Flights to Bangkok

        

       Nothing seems to be more challenging than to find a great carrier for your trip. It is a long trip and you want to be as comfortable as possible.

       My first trip was with the Peace Corps way back in the ‘60s. It was a great trip. We left Columbia, Missouri, on I think Ozark Airlines, and spent the night in San Francisco. The next day we boarded Pan American Around the World Flight #1 (or was it 101), bound for Tokyo. The thing I remember most on this part of the flight was the stop for refuel on Wake Island. It seemed so amazing to me that anyone could find that small island in the middle of the Pacific. Also, it was a little scary when the airplane started to descend and I couldn’t see any land below. When we reached Japan, we were given a 24 hour layover before continuing onto Bangkok.

        The stopover in Tokyo turned out to be a wonderful experience. It was my first time being in a foreign country. I don’t remember much about the airport, except for actually seeing Mt. Fujiyama. I do remember being in a first class hotel for my first time. The hotel was so beautiful and absolutely amazing. Just because it was available, I ordered room service for the first time in my life. I don’t remember the food, but, it was good and I am sure it was something I had never tried before (I was so daring back then). After a quick night’s sleep it was time for a little exploration of Tokyo. Three or four of us asked the concierge to get us a taxi. We wanted to see something in Tokyo besides foreigners. We were treated to what can only be described as a daring ride through Tokyo traffic and deposited someplace. When we disembarked from the taxi not one of us recognized where we were from any travel magazines or National Geographic we had ever seen. However, we did get our wish. We didn’t see any foreigners or anyone else that spoke English. We did see a beautiful temple, walked for hours in the sleet and cold and only had Coke Cola for nourishment. Thank heavens, the concierge had insisted on giving us a card from the hotel with the name of the hotel in Japanese. We were able to return safely and meet the rest of our group and continue on to our destination in Bangkok. The rest of the trip went smoothly except for some rough air pockets over the South China Sea. We arrived in Bangkok in the middle of the night.
That first flight taught me many things, not the least of which was that I always want to arrive at my destination in the daytime and not at the wee hours of the morning.

        My next trip to Bangkok was in 2000, when I returned for a Peace Corps reunion and my first trip back since I had left Thailand so many years before. Somehow the seats on most of the domestic carriers in the U.S. had gotten smaller and closer together and again I was scared to death of the long flight. I was afraid I would wind up permanently crippled, from the small seats before I arrived in Bangkok. To add to the problems, I was taking my three grown sons. They were/are not small men, and I wanted this to be a good experience for them and not an endurance test of their will power. I started checking the internet for any information I could find on airline carriers to Bangkok from the U.S., the seat size, the various classes, layovers, etc. I was amazed at what I found.

        First, and most important, is the fact that shopping for airline tickets for international flights is not like trying to find the cheapest or best tickets for a flight in the continental U.S. I continued my search and reading on the internet for about four months and then armed with the information I had received, enlisted a travel agent to get the seats I thought I wanted.
                1) After checking out the arrival time of the various airlines at Don Muang Airport in Bangkok, I decided I wanted a foreign carrier, as they were the only ones to arrive during daylight hours.
                2) I wanted the larger seats that were available on most carriers in business or first class.
                3) I didn’t want to pay for business or first class.
                4) I had discovered a fourth class that was between economy and business class that sounded good for me.

        Things have changed in the last few years. There is a new airport in Bangkok. (More on that later) Seats are still getting smaller, and prices are constantly on the rise. I still use the basic criteria I used in 2000 and have even used several different travel agents. But, each flight has been on Eva Airways. I have found their Evergreen Deluxe category fits my body type and wallet best. Flights are comfortable and on time, food is terrific and service is wonderful. There is plenty of room to get up and stretch during the flight without blocking the aisle. Everyone has their own TV monitor. There are many stewardesses available to assist to your every whim for the long flight. One extra benefit for me is that I can catch the flight in Newark and fly across the U.S. without being in a cramped economy seat to catch an international flight on the west coast.

        Because Eva, stops in Taiwan, I have learned that I like to make a layover in Taiwan before I go on to Bangkok. This has the advantage of starting to get my days and nights turned around sooner. Also, I am more refreshed when I get to Bangkok. Someday, I will probably take another carrier so I can have the layover in Tokyo, Manila, Seoul, or maybe even Kuala Lampur, but that is for someday. I just bought my tickets for the tours in November and I am once again on Eva Airways.