Advertiser Disclosure

Many of the credit card offers that appear on this site are from credit card companies from which we receive financial compensation. This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site (including, for example, the order in which they appear). However, the credit card information that we publish has been written and evaluated by experts who know these products inside out. We only recommend products we either use ourselves or endorse. This site does not include all credit card companies or all available credit card offers that are on the market. See our advertising policy here where we list advertisers that we work with, and how we make money. You can also review our credit card rating methodology.

Air Canada Begins Direct Flights to Thailand

Carissa Rawson's image
Carissa Rawson
Carissa Rawson's image

Carissa Rawson

Senior Content Contributor

304 Published Articles

Countries Visited: 51U.S. States Visited: 36

Carissa served in the U.S. Air Force where she developed her love for travel and new cultures. She started her own blog and eventually joined The Points Guy. Since then, she’s contributed to Business ...

We may be compensated when you click on product links, such as credit cards, from one or more of our advertising partners. Terms apply to the offers below. See our Advertising Policy for more about our partners, how we make money, and our rating methodology. Opinions and recommendations are ours alone.

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.

Air Canada’s New Thailand Flights

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.

YVR BKK cash rate
Image Credit: Google

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.

Aeroplan award ticket YVR BKK
Hopefully you didn’t want to fly business class. Image Credit: Air Canada

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]!

Final Thoughts

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.

Carissa Rawson's image

About Carissa Rawson

Carissa served in the U.S. Air Force where she developed her love for travel and new cultures. She started her own blog and eventually joined The Points Guy. Since then, she’s contributed to Business Insider, Forbes, and more.

INSIDERS ONLY: UP PULSE

Deluxe Travel Provided by UP Pulse

Get the latest travel tips, crucial news, flight & hotel deal alerts...

Plus — expert strategies to maximize your points & miles by joining our (free) newsletter.

We respect your privacy. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA. Google's privacy policy  and terms of service  apply.

Deluxe Travel Provided by UP Pulse
DMCA.com Protection Status