Which airline would you recommend for a CDG - Phnom Penh KTI flight?

Hi there, I know there are some "airline experts" on this forum 😛 I’ve started doing a bit of research and saw that around ten airlines offer this route with a layover. Price will obviously be a factor, but I’d love to hear your thoughts on the airlines that operate this connection. Thanks in advance to anyone who joins the discussion!

Hi there,

Currently, with just one stopover and the same airline for the entire journey, the fastest options under 13 hours are, in order of increasing duration: -via HCMC with Vietnam Airlines, -via Bangkok with Thai Airways, -via Hanoi with Vietnam Airlines, Both are very reliable airlines.

Next, under the same conditions but with total travel times ranging from 13h35 to 15h20, still in order of increasing duration: -via Abu Dhabi with Etihad Airways (the only one under 14 hours in this second list), a decent airline, -via Kuala Lumpur with Malaysia Airlines, very reliable, -via Xiamen with Xiamen Airlines, I don’t know this one, -via Singapore with Singapore Airlines, excellent, -via Hong Kong with Cathay Pacific, excellent, -via Guangzhou with China Southern, I don’t know this one, -via Beijing with Air China, I don’t know this one.

After that, the journeys take between 16h30 and 18 hours on China Eastern via Shanghai, Eva Air via Taipei, Korean Air or Asiana Airlines via Seoul—I don’t know any of these.

Thanks for this super detailed reply 😛

Hi,

It all depends on your priority criteria (price, travel duration, habits, schedules, checked baggage conditions, etc.), knowing there are 3 solutions based on the time you have and, of course, flight availability;

Round-trip to Bangkok:

Pros: Multiple low-cost airlines, chance to explore Bangkok or Thailand more broadly, and you return to Cambodia overland.

Cons: It takes a bit of time.

Make sure to check entry conditions for overland travel.

2 separate tickets:

Bangkok will likely be (check with your dates) a good financial option. Plan at least 1 night for safety on both the outbound and return in BKK. Be careful—there are 2 airports. You have plenty of flight options to Phnom Penh and Siem Reap, with the possibility to combine both.

Pros: Quick stopover along the way.

Cons: Avoid tight timing.

1 single ticket:

Pros : Obviously, time. You can also do a stopover (if you have a little time) at the airline’s hub to "break up" the trip without risk since it’s a single ticket.

Cons: Fewer airline choices.

It also depends on your air travel habits—whether you’re loyal to one of the three airline alliances or a specific airline. Some people like to "split" the trip in two for a few hours by flying with Gulf or Middle Eastern airlines to stretch their legs and have a smoke.

Thanks for your reply! Looks like it’ll be a single ticket, maybe with a stopover in the airline’s hub.

Small clarification: it's still not possible to enter Cambodia by land from Thailand. And it's not likely to change anytime soon, since yesterday, Thai soldiers fired live rounds (1 dead, 4 injured) at Khmer civilians in a Cambodian border village. To enter Cambodian territory, you need to arrive at the airports or cross via the Laotian and Vietnamese land borders.

Thanks for the clarification. I haven’t been to that area in a few years, and I’d read there were tensions, but it’s really tense now 😕