neilri2001

I fly with them next week so will report back. reviews speak highly of the service but they also appear prone to lengthly delays and cancellations neil

Notice how all the charter / budget airlines have a pitch of only 28 to 30 inches. a nasty way to start your holiday and maybe a health hazard unless you're super skinny and super fit. neil

Are china airlines now flying from gatwick? previously you had to go via Amsterdam Neil

most of the low cost airlines have a strictly enforced 15kg baggage limit. Empty my suitcase weighs 5KG. Neil

Not strictly relevant to Thailand but has anyone on the board first hand experience of Maxjet airlines as i'm flying to Vegas with them next month. They claim to be an all business class airline but prices are more like premium economy. They get mixed reports on some of the airline ranking sites Neil

I wouldn't considera any charter flight to thailand unless you're short, skinny and very fit. neil

There is not that much difference between Air China and China airlines in Economy. Business class is fine and cheap on China Airlines. Air China will cost you a lot more but is no better. Beijing airport is perfectly modern and well equipped these days but i wouldn't choose to spend 14 hours in any airport Neil

A superior sea view is fine. some of the standard rooms are beginning to show their age now. Neil

couldn't see aircon in the list of facilities. Neil

There is a separate check in desk for Elite / Evergreen Neil

I have a friend who wants to fly to Mae Sot on the burmese border from Bangkok. Any one have any suggestions? Thanks Neil

I've stayed a few times in Sabai Lodge and its worth remembering that they have around 10 categories of room ranging from luxurious to shithole. On my last trip i was billeted in what they classed as Sperior B but checked out after 24 hours. Broken sink, view of brick wall, half the lights not working. Worse than many of the so called short time rooms i have used over the years. Neil

Business class is much better on the 777 than on the 747. Elite ( evergreen deluxe ) is considerably worse than before. Never flown economy with EVA. Neil

Is this hotel guest friendly? I'm tiring of both Flipper lodge and sabai lodge of late but enjoy staying on beach rd. Neil

Just returned from Thailand with EVA. Premium Laurel is fantastic with an even bigger seat and pitch than before. Evergreen Deluxe has been rebranded elite and is a much poorer product than before with narrower seats. If your budget is not quite Eva business class then i would do China business via Amsterdam rather than EVA elite Neil

Done the same trip myself. Definately economy at heathrow and no use of fast track or lounges. Neil

I normally head straight to Pattaya but on my upcoming trip i have to spend a couple of days in bangkok on non mongering business. Plan to stay in The Sofitel in central plaza. As i may get a bit of free time does anyone know if this hotel is guest friendly and / or close to any action neil

BA world traveller plus is slightly better than normal economy but not in the same class as similar product on virgin or EVA. ( deluxe ). Worth a premium of no more than £200 neil

Qatar airways have got a fantastic business fare on sale for june ( approx £1070 ) but the connection time on the way out is about 40 minutes. This sounds too tight but i welcome opinions from anyone who has actually flown the route neil

Lufthansa offer a better product but i found KLM much more helpful with seat requests. If you don't mind where you sit then go with LH every time but i would sometimes trade a slightly inferior service for a guranteed aisle seat. AMS offers very good shopping but hasn't the best reputation for getting your luggage onto connecting flights if your transfer window is tight. neil

Does anyone remember if the last world cup had an inflationary or de-flationary effect on air prices? I've been quoted £1100 plus taxes for EVA business class in June but don't know whether to wait for a better offer. A question for cheshire Tom Perhaps! Neil

Anyone know if Thai have any business class deals for June? neil

Not worth trying to save £20 or £30. Might just be tolerable if they were £200 cheaper than one of the direct carriers. neil

Zurich Airport is fairly compact, efficient and has an intercity train station in the basement which will enable you to connect with most major towns and cities. Nothing special about Zurich itself unless you are in the banking business Neil

At the chinese embassy in London you take your application in the morning and pick it up in the afternoon for a slightly higher fee and next day for a slightly lower fee. It's probably a good idea to arrive 1 hour before doors opening. for an additional fee travel agencies in Chinatown will do it for you. Their reps automatically go straight to the front of the queue. The visa will be good for 1 trip and will probably have a six month time scale. maybe someone else will have experience of the Chinese embasssy in Bangkok. i prefered to get the visa before i set off. Neil