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Original poster

Fkights to Phuket

21 replies

Sundaychiller · 09/03/2023 08:41

Can anyone recommend a good booking site to try and find cheaper flights? we normally go every Christmas and normally book flights and 1 night hotel with Expedia. Last year this was £760 ish each with Singapore Airlines, this year it is coming out around £1400! We booked in March last year, when is it best to book? we have been watching the flight prices since New Year and they are not budging.
Thanks for any advice.

OP posts:
unclebuck · 09/03/2023 08:44

I'm in the same boat and I am just going to bite the bullet - so so expensive :(

Original poster
Sundaychiller · 09/03/2023 10:16

@unclebuck extortionate aren't they! I think we may have to do the same :(

OP posts:
evtheria · 09/03/2023 10:19

International flights are definitely up, we've paid more than we normally do for flights to Bangkok this year AND we have to fly from London (we're north England) as it's still 'less' than our airport.

evtheria · 09/03/2023 10:21

PS . Lest anyone thinks that's a bit much, and rather unnecessary, we are visiting my elderly parents elsewhere in Asia and on a budget.

misssunshinenow · 09/03/2023 10:23

We went December just gone and booked the flights directly through the airline more or less as soon as they came out. I've continued looking but they just kept going up.

Kualma · 09/03/2023 10:27

I went to Thailand last month and it was cheaper to start outside of the UK. Would you consider that? We started in Amsterdam which ironically is easier for me to get to than Heathrow as my local airport is only 10 minutes in the car for me.

We paid much less doing it that way even with flights/hotels however I built a night the day before travel in case anything went wrong with the flight to Amsterdam and allowed a 6 hour connection on the way back.

Crazykatie · 09/03/2023 10:28

Airfares are sky high, Australia is now £2000+ for an economy return this summer so we won’t be going this year. During Covid a lot of planes were scrapped so demand now outstrips supply, they can charge what they want.
Probably increases food prices too because a lot of imported food is air freighted.

Original poster
Sundaychiller · 09/03/2023 13:25

@Kualma I will look at that but it would have to be a big saving, thanks.

OP posts:
Kualma · 09/03/2023 13:26

Sundaychiller · 09/03/2023 13:25

@Kualma I will look at that but it would have to be a big saving, thanks.

I saved well over £1,000 per person doing this

JuliasBiscuit · 09/03/2023 13:34

This reply has been withdrawn

The OP has privacy concerns and so we've agreed to take this down.

Moonlightsonatas · 09/03/2023 13:35

Sky scanner and then book direct.

Holidayqueen1 · 09/03/2023 13:54

We’ve had the same issue, we were looking at langkawi and the prices are bonkers!! I don’t think they’ll go down anytime soon.
we flew to Peru last Oct with KLM and got great deals but KLM now are ££££. We’ve given up on this Christmas but key seems to be booking flights asap after they’re released atm!

unclebuck · 09/03/2023 13:58

I've been badly burned using Go to the gate - booked for a great price a month ago and they cancelled the flights on Monday. The flights are still for sale so be cautious

Fannyannee · 09/03/2023 14:12

We had exactly the same issue! Thailand is one of my fave fave places to holiday. You get so much for your money, and it actually feels like a holiday .

In the end, we gave up on the idea of Thailand. Decided if we were going to have to pay £1,200 each for flights, we'd go somewhere new. We are off to Fiji instead, which looks amazing... but hotels are a lot more basic!

Original poster
Sundaychiller · 10/03/2023 05:14

@Fannyannee who did you book that with?

OP posts:
Tangoes · 10/03/2023 05:22

Check on google flights.Sometime a multi destination flight can be cheaper - fly in Kuala Lumpur , BKk or Sin and fly out of Phuket or vice versa.

DibbleDooDah · 10/03/2023 07:38

We are flying Emirates to Phuket with a short Dubai stopover (goes direct from Dubai). It was cheaper than flying to Singapore by thousands (for a family of four). We used Trailfinders and they were able to find the cheapest route.

Original poster
Sundaychiller · 10/03/2023 11:14

@DibbleDooDah we are thinking of taking the plunge and booking the same route. Coming out ar £1360 each

OP posts:
Sandyd1035 · 10/03/2023 11:19

Hi we booked our flights to bkk and separate flight to Phuket worked out cheaper then direct to Phuket . Got some time in bkk which is a bonus.
worked out about £1150 each . We booked direct with emirates.

Tinytigertail · 10/03/2023 11:24

Same here, looking at Vietnam or Sumatra and the flights are so much more than they were last year. We will just have to be on a tighter budget out there I guess.

notimagain · 11/03/2023 11:04

evtheria · 09/03/2023 10:19

International flights are definitely up, we've paid more than we normally do for flights to Bangkok this year AND we have to fly from London (we're north England) as it's still 'less' than our airport.

One reason is the Autumn 2021 budget - anything defined by HMG as ultra long haul out of the UK attracts a higher rate of Air Port Passenger Duty (ADP), w.e.f from April this year.

"....a new band will be introduced for flights of more than 5,500 miles, regarded as “ultra-long-haul flights”. The rates will rise to £91 from April 2023 for economy seats, and £200 for other classes. Sunak added: “Less than 5 per cent of passengers will pay more, but those who fly furthest will pay the most.”

www.businesstraveller.com/business-travel/2021/10/27/chancellor-unveils-new-apd-rates-for-2023/

Good news for the likes of KLM/AF and the Gulf carriers...

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