China Travel Forum

[Robert]

. I am looking for inexpensive airfare from Bangkok to either Hong Kong or Beijing in late March/early April. It sounds as if Air Asia may be a good choice. Can I get tickets before I leave the U.S.? In order to get cheap fares, how many days ahead of travel must I purchase? Do they have wierd and querky rules like Southwest Airlines in the U.S.?

[Stewart]

Air Asia does not have flight to Hong Kong or Beijing. From time to time other airlines might have special from Bangkok to Hongkong or Beijing. Your best bet is to check with Thai Airways. They often have specials on international routes.
You can try to purchase a ticket from the US to Hongkong or Beijing by Thai Airways. That way you can normally have a free stopover at Bangkok. If not, it's better to puchase your Bangkok- Hongkong ticket from Bangkok. Prices would be lower in Asia, for sure.
Normally, promotional fares are offered based on first comes first served, this is international regulation. So when you purchase last minute, surely prices would be different, but this will be depend on availability during reservations.
If your final destination is HongKong or china, then from your country you can take airlines such as Chian Eastern airways/thai/other asian airlines that will offer really cheap prices beating top Airlines of the west.There are lots of promotional offers appearing now and then and some of which i have seen earlier. Ask a few travel agents of these airlines in your city.

If your intenstion is to arrive in Bangkok and then wish to go to China or HK, then you can hunt for cheap prices with travel agents in Bangkok. Ofcourse the earleir you buy the cheaper you get.Also some airlines ofer discounts if you take their night flights!!
You cannot get cheap ticket in USA for travelling from Bangkok to Hk or China as the tickets bought outside that country tend to be always higher(so called sytem fares as the airlines put it).
Nothing is cheaper than Air Asia from BKK to HK, its promotion fare was only US$20 one way. Now it is around US$40 one way.

[yeaizhen]