Thailand flight deal: Bangkok, Phuket and Chiang Mai from $442 round trip

Jan. 17, 2020

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4 min read

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If you've been thinking about Thailand, now's the time to check the Southeast Asia destination off of your bucket list. These sale fares to Bangkok, Phuket and Chiang Mai could save you $1,000 or more off of typical round-trip prices.

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Here's what you need to know about visiting Thailand

If you're headed to Thailand, TPG's experts have you covered. Thailand has some of the world's cheapest luxury hotels, especially when booked on points. Our guides also tell you how to avoid the typical Thailand tourist scams, and 11 common mistakes travelers make in Bangkok and beyond.

How to book your Thailand flights

The best rates for this flight deal appear to be on Chinese airlines via third-party travel agencies (OTAs). Some of these fares may book into basic economy, which means different things to different airlines, but often means you may not have free use of the overhead bins for a carry-on bag. You probably also won't be able to select your seat, get an upgrade, or earn PQM/PQS/PQDs. However, it’s possible to defeat many of basic economy’s negative aspects by having elite status or a cobranded credit card.

To find a deal, 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. Finally, click through to book directly with the airline or an OTA like Orbitz or Expedia.

Airlines: China Southern, China Eastern, Xiamen Air
Routes: JFK/LAX/SFO and more to BKK/CNX/HKT
Cost: from $442 round trip in economy
Dates: February — April 2020
Pay With: The Platinum Card® from American Express (5x on airfare booked directly with the airline), Citi Prestige® Card (5x on airfare), Citi Premier® Card, Chase Sapphire Reserve (3x on airfare), American Express® Gold Card (3x on airfare when booked directly with the airline) or Chase Sapphire Preferred Card (2x on travel)

The information for the Citi Prestige Card has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.

Here are some examples of specific flights that are available:

San Francisco (SFO) to Bangkok (BKK) for $442 round-trip on China Eastern via Expedia:

Los Angeles (LAX) to Bangkok (BKK) for $443 round-trip on Xiamen Air via Vayama:

New York (JFK) to Chiang Mai (CNX) for $458 round-trip on China Southern via Gotogate:

New York (JFK) to Phuket (HKT) for $484 round-trip on China Southern via Vayama:

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® Card, Citi Prestige Card (5x on airfare) or the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card (2x on all travel purchases). Check out this guide for more on maximizing airfare purchases.

Featured image by Getty Images/iStockphoto

Editorial disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airline or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.