Brussels-Phuket with BelgiumExcel

Erna · Post by **Erna** » 23 Aug 2004, 14:02

After 4 days of making phone calls and sending out e-mail, I finally got an answer from Thomas Cook
* departure from Brussels on tuesdays and return from Phuket on wednesdays
* price: depends on how long you stay, but if you stay 3 weeks you pay a lot more then if you were to stay one week (is this normal????)
* 2 examples: leaving december 28, returning januari 19 = 859 euro; leaving on december 21 and returning on january 12 = 864 euro

I am very disappointed, I hoped the prices would be a lot more democratic, considering it is a charter.....

I finally found a ticket to BKK with Gulf Air (via CDG en Abu Dhabi) for 709 euro; if anyone has suggestions for a cheaper and more direct flight, please let me know.... (leaving around 27 december and coming back around 18 january).

Thanks,

Erna

Post by **sn26567** » 23 Aug 2004, 14:37

Erna,

There was already a thread on that topic : https://www.aviation24.be/postt5945.html

Please use existing threads when possible.

I will not close this one, as you provide interesting information and I want to give others the opportunity to comment.

P.S. 1) You might get cheaper air fares if you book a full package.
2) @Comet: Erna is a female name!

Mirror · Post by **Mirror** » 23 Aug 2004, 14:54

I have found this , if you fly with condor and Lufthansa Via Frankfurt

BRU-FRA-Phuket/Phuket-FRA-BRU 1292 Euro (FROM 28/12/04 - 17/01/05)
BRU-FRA-Bankok/Bankok-FRA-BRU 1102 Euro (FROM 31/12/04 - 19/01/05 )

This Are Tickets By Thomas Cook ( DE )

Comet · Post by **Comet** » 23 Aug 2004, 15:22

sn26567 wrote:
@Comet: Erna is a female name!

Is it really

Ah well, that's nice to know...

AFApresident · Post by **AFApresident** » 24 Aug 2004, 13:20

I searched on Singapore Airlines, Thai Airways, Lufthansa, KLM and Austrian airlines (1-2stops) and cheapest was €1100 most expensive €4500.

I looked for the following days : departing Dec 28 return both 12 Jan and Jan 18.

The Thomas Cook and Gulf Air Deal you found seem to be the best fares you can get...

nldogbert · Post by **nldogbert** » 24 Aug 2004, 15:41

Hi Erna and others interested..

I found recently (hope it is still available) a fare of about €849 from CDG to BKK with SIA (better service compared to Gulf air). Though the dates I was looking at was around 23Dec and return around 8 Jan '05. This can be booked directly via the SIA website. I think it is possible for FFP (if this applies), it was not stated if its was possible or not..
I am actually also looking myself for tickets to either BKK, SIN or KUL around those dates, but I am not willing to pay more then €800 for a departure from BRU or AMS. I know this is a rather "big wish" during this time of the year.. but for now, I am keeping my options open for another destination, if the price is right

So, anyone out there if you know of any cheap tix to these places, do let me know.. pref. with FFP possiblities..

Thanks a lot and a good day!

Stoney · Post by **Stoney** » 25 Aug 2004, 08:27

I would never book a flight on the website of the airline, in all my experiences this is always the most expensive... What I usually do is just go to a Connections office, tell them my destination, my dates, possible departure airports and I let them do the working for me... They will give you all possibilities and then you can choose yourself.
I'm usually in there for an hour or something like that but that's more than worth it, they usually have very good deals...
Try it, you won't be dissapointed I think...

(Oh yeah, and really go there, don't use their online booking engine, prices are better if you really go there)

Just my 2 cents

Stoney · Post by **Stoney** » 25 Aug 2004, 08:31

http://www.connections.be/promos/040823NL_bangkok.html

Have a look at this...

Post by **sn26567** » 25 Aug 2004, 09:17

It seems that YOU got the best fare, Stoney.

nldogbert · Post by **nldogbert** » 25 Aug 2004, 09:20

Stoney,

Hmm.. I doubt that, the last time I went to the Connections office here at my place, they were not that helpful, in fact the price they quoted me was really way higher then what I could find on the internet.. this was to enquire about the same trip for the same duration.. in fact what was worst this time was that the representative serving me even told me to go and check it online myself (on their website!). I was like thinking to myself, what the heck.. I came here to get a better deal and there you are sending me off home again asking me to check it myself..
Anyway, I did check with other travel agencies around my area (incld BBL Travel), and they gave me a better quote (though still within the €900 range), but it was much better service and better options. Anyway, just my 0.02€.

btw: forgot about that offer Stoney mentioned, I did see it on another website, it is with China Airlines. I think that there is like 25 seats left, the last time I saw it, on www.vliegtarieven.nl
a good day to everyone!

liebensd · Post by **liebensd** » 25 Aug 2004, 10:19

I was looking what it would cost to get in Thailand with Thaijet. They fly from Frankfurt to Bangkok. A return ticket would cost you 838€ including taxes. But for the advantage of Thaijet price you can't travel to Fankfurt an From Bangkok to Phuket.
http://www.sunline.de/html/thaijet.html
But is saw another offer from Qatar Airways http://www.sunline.de/html/hotshop.html 499€ ex tax .

Greetz,

Dave

SN30952 · Post by **SN30952** » 25 Aug 2004, 12:56

liebensd wrote:I was looking what it would cost to get in Thailand with Thaijet. They fly from Frankfurt to Bangkok. A return ticket would cost you 838? including taxes. But for the advantage of Thaijet price you can't travel to Fankfurt an From Bangkok to Phuket.
http://www.sunline.de/html/thaijet.html
But is saw another offer from Qatar Airways http://www.sunline.de/html/hotshop.html 499? ex tax .
Greetz, Dave

Dave,
ThaiJet's FRA-UTP Spring-promotion was 99Euros one way.
Thaijet brings you to UTP = Utapao, an airstrip South of Bangkok (Some Charleroi-like situation). You're then close to Pataya or 120' minutes from BKK. And who wants to go to HKT anyway? (HKT=Phuket) when there are more charming places to go in the South. I suggest you go to Samui (USM), you can fly or sail cheaply to that island. And btw an new airport seems to be build shortly.
And there are other ways to fly cheaper to Thailand. Combine cheap longhaul to KUL, HKG even China with even cheaper low cost asian airlines into Thailand. Soon India will be your transit area to connect to SE Asia.
Dave, your return ticket would cost you 838? Including taxes but also including 14 nights in at least a 3star hotel or resort on Phuket including ABF and airport transfers. Anything you pay over this amount would certainly be wasted money.. And do not forget, the packages sold as high seasons by the best of your tour operators bring you in the rainy season or monsoon on that island.
Your low season is the best season, there... Also avoid chinese new year, japanese and korean bank holidays, because then HKT is invaded by barbarians... Not even british (hooligans) can competete with a bunch of these guys at your breakfast buffet. (Or bring your ski equipment just to pass in front of the buffet, because these guys will fight for and spill food all over the place, just because they get 'all in' rates.) There are actually three tarrifs at HKT hotels, the lowest for the Thais, then the asian market and finally the farangs, = westerners, they pay the highest rate... So you would be paying double for what an asian get and at least triple of what a thai pays. Avoid that by all means.

BTW can someone tell what Phuket Air is charging out of London for its trice weekly 747 flights to HKT?

liebensd · Post by **liebensd** » 25 Aug 2004, 15:30

Hello Fons,

I know that Thaijet has low prices in Spring, but if you want to fly during the dates mentioned by Erna's post (the first in this topic) you need to pay 399€.

Greetz,

Dave

Stoney · Post by **Stoney** » 25 Aug 2004, 16:36

Well nldogbert, everyone his own opinion, I never had a problem with Connections, always very helpful and the cheapest I could find. Use them for all my travels and that's already quite a lot, not enough though

I always go to the office in Mechelen, nice lady overthere...

SN30952, seems like you are in Thailand. Hoping to go to Koh Samui somewhere next year for a few weeks, any idea which airlines fly on Koh Samui from Europe? Is Koh Samui anywhere near Koh Phangan by the way? Would love to do a full moon party on Koh Phangan...

SN30952 · Post by **SN30952** » 25 Aug 2004, 19:53

Stoney wrote: I always go to the office in Mechelen, nice lady overthere...
Hoping to go to Koh Samui somewhere next year for a few weeks, any idea which airlines fly on Koh Samui from Europe?

Not many internatinal flights to USM, you will understand when you see the airport. But there is a SIN-USM-USM Web Fare 1 Year SGD 340 Web Fare 6 Months SGD 275
http://www.bangkokair.com/samui_airport.htm
Nearest 'big' airport is Surat Thani, nearest international apts are BKK and HKT.
Here is the email address of another nice lady on Koh Samui.
ilsedumont@hotmail.com Ilse has a restaurant on the island.

Stoney wrote: Is Koh Samui anywhere near Koh Phangan by the way? Would love to do a full moon party on Koh Phangan...

Koh Phangan is an island paradise in the Gulf of Thailand (Southern Region). It is about 100 km from Surat Thani Province and about 15 km from the famous Koh Samui Island. Koh Phangan is the largest of Samui's neighboring islets with an area of 168 sq km. Over 70% of its total area is mountains and tropical forest. Lowlands are beaches and coconut fields.

You are not far away, Stoney: Koh (= Island) Samui is in the Siam Gulf.
Monday next, is fulll moon over Thailand, or should one say fool moon?
And here are the FULL MOON PARTY SCHEDULES on Phangan island.
http://www.kohphangan.com/travel/fullmoon.html
Look at the weather on Phuket this week: every day chance of thunderstorms..
http://www.wunderground.com/cgi-bin/fin ... ?query=hkt
And it is no better on Samui:
http://www.wunderground.com/cgi-bin/fin ... uery=Samui
Monsoon Winds on Koh Pha Ngam:

See the airplane leaving USM over Pha Ngam?

Stoney · Post by **Stoney** » 27 Aug 2004, 08:01

Thanx for the very helpful reply Fons, already looking forward to going there, but will still have to wait some time before I can...
And indeed, maybe fool moon would be a better word for it

Stoney · Post by **Stoney** » 27 Aug 2004, 14:28

if there's still some people looking for a cheap ticket to Bangkok, Connections published some new promo's today... Have a look at www.connections.be

etihad · Post by **etihad** » 28 Aug 2004, 04:02

SN30952 wrote:And there are other ways to fly cheaper to Thailand. Combine cheap longhaul to KUL, HKG even China with even cheaper low cost asian airlines into Thailand. Soon India will be your transit area to connect to SE Asia.

Fons, it seems to me you are a real Thailand lover.
Maybe you even live in Thailand?

Maybe you can help me out with clearing up some rumours about possible air traffic between Belgium and Thailand?

There are three harsh rumours who just keep on circling.

The first rumour is already confirmed.
It consisted of the fact that BelgiumExel would start-up a once weekly service to Phuket via Goa.
As everyone knows, this is indeed the case.

The second rumour is that China Airlines would start-up a twice weekly service to Taipei via Bangkok somewhere in 2005?

The third rumour is that Orient Thai - or should I say One-Two-Go?- would start services to Brussels - mainly due to blockspace deals with Belgian and Dutch tour-operators -, possibly via Stockholm?

Do you have additional info on any of these rumours?
Maybe some of these rumours are also circling in Thailand?

By the way, Thaijet has - temporarily?- discontinued all their operations.

* Edit: Omerta info deleted upon request

SN30952 · Post by **SN30952** » 28 Aug 2004, 07:49

etihad wrote:There are four harsh rumours who just keep on circling.

Let me summarize:
Thaijet? is a Thai-Turkish company. They have suspended ops in this low season, indeed it is low season in SE Asia. Normally it would be rain season, but not much rain now, but awful bad sticky temperature in and around Thailand. Storms and floodings elsewhere.
OrientThai? The OX-fleet is, let me say it softly, a little bit decayed. I do not see a western clientele queueing to go on board of these aircraft. OX is 'shipping' a chinese clientele, at very low price, but can OX convince westerners to fly with them, when competition offers modern aircraft for just a little more Euros?
China Airline? Why would they come to EBBR? BRU is ok for cargo. Why dilute its passenger' s market position in AMS? CI could eventually envisage to fly to EBBR if Belgium grants it traffic rights, lets say to Canada or US. Taiwan is politcally close to US, so that could be a GO from that side. If BIAC wants to survive, it has to attract these traffic. Because about intra-Europe traffic [rights] everything is said. (BTW Why do you think the Dutch were interested in BIAC? Yes, to control this interconti traffic and bridle it, if need be.)
omerta project? this word tells you more about the content, then I can say.

PS The only oponent to granting belgian traffic rights to others, would possibly be the Sabena heiress. Look at the DKR-CRL situation.

B737229 · Post by **B737229** » 28 Aug 2004, 12:17

cheapest fares are to be found on connections. 550€ wit China AL

Vlucht H/T: Amsterdam - Bangkok - Amsterdam
Prijs per persoon, tax incl: € 555.00
Vertrekperiode : 01/09/2004 - 31/10/2004
Voorwaarden: min / max : 7D / 1M

Geldig voor: all : geldig voor iedereen
Luchtvaartmaatschappij: China Airlines
also this is very interesting :

http://www.kras.nl/Reisgids/zoek/1-3-1- ... laatscode=

15days thailand ; flying with Royal Jordanian. Because there is a long stopover in Amman, there is an organised trip to visit Amman included !

Aviation24.be

Brussels-Phuket with BelgiumExcel

Brussels-Phuket with BelgiumExcel

another one on SIA

Indeed Stoney ther are better places than HKT in Thailand...

Let me summarize