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Have you flown to Thailand recently? If so, you likely encountered a long trip, with a couple of stops thrown in and plenty of hours wasted. This is in large part due to the lack of direct flights from the U.S. to Thailand. While we here in the U.S. still don’t have a nonstop option to The Land of Smiles, our neighbors up north do.
Let’s take a look.
It’s been quite a few years since there have been direct flights to Thailand, thanks in part to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) repeatedly downgrading Thai Airways, Thailand’s national flag carrier, to a Category 2 safety rating.
This meant that the airline has been unable to establish new routes to the U.S., and no other airline has stepped up to the plate…until now.
Air Canada has just begun its first flights back to Bangkok, Thailand’s capital and most populous city.
This routing goes from Vancouver (YVR) to Bangkok (BKK) and is blocked for nearly 16 hours on the outbound and 13 hours on the return to YVR. This new route is expected to operate 4x per week, on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, and Sundays.
So far, pricing for this route seems decent. You can generally expect to pay about $800 roundtrip for an economy class flight from the West Coast to Thailand, though these routes include a layover. As it stands, Air Canada’s flight is pricing out at about $1,050 roundtrip.
In terms of award pricing, things are looking a little bleak. United’s calendar isn’t featuring these flights yet, nor is Avianca’s. Awards are available via Aeroplan, but they’re pretty expensive as you can see below.
Once everyone’s calendars have been updated, you can expect to see saver-level economy awards on United for 44,000 miles, while Avianca Lifemiles charges 47,000 miles. And if you’re really lucky, you may be able to snag a saver-level business class award via United for just 75,000 miles.
This route is intended to be seasonal so it is scheduled to run from December through April for the time being. Hopefully, it’ll return next year, depending on the success of the route and continued demand.
Hot Tip: Want to book these flights in business class? Have a look at our guide: Best Ways To Book Air Canada Business Class With Points [Step-by-Step]!
Air Canada’s newest route is great news for North American travelers, linking Thailand back to the continent for the first time in years. Although the flight is only seasonal, it still offers an excellent option for those looking to escape the winter months and visit Thailand from the West Coast. Flights are now bookable with cash and via Aeroplan points, but you’ll need to wait until calendars are updated if you’re looking to redeem with other Star Alliance partners.
