Discount Travel Tips? Anyone

[pokerprop]

When shopping for flights to LAX from BDL I learned to also check flights to LAS. LAS to LAX is a one hour flight and there are dozens of cheap options ($45 - $75). It's rare there are sales: BDL to LAX but often there are sales BDL to LAS and there are no direct flights anyways so it makes sense to check about booking separate flights.

This is the only tip I know of right now.

I'm wondering if anyone knows similar about flying to Asia. For example to Fly US to Thailand there are only a small handful of options and when price is high I don't even really know where to look. Wondering if maybe there are certain places it is cheaper to fly to first. It's a long flight for me anyways so a stop over, stay in hotel somewhere might be worth it. I'm not talking about saving couple hundred either. For example my preferred travel dates for around Christmas are going to cost me $1700 - $1800 if I want to fly dates of choice (Goal is to be Massachusetts and Vegas on Christmas, but then be back in Udon Thani b4 new years eve which requires stopping in bangkok first. 2+ day change on most flight options due to 14 hour time difference and getting through customs then to seperate flight once land BKK. With it being a long trip I prefer to get back in time to rest). If I wait till Early January I can make it back home with a ticket to come back in 6 months for $850 (So $850 to $950 more for preferred dates), and figure must be some options to do it cheaper, just don't know them yet and there are way to many options and airlines to go trying. Guess will learn eventually.

Anyways point of thread to share any and all discount travel trips, be it air or other tips. Discuss.

[thefarang]

To be honest, you're going to be pretty hosed. Normal LAX / BKK fare is going to run $1000 RT. You're flying peak travel season. So realistically what are you trying to get the down to? $1400? You could do a layover in Tokyo, Singapore, Hong Kong, South Korea, Taiwan, or such but by the time you factor in taxi, hotel, etc. you're adding anywhere from 17 -30 hours onto your travel to save $200 or so. If you fly into Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, or mainland China you'll need a visa which is an additional expense.

Your best bet is to go to thaivisa.com and cruise the travel forums for any special deals being offered or repost your question there and maybe someone has a super special route they fly.

Personally, I would bite the bullet and take the THAI non-stop from LAX. Pop a sleeping pill as you taxi down the runway and wake up to a wonderfully polite hostess telling you to put your seat back up because the plane is preparing to land.

[thefarang]

Oh, I would also add a note on THAI; their fares are almost always cheaper on their website. I've seen savings of up to $400 between Expedia and their website.

And recommended airlines other than THAI are EVA, Singapore Air, and Emirates (if flying from Europe).