Example 1:
You booked the very beautiful hotel in Samui from 23.08.23 – 28.08.2023 and if you also booked your return flight from Bangkok to your home at 8:00 am.
Then your vacation can be no more max. beautiful. The reason is the very first flight from Samui to Bangkok is 07:00 hrs.
Let’s examine, you fly from Samui at 07:00. The flight takes 50 minutes.
You will arrive in Bangkok at 07:50 hrs. Getting off the airplane and running through the huge BKK airport into the connecting flight in 10 minutes is impossible.
What happens then?
You will miss the connecting expensive flight.
What to do next if you miss the connecting flight?
Normally, the flight can be rebooked or postponed BEFORE the original flight takes off.
That means impossible to change a flight after you miss that flight. So, let’s try your luck to book the flight.
Why do I say that you need luck? Normally in the high seasons, all flights will be fully booked.
Maybe you have to extend your holiday staying in Bangkok for 2 – 4 days or even more if it happens in the crazy high season.
Example 2:
If you already booked both flights (Samui-Bangkok and connecting flight Bangkok to your home) and are aware later that these are not timely matches.
You react to it before the vacation starts.
The sooner you change the flight, the cheaper you will pay for flight rebooking.
If you make it too late like nearly the vacation starts or already started the flight rebooking fee can be so expensive that you cannot accept it.
What to do if you react too late and the flight rebooking fee can be so expensive that you cannot accept it?
Let’s compare what going to be cheaper between:
Choice 1.
- Rebooking fee for flight: from Bangkok to your home
Choice 2.
- Book a hotel for 1-night stopover in Bangkok on 27.08.2023
- Change flight: Samui – Bangkok to 27.08.2023 (from originally on 28.08.2023).Normally the flight from Samui to Bangkok is changeable if not the last-minute change. Or if it is already slightly too late, then just a very small fee.
- Try to cancel the last night’s hotel in Samui on 27.08.2023. This depends on the individual hotel, some hotels are easy to deal with, and some are not. Let’s examine the unfortunate scenario, the hotel does not refund the night on 27.08.2023 to know how much you are going to pay for this choice
Let’s take an example of this
Example 2.2 (Be careful this example indicates not the exact amount, just used according to data on what has commonly happened)
You booked the hotel in Samui for 23.08.2023 – 28.08.2023 without realizing your return flight: Samui-Bangkok
and your connecting flight (08:00 hrs.) in Bangkok did not timely match until you arrived in Samui. Then, someone in Samui like your customer service representative told you that.
Now you have choices 1 and 2 as mentioned above.
Choice 1
- The airline will charge the Rebooking of Flight: Bangkok – Home for 456 USD p.p. So, let’s try choice 2.
Choice 2
- Booking a hotel for a 1-night stopover in Bangkok on 27.08.2023 costs 60 USD per room and a round trip costs 30 USD. The sum will be 90 USD
- Fee to change flight: Samui – Bangkok from originally on 28.08.2023 to 27.08.2023 cost 25 USD
- The 4-star hotel in Samui does not refund the night on 27.08.202, so it cost 260 USD
- The sum will be 90 + 25 +224 = 419 USD
Both choices seem to be no Difference. But if you travel as a pair? Now there is a big difference.
Choice 1
- The airline will charge the Rebooking of Flight: Bangkok – Home for 456 USD for you and another 456 USD for your partner. The sum of 912 USD. So, let’s try choice 2.
Choice 2
- Booking a hotel for 1 1-night stopover in Bangkok on 27.08.2023 costs 60 USD per room (2 pax remains the same price) and round trip-taxi costs 30 USD (2 pax. remains the same price). The sum will be 90 USD
- Fee to change flight: Samui – Bangkok from originally on 28.08.2023 to 27.08.2023 cost 25 USD for you and another 25 USD for your partner. The sum is 50 USD
- The 4-star hotel in Samui does not refund the night on 27.08.202, so it cost 260 USD (2 pax. remains the same)
- The sum will be 90 + 50 +224 = 459 USD
Yes, Me too, I would Choose Choice 2!
Many other guests who faced this issue chose choice 2 too.