Gulf Airlines (page 2 of 3)

Yeah, it’s true—those low prices we’d gotten used to, weren’t they just a magical interlude when you compare them to the years when you had to fork out 10,000 francs to travel to the other side of the world? The fierce competition in the airline industry, especially with the rise of Gulf carriers over the past few decades, has definitely worked in our favor as travelers. Digging through my emails, I found flights with Etihad for 430 € 😮, and even a direct round-trip with AF in that price range (though no checked baggage—can’t push it too far 😎)!! But it’s also true that no matter how much fares increase, planes are still packed to the brim (fewer flights? Other airlines that didn’t survive the COVID years?...). Anyway, I’ve included a little link in English that explains some of this: https://www.agbi.com/analysis/aviation/2024/11/gulf-air-traffic-rebounds-but-fares-still-high/

PS: Sure, you can still find "cheap fares" around 500 €, but at what cost (no pun intended 😏)… enduring endless layovers or flying all the way to China with those airlines we know 🤪 just to get back to BKK (no thanks 😏)

For Patrick, to be more precise—and without wanting to "split hairs"—just to ensure things are accurate, especially on VF, where we like things to have a touch of perfectionism: the airlines are Gulf Air, Etihad Airways—Etihad means "union"—and Kuwait Airways. Gulf-based airlines. 🙂

Michel

Given there are reputable golf courses in Thailand, you can take a Gulf airline to play golf. And upon arrival, they greet you with: welcome to the club [;]

Given that there are famous golf courses in Thailand, you can take a Gulf airline to play golf. And upon arrival, they tell you: welcome to the club 😉

...and let's not forget for aviation-loving golfers that amazing course between the two runways at Don Muang Airport!!!

I've always thought that when I take up golf, I'd start there...

Personally, I’m going to try Air India for the first time for Bangkok in January. Booked exactly one month before my departure date. Yep, no earlier. Exceptional price for the time, 586.99 €, with 5 hours of layover on the way there and 3 hours on the way back. Both are overnight flights. We’ll see how it goes! I was used to Gulf airlines, like Etihad (which has become way too expensive) and Oman Air (which has significantly increased prices this fall, and on top of that, the outbound flight had a 15-hour layover in Muscat when arriving at 7 AM local time—that’s around 3 AM for me! Not ideal). As for Oman Air’s return flight, a daytime flight taking off at 9:15 AM, I’ve taken it twice—it’s absolutely exhausting. I took Royal Jordanian once a few years ago, but with the conflict in the region, I didn’t dare choose it again. I found Gulf Air flights (which I never take) for over 800 €—can you imagine! Before COVID, my flights were around 500 € even in high season.

Hi there,

Air India has some great fares right now. For April, I found a price at 597 € with a 1h50 layover on the way out and 1h45 on the way back. Flights are on a 787 and an A320 for the shorter leg—why pay more when the destination’s the same? 😉

Hi,

If prices are skyrocketing, it’s mostly because there are fewer flights and less staff since COVID.

Also, if Gulf airlines’ fares don’t show up as much on flight comparison sites, it’s because their prices are higher. If you check their websites, though, you’ll still see quite a few flights.

Personally, I’m flying with Oman Air in January at a very reasonable price.

It’s true that Air India has interesting fares and has improved a lot!

Hi there

Price is an important factor, but in my opinion, it’s not the only one. I also consider baggage allowance, layover duration, departure and arrival times, the airline’s reputation, the type of plane...

Hi there, exactly—I go for this kind of plan with the same aircraft models. But I allow more time for the layover in New Delhi. Watch out, because Luan mentioned that the security check during transit was especially long. 1h50 / 1h45 is tight, I think.

They have several flights to BKK per day. Since it's a single ticket, they'll put you on the next flight.

Hi Joce,

The main issue was on the return flight, New Delhi to Paris, where I only had 1h15 for my transfer, but I made it through with a bit of stress.

Hi there,

Now this airline offers 2 flights per day from Delhi to Paris or vice versa. 😉

It was mainly on the return flight, New Delhi to Paris, where I only had 1h15 for my transfer, that it was a problem—but I made it through with a bit of stress.

No need to stress: if your luggage was checked through from the start, the connecting flight won’t leave without you because, for anti-terrorism security, they can’t transport luggage unless its owner is on the plane. Otherwise, they’d have to remove your bag from the hold, which takes so much time that in most cases, they’d rather delay the flight a little until you board. It happens often. That’s why, when the scheduled connection time is tight or the first flight arrives late, they send staff to meet the affected passengers at the plane exit to take them by cart to speed up their transfer—a common practice in big airports with endless corridors.

No, it's not automatic. If the first flight is too delayed, the next flight will leave without you. Your luggage will be unloaded from the first flight and put on standby to decide whether it will be reloaded onto another flight or retrieved so you can take it to the hotel. This is decided at the transit counter with the passenger.

No, it's not automatic—if the first flight is too delayed, the connecting flight will leave without you

I didn’t say it was automatic. Obviously, if the first flight is too delayed, the connecting flight won’t wait for you and will offload your baggage. That’s exactly why I took care to specify "they’ll prefer to delay the flight’s departure a little" and "when the first flight arrives with a little delay"...

Ok! 😉

Good evening,

I didn’t say it was automatic—obviously, if the first flight is too delayed, the connecting flight won’t wait for you and your baggage will be offloaded. That’s exactly why I took care to specify "they’ll prefer to delay the departure of the flight a little" and "when the first flight arrives with a slight delay."

...

Of course, a well-run airline tries to keep passengers happy and avoid excessive costs from re-routings and accommodations. Besides, the scheduled time is always shorter than what’s actually needed to reach the destination under normal conditions—that’s why so many delayed flights still arrive on time. On the other hand, there’s no issue with baggage—it’s been inspected, and the passenger didn’t choose the delay, so no problem.

Michel

When a connection time is tight or when the first flight arrives a bit late, they send staff to meet the affected passengers at the plane exit to take them by cart to speed up their transfer—a common practice in large airports with endless corridors.

Yeah, right! Oman Air flight to Paris last February—the flight was supposed to leave Suvarnabhumi at 9:15 AM, but we didn’t take off until 10:30 AM. I was supposed to have 2 hours and 20 minutes for my layover in Oman, but I ended up with just 30 minutes to reach the departure gate. The flight attendant, who I asked about the shortened layover, told me not to worry, that 90% of the passengers on this flight were connecting in Oman, and that the airport was aware and someone would be there to meet us as soon as we got off the plane. Nope! It was just me and a French couple (where did the other connecting passengers go?) running as fast as we could. The real problem was the line for baggage screening, where all arriving flights were funneled together—it was super stressful...

Hey Momo,

Just letting you know I got this email today: "Here’s a great way to kick off 2025! Book your first trip of the year with up to 20% off our fares. The tranquility of a warm sandy beach, the grandeur of untouched nature, the lively vibe of a historic city... it all starts with a flight.

Take advantage of our deals on a wide range of destinations before January 13, 2025, at qatarairways.com or on our mobile app."

So, like a few years ago, they’re running promos at the start of January.

😎 Can you believe I got the same thing: Qatar Airways... but when I ran the simulation for a Paris/BKK flight, it turned into 1100 € (great promo, right?🤪). You know, these airlines do this kind of little marketing stunt all year with a really tempting headline, but in the end, the prices are way higher than what they used to charge us.

You mean 1100 € for just one person?