What is your preferred airline when travelling to and from Thailand and why?

[lovedog100 1,372]

United airlines was just voted one of the ten worst company's by American consumers. I'll have to try another airline next time.

[jacko 8,766]

United airlines was just voted one of the ten worst company's by American consumers. I'll have to try another airline next time.

To be exact, under the category Meanest National Carriers....

 

United Airlines had the highest rate of consumer complaints in 2011, beating out all other airlines with 2.21 complaints per 100,000 passengers. As a result, United received the worst AQR score out of the 11 national carriers ranked. Headley suspects that the company's $3 billion merger with Continental Airlines is to blame. "Anytime you have two airlines trying to combine, one of those airlines is going to have a period of decline," he explains. United also experienced a drop in its percentage of on-time arrivals, and the number of lost or damaged bags increased from 3.4 per 1,000 passengers to 3.66.

 

Doesn't BigDUSA recommend them?

[MC_Ldop 40]

United can be bad or great depending on your flying patterns. For Americans that rack up miles and attain status, it's still the best choice, despite the decline in service. United and Delta are currently the only American carriers that service BKK with their own metal (correct me if I'm wrong). If you do any domestic flying in addition to BKK trips then United is the better choice. Redeeming miles and earning miles is much better on United than Delta. The upgrade possibilities are also better.

 

If you only fly occassionally and don't care about miles/status then take an Asian carrier from America. Singapore, ANA, Thai, etc. all offer better service.

[too_mutt 10]

I have flown both SQ and EVA recently from USA to Asia. Both were good.

 

Can anyone review/recommend ANA from US to Asia. .

[MC_Ldop 40]

I have flown both SQ and EVA recently from USA to Asia. Both were good.

 

Can anyone review/recommend ANA from US to Asia. .

 

It depends on the plane and the class. In very general terms, ANA is better than EVA and not as good as SQ.

[LasRobos 270]

I flew a couple of my legs in January from the U.S on ANA and it was quite good.

 

I always book the cheapest flight I can find except I avoid a few airlines I consider to not be acceptable. One of my favorites has always been Korean Air as they are one of the very few flying direct to Asia from Las Vegas and have the best economy seats I have ever experienced.

 

China Airlines is one I have always avoided due to safety concerns and just a poor reputation. From what I have read they have improved dramatically and they were the cheapest this time around. So I just flew China Air about a week ago and was quite satisfied. Of course when your expectations are low it is easy to be satisfied, but they had some of the most professional and attractives workers I have experienced. The food was decent, at least for economy airplane food, and the equipment looked to be quite new or recently refurbished. If they are as good on the flight back then I may be using them quite a bit in the future.

Edited July 2, 2012 by LasRobos

[short 215]

Worst flight ever, ANA NRT-BKK. mothers with babies. babies kept each other crying at the top of their lungs. No turbulence but the noise made me sick. There was no escaping it. I actually went to the bathroom to escape the crying.

 

I really liked the nonstop LAX - BKK on Thai Air in economy plus. Unfortunately that is no more.

[too_mutt 10]

I had to admit I am looking forward to the premium economy on the CX LAX-HKG next year I think. Can't tolerate economy, and business class is too pricey for my budget.

[Grandpollo 366]

 

 

Concur. 'Tried booking it via their own website. Initially, you select it from the dropdown list on the flight search page, but at some point after the flight list appears you get ' premium economy not available' indications. I could be wrong, but I THINK premium economy is only available on routes where they're flying the Airbus 330-300 ("v2") or 340-300 (also "v2"). Unfortunately they seem to be scheduling the B777-300 on the LAX-HKG and HKG-BKK routes.

 

There are versions of the 777-300. The 77G which has no first class has the new business class and offers the new economy plus.

 

I am flying the 77G this month in the new business class and I will try to have a look at Y+ . There are only two or three rows and IIRC there is four inches more legroom and the seats are slightly wider.

 

The HKG BKK route has everything on it though if you're stuck flying economy the short flight doesn't matter that much. I have flown that route on a 340 with their regional business class and I have flown the 777-300 with the old herringbone business class that should be out of service for longer routes soon. It came in from New Delhi to Hong Kong via Bangkok.

 

Out of LAX and SFO the is demand for first class such that they may not offer the Y+ seats unless they start updating those 777 with new J and they decide to add Y+ at the same time which they may.

[Guest jamesfly]

which airline give the cheapest fare is best for me.Etihad and Qatar give the cheap fare with good connecting flight.

[too_mutt 10]

Does anyone know if Cathay Pacific is using the 77W exclusively, on it's LAX-HKG route.

 

I think they still use the B744 on some of their international routes.

[Keen Punter 272]

Emirates.

 

They fly a good time from Birmingham meaning I can still work that day then catch the 2120 night flight. Good planes, great entertainment system and short lay overs in Dubai (which has cheap duty free).

 

Only downside is that they can be pricey.

[bigmick 840]

Emirates.

 

They fly a good time from Birmingham meaning I can still work that day then catch the 2120 night flight. Good planes, great entertainment system and short lay overs in Dubai (which has cheap duty free).

 

Only downside is that they can be pricey.

 

Talking for one moment about Dubai airport, i came out of Baghdad one time and stopped in the Irish Village restaurant/Pub and only had a orange juice/lemonade it cost nearly 12 pounds!

[BigDUSA 71]

United can be bad or great depending on your flying patterns. For Americans that rack up miles and attain status, it's still the best choice, despite the decline in service. United and Delta are currently the only American carriers that service BKK with their own metal (correct me if I'm wrong). If you do any domestic flying in addition to BKK trips then United is the better choice. Redeeming miles and earning miles is much better on United than Delta. The upgrade possibilities are also better.

 

If you only fly occassionally and don't care about miles/status then take an Asian carrier from America. Singapore, ANA, Thai, etc. all offer better service.

 

I agree UAL is the best of a bad lot for flying to BKK. I still recommend flying with UAL. For a long time I was a Premier Executive level frequent flier. I always was seated in the exit row and had club access when I flew international plus I received a 50% mileage bonus.

[Gary 4,100]

Over the years, I have probably flown most of the airlines. I think they all have good and bad flights. When I shop for a ticket now, I pay no attention to the airline and concentrate on price and schedule. I am willing to pay a bit more for shorter time flights and better connections. Philippine Air was the absolute worst airline I have ever taken both coming and going. That was mostly because of the ridiculous delays and flight cancellations. United had the rudest flight attendants. The old cows would do nothing to make your flight better. China Air usually had the best food and good service. I always was satisfied with Thai Air but they usually are not price competitive.

[lovedog100 1,372]

United can be bad or great depending on your flying patterns. For Americans that rack up miles and attain status, it's still the best choice, despite the decline in service. United and Delta are currently the only American carriers that service BKK with their own metal (correct me if I'm wrong). If you do any domestic flying in addition to BKK trips then United is the better choice. Redeeming miles and earning miles is much better on United than Delta. The upgrade possibilities are also better.

 

If you only fly occassionally and don't care about miles/status then take an Asian carrier from America. Singapore, ANA, Thai, etc. all offer better service.

 

United only allows one checked bag now, where Delta allows two. Of course, you could pay extra, but it's expensive. For me, I have a several hour wait in japan with United, but only 50 minutes with Delta. Another biggie for me, with United, they tack on 50% to the ticket price if I don't return in 3 months or less. I don't know if Delta has a similar charge for long stays, but I do know that I can stay 6 months at no extra charge

[MC_Ldop 40]

United only allows one checked bag now, where Delta allows two.

 

If you have status, you can check in three bags up to 70lbs each. How many bags do you bring?

 

 

For me, I have a several hour wait in japan with United, but only 50 minutes with Delta.

 

Depending on where you're connecting from, the wait is 1.5 to 2.5 hours. I prefer that. There's some buffer time in case of the flight coming in late. There's also time for a shower and a snack.

 

 

Another biggie for me, with United, they tack on 50% to the ticket price if I don't return in 3 months or less. I don't know if Delta has a similar charge for long stays, but I do know that I can stay 6 months at no extra charge

 

I've never heard of this charge. Would you please explain it in more detail?

Edited July 9, 2012 by MC_Ldop

[lovedog100 1,372]

If you have status, you can check in three bags up to 70lbs each. How many bags do you bring?

 

Depending on where you're connecting from, the wait is 1.5 to 2.5 hours. I prefer that. There's some buffer time in case of the flight coming in late. There's also time for a shower and a snack.

 

I've never heard of this charge. Would you please explain it in more detail?

 

I like to bring as many bags as possiable. I bring stuff to Thailand for Expats, and bring stuff back for family.

 

Check it out yourself. Go to united.com and look at the price of a ticket for 3 months or lass, then another for a longer stay. I'm not sure if it's the same for all classes, but it is that way for flying economy. If you check out the fine print for economy, it will say that the return must be with in 3 months. Not sure when it changed, it might have been when they dropped the second bag. Not that it matters. That was one of the reason's Jane flew back here with Delta, her visa is good for 6 months, and United charged 50% more for the 6 month stay, where Delta didn't. That and Delta now having a flight from Portland that saves about 7-9 hours trip time for us. 6 months with Delta cost the same price as 3 months with United. I've been flying to Thailand on United for 20 years. It looks like Delta will have my business now.

[Evil Penevil 7,628]

I use United because of its frequent flyer program, coupled with a relatively short flying time to/from Newark Liberty. (20 to 24 hours in either direction).

 

As a 1K elite flyer (means I put in 100,000 elite miles in a calendar year), I am allowed three suitcases each weighing up to 70 lbs. I also get priority tags on luggage, which means they are among the first down the chute. I get six "Global" upgrades a year, which means all my flights to/from LOS are in biz even though I've only paid between $1,200 and $1,500 for the tickets.

 

The schedule to/from Newark Liberty isn't that bad. Take off from EWR is at a convenient time (11.00 am), but arrival in BKK (after transfer in Narita) is a bit late (between 1100 and midnight). On the way back to the U.S., the flight departs BKK early (600 a.m.) and gets into EWR at 4.30 p.m.

 

So United does it for me as I draw so much advantage from the FF program. It's not just upgrades, but also very heavy discounts on rental cars and hotels. But as someone else said, if you don't fly enough so that elite FF is a realistic possibility, just go with the airline with the cheapest prices.

 

Evil

Edited July 10, 2012 by Evil Penevil

[Guest jamesfly]

Thai air is provided best services and is a good airline to travel.

Edited July 10, 2012 by jamesfly

[lovedog100 1,372]

I use United because of its frequent flyer program, coupled with a relatively short flying time to/from Newark Liberty. (20 to 24 hours in either direction).

 

As a 1K elite flyer (means I put in 100,000 elite miles in a calendar year), I am allowed three suitcases each weighing up to 70 lbs. I also get priority tags on luggage, which means they are among the first down the chute. I get six "Global" upgrades a year, which means all my flights to/from LOS are in biz even though I've only paid between $1,200 and $1,500 for the tickets.

 

The schedule to/from Newark Liberty isn't that bad. Take off from EWR is at a convenient time (11.00 am), but arrival in BKK (after transfer in Narita) is a bit late (between 1100 and midnight). On the way back to the U.S., the flight departs BKK early (600 a.m.) and gets into EWR at 4.30 p.m.

 

So United does it for me as I draw so much advantage from the FF program. It's not just upgrades, but also very heavy discounts on rental cars and hotels. But as someone else said, if you don't fly enough so that elite FF is a realistic possibility, just go with the airline with the cheapest prices.

 

Evil

 

You fly more than me. Once I build up my miles, I end up losing them. I seem to do my flying in spurts rather than consistently. Price and convenience does it for me. In the past, United was one of the cheapest, so I flew with them. Now they allow one 50 pound bag, and they are not the cheapest. My travel time is 24-26 hours, depending on my first connecting flight to SEA or SFO Delta now fly's out of my town with a 17 hour trip time, two 50 pound bags and I don't have to return in 3 months for the same price. If I had your miles, I would probably stick with United, depending if I could get past the 3 month thing. An extra 50% to buy a ticket on an empty plane just seems wrong.

[MC_Ldop 40]

You're forgetting to factor in mile redemption. Delta's Sky Miles is one of the worst programs in America. There's a reason why Delta's miles are referred to as Sky Pesos.

[Guest jamesfly]

I think Etihat is the best option to travel from Thailand.Etihat is provided the best and cheapest prices.

[oddball 55]

Ive flown with lots of different airlines to either Thailand or more recently Philippines. The best for me by a long way is the A380 on Singapore. The worst for me is Etihad. I have been made to take out 1kg out of my luggage by them. I dont like Abu Dhabi airport, and they fly out of terminal 4 at LHR which is a shithole. However when I booked my flight fo my next trip to LOS they were the cheapest so Im booked with them

[jacko 8,766]

Ive flown with lots of different airlines to either Thailand or more recently Philippines. The best for me by a long way is the A380 on Singapore. The worst for me is Etihad. I have been made to take out 1kg out of my luggage by them. I dont like Abu Dhabi airport, and they fly out of terminal 4 at LHR which is a shithole. However when I booked my flight fo my next trip to LOS they were the cheapest so Im booked with them

Well SQ are out of T3 aren't they? Is that any better these days?

 

For me it was always transiting in LHR, where I had to change terminals, shit.