Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Dan_84]

All right, I know that the middle-to-end of January is peak season, and cheap flights (hell, even reasonably priced flights) are difficult to come by. But I'm getting sticker shock researching flights from Incheon to Phnom Penh (and even more so with multi-city flights, where I come back to Incheon from Siem Reap).

I've found 11-hour stopover marathons for under $700 on expedia, but most direct (or almost direct) round-trip flights to Cambodia are looking to cost me somewhere between $900-$1000. I've looked through expedia, kayak, and directly through various airlines.

I seem to remember people saying that cheap flights to southeast Asia are a thing of the past, but this is looking ridiculous! I know that once you're in Cambodia, you can lodge, eat, sightsee, and get around cheaply. But that flight is really going to put a dent in my budget...

Any tips? Should I bite the bullet and book now (before most flights sell out), or should I wait and see if they introduce more reasonably-priced flights? Any airlines I should check out?

And finally, are the fares I've found what other January travelers to Cambodia are looking to pay (or have already paid)?

[zhanknight]

We just got two for about 550k won a piece: ICN to PNH with China Southern. That was last week of December though.

[BoholDiver]

I checked gmarket and saw 500k plus tax as the cheapest. I guess 650-700 after tax.

Did you check flights to Siem Reap as well? Or into Vietnam or a nearby city and traveling over land to get there?

[ttompatz]

[Dan_84]

Wow, thanks for the fast, helpful replies, everyone!

Unfortunately, flights to all SE Asian cities near-ish to Cambodia seem to be expensive. Vietnam is even more expensive than Cambodia (and I'd like to avoid all their visa shenanigans), and Bangkok is also looking expensive. Air Asia has some decently priced flights between Bangkok and Phnom Penh (but not Siem Reap...), but the difference in cost is negligible, after combining everything. Though of course it would be nice to spend 2-3 nights in Bangkok before entering Cambodia...

Jin Air, which I used to fly to Bangkok last year, is not as cheap as it used to be (now that they're more established), and most of their flights on desirable days are already sold out.

Just to clarify: my "3-legged route" would involve taking a bus or boat between Phnom Penh and Siem Reap. So, only two flights would be involved. But, Korean Air (the only airline offering direct flights at my desired time) wants me to pay through the nose for it. I'm currently looking at a 5-hour layover codeshare flight between Shanghai Airlines and China Eastern Air. It only goes to Phnom Penh, but domestic travel in Cambodia, as per my understanding, is cheap, if not always comfortable.

[Hope]

I've just looked at Cathay Pacific's site and found mid-January flights for
640,000won including taxes.

[passport220]

You can use AirAsia and put together flights to get you Seoul to PP, round trip with a stop in Kuala Lumpur for around $550 - $600.

However, the outbound flight leaves Seoul at 11pm and arrives in PP around 8am, the next morning.
You can also fly cheap Kuala Lumpur to Siem Reap , but the stop over time would be cutting it close to make the connection.

The flight times PP to Seoul are fine. Leave PP around 8am.

You mentioned you would not mind spending a few days in Bangkok. Why not spend a few days in Kuala Lumpur instead? I think KL is a cool city , easy on the budget and you could work a flight direct to Siem Reap from there. Total airfare for the trip out would be closer to $500 if you have flexibility to pick your dates.

[Dan_84]

That's a great idea! I hadn't thought of that... Yeah, Kuala Lumpur sounds neat, and spending 2-3 days there would be cool.

I just went through the website, found three sets of flights (round trip ICN<-->KL, KL--> PP, SR-->KL), did the conversions (each fare is shown in the currency of the departing country!), found the hidden fees (small, but there: luggage, food, credit card charge...) and added things up. It's what you said: about $560.

One problem: the connection time between the SR-->KL and KL-->ICN is just over two hours. I understand that you aren't guaranteed a direct transfer with Air Asia, so that means going through Immigration, getting your bag, and checking in again. I suppose it's still possible to make the connection, but the website also says that if you miss your flight-- even if it's because of a delay by Air Asia-- you aren't given a refund, credit, or put on another flight. You simply have to buy a ticket on the next available flight. That's scary! I know that it's a budget airline, but still...

I suppose I could solve this by simply booking the KL-->ICN flight a day earlier, but that would shorten my time in Cambodia, which is my original vacation destination. Any opinions? Thanks so much for your advice so far!

P.S. I checked out Cathay Pacific, and indeed found some cheap(er) flights. But... they're all long layover flights! I'd have to stay overnight...

[zhanknight]

Go to the AirAsia desk and tell them to transfer your bags to your next flight. Then, when you land, go to the AirAsia desk there and tell them about it again. They've done this for me on a few occasions without any trouble! Makes it MUCH easier.

The alternative is to just not check any baggage. If you are doing just carry on, then you don't have to go through immigration when you land - just head to the 'transfer' area with everyone else.

[passport220]

I have flown with AirAsia many times and found them to be reliable, I can tell you the KL LCC terminal is small and I get through it quickly, especially at that early hour in the morning. I think you would make that connection most of the time, even if there was a slight delay. However, no one could say for sure.

As tickets KL to Siem Reap are so cheap if you buy in advance, you could buy two. One for the day you arrive from Korea and one for the next day and just write off the one you don't use, or just buy the one for a day or two later and enjoy KL. If you decide to stay in KL, keep in mind the airport is around an hour from the city center. There are cheap shuttle buses, but you will have go wake up in the wee hours of the morning to make the Siem Reap flight.

[Dan_84]

Well thank you so much for your ideas and advice, everyone! I think I have a couple of very clear options ahead of me...

I think I'm going to start a new thread asking people to share their experiences on Air Asia (I couldn't find any thread on it). I did a Google search for reviews this afternoon, and found what I expected: most reviews are negative, since people with negative experiences are more likely to post online reviews. I just have to work to sift the reviews that complain about "the lack of free juice" with "the flight was 5 hours late, they lost my bags, and nobody helped me." It is a concern for me that they could cause me both to lose time and pay the equivalent of the direct Korean Air flight!

[zhanknight]

[passport220]

Oh yeah. AirAsia is a no-frills, low cost carrier for sure. Don't expect free extra services like meals and drinks. Think bus with wings. They are strict about keeping to baggage weight limits, if you are over, expect to pay an extra fee (however, the over weight fee is lower than the big carriers).

On the upside, they are a newish airline and rapidly expanding. Their whole fleet is near new to brand spanking new. They are commonly awarded the title of Asia's best low cost carrier by legitimate sources. I have also flown with them 12 to 15 times and never had an issue with their service.

[enchoo]

excellent packages and tickets...