RayBan

Hi Guys, Can anyone tell me whether there are long term parking facilities at Bangkok airport, i.e. 1 to 2 weeks lay-up.............and if so what are the charges??? cheers....RayBan 8) 8) 8)

Hi Doolish, That is a good price for Emirates on current prices. My daughter just recently visited me (Aug 16th --> Sept 5th) and she paid GBP620 ,inclusive of taxes, Manchester to Bangkok. My sister & hubby are coming out 2nd December, Man --> Bkk, for 4 weeks and they are paying GBP579 + taxes. It is difficult to know so far ahead whether prices will go up or down. However I am a frequent flier with Emirates and have been for a few years. After 9-11 when air travel collapsed, well it was always best to leave it until last minute, as good deals were there to be had. Now however, in the case of Emirates, their flights from Dubai to Bangkok especially, are normally chocka. They are getting the upper hand again and starting to force up their fares. Hope this helps...RayBan 8) 8) 8)

Hi Tom, An excellent site for the FF. I have just spent 30 brief minutes there and it is a mine of info. My preferred airline is Emirates and I can therefore relate to the info they give at this site on this particular operator, it is extremely accurate. Many thanks for thr introduction... 8) 8) 8)

Hi Valentinoxxx It is difficult to reply with a comparison, as there are so many factors involved, time of year, destination, flight times etc. A perfect example of what a good agency can do for you is an arrangement I have just been organising with an agent of many years in UK. This was for my sister to come and visit at Xmas and I paste the agents reply :- I have looked at the flights for Elaine and Malcolm and have held a couple of seats on the flights you requested. EK 18 B 02DEC MANDXB HK2 1300 #0005 EK 382 B 06DEC DXBBKK HK2 0315 1205 EK 383 B 28DEC BKKDXB HK2 0120 0455 EK 17 B 28DEC DXBMAN HK2 0735 1135 £579 plus taxes £40.20 There is a cheaper fare of £490 plus taxes but it means them flying on different flights to/from Bangkok as detailed below. EK 372 K 06DEC DXBBKK HS2 0930 1820 EK 373 K 27DEC BKKDXB HS2 2015 2350 Let me know if you want me to change them onto the lower fare. Speak to you soon. Take care, Gemma Just by changing by a few hours has saved them 89 pounds each!!!! The same goes for All Seasons Travel, they also give you cheaper options to maybe the one you have requested, too many agents just go on specific requests. For a comparison you would be better ringing Amie or Rueng and getting a quote against what you were given by TIC. Then again, it is not just about price sometimes, reliabilty is also extremely important and was part of Mike100's request. I travel at least twice a month and have done for many years. If you would like to correspond with me directly on this subject, please don't hesitate to mail me Valentino, or we can get together for a beer sometime. best regards 8) 8) 8)

Hi rcj, I am a frequent flier and have been for many a year. My penny's worth is that we are now seeing something very different than before. In the past, when there was a drop in passenger loadings, yes, airlines would heavily discount, especially at the last minute. This time around however, what with the Iraq war, SARS, the threat of terrorism etc, yes there seem to be less people flying, but the major airlines are not discounting too much. Instead they are reducing their scheduled flights, going down for example from 7 days a week to 4 days a week etc, less seat availability, but packing them in. So be careful at premium times, as there are already flights for instance around Xmas that are "wait-listed" Best wishes 8)

Hi Mike, Try "ALL SEASONS TRAVEL" in Pattaya Tai, opposite Friendship Supermarket. I travel every month with my job, used them for a couple of years, together with my colleagues. Always full of "farangs" and they have a good command of English.....trust me, they're good. Ask for Amie or Rueng:- Tel 038 429347/423891/423606 e-mail : ase@ine.co.th 8)

Hi again Derek, In reply to your question regarding my use of Emirates, well I have worked overseas, mainly in the Middle East, since 1976. During this time I have travelled on many, many airlines and therfore consider myself quite knowledgeable in this field. I have been based in Dubai since 1986 and have flown Emirates for several years, practically since their conception as an International Airline. My Company do pay for all busines related flights, but it is on an expense account basis. The airline I use and the flight arrangements (within reason) are 100% by personal choice. As I said in my last response, I normally fly once or twice per month and for the past 5 years I have used no other airline, I think that speaks for itself. Emirates is not the cheapest by any means, but my motto has always been that you get what you pay for. They are extremely reliable, well managed, in flight entertainment is 2nd to none and the onboard service is excellent. They have been voted by frequent fliers as Airline of the year on several occasions and before you or anyone else asks, NO, I do not work for them. ;D In all fairness to you though, I should explain that I am a Gold Card member and have been since Skywards conception a few years ago, therefore receiving many extras in comparison to a normal economy passenger. I usually only fly Business Class these days too, that also makes a big difference. In years gone by though, I was a regular "back of the bus" passenger and still rated them highly. As Emirates have gained popularity, the Economy cabin on the Far East runs tend to usually be chocka these days, so don't expect too much free space around you. One final point needs clarifying for you in reference to using affiliate airlines. Emirates FFP ( as with most other Airline FFP's) is not as straightforward as it first looks. Airmiles earned are added to TWO accounts, your "Airmiles" account and your "Tier" miles account. Miles in the "Airmiles" account are stored for up to 3 years and this is the account that you use for your freebies. The same earned miles are also stored in your "Tier" miles account and this account is used to establish and maintain your FFP ststus, i.e. Silver/Gold etc. The "Tier account starts on 1st Jan and zero's itself on the 31st December of every year. You have to establish the 20k (silver) or 40k (gold) each year to maintain your status. Where am I going with this?? Well if you use an affiliate airline, yes ythe miles go to your "Airmiles" account, BUT they do not go to your "Tier" account, so you can therefore lose your status Silver/Gold status. My personal advice is that you take up what BigDUSA commented on.........choose and use.....stick to one airline if you want maximum benefits. I now live in Pattaya, have TW and the whole thing, I will be back there 1st to 19th March, if you are in town let me know and we can maybe meet up, I can put you straight on these matters. Hope this answers all your questions........ 8) 8) 8) 8) RayBan!!!

Hi Turbo, I fly Emirates (EK) once or twice a month and have done for many years (work in Dubai). The name of their FFP (Frequent Flyer program) is Skywards and you will find all your questions answered at www.skywards.com. As an ordinary member you will earn 1 mile per mile flown, from Manchester to Dubai earns you 3512 miles and from Dubai to Bangkok earnsyou 3032 miles. These miles are valid for 3 years from date of issue. When you have flown 20,000 miles in one calendar year you become a silver member, 40,000 in one calendar year a Gold member. Silver or Gold gives you 1.25 miles per mile flown. Obviously there are more benefits as you go higher, priority check-in, higher baggage allowance etc. To give an example of benefits for your airmiles, a free economy return ticket, Manchester/Dubai/Manchester will cost you 50,000 airmiles, or a one way upgrade from economy to Business Class is 25,000 miles. As I said earlier, visit the Skywards website, it will answer all your queries. Take advantage of the Dubai stopovers if you are interested, you can stay in a 5 star hotel in Dubai for 2 nights, at $27 (yes, that.s US dollars) a night. If you decide to do it that way, email me and I will put you right. I have worked in Dubai for 17 years now, so know it pretty well. Take care

Hi Pete, I'm a recent member and now live in LOS. I work on rigs in Arabian Gulf on a 28/28 basis and like now, sitting on the rig in the middle of the night, all quiet, I would actively support any imrovements to encourage guys to use this facility. Keep up the good work.....Ray