Cheapest Airfares I've seen

[TotallyOz]

Hong Kong Airways has really cheap flights from LAX to Bangkok under 400 USD economy and 1600 USD Business Class.

https://www.justfly.com

[ggobkk]

Don't know if it's related, but Hong Kong Airways is stopping its San Francisco flights.  While still operating quoting $295 SFO to HK return or $643 to BKK.

At the moment the UA/ANA round trip to BKK is $550 - this has a five hour stopover in Tokyo.

[martinsen]

On 9/14/2019 at 9:39 PM, Michael said:

Hong Kong Airways has really cheap flights from LAX to Bangkok under 400 USD economy and 1600 USD Business Class.

https://www.justfly.com

I checked this out but, unfortunately, could not find any fairs like you did.

[PeterRS]

There is a ,lengthy topic over on gaybuttonthai about Hong Kong Airlines being in a  precarious financial position and how it is cutting back its trans Pacific routes. It had planned to compete with Cathay Pacific over the Pacific but with tourism in Hong Kong down around 40% Cathay has now axed some flights and will no doubt be slashing fares on some others. It seems clear that Hong Kong Airlines will have a mighty job on its hands keeping its trans Pacific flights afloat at those fares. With a mountain of debt and large reduction in passengers, the chances must surely be that all their trans Pacific routes will be axed sooner rather than later..

https://gaybuttonthai.com/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=10005

[Travellerdave]

Airfares from the U.K. seem to be low at the moment. I’ve just booked MAN BKK for return £505. On 29/10/2010.   This is for an Emirates flight with convenient times, changing at Dubai. I should arrive Pats late afternoon, so after a nap, I should venture out into the Complex bars to see if anyone I know is about and to check out the boys.

[Londoner]

True...even BA is offering cheap flights (direct) from London. Despite the strikes. 

[alex303]

5 hours ago, Londoner said:

True...even BA is offering cheap flights (direct) from London. Despite the strikes. 

I looked at some of the BA direct flights for my last trip, they did look good value but only annoyance was they added a fairly noticeable charge for putting bags in the hold, just felt like they were trying to artificially suppress the price you see initially as most people would put 1 big bag in the hold on a long haul. flight..in the end when you added in the baggage costs they were on a par with EVA so I just booked with EVA again.

[Londoner]

Thanks for that....I hadn't bothered to check. I'll be pleased if EVA flights are better value-they usually are- because I'm flying  BR 68 to BKK tomorrow. The cost of my Elite ticket was over £1000, the highest I've ever paid . That's more than  £100  than my May ticket and  my January 2020 one. I put it down to the Brexit pound. I enjoy EVA privileges- most significantly lounge access- and so I'll remain loyal.

[PeterRS]

11 hours ago, alex303 said:

I looked at some of the BA direct flights for my last trip, they did look good value

Having taken BA from LHR to BKK and back, I will never fly them again. The ageing 777s they use on this route should soon be due for the scrapyard. The cabin was dirty, the seats very uncomfortable, food mediocre and service - well, nowhere else would it be called service! Once one of the best in the world, BA is now worse than most low cost carriers.

[Guest]

1 hour ago, PeterRS said:

Having taken BA from LHR to BKK and back, I will never fly them again. The ageing 777s they use on this route should soon be due for the scrapyard. The cabin was dirty, the seats very uncomfortable, food mediocre and service - well, nowhere else would it be called service! Once one of the best in the world, BA is now worse than most low cost carriers.

BA have long since been on my "non-preferred" list.      I have never purchased a BA ticket for private use, but have used them on business on a few occasions when there was no reasonable alternative.

Past offences include:

1   Cancelling a flight to Dusseldorf.    I suspect this was done purely as a cost saving exercise, as BA managed to fit us all on the next flight 4 hours later.   Therefore I missed a planned appointment in the evening.

2   Failing to provide my "special meal".    I then filled in a form on the outbound flight to fix it for the return flight, but they also failed to provide the special meal on the return flight.   No other airline has ever failed to do this.

Additionally, the service standards fall below the levels of Asian airlines and they strike more frequently.     

Air France are also on the "non-preferred" list & they have the additional offence of crashing too frequently (about 4 fatal crashes in approx 20 years).    I would pick even BA ahead of Air France.

 

 

 

[paulsf]

Lhr to Bkk is not a profitable flight.  BA offers the bare minimum to keep fares low. It’s not a Business persons route.     Same in the US.  Flights on the 3 big airlines going to Hawaii.   They use older planes and don’t offer much in service.   Profitability comes from upfront.   Heavy tourist beach resort areas are first time families and backpackers.   They want cheapest fare they can get.                         

Most of us are seasoned travelers.    Flights going to Thailand,  Hawaii, Orlando.   They are full of people that have never been on a plane before.   They have no idea what to expect.  The little things we complain about go unnoticed by so many.  Which is partly why airlines can get away with it.    

[PeterRS]

What I dont understand is why BA ditched the continuation of its BKK flight on to Sydney. Flights were always packed in all sectors. Even if you tried to get a business class miles ticket more than 6 months ahead it was almost always impossible.

[TotallyOz]

Just now, PeterRS said:

What I dont understand is why BA ditched the continuation of its BKK flight on to Sydney. Flights were always packed in all sectors. Even if you tried to get a business class miles ticket more than 6 months ahead it was almost always impossible.

Thai ditched it non-stop from LAX and NYC to Bangkok and both flights were always packed. They said they made less money on the flights than the cargo and those planes could not handle a lot of cargo.

 

[alex303]

7 hours ago, Londoner said:

Thanks for that....I hadn't bothered to check. I'll be pleased if EVA flights are better value-they usually are- because I'm flying  BR 68 to BKK tomorrow. The cost of my Elite ticket was over £1000, the highest I've ever paid . That's more than  £100  than my May ticket and  my January 2020 one. I put it down to the Brexit pound. I enjoy EVA privileges- most significantly lounge access- and so I'll remain loyal.

EVA is my preferred airline out of the 3 who fly non stop from LHR, they just get on with it without a fuss / drama and always very efficient...Christmas / NY time it will be the usual 'lucky dip' of who I can find for half sensible money, but the rest of year EVA all the way if I have the choice. 

[PeterRS]

53 minutes ago, Michael said:

Thai ditched it non-stop from LAX and NYC to Bangkok and both flights were always packed. They said they made less money on the flights than the cargo and those planes could not handle a lot of cargo.

The reason for the suspension was more simple. Like Singapore Airlines, THAI took a bet that the four engine Airbus A340 designed in the mid-1990s was the right plane for both their Los Angeles and New York routes. Under the old ETOPS rules (Extended Operations - usually over water). airline routes were  required to have alternate airports not more than 120 hours and some years later 180 hours flying time away in the event that one engine became inoperable. So twin engine aircraft were not possible over the Pacific. When SIA, THAI and others planned their transPacific non-stops and did not believe the market warranted the larger 744s, four engines were still essential for trans-Pacific routes. Thanks in large part to the success of the Boeing 777, the ETOPS range was extended first to 180 hours and then to 240 hours and more.

This directive only came into operation in 2007. By that time SIA and THAI  were flying their less efficient more gas guzzling A340s and having trouble making them profitable. Besides, oil prices were starting to rise substantially. THAI consistently sold 80% of its seats on the New York route, but to be profitable would have had to sell 120%!! So both airlines quit the routes. Airbus then stopped making the plane in 2011. SIA has now restarted Singapore to Newark with the new ultra long range A350s but only with business and premium economy cabins. At least SIA was able to get Airbus to take back its A340s. Someone screwed up at THAI and the airline still has 9 of the 10 it purchased but never uses them. It tried for years to sell them but no operator wanted them! I believe they are all grounded at Don Mueang and U-tapao. If thats true, I reckon the airline would be better off selling them for scrap.

[reader]

Thai actually put out several requests for bids on some of the A340's but rejected all of them because they were "too low." So instead of something they received nothing and are paying to park them at no small cost to the Thai bottom line.

Like clubs that raise their prices when business is slow, TIT.

[vinapu]

9 hours ago, alex303 said:

EVA is my preferred airline out of the 3 who fly non stop from LHR, they just get on with it without a fuss / drama and always very efficient...Christmas / NY time it will be the usual 'lucky dip' of who I can find for half sensible money, but the rest of year EVA all the way if I have the choice. 

I like EVA as well  but for different reason - they have best BKK  schedule both ways from / to where I'm flying from, Nothing wrong with efficiency , service , cleanliness and other attributes as well. Only thing I don't like is that they are charging for seat selection but after all, it'f final price which counts and they are still very competitive

[PeterRS]

Apologies - in my previous post when referring to ETOPS I stated specific numbers of hours. It should have been minutes!

[vinapu]

1 hour ago, PeterRS said:

Apologies - in my previous post when referring to ETOPS I stated specific numbers of hours. It should have been minutes!

thank you for clarification, I was about to call  ambulance as  I thought I have  a stroke

[gerefan]

Yes Eva Air from London...however....

Last July they went on strike and cancelled all European flights for 2 or 3 weeks. Fortunately they returned to work 3 days before I was due to fly home with them.

Their fares were always £100 cheaper than their competitors on the London / Bangkok route and I have used them for over 10 years.

Following the July strike they have raised their fares and are now the most expensive on the route by at least £100 for the dates I want in November. BA. £412, Thai £458, Eva £550...Probably to pay for the strike..their problem not mine.

So now I’m with Thai as BA are top of my no fly list.

[vinapu]

7 hours ago, gerefan said:

 BA. £412, Thai £458, Eva £550...

for that difference I'd still go for the best schedule and connection if any

[PeterRS]

On 9/23/2019 at 3:20 AM, reader said:

Thai actually put out several requests for bids on some of the A340's but rejected all of them because they were "too low." So instead of something they received nothing and are paying to park them at no small cost to the Thai bottom line.

Every month they have delayed selling them, the value of their fleet has dropped quite dramatically. This information is dated August 2018

Quote

The current market for the A340-600 and indeed, the A340-500, has experienced a precipitous fall in recent months, a trend that is expected to continue.

http://www.aircraftvaluenews.com/aircraft-market-assessment-13/

The list price of a new A340-500 was $261 million.  The present resale value of a 1997 long-range A340 is estimated at US$9 million. Go figure! Another THAI disaster.

[Patanawet]

Can anyone beat the just announced Jazeera Airways  service  soon to start?

On narrow bodied, single aisle, short haul aircraft with one stop at Dubai (?) --- 11,300 Baht return.

[PeterRS]

The Bangkok route was announced as a possibility in the Bangkok Post a couple of days ago. But that price is not London/Bangkok or vice versa - it is Kuwait (the airline's 'home base) to London.

Quote

Jazeera chief executive officer Rohit Ramachandran said Kuwait’s position in the north of the Gulf permits narrow-body flights to Europe that would be impossible from Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Doha. The carrier will launch London flights on Oct 27, with return fares from £299 pounds (11,360 baht)

It adds

Quote

Jazeera wants to acquire Airbus’s long-range A321neo LR narrow-body to open up the prospect of a 15-hour trip from London to Bangkok with a stop at its Kuwait hub

Jazeera has no A321's in its fleet at present and none yet on order. Jazeera's route map has no destinations east of India.

https://www.bangkokpost.com/business/1755754/kuwait-budget-airline-to-use-short-haul-jets-on-london-bangkok-route

[Patanawet]

22 hours ago, PeterRS said:

The Bangkok route was announced as a possibility in the Bangkok Post a couple of days ago. But that price is not London/Bangkok or vice versa - it is Kuwait (the airline's 'home base) to London.

It adds

Jazeera has no A321's in its fleet at present and none yet on order. Jazeera's route map has no destinations east of India.

https://www.bangkokpost.com/business/1755754/kuwait-budget-airline-to-use-short-haul-jets-on-london-bangkok-route

Thanks Peter, it seemed too good to be true. I'll keep an eye on it. The cheapest Bangkok to London flights that I see at the moment are about 20K.