CheshireTom

steve, Expedia currently has Etihad available for 375 quid incl tax (dates I used were out on 10/5, back on 24/5). 15 hours 40 mins each way with a 2 hour stopover in Abu Dhabi. If that's not cheap enough, Biman is starting its MAN service at the end of this month! Tom

I think Etihad has only got five new aircraft (Boeing 777) which will be used on the Gatwick and Bangkok routes. For the MAN-AUB-MAN legs it will be their current A330s that are being redeployed from the Gatwick route. It is also worth bearing in mind that Etihad, curently, does not have a FF programme so guys who have accumulated miles with Emirates and Qatar would probably be better off sticking to those airlines for the time being. Qatar will also up its schedule to a daily service from the end of this month so both it and Emirates will have the choice and flexibility that Etihad's schedule lacks.

Is that per person for two travelling?

I changed my return flight with Qatar last week and it cost 50 USD (2,000 Baht). My ticket was a YIT fare which is about as cheap as you can get so I don't think it would cost any more to change an H class ticket. To change the ticket, simply give Qatar's Bangkok office a call (02 259 3560/1/2/3) yourself and tell them what you want .... it only takes a couple of minutes. Unfortunately, if you have limited mobility it normally disqualifies you from the emergency exit seats so I wouldn't mention it as an excuse to try for a decent seat. If you PM me your dates of travel and booking reference, I will be at Qatar's offices in Manchester next week and will find out which aircraft thay have scheduled and what decent seats are available. Tom

It depends where you are flying from. The Gatwick and Bangkok services with Etihad seem to be excellent value for money on brand new aircraft. From Manchester to Abu Dhabi, they will use Etihad's own A330s which are around three years old. Flying from Manchester, Qatar appears to be around 50 quid more expensive but by the time you factor in airmiles they probably work out as cheap, if not cheaper, than Etihad. As FBF pointed out the Etihad service from MAN only allows decent connections on 3 or 4 days a week and the remaining days really should discount it as an option. Certainly, in biz class from Manchester, Qatar still seems to be much better value all round. I think the Brits are extremely lucky as the increased choice and competition between the airlines has kept prices flat but the standards have improved immensely compared to just a few years ago.

grs90, Unless there is some future major event in the works that is likely to impact tourism in LOS I would be inclined to take the best price you can find as soon as you are 100% certain of your dates. All that can happen beyond that is: 1. Seats become available at cheaper prices. 2. Seats become available at more expensive prices. 3. Seats become booked up and are unavailable. To see what the likely outcome is you only have to read the posts from previous years to see guys scratching around in October and November for flights at Xmas and paying silly money to fly on the likes of China Eastern, Uzbekhistan Airlines, Phuket Airlines and Aeroflot. Bear in mind that December is also the peak season for all those folks visiting Oz/NZ from UK (they tend to book a lot further in advance than your average monger) and the Asian feeder flights become heavily booked very early for the dates you mention. Tom

hillybilly, No problem whatsoever. The whole set-up at the airport is designed to allow fast transfer ....... well, at least the fast transfer of your bags. You'll be in good hands.

I too have used KhrongFa on several occasions, both for Pattaya-Bangkok runs and day hire for side trips, and found them to be totally reliable. As Emil says, if there are a couple of you together they also have Honda MPVs which I found to be of particularly good value when shared between three of us. Tom

screemingreels, The difference in price between Qatar's 'accommodation inclusive' and 'flight only' fares in Oct/Nov is only 10 quid per person so you would be locking yourself into what appears to be some pretty basic accommodation for the sake of a tenner. I would think that a fair proportion of guys on the board have, at one time or another, taken the accommodation inclusive option but most, if not all, have reverted to the flight only and find your own accommodation option. If nothing else, this allows you some degree of independence to change hotels, take side trips away from Pattaya etc. A couple of things to bear in mind with the inclusive fares are, firstly, you will not accrue any frequent flyer mileage on Qatar with these fares and secondly, your contract will be with the travel agent and not the airline. A small point but it makes all the difference when things go tits up and you are wondering where you stand in relation to compensation, alternative arrangements and insurance implications etc. Finally, it may be worth holding back for a couple of weeks until Etihad has got its planned Manchester flights loaded into the booking systems. You could be surprised at some of the early deals that are likely to be available. Tom

suitcase, I take it that's a no. Tom

suitcase, What happens when this guy gets pissed off with some tourist trying to take his pic and decides to shove the camera down said tourists throat? Will you be taking personal responsibility for that, or what? As an aside, were you Hilly's source that suggested Black had been involved in kiddie fiddling? If so, what's the story behind that? Tom

Gulf Air is selling at around 330-335 quid incl taxes through Travelmood/www.flynow.com and most of the established agents. The offer dates are up to 31 May and the booking period is valid until 28 Feb. Loads of other bargains around incl Etihad for the remainder of the year up to the Xmas high-season. http://www.flynow.com/site/hotoffers/fligh...efault_asia.asp

The Asia hotel is not guest friendly, simple as that. But to suggest that it is a totally crap hotel because of that one issue isn't doing any favours for the guys who may be travelling with their wives or girlfriends. For those guys, its low-season rates (pay 7, get 7 free) are a bit of a bargain (particularly as part of a flight/accommodation package) and the choice of food, decent pool area/gardens, golf course, beach location, good staff are all in its favour.

The vast majority of reservation agents do not have the 'authority' on the computer reservations system to allocate to emergency exit rows and a few other choice seats. This is normally invested in the airport location (and is the case with EVA's LHR route) so it may be worth speaking to EVA's station manager at LHR - the telephone number is on the airline's website. If you are looking to stretch out a bit, China Airlines Dynasty class thru' AMS is probably a better bet than EVA's premium economy at that sort of price range. If you are looking to invest a couple of hundred quid extra and pay for biz class Qatar from either LHR or LGW and Etihad (only the LGW route) appear to be the best value for money. Tom

Redrackam, The problem with Thai is that because the aircraft does not have audio/video on demand (AVOD) everyone finishes watching the movie at the exact same time and then think it is a good idea to head straight to the toilets resulting in a whole bunch of folk congregating around the general area of rows 68-70. It can begin to feel really claustrophobic with a succession of fat farang arses being stuck in your face if you are sat in the last three rows IMHO. Tom

rascall, If you check the seat plan that was linked to earlier in the thread you will see that seat 69K has a seat pitch of 32 inches and is situated next to the bogs. You would be hard pushed to find a worse seat on the whole aircraft IMHO. They normally serve the meals starting at the point furthest from the galley and work back towards the galley ........ not so far to go when they start running out of things etc. If you want to be served first simply order a special diet meal. (lo-salt for example). Tom

Nah, the one out of MUC is full of Bavarians ...... much friendlier folk IMHO.

sindre, LH is streets ahead in every department ....... except that it tends to be full of Germans. Tom

They only own and operate Sabaidee. From what I gather, Sabailand and Sabai Room are let out on some sort of management contracts, pretty much the same as the Weekender was. Tom

A quick couple of pics of Etihad's new product ............. Economy in 3-3-3 configuration and IFE/internet connection avaialble at each seat: Biz Class in 1-2-1 configuration......... absolute flat beds with massage function .... compare that to what you get on the likes of Thai. A bargain at around 1,300 quid or under for those with a bit of cash to spare.

whitespider, Eva flew their last 747 on the LHR-BKK route almost 5 months ago. Since then they have only operated 777s on the route. The four non-stop airlines (BA, Qantas, EVA and Thai) from LHR are all subject to the exact same connection issues than an airline in the middle east. With codeshares and bilateral agreements the flights departing Heathrow are actually "connections" for passengers from UK/Europe and North America. There is a reasonable case to be made that since the middle east airlines, in the main, are carrying passengers through on the same airline that they are less likely to be subject to delays than an airline connecting pax from a multitude of different airlines. The various statistics available does not seem to support the idea that connecting flights somewhere other than LHR leads to significant delays in arrival times at the eventual destination. In fact, Emirates is rated higher in the punctuality stakes drawn up by IATA than all of the four "non-stop" airlines and is only beaten by Singapore Airlines. I would agree that being able to do the trip UK-BKK in one hop is probably preferable to undertaking a stop en-route and is almost certainly the way to go for infrequent flyers. For frequent flyers I think that half the trick is identifying those airlines that offer decent service, good schedules, consistently low prices and a decent frequent flyer programme in order to find the best value for money. We are in total agreement on that point. I often see guys asking about Turkish Airlines from Manchester when both Qatar and Emirates are only around 40 quid more expensive. I don't get it but I'm sure they have their reasons. Hotel inclusive fares (YIT fares) are available pretty much to all agents and are a good way to go especially if you are sharing accommodation and on airlines such as Qatar you accumulate the full mileage including any silver/gold tier bonus. In addition, there are no restrictions on using your airmiles to upgrade to biz from an economy IT fare. Tom

flighty, Reference to EVA's seat pitch can be found on the relevant seat map on their site (on the right hand side, just above the aircraft plan (Premium Laurel - 61", Elite - 38" and Economy 33"): EVA's 777 Seat Map As for Etihad, the seat pitch in economy is referred to in their press release on 2 Feb (the full article is linked to from their website's fron page): The Boeing 777-300ER is a two-zone aircraft with a total capacity of 378 seats (28 in the Pearl Zone and 350 in the Coral Zone). The seats, made by French company Sogerma, are configured to ensure maximum comfort for Guests. While the Pearl Zone seats transform into flat beds, Coral Zone seats have a pitch of up to 33 inches between seats. And, to add that extra, comforting touch, Pearl Zone seats have a built-in massage system — the perfect way to relax! The new aircraft also introduces WiFli —live, high-speed wireless internet access through all Guest Zones. This is the first such service to be offered by any airline in the Middle East. Powered by Connexion By Boeing, WiFli allows guests to send or receive e-mails with unlimited attachments and data, access their corporate network (VPN), or even watch live TV. Four channels will be broadcast using the wireless service: BBC World, EuroNews, EurosportNews and CNBC. All that is required is a laptop. If the laptop is not configured for wireless access, guests can also connect to the service by using a standard RJ45 cable. The service will be available in all Guest Zones at affordable prices. The payment packages vary between $9.95 and $29.95. An agreement between CBB and Etisalat even allows guests with an Etisalat account to pay for the service through their Etisalat account. Regards, Tom

Both EVA and Etihad have a standard 33" seat-pitch in economy on their 777s. Tom

whitespider, Why do you say bank on 17+ hrs when the published schedule is as little as 14:40 incl a 1:15 stopover in Abu Dhabi? Tom

Etihad unveiled its new aircraft to be used on the Gatwick and Bangkok routes last night and they appear to be mightily impressive ......... video/audio on demand, wireless internet etc. However, the most impressive thing, for me anyway, was its biz class product which leaves many airlines first class to shame. I'll try and get some pics over the weekend and post them here. The press release: Etihad Airways today celebrated the induction of the airline's first 777-300ER into its fleet. Etihad's newest addition to its twin-aisle fleet arrived Monday after a direct flight from Paine Field in Everett, Wash., a trip of approximately 15 hours. "The arrival of this impressive new Boeing 777-300 ER aircraft is a defining moment in Etihad's history," said Robert Strodel, CEO, Etihad Airways. "The aircraft has been designed to Etihad specifications, and will provide our guests with higher standards of hospitality and service across our expanding international network." The two aisle aircraft is configured to carry a total capacity of 378 Guests, 350 in the Coral Zone and 28 in the Pearl Zone. “Etihad Airways is becoming synonymous with hospitality, and comfort is offered throughout the Etihad Airways Boeing 777-300ER aircraft. Each Zone has been meticulously designed to meet Guests’ requirements, and this is underlined in the Pearl Zone where the seats recline 180 degrees into a flat and comfortable bed,” added Strodel. Pearl and Coral Zone Guests can also send or receive email, including those with large attachments using the advanced ‘Connexion by Boeing’ system. They will be able to browse the internet in exactly the same way they would at home, and also securely access company intranet and business applications. Systems in place on the Boeing 777-300ER allow guests will be able to access 30 movies, 24 hours of TV programming, 12 audio channels, 110 audio CD’s, and 28 Interactive Games. The mood lighting in all sections of the Boeing 777-300ER has been designed especially to create specific ambiences in the aircraft cabin, conducive to relaxation or business. It also aims to help the mental and physical wellbeing of guests, especially on long haul flights.