flying from uk, a query

[cotambear]

last year i flew manc-kluampur-phuket with malaysia. i checked my bags in at manc, and picked them up at phuket, I like this, I dont like lugging suitcases around with me.

this year I might fly say manc -refuel somewhere- bangkok, then pick up tickets from say air asia for the phuket leg.

my query is, is there any way I can get my luggage all the way to phuket, or will I have to collect it and then check it in again at bangkok?

many thanks in advance.

[dawsey]

Originally Posted by cotambear

last year i flew manc-kluampur-phuket with malaysia. i checked my bags in at manc, and picked them up at phuket, I like this, I dont like lugging suitcases around with me.

this year I might fly say manc -refuel somewhere- bangkok, then pick up tickets from say air asia for the phuket leg.

my query is, is there any way I can get my luggage all the way to phuket, or will I have to collect it and then check it in again at bangkok?

many thanks in advance.

Highly unlikely unless you use BKK Airways from Bangkok to Phuket. It seems they have some sort of alliance with most of the airlines to transfer baggage through to Phuket. Etihad and Bangkok did this for me this year,but last year Etihad could only check my bags through to BKK as I was using Thai Air to go on to Phuket. Thai Air don't have this alliance.

Have a look at the Etihad timetable,they fly from Manchester stop in Abu Dhabi and you go from there onto Bangkok. A good airline and very competetive pricing. I paid £461 from Gatwick to Phuket return.

http://www.etihadairways.com/Present...E-D66299BA19C4

BTW Forgot to mention,if you use Thai Airways all the way through to Phuket then your bags will be transferred through as well. Obviously though this does not alow for a stop off, or you using Airasia.

[bayleaf]

Originally Posted by cotambear

last year i flew manc-kluampur-phuket with malaysia. i checked my bags in at manc, and picked them up at phuket, I like this, I dont like lugging suitcases around with me.

this year I might fly say manc -refuel somewhere- bangkok, then pick up tickets from say air asia for the phuket leg.

my query is, is there any way I can get my luggage all the way to phuket, or will I have to collect it and then check it in again at bangkok?

many thanks in advance.

If you fly using one carrier, e.g. Thai Airways then you can check your bag straight through as I did. If you change carrier, e.g. Air asia then you would have to collect your bag at Bkk and check in for Airasia flight.
N.B. If you fly Airasia as I did Phuket to Bkk, Bkk to Chang Mai, even though it's the same carrier you have to collect and check your bag in again at Bkk because that's how Airasia works for their budget operation. With Thai you could check through but would cost more. Cost me £50 Phuket to Chang Mai with Airasia (with Thai about £90 but free bread roll and cup of tea).

[stevem]

The rule is, if you are connecting to *ANY* LCC (Low Cost Carrier) ANYWHERE in the world, you will have to clear immigration and customs, and then recheckin for your next LCC flight. No LCC's have interline agrrements with other carriers, that is one of the ways they manage to keep their fares so low.