Spending the night at Don Mueang?

[Peter111]

I will arrive to Don Muean airport before midnight on Friday night from a domestic flight and my next flight (international) leaves after 06:40 the next morning. Both of these flights are with Air Asia but on separate tickets. That is, I have two tickets, first that says: CNX -> DKK and a ticket DKK -> zzz.

Can I get to the international departure area to spend the night there? If so, should I try to go via the Connecting Flights route after I land, or do I must exit via the Domestic Arrivals and head to the International Departures? Assuming it's open at that time.

I will be checking in online and I have only cabin luggage (no bags to check-in).

[ubonjoe]

You will have to exit through the arriving flights area and hang out at the departure area until check in for your flight opens.

If you have checked baggage it will only be tagged to DMK meaning you will have to collect it and check it in for your next flight.

I have done a similar thing several times in the past flying from here in Ubon. And the other way coming in international and waiting for the first flight in the morning to here.

[chiang mai]

The Amari Airport hotel is connected to DM via a walkway, they offers rooms for limited duration stay, not really short time as such, just a short stay for a few hours, maybe worth checking it out.,

[Thanyaburi Mac]

As UbonJoe mentioned, do hope you're going to "DMK" which is Don Muang, rather than "DKK" which is:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chautauqua_County/Dunkirk_Airport

Also a reminder for those who check bags , be sure to take a peek at the baggage tag(s) after the check-in staff has put them on your bag(s). Don't want them to go to Dalles (Ft Worth, DFW) when you're going to Dulles (IAD) near D.C.

This happened to me once some years ago at Peshawar but I caught it in time and my bags were retagged.

Mac

[Peter111]

You will have to exit through the arriving flights area and hang out at the departure area until check in for your flight opens.

If you have checked baggage it will only be tagged to DMK meaning you will have to collect it and check it in for your next flight.

I have done a similar thing several times in the past flying from here in Ubon. And the other way coming in international and waiting for the first flight in the morning to here.

This is the case even if I have no checked baggage and I already have the boarding pass (assuming AirAsia's online check-in is working and let me print it) to my international flight?

[ubonjoe]

You will have to as I wrote even without baggage.

As far as having a boarding pass I don't think you will be able to go through departures until they open it for your flight.

[krisb]

Hmm, you can check in yourself with AA and go through departures at DM. Since your not checking in luggage. Did it 2 days ago.

AA open their service counter 3 hours before the flight, but if your able to do all this yourself, then anytime is fine from what I can gather. I would rather let them check me in then I know there's no issues in getting something wrong, but that's just me.

The Amari I stayed there also. Expensive in a way. Nice place and easy with the bridge. If I was gonna sleep at the airport, inside the departure areas would be quieter, not sure if they stay open or close late at night.

[Mousehound]

Don't know if it is of interest but the Amari bar & Grill is open 'till 0200hrs. Could be a comfortable way to spend two or three hours 'till check in time. Could be 0100hrs - their site is contradictory.

[Chivas]

Hmm, you can check in yourself with AA and go through departures at DM. Since your not checking in luggage. Did it 2 days ago.

AA open their service counter 3 hours before the flight, but if your able to do all this yourself, then anytime is fine from what I can gather. I would rather let them check me in then I know there's no issues in getting something wrong, but that's just me.

The Amari I stayed there also. Expensive in a way. Nice place and easy with the bridge. If I was gonna sleep at the airport, inside the departure areas would be quieter, not sure if they stay open or close late at night.

Why do people persist in starting Posts "Hmmmmm" !!

[chiang mai]

Hmmm, not sure!

[ThaiPauly]

So is the airport open all night?

I need to catch a flight at 6.30 am but won't have finished an engagement till about 1am, hardly worth spending the 2,500 the Amari want for a room for 5 hours, I would rather wait in the airport if it's open?

Thanks in advance to anyone who has an answer

TP

[CNXBKKMAN]

The airport is open all night and if you have no baggage and have printed the boarding card off you should have no problem going through to air side and waiting there. It will be a long night though. Don Muang Mansion is not far away and for 300 baht you could get a very basic but large fan room to lie down in with the lights off. Checking out at 05:00 to go back to the airport wont be fun either. Maybe taking a taxi into Bangkok for a night out and coming back wrecked might be the best option.

[Macclad]

Wow,the Amari Dom Muang have certainly upped their rates since now nearly all the domestic flights leave from this airport.

3 years ago,when only Nok Air and Orient Thai used Dom Muang,you could get a room with breakfast for a little over 1,000 baht......now its from 2,550 baht.

[Lakegeneve]

You can get the Amari for 1500 if you book ahead or in the right place (ie. not direct with the hotel).

There are also cheaper options nearby along Songprapha rd for less than 1000.

[merijn]

Don't know if it is of interest but the Amari bar & Grill is open 'till 0200hrs. Could be a comfortable way to spend two or three hours 'till check in time. Could be 0100hrs - their site is contradictory.

Is that the old Bill Bently bar ?

Many years ago i spend there many evenings watching sports on TV and live music before my midnight flights to Europe.

Found memory's.

[Rhys]

hhhmmmmm bring your book..

[bamnutsak]

Can I get to the international departure area to spend the night there?

To pass into the international departures (air-side) area you will have to pass though pre-screening, security and departing Immigration. Any one of those may not let you pass with a self-printed boarding pass based on a departing flight ~ 7+ hours out, especially in light of the on-going issues. There are only a few int'l departures between 00:00 and 05:40, two maybe (00:50 and 01:55), so I'm not certain they (security, Immigration) will let you enter into the int'l air-side area much before 04:30?

Obviously you could camp out land-side.

[bamnutsak]

And to add: The transporting airline also needs to verify that you have the necessary documentation for your destination country (positive name match, appropriate passport, 6+ months left, visa, etc.). Often this requires a secondary, visual inspection by authorized check-in staff. So even if you can print a boarding pass - and you may not be able to do this - the BP may not be enough to let you pass into int'l air-side?

I just returned from the U.S. this week, and while I could check-in on line, I could not get boarding passes as they had to verify my visa status for Thailand.

[Deserted]

The old 6/7 hour night stopover. I was once informed that 8 hours+ and the airline must provide a hotel room. Flew to Abu Dhabi and Colombo with 9-hour stopovers and sure enough a hotel room was provided. IS it the case that an airline must provide a room for evening stopovers of 8 hours+ or is it at the discretion/or policy of the airline?

Does anyone know?

[bamnutsak]

The old 6/7 hour night stopover. I was once informed that 8 hours+ and the airline must provide a hotel room. Flew to Abu Dhabi and Colombo with 9-hour stopovers and sure enough a hotel room was provided. IS it the case that an airline must provide a room for evening stopovers of 8 hours+ or is it at the discretion/or policy of the airline?

Does anyone know?

This is called STPC, Stopover Paid by Carrier, and varies greatly by carrier, ticket, route, airport, fare class, etc. Airlines are NOT required to provide this service, but they may.

Airlines which offer STPC

STPCs for TG in Bangkok used to be in really crappy hotels.

Obviously, in the case of the OP, this will not be offered.

[Deserted]

The old 6/7 hour night stopover. I was once informed that 8 hours+ and the airline must provide a hotel room. Flew to Abu Dhabi and Colombo with 9-hour stopovers and sure enough a hotel room was provided. IS it the case that an airline must provide a room for evening stopovers of 8 hours+ or is it at the discretion/or policy of the airline?

Does anyone know?

This is called STPC, Stopover Paid by Carrier, and varies greatly by carrier, ticket, route, airport, fare class, etc. Airlines are NOT required to provide this service, but they may.

Airlines which offer STPC

STPCs for TG in Bangkok used to be in really crappy hotels.

Obviously, in the case of the OP, this will not be offered.

Thanks