Deal Alert: Flights to Thailand From $426 Round-Trip
Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here.
Airfare deals are typically only available on limited dates. We recommend you use Google Flights to find dates to fly, then book through an online travel agency such as Orbitz or Expedia, which allows you to cancel flights without penalty by 11pm Eastern Time within one day of booking. However, if you’re using The Platinum Card® from American Express, you’ll need to book directly with the airline or through the Amex Travel portal to get 5x MR points. Remember: Fares may disappear quickly, so book right away and take advantage of Orbitz or Expedia’s courtesy cancellation if you’re unable to get the time away from work or family.
Flights on major Chinese carriers to Thailand are on sale. You can fly from Los Angeles (LAX), San Francisco (SFO), New York (JFK) and Houston (IAH) to Bangkok (BKK) from $426 round-trip. Bangkok is a great jumping off point for other Thai destinations like Chiang Mai and Phuket — flights on budget carriers can easily be found for under $40 round-trip.
China Southern and China Eastern are SkyTeam carriers and Air China is a part of Star Alliance — meaning these flights could be great mileage runs and rack up a whole lot of Delta MQMs or United PQMs.
If you’re looking to do some exploring, check out Get Your Guide for a list of the best activities in Bangkok — and make sure you avoid these common tourists mistakes in the city.
To search, head to Google Flights and enter your origin and destination cities. Scroll through the calendar function to find dates and prices that work for you. For some of the routes, you may have to click through and wait for Google to load the lower price.
Airlines: China Southern, China Eastern, Air China, Xiamen
Routes: LAX/SFO/JFK/IAH to BKK
Cost: $426+ round-trip in economy
Travel Dates: November 2018 — March 2019
Pay With: The Platinum Card® from American Express (5x on airfare booked directly with the airline), Citi Premier® Card, Chase Sapphire Reserve, American Express® Gold Card, Citi Prestige (5x on airfare plus excellent trip delay insurance) or Chase Sapphire Preferred Card (2x on travel)
Booking Link: Priceline, Orbitz, Expedia or directly with the airline
Here are a few examples of what you can book:
San Francisco (SFO) to Bangkok (BKK) for $426 round-trip on China Eastern via Expedia:
Los Angeles (LAX) to Bangkok (BKK) for $440 round-trip on Air China via Expedia:
Los Angeles (LAX) to Bangkok (BKK) for $462 round-trip on China Eastern via Expedia:
New York (JFK) to Bangkok (BKK) for $474 round-trip on China Eastern via Expedia:
Houston (IAH) to Bangkok (BKK) for $550 round-trip on Air China via Expedia:
Maximize Your Purchase
Don’t forget to use a credit card that earns additional points on airfare purchases, such as The Platinum Card® from American Express (5x on flights booked directly with airlines or American Express Travel), Chase Sapphire Reserve, American Express® Gold Card, Citi Premier, Citi Prestige (5x on airfare) or the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card (2x on all travel purchases). Check out this post for more on maximizing airfare purchases.
