Thai Air: A real PITA

[TotallyOz]

I have a free Gold Upgrade certificate that I can use by November. I was planning on flying back to LOS with this. But, trying to book out of USA anywhere other than LA proved impossible. Thai would not book Dallas or Houston. I could have booked with Continental but was told I'll have to pay double baggage and use 2 tickets. Continental was trying to charge 6k USD to book with them to use Thai Air out of LA. What a true Pain. Any suggestions for next time when I am trying to leave from Dallas or New York?

[Guest lvdkeyes]

Why not fly to LAX on another carrier and from LAX to BKK on ThaiAir?

[firecat69]

Do what I do. Take an early flight into LA on a separate ticket. Get rid of your bags if Cotinental did not check them through and have a reservation at one of the nice airport hotels for all of $50 on Priceline and relax until 2 hours before your flight. Your baggage overweight is a separate problem. Those kind of flights you always have to use separate tickets or get screwed.

 

Learn to travel lighter!!!!!

[Guest]

<br />Why not fly to LAX on another carrier and from LAX to BKK on ThaiAir?<br />

<br /><br /><br />

 

I can do that. I would have to book 2 tickets. According to both airlines, if a delay on the first one causes me to be late then I am Shit out of Luck.

 

Also, I carry with me 6 bags. The first 3 are free. The other 3 are paid. That is an extra 600 that I don't mind paying one time but if I book on 2 tickets, I have been told I'll have to pay for each airline. That would be 1200. If I didn't have so much shit, I'd be OK with booking a day in advance and staying over in a hotel. However, I am high maintenance and need my makeup bags with me at all times.

[Guest]

A couple of off the wall ideas:

 

(i) Insure against the first flight delay.

 

(ii) Send your excess luggage by DHL (or equivalent). I've never tried it, but I know of someone who did it and another case where a transport company turned out to he hundreds of pound cheaper than the excess budget charge.

[Guest fountainhall]

Insure against the first flight delay.

But check the policy fine print. As I and a vast number of others discovered during the volcanic ash cloud delays in Europe, insurance companies put a large number of exceptions into the policy for flight delays and consequent on-going delays. When I checked with my insurance company, anything close to being an 'Act of God' is exempt. So, if your inbound flight is delayed by rain, and "man does not create the rain", you will probably not get any reimbursement other than the standard minimal payment for a delay lasting beyond about 6 hours or so.

 

I liked the comment of one European policy holder who said after his claim was denied: "But I am an atheist. There is no God. So can I please have my money back!"

[Gaybutton]

I liked the comment of one European policy holder who said after his claim was denied: "But I am an atheist. There is no God. So can I please have my money back!"

Bottom line: Did he get it?

[Guest fountainhall]

Bottom line: Did he get it?

Only God knows!

[Guest doveman]

I downloaded Southwest's DING interactive sale offer software and it informs me of deals to LA or SF. I just fly Southwest to either of these locations and then connect with the transpacific carrier. My roundtrip fare from Tulsa, OK to LA is $272. My TG fare for October was bought with One Pass miles. Possibly one solution for you.

[Guest kjun12]

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I can do that. I would have to book 2 tickets. According to both airlines, if a delay on the first one causes me to be late then I am Shit out of Luck.

 

Also, I carry with me 6 bags.

Are you traveling or moving? I know queens can take a lot of crap with them but 6 bags is a LOT.

[Guest lvdkeyes]

I knew a guy in the US who was going to Europe for 3 weeks and took 26 pairs of shoes with him. NUTZ!!!!!

[Gaybutton]

6 bags is a LOT.

How else can he transport all of his evening gowns?

 

And speaking of bags:

"I knew a girl so ugly - how ugly was she? - We used to call her a 'two-bagger'. You put a bag over your face in case the one over hers breaks."

- Rodney Dangerfield

 

 

I knew a guy in the US who was going to Europe for 3 weeks and took 26 pairs of shoes with him. NUTZ!!!!!

Must have been Imelda Marcos's nephew . . .

[Guest fountainhall]

Not sure if this will work. A couple of times I had too much luggage, so I sent 2 of the bags a few days in advance as unaccompanied baggage. The fee was much less than the usual overweight accompanied baggage fees. The only bugbear is that I had to get the bags to the airport's cargo department and pick them up from the cargo customs area on arrival. It saved a lot of cash - but it was many years ago.

[Guest irish1972]

Also, I carry with me 6 bags.

I stopped carrying my boyfriends in bags years ago, much cheaper to get them a ticket.

 

But seriously why not leave some clothes and erm makeup in Thailand instead of lugging it around the world. Irrespective of what class I travel in I hate hate hate luggage, and try and travel with just one carry on bag. I have 3 different sets of clothes in 3 different locations.

 

As for the ticketing, Airlines are a law onto themselves and the sooner I can grow my own wings the better!

[Guest fountainhall]

Any suggestions for next time when I am trying to leave from Dallas or New York?

Did you manage to solve the problem?

[Guest]

Did you manage to solve the problem?

 

Yes, it was called Delta. I am not sure why Thai was unable to assist and by the time I spent hours on the phone, it was not important for me.