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Korean Job Discussion Forums
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nene
Joined: 11 Jun 2005
Location: Samcheok, Gangwon-do
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 Posted: Mon Dec 29, 2008 3:06 pm Post subject: Cheap Tickets to Anywhere Right Now? |
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We want to go to Thailand, and were betting the prices would come down as vacation time approached (2.5 weeks out now), but they're not.
Has anyone seen cheap tickets to anywhere warm/not Korea lately?
Thanks! |
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Jeff's Cigarettes
Joined: 27 Mar 2007
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| Posted: Mon Dec 29, 2008 3:55 pm Post subject: |
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| Gotta wait until after the New Year...Jan 2 or 3 and check prices then. It's rumored that Thaiair is supposed to cut pretty deeply in an attempt to boost a slagging tourism industry. I bought mine already just to be safe w/ my itinerary and because I got a decent deal. But, I could regret doing so. We'll just have to wait and see. |
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Ilsanman
Joined: 15 Aug 2003
Location: Bucheon, Korea
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| Posted: Mon Dec 29, 2008 5:36 pm Post subject: |
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| You'd think the tickets would be cheap there considering the protests recently. |
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bangbayed
Joined: 01 Dec 2005
Location: Seoul
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sojourner1
Joined: 17 Apr 2007
Location: Where meggi swim and 2 wheeled tractors go sput put chug alugg pug pug
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| Posted: Mon Dec 29, 2008 7:47 pm Post subject: |
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| Ilsanman wrote: |
| You'd think the tickets would be cheap there considering the protests recently. |
I too thought so, but the quotes are still high as I mentioned in my thread about this yesterday. Why we find travel to be about 30% to 50% more this time around is the won lost 30% since August and the airlines in Asia are saddled with unprofitable fuel futures contracts on account of expecting oil to continue rocketing in price when it dropped like a hot rock in response to a quickly spiraling downward world economy. If you notice oil dropped during the same time the won did indicates the Korean economy and currency is responding to the world economy, particularly the US economy, it's primary export customer.
What's up with a roughly 30% to 35% tax on international airfares originating in Korea? You can get reasonable prices such as 500,000 won to Bangkok, but they tack on 290,000 in tax!!! WTF?????? What other countries charge that much to use an airport? Aren't airports public works projects financed by the local economy it benefits such as the Incheon Free Economic Zone???
Bangkok has a comparable new airport of a somewhat similar design, but they don't charge everyone $200 to $300 per use. That's just unreasonable. If they want to charge Koreans that much in tax to finance the new airport, fine, but to charge foreigners that much is just not compatible with the current world economy standard that international travelers expect. Of course, most business travelers don't buy air tickets in Korea and originate in another country, unlike us who are originating from Korea due to staying a whole year to teach. It's not we're in the $50,000 to $150,000 a year club like business travelers who also get the best bargain deals.
Few would travel around the world if airport use tax was this expensive for each individual everywhere. Air travel would be a rare site. For that much Incheon airport use tax, I ought to be able to get a bed, or at least a cot, and relax in super 4* hotel quality comfort when waiting all night in Incheon for an early flight or waiting for a morning bus upon arriving at 1AM to find everything is shut down as Incheon tends to get its' international departures and arrivals at odd hours. Bangkok does to, but they don't shut and do have services to accommodate the 2AM arrivals without charging too much extra. |
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nene
Joined: 11 Jun 2005
Location: Samcheok, Gangwon-do
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| Posted: Tue Dec 30, 2008 12:17 am Post subject: |
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As luck would have it, Amy at Shoestring Travel contacted me out of the blue this afternoon with 580,000won including tax to Bangkok. When I talked to her, she said taxes were going down in the new year, so she'd wait until Friday to book and would be able to refund a bit of our money.
Between that and Jeff's post, looks like things will look better in a couple days. I'll probably take this just to be sure, but I wonder if I'll be kicking myself too. Anyway, if you want to lock it in, here's Amy's contact info...
02-333-4151
emlee(at)shoestring.co.kr |
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D.D.
Joined: 29 May 2008
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| Posted: Tue Dec 30, 2008 1:13 am Post subject: |
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| Flights out of korea are empty and so are the hotels here in Cebu. |
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sojourner1
Joined: 17 Apr 2007
Location: Where meggi swim and 2 wheeled tractors go sput put chug alugg pug pug
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| Posted: Tue Dec 30, 2008 1:35 am Post subject: |
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| D.D. wrote: |
| Flights out of korea are empty and so are the hotels here in Cebu. |
Really? Then prices should begin to reflect that fact starting Friday of this week or else they'll continue to fly at a loss. Korea is just too proud so it acts stingy when it comes to customer service and sales. Demand for everything is decreasing like crazy all around the world so the Koreans will have to retract their high prices a few notches.
That's really nice of Amy at Shoestring. I'm contacting her again for a quote. Sounds like a good travel agent, but she quoted me 850,000 to Bangkok a month ago for travel during January and February. Will try again. |
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Jeff's Cigarettes
Joined: 27 Mar 2007
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| Posted: Tue Dec 30, 2008 2:08 pm Post subject: |
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| I had a reservation w/ Amy as well. But, her best price was 740,000. I got the same ticket w/ onlinetour for 550,000. But, as far as agents goo in this country Amy's up there w/ the best. |
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Ilsanman
Joined: 15 Aug 2003
Location: Bucheon, Korea
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| Posted: Tue Dec 30, 2008 4:32 pm Post subject: |
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| Sounds like the opposite of good. |
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sojourner1
Joined: 17 Apr 2007
Location: Where meggi swim and 2 wheeled tractors go sput put chug alugg pug pug
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| Posted: Tue Dec 30, 2008 7:06 pm Post subject: |
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| nene wrote: |
As luck would have it, Amy at Shoestring Travel contacted me out of the blue this afternoon with 580,000won including tax to Bangkok. When I talked to her, she said taxes were going down in the new year, so she'd wait until Friday to book and would be able to refund a bit of our money.
Between that and Jeff's post, looks like things will look better in a couple days. I'll probably take this just to be sure, but I wonder if I'll be kicking myself too. Anyway, if you want to lock it in, here's Amy's contact info...
02-333-4151
emlee(at)shoestring.co.kr |
Yepper. I got this today too, but she said to wait a few days since it will be 80,000 won cheaper. Yippeee! Talk about the good deals finally coming that I've been expecting to see for the past month. So here the cheap tickets come.  |
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VanIslander
Joined: 18 Aug 2003
Location: Geoje, Hadong, Tongyeong,... now in a small coastal island town outside Gyeongsangnamdo!
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| Posted: Tue Dec 30, 2008 7:21 pm Post subject: |
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Guam holiday update:
I knew tourism was down 10% in Guam this year due to industrywide reduction in Japanese tourists but I didn't realize how stubborn big hotels on the strip at Tumon Bay would be: prices as inflated as ever ($150-350) even though every place I checked had rooms available during this supposedly high holiday season.
I found plenty of midrange, 1 km away places (Days Inn, Harmon Loop Hotel) in the $50-70 a night range. Easy to get them to barter on multinight stays.
I'm paying $56 a night for a nice, clean hotel close to King's restaurant, a couple of blocks from Micronesia mall, a short bus ride away from beaches.
I dunno how flight prices to Guam are these days as I bought my ticket last summer while back in Canada, paying high fuel tax, all together close to one mill. Since the planes aren't full, prices might come down.
Perfect weather everyday. 27-32 C and a constant wind. Not too hot or humid, air is clean as can be, water gorgeous. Great for fun at the beach. |
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nene
Joined: 11 Jun 2005
Location: Samcheok, Gangwon-do
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| Posted: Tue Dec 30, 2008 10:36 pm Post subject: |
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| sojourner1 wrote: |
| nene wrote: |
As luck would have it, Amy at Shoestring Travel contacted me out of the blue this afternoon with 580,000won including tax to Bangkok. When I talked to her, she said taxes were going down in the new year, so she'd wait until Friday to book and would be able to refund a bit of our money.
Between that and Jeff's post, looks like things will look better in a couple days. I'll probably take this just to be sure, but I wonder if I'll be kicking myself too. Anyway, if you want to lock it in, here's Amy's contact info...
02-333-4151
emlee(at)shoestring.co.kr |
Yepper. I got this today too, but she said to wait a few days since it will be 80,000 won cheaper. Yippeee! Talk about the good deals finally coming that I've been expecting to see for the past month. So here the cheap tickets come. |
I agree... been expecting these prices for a long time. And it looks like the won won't even be that weak. 
I hope that 80k is what she was talking about when she said that we'd probably get a little back because taxes are going down in the new year! |
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Ilsanman
Joined: 15 Aug 2003
Location: Bucheon, Korea
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| Posted: Tue Dec 30, 2008 11:50 pm Post subject: |
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| We saw some resort packages for Cebu from 550-600 per person. We may do that and then take a day or two somewhere else in Philippines. |
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Geckoman
Joined: 07 Jun 2007
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| Posted: Fri Jan 02, 2009 2:13 am Post subject: |
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| VanIslander wrote: |
Guam holiday update:
I knew tourism was down 10% in Guam this year due to industrywide reduction in Japanese tourists but I didn't realize how stubborn big hotels on the strip at Tumon Bay would be: prices as inflated as ever ($150-350) even though every place I checked had rooms available during this supposedly high holiday season.
I found plenty of midrange, 1 km away places (Days Inn, Harmon Loop Hotel) in the $50-70 a night range. Easy to get them to barter on multinight stays.
I'm paying $56 a night for a nice, clean hotel close to King's restaurant, a couple of blocks from Micronesia mall, a short bus ride away from beaches.
I dunno how flight prices to Guam are these days as I bought my ticket last summer while back in Canada, paying high fuel tax, all together close to one mill. Since the planes aren't full, prices might come down.
Perfect weather everyday. 27-32 C and a constant wind. Not too hot or humid, air is clean as can be, water gorgeous. Great for fun at the beach. |
Wow! I've been to Guam many times.
Even done a couple visa runs to Guam that my employers paid for.
Guam is a great place to visit. I highly recommend it.
Regarding places to stay, one bit of advice: Avoid the Guam Reef Hotel.
I know from personal experience. When I checked out I looked at the bill and they had charged me for X amount of stuff that I did not order/have. So I explained to them in a very polite way that there must be some mistake and that I did not order/have those things. But they still refused to take away those extra charges. I refused to pay and we got into a big arguement. After a while, since I simply wouldn't pay for those extra charges, there was nothing they could do about it and so they said there must of been some misunderstanding and I must not of realized that those things were not free but they were going to make those things on the house as a special service to only me, and how everyone else who ordered/had those things have to pay for them. Total bull. So they refused to admit that I was right to the bitter end.
Damn cheaters! But at least I didn't get ripped off and caught them and so didn't lose any money.
They may be able to pull that crap with rich Asian tourists who don't know English and who don't examine the bill in detail, but not with me.
Good advice for traveling or when paying for anything: Always examine your bill.
Guam Reef Hotel is a bad place to stay!
They scam their guests into paying for things they did not order/have.
Do not stay at the Guam Reef Hotel!
Other than that episode at the Guam Reef Hotel, everything else about that trip was great.
Have a good trip!
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