American credit card goes very smoothly.

[MikeOwen]

Operator Error , not Nok Air eh , you guys

[jacko45k]

I have booked flights on Air Asi and Nok using CCs and it seemed to work pretty well.

Just a laptop and internet required.

[Estrada]

Only problem I had recently with Nok Air, was that I had failed to update my mobile phone number with Citibank Thailand, which meant that my booking confirmation stuck waiting for authorisation. I then rang Citibank, updated my mobile phone details and tried again. Immediately I got an SMS with authorisation code which had to be entered on Nok AIr's booking form and then the transaction and booking was completed and ticket issued.

Probably your mobile phone number is not the correct one in the Thai Credit Card provider's data bank, or your mobile phone doesn't accept SMS.

[Lung Mike]

Nok Air is in my experience quite easy to book online but Air Asia is near impossible, even for an educated Thai national. Because of this my family mostly uses Nok Air.

[3NUMBAS]

only if you have fast connection its ok otherwise forget it in LOS.

you can end up with the wrong date of departure if your not carefull

[thailandbeachisland]

Just landed on the planet ? Welcome ! You have a lot more to learn !

[boomerangutang]

I think I found what the problem was. My incoming messages on my phone was full - so no more messages could enter my phone. So that might explain why I was unable to get a confirmation via sms from Nok Air. I had a similar problem with emails which were being forwarded from one email account to another. I didn't know that the original email address was getting backed up, with thousands of emails including spam. So I had to go to the original account and delete those thousands of emails. If this bit of info helps just one person with similar glitches, then I'm glad.

[saroq]

I can't see how booking and paying with a credit card for these airline could be difficult. I do it several time each year and it is no hassles at all.

[mogandave]

It amazes me how much time and effort some people are willing to put into saving a few bucks.

[Neilcnx]

Dont understand the problem.

If you book online, you'll be sent a booking number by sms or email. You have 24 hours to pay; atm, 7-11, online transfer. Works fine.

[Trembly]

Never booked an Air Asia flight but I've never had any problems with my credit card or paying by ATM for Nok Air.

My Bangkok Bank Be1st chipped debit card also works fine with paypal and in other banks' ATM machines.

I'm not calling anyone a liar or anything like that, but maybe you fellas ought to do some further problem diagnosis . . .

Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect Thailand

[pomchop]

I can't see how booking and paying with a credit card for these airline could be difficult. I do it several time each year and it is no hassles at all.

Agree. But I have booked a few dozens flights on air asia and while most bookings are no problem I have had a few credit card issues...but in typical corporate style the credit card company blames air asia and air asia blames the credit card company. But in the end it's relatively minor and the actual flying on air asia is generally new planes, good service and on time....not to mention bargain prices.

[iamariva1957]

This problem that you seem to be having I am guessing because you are using a Thai based credit card or Visa linked ATM card? Because I have no problems at all using my card from the States or either Air Asia or Nuk Air. Maybe it is just that neither trust Thai banks? Sounds fishy to me that you should have had so many hoops to jump through just to give them your money. At least both are cheaper than Bangkok Air so that is a good thing. Good luck with it all!

[Ulic]

I have booked hundred of flights on line over the years (quite a few with Air Asia) and while I have never had the

problems you have I feel your pain. I use a credit card from Canada but one issue I do have here regularly is

after paying for my first ticket with Air Asia (or booking a multi leg route with other airlines) my credit card

is frozen on a fraud alert. I have told the banks I am in Thailand but the transaction is processed is England

so the first transaction goes through and then things grind to a halt. I have to call the bank, go through all

the automated BS, talk to the customer service guy ( business hours in Canada) ask him what the problem

is he explains it, I tell him 1/ look at my billing history, you can see I have done this before with the same companies.

2/ I tell him you can see I am buying an airline ticket, (he says yes) I ask if they understand these are global

companies that use banks around the world to process transactions, (he says yes) I remind him that I confirm

all on line transactions with "Verified By Visa" security confirmation( he says yes) I say so whats the problem.

My card is re-activated and I complete my flight arrangements often 2-3 days later. This occurred regularly

so I now have 4 different credit cards to use so when one is frozen I can go to the next. This has happened

between 8-10 times. Thank goodness for Skype.

[crazydrummerpauly]

Never had a problem. Headline too general, misleading.

[ChoakMyDee]

I have a Bangkok bank ATM card with a VISA number on it. I use it constantly with no problems to book flights with Air Asia, Nok Air, Booking.com, Expedia etc. to book flights all over the world. I've used it on EBay, used it to order flowers online...used it to buy many dfferent things online. It is the only credit cars i have so I use it exclusively. Never had a problem.