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Budget Flights and No Frills Airliners in East & South East Asia
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I SPEND A LOT OF TIME IN THE SKIES ABOVE SOUTH-EAST AND EAST ASIA THESE DAYS (AND HOPEFULLY FOR MANY DAYS TO COME), FLYING IN AND OUT OF PLACES LIKE BANGKOK, SINGAPORE, HANOI, TOKYO. I am not a rich man by any means so I have had to learn to how stretch my Star Alliance points, and I have had to learn how to find the cheap airline options which are out there. In April this year (2009) my folks came out from Australia to visit me in Japan -- they flew JetStar. Once every three or four years I jet over to the stormy bays and postrock music scenes of Iceland -- Iceland Express is always my choice of carrier. You get to see some lovely views of the North Atlantic on that route. Of course, Iceland is not East Asia -- not by many stretch of the imagination. So returning to my target in this article, back to South East Asia -- there are tonnes of budget airlines based in countries like Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, all screaming out for your custom. Further up north, I discovered recently that there is a whole burgeoning budget airline industry in China which I didn't even know existed. In July 2005 China's first budget airline made its maiden flight, from Shanghai's Hongqiao Airport to Yantai in Shangdong.
Bangkok Airways: www.bangkokair.com.
This is known as south east Asia's "boutique airline" and offers flight between the big Thai centers and cities in Cambodia, Burma, China, Japan (Hiroshima and Fukuoka) and The Maldives.
If you are worried about the environmental effects of your travelling, consider this: earlier this year (2006) Bangkok Airways donated 100,000 Baht towards the elimination of a beetle which threatens the coconut trees in a vast area on Samui Island. Samui is of course one of the airline's most popular destinations.
Some Bangkok Airways specials listed last time I checked included Bangkok to Samui (2000 Baht), Bangkok to Luang Prabang (4000 Baht) and Bangkok to Yangon (2000 Baht.)
Chang An Airlines: www.changan-air.com.
Some three or four times a year I like to get down to Vietnam and since money is always tight, I like to fly the cheapest option. At the moment (August 2009) that is Air China, and with the reduction of the fuel surcharge in Japan you can get from Tokyo to Ho Chi Minh City for about 60,000 Yen (or US$600). Now of course Air China is not officially a "budget airline" although it is certainly "low frills". You won't find much in the way of entertainment on board, and the domestic flights are none too comfy. It's enough to make you want to pull out your Star Alliance gold member card and scream for an upgrade to first class! Nonetheless, if you want things even more basic there are a raft of authentic Chinese budget choices which can carry you to your destination. According to Wikipedia there are nine of them, with eloquent names such as United Eagle Airlines, Okay Airways and Deer Jet. Another one of them is called Chang An Airlines. Established in 1992, the airline operates out of the Xianyang International Airport in Xi'an, Shaanxi. Xi'an means "west safe" in Chinese, and is of course a popular and monumental tourist attraction for its ancient treasures. The ideogram an ("safe"/"safety") also features in the name of Chang An, which might help reassure you if you are cruising with them through the Chinese skies. According to China Airline Travel Chang An (also written Chang'An) Airlines connects Xi'an with most parts of China including Haikou down there on Hainan island in the tropical south, Urumqi in the wild west, Harbin in the cold north and Shanghai in the moneymaking east.
Booking internal flights in China is a difficult task for foreigners I think -- we need all the help we can get! If you want a list of all the airport codes in China, click here.
Jetstar Pacific Vietnam: http://www.jetstar.com/vn/vi/index.html.
If there ever was a market crying out for budget air travel, it would have to be Vietnam. Folks here don't have a lot of money for flights, but it is one long long country, and road/rail travel can be torturous and slow. On my last trip to the socialist republic with my Mum and Dad and their friends, we made our way from Ho Chi Minh City to the capital Hanoi by road. Time expended: Three non-consecutive nights in a "bed bus", a new concept in Vietnam which is kind of like a soft sleeper on the asphalt with bunks instead of seats -- a neat idea unfortunately undone by all the potholes and suicidal driving. My Dad's friend "Uncle" Phil compared it to riding a Bronco -- to me it felt like being in one of those toboggan teams in the Winter Olympics, sliding feetfirst towards a certain death. We made a couple of stops on the way, such as as the beautiful Vinpearl Resort, off Nha Trang. Cost: $50 for the open ticket. Since we were all short of time, we returned to Ho Chi Minh by air, ending up on a Jetstar Pacific flight (codeshared with Vietnam Airlines, and in a Vietnam Airlines plane.) Time: It could have only been an hour in the air, plus a couple of hours stuck in Hanoi's hokey, pokey airport. Cost: I am not totally sure but it seemed to be about $150 a person. There was a mad stampede for the aisle once we landed, but this is par for the course in Vietnam. No complimentary food or drink on the flight, but that is par for the course in the budget airline industry.
Now when we were in that bed bus rattling and rolling up the coastline of Vietnam I spotted Jetstar offices in quite a few cities -- their shopfronts vivid blocks of orange behind the bikes and whirring palms. There was one in Nha Trang emerging from the art shops and seafood restaurants, and I saw another in Hanoi, and another one somewhere near the long golden beach of Danang. I might have seen one on the hot streets of Hue, near the Citadel, boldly proclaiming its presence. As it turns out, Jetstar also fly to Buon Me Thuot, Dalat, Haiphong and Vinh. From Vietnam you can fly to Siem Riep in Cambodia and Bangkok, and more international routes are in the pipeline. Jetstar Pacific is of course part of the Jetstar international group in Australia, and comprises remnants of the old Pacific Airlines. Go to Jetstar's Vietnamese website and you can find tickets for as low as US$12 (Ho Chi Minh City to Bangkok). Ditch the heavy luggage and you can get the cheaper flights.
For a Thai language insight into flying to (and fro) Vietnam, hit up hflight.
Merpati Nusantara: www.merpati.co.id/.
A domestic carrier from Indonesia which has big aspirations, if its website is anything to go by, but also some rather pressing financial problems, and an ordinary safety record. Merpati Nusantara (the Dove of the Malay World) traces its lineage back to NV De Kroonduif, a Dutch airline which operated in Irian Jaya before that land was handed over Indonesia. It since developed as a kind of domestic counterpart to Garuda, Indonesia's international carrier, with a couple of overseas destinations complementing its home-grown mix. You can book flights online or even using your mobile phone (Mobile Online Reservation (MORE) adalah layanan unggulan Merpati Airlines yang memberikan kemudahan, kecepatan, dan kepastian kepada calon penumpang dalam melakukan pembukuan tempat duduk secara online - selama 24 jam - dengan menggunakan Short Messaging Service (SMS)).
As well as airports in East Timor, The Philippines and Kuala Lumpur, Merpati Nusantara serves the following Indonesian destinations (this list courtesy of Wikipedia): "Balikpapan (Sepinggan International Airport),
Bandung (Husein Sastranegara International Airport),
Banjarmasin (Syamsudin Noor Airport),
Batam (Hang Nadim Airport),
Biak (Frans Kaisiepo Airport),
Bima (Bima Airport),
Cilacap (Tunggul Wulung Airport),
Denpasar (Ngurah Rai International Airport),
Jakarta (Soekarno-Hatta International Airport),
Jayapura (Sentani Airport),
Kendari (Wolter Monginsidi Airport),
Kupang (El Tari Airport),
Makassar (Hasanuddin International Airport),
Malang (Abdul Rachman Saleh Airport),
Manado (Sam Ratulangi International Airport),
Manokwari (Rendani Airport),
Mataram (Selaparang Airport),
Maumere (Maumere Airport),
Merauke (Mopah Airport),
Medan (Polonia International Airport),
Padang (Minangkabau International Airport),
Palembang (Sultan Mahmud Badaruddin II Airport),
Palu (Mutiara Airport),
Pekanbaru (Sultan Syarif Kasim II International Airport),
Sorong (Sorong Airport),
Surabaya (Juanda International Airport),
Tanjung Karang
Waingapu (Waingapu Airport),
Ujungpandang (Hasanuddin International Airport), and
Yogyakarta (Adisucipto International Airport)."
I got the impression from my old yellow Bible The Lonely Planet South East Asia on a Shoestring printed back in the early 1990s, that they used to fly to Darwin in Australia at one point, but that no longer seems to be the case. Actually, it is kind of more complicated than that: Merpati Nusantara Airlines craft still operate in Australia, in particular western and northern Australia, but the flights have been chartered to a new budget outfit called AustAsia Airlines. As Bali Discovery Tours have written on their website, back in 2004: "AustAsia Airlines will soon connect people living in the Pilbara and Kimberly regions of Western Australia with Bali via a once weekly service operating every Friday.
"The flights will be operated with Boeing 737 aircraft chartered from Merpati Nusantara Airlines...
"AustAsia Airlines currently operates a once-weekly flight between Jakarta and Christmas Island. The Airline is considering rerouting its Christmas Island Flights to Bali with a timing to link with the new Western Australia service."
I do know as a fact that Merpati Nusantara is banned from landing in Europe, due to safety concerns.
According to Fare Compare, Merpati Nusantara Airlines most popular hub airport is Hasanuddin, Ujung Pandang. The longest flight on Merpati Nusantara Airlines is 02:50 hours from Tembagapura to Ujung Pandang.
Read: State owned airlines Garuda International and Merpati Nusantara have narrowly escaped bankruptcy from mounting debt (March 2006.)
Merpati Catering and Inflight Meal Reviews (Updated Continuously).
Nok Air: www.nokair.co.th.
An airline with a cool name and a cool birdbeak like corporate logo. On top of the kooky Thai design, this airliner offers cheap fares and you can book for and pay for tickets online (in English and Thai.) Nok Air flies all over Thailand between Bangkok and the following regional centers: Chiang Mai, Hat Yai, Loei, Mae Hong Sorn, Nakhorn Si Thummarat, Phuket, Trang and Udon Thani. Udon Thani is billed as the gateway to Indochina, and I am hoping on hitting its streets and bars and bus station, in the calendar year of 2007.
How about for some passenger opinions of Nok Air: of its pleasures and pitfalls? Thai744 recently remarked: "Two weeks ago I had to head to Chiang Mai in Northern Thailand for business. Being a regular flyer on Thai, I decided to try Nok Air again as I hadn't flown them for over 2 years.
"I made the booking easily on the internet, and the total fare was about $40USD one-way between the two cities...
"The flight was delayed 30 minutes, and the aircraft was HS-TDB, (formerly operated by TG), named "Phuket", and sponsored inside-and-out by TOT (The Telecommuncations Authority of Thailand).
"Nok Air features "Nok Plus" which is the equivalent of TG's domestic business class seat, and includes a free newspaper and snack. Unfortunately when I booked Nok Plus was full, so I was in regular economy. (It's about an extra $20USD to go Nok Plus - a bargain!)
"The flight was 100% full, so I made my way to my aisle seat, half-way down the aircraft.
"As stated before, everything inside-and-out of the aircraft was sponsored by the TOT.
"We pushed back and taxiied to 19L, and waited while a Thai Air Asia 737, a TG A330 and a TG 744 bound for Sydney took-off ahead of us.
We were airborne 49 minutes after scheduled ETD, and proceeded to make a series of left-hand turns to get us heading north and on track for CNX.
"The crew were casual and friendly, yet professional, and really seemed to enjoy their jobs. The came around with the food-and-drink-for-purchase trolley, and I purchased as sandwich and a drink. The sandwich was very fresh and actually quite tasty. Cost was about $2USD.
"The crew then came around with the merchandising trolley, which contained a wide range of Nok Air souvenirs at pretty cheap prices.
The F/O made an announcement 20 minutes into the flight containing all the standard stuff such as flight time, weather, routing etc.
During the flight I went to the bathroom which was spotlessly clean..."
Oasis Hong Kong Airlines.
This story from Cheap Flights (January 2006): "A new low-cost airline has announced plans to offer budget flights from London Gatwick to Hong Kong from June, Reuters reports.
"Although still awaiting clearance from the authorities, Oasis Hong Kong Airlines is set to become Hong Kong's first no-frills carrier and plans to offer British tourists some tempting deals.
"Run by a husband and wife team, the airline plans to undercut the fares charged by rivals flying between London and Hong Kong by 40 to 50 per cent.
"That would allow Oasis to offer return tickets between the two locations for as low as HK$1,000 (¡¦75).
"Oasis will operate only long-haul routes, something of a rarity for the low-cost flight industry.
"But the airline is convinced it can beat market incumbents such as Cathay Pacific Airways by keeping costs to a minimum.
"'We'll keep a very lean and mean organisation, and we'll outsource everything we can,' said founder Raymond Lee.
"Eyeing a stock market flotation in 2007, Oasis is convinced it can operate a 25 strong fleet within five years.
"It initially plans to offer flights to London, Chicago, Cologne, Berlin, Oakland and Milan but hopes to fly to 15 destinations by 2011.
"Even if Oasis ultimately fails, British tourists could still win in the medium-term, with other airlines operating between London and Hong Kong, such as BA and Virgin Atlantic, expected to chop their prices in response."
And from Wikipedia: "The airline currently only operates on two routes, from Hong Kong International Airport to London Gatwick and from Hong Kong International Airport to Vancouver International Airport. As of Jun 28, 2007, Oasis announced it expected to introduce a six-weekly service to Vancouver International Airport, the focus city of another low cost carrier Westjet, from June 28, 2007. The airline's press release which stated that "it's a market where there is substantially less reliance on feeder traffic" suggested nothing about the Westjet connectivity. It is also believed that the long-awaited Oakland service (near San Francisco) will soon come on line once the Vancouver service is established. Other routes are also planned.[10] Oasis is believed to commence service to Chicago and New York before reaching Washington DC.[11] Sources also report Oasis Hong Kong's entry into the 'kangaroo route' market after receiving sufficient aircrafts, providing service to Melbourne with a stop at Sydney. It has a plan of 11 destinations."
One-Two-Go.
This is the latest news concerning the plane crash in Thailand, which killed both foreigners and Thai's:
From the Guardian Online: "Eighty eight people died, including a number of Britons, when a budget airliner carrying 130 passengers and crew crashed at Phuket airport in Thailand yesterday as it tried to land in torrential rain. At least eight British holidaymakers were among 42 survivors, though many of them were taken to hospital with burns.
"Passengers described how they scrambled over burning bodies in the panic to get out of the cabin after the McDonnell Douglas MD-82, operated by the Thai airline One-Two-Go, came down in heavy rain and cross winds, skidded on the runway, broke in two and burst into flames.
"Eighty eight people died, including a number of Britons, when a budget airliner carrying 130 passengers and crew crashed at Phuket airport in Thailand yesterday as it tried to land in torrential rain. At least eight British holidaymakers were among 42 survivors, though many of them were taken to hospital with burns.
"Passengers described how they scrambled over burning bodies in the panic to get out of the cabin after the McDonnell Douglas MD-82, operated by the Thai airline One-Two-Go, came down in heavy rain and cross winds, skidded on the runway, broke in two and burst into flames.
"Chaisak Angsuwan, director general of the Thai air transport authority, said bad weather in the area had played a part as the pilot made his approach. 'The visibility was poor as the pilot attempted to land. He decided to make a go-around, but the plane lost balance and crashed.'
"The deputy governor of Phuket island, Worapot Ratthaseema, said the dead passengers included Irish people, Israelis, Australians and Britons. The Foreign Office confirmed that there were Britons on the plane, which was on a scheduled 80-minute trip from Bangkok. Some 78 foreigners were said to have been on board.
"The Thai health ministry issued a partial list of 31 foreign survivors, which included five Britons. Three Irish people were accounted for, but one remained missing. Speaking from his hospital bed, Irishman John O'Donnell described the plane's landing: "You can tell it was in trouble, because it kind of landed then came up again the second time.
..."
Orient Thai Airlines.
This is in fact the parent company of One-Two Go, and has attracted plenty of heat since the crash at Phuket recently. According to one report from my former employer (News Corp in Australia): "Worries about the Thai carrier have been aired periodically as far back as 1997, when it was accused by the Thai Aviation Department of failing to keep clear flight records and conduct six-monthly emergency training sessions for its pilots.
"In the most recent case, Orient Thai was one of three low-cost carriers from Thailand singled out by the South Korean Ministry of Construction and Transport in March last year for their frequent delays and sub-standard safety measures.
"The ministry found 18 safety violations across the three carriers, including a failure by Orient Thai to update safety and operational regulation manuals. Safety equipment, such as fire extinguishers and oxygen tanks, were also not functioning correctly.
"Orient Thai came under the scrutiny of Japanese aviation officials after a 2004 incident in which one of its jumbo jets passed within 200m of the Tokyo Tower after it veered off course on approach to Haneda airport.
"The plane was supposed to come in over Tokyo Bay but instead crossed over Tokyo Station and the Nihombashi district, flying at an altitude of 540m.
"Sunday's tragedy is Thailand's deadliest aviation accident since December 1998, when 101 people were killed after a Thai Airways plane crashed on landing near another southern resort.
"It is likely to throw the spotlight once more on Asia's rapidly growing low-cost carriers and on Thailand's regulatory agencies. "
Star Aviation.
Reported Aviation India in February 2009: "Chennai-based Star Aviation is to launch its operations in mid-April, providing air connectivity to tier-II cities mostly in south India.
The airline, promoted by Dubai-based real-estate company ETA Star, is to take to the skies at a time when the domestic airline sector recorded a decline in passenger traffic of close to 5 per cent during calendar year 2008. Star Aviation was recently given permission by the Ministry of Civil Aviation to import three Embraer 170 LR aircraft to begin operations.
During the first year, the airline plans to cover seven cities - Madurai, Visakhapatnam, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Kochi and Thiruvananthapuram - from its Chennai hub. By the third year of its operations, the airline plans to increase its reach to 50 cities across the country. Being a regional airline, Star Aviation will not be permitted to operate flights connecting the metros in north, east and western parts of the country.
"A spokesperson said that the company will be investing over $300 million in phases in the airline, and will offer 'same-day' return flights to cities where air traffic is thin. The airline will be a full-service carrier with a single-class configuration. The tickets will be competitively priced, the spokesperson said, without getting into specifics..."
Thai Air Asia: .
Wrote Thailand's Lost Boy on June 15, 2008: "I don't fly very often, but when I do, I choose my airline based on which one offers the cheapest ticket. One of the great things about living in Thailand is that it's inexpensive, quick and easy to fly from one end of the country to the other.
"The airline I fly with most is Thai Air Asia. The tickets are usually very cheap, although the further in advance you book, the less you pay. The Thai Air Asia website usually tries to add on a few extra charges without you noticing, such as insurance or queue jumping. Thai Air Asia recently introduced a baggage fee for checked-in bags. At the moment, it's 30 baht a bag. My only gripe with Thai Air Asia is that, in my experience, its flight are almost always delayed or cancelled. If you input a valid phone number when you buy your ticket, Thai Air Asia will SMS you if your flight is delayed. You can buy cup noodles and tiny sandwiches on flights, but you don't get much leg room.
"People are still worried about flying with One Two Go, but I think if you take that line of thought then you should not fly any budget airline. One Two Go is good because ticket prices are all-inclusive. The price you see on the website includes all tax and handling charges (minus a 100-baht airport tax), so you don't have to bother with trying to order a ticket and guessing what the final price will be. All tickets for One Two Go used to be 1,800 baht (I think), but now tickets are priced 999 baht, 1,499 baht, 1,699 baht or 1,950 baht, depending on how far in advance you book and how many privileges you want. For some reason, you can only order the cheapest tickets once; every time after that a 500-baht fee is added..."
Tiger Airways: www.tigerairways.com.
Established in December 2003, Tiger Airways took to the air on September 15, 2004 with the inauguration of service between Changi International Airport and Bangkok International Airport in Thailand. The airline now serves 15 cities around Asia with a fleet of six new Airbus A320 aircraft with more new destinations to come. Generally, the current destinations are within four hours air travel of Changi. Check the table of current destinations below:
| Australia |
Darwin |
Darwin International Airport |
| China |
Guangzhou |
Guangzhou Bai Yun International Airport |
|
Haikou |
Haikou Mei Lan International Airport |
|
Shenzhen |
Shenzhen Bao An International Airport |
| Macau SAR |
Macau |
Macau International Airport |
| Thailand |
Bangkok |
Suvarnabhumi Airport |
|
Chiang Mai |
Chiang Mai International Airport |
|
Hat Yai |
Hat Yai International Airport |
|
Krabi |
Krabi Airport |
|
Phuket |
Phuket International Airport |
NEW!
Starts 9 Jan 2007 |
Udon Thani |
Udon Thani International Airport |
| Vietnam |
Hanoi |
Noi Bai International Airport |
|
Ho Chi Minh City |
Tan Son Nhat International Airport |
| Indonesia |
Padang |
Minangkabau International Airport |
| Philippines |
Manila (Clark) |
Diosdado Macapagal International Airport |
| Singapore |
Singapore |
Changi International Airport |
And how about some passenger opinions? Joaquin Gonzales, flying the Hanoi-Singapore route, reported: "First time with Tiger Air. At the Hanoi airport, I was surprised by the "15kg/1 suitcase and 7kg/1 carry-on" rule (I was travelling for workd and had arrived in Hanoi on SQ) as I had a 20kg suitcase and 5 kg hand-carry. In the end, they let me on with a 17kg suitcase and 8 kg, which I think is rather silly and inflexible. Flight was delayed by over an hour due to late arrival. No announcements etc were made. On board, flight attendants were efficient, if rather inflexible. Announcements made in Singlish. Wierd accent. Almost unintelligible. Why don't they pronounce their words properly? Seats rather cramped. For a 3-hour flight, it would be uncomfortable. Luckily, the flight wasn't too full, so I had the whole row to myself. Pillows and blankets cost extra. However, when the person behind me finally asked for one at the end of the flight, she was told that inflight shopping had closed. On-board magazine was OK, if pitched a little too low. The lead article of the issue (#2) was about "Singles' Hotspots" in Asia. Looks like the airline is chasing after the Ryanair/Easyjet market of stag/hen parties. However, I am not sure if they have got it right. The passengers were a mix of Singaporeans returning from a short-break and Vietnamese travelling for the first time. Certainly not the "swinging expatriate singles" crowd. Food-wise, the selection was decent and not too overpriced. I like the option of a hot snack. Arriving at the new Changi Budget Terminal, it was a long walk to the Arrival Hall. The Terminal itself is really no-frills and reminded me of a hospital. Otherwise, immigration and bag service were up to the usual Singaporean efficiency. I would use Tiger Air again, perhaps not for work trips, but certainly for leisure. "
Another budget flights traveller, Xuess Wee, remarked: "Certainly a pleasant trip from Singapore to Macau and vice versa for my maiden Budget Airlines trip. Cost me only S$150 (with taxe and everything else thrown in). The new Airbus 320s were bright, clean and orderly and the stewardesses were friendly, helpful and chirpy (on my return flight, they were actually singing a birthday song for their colleague at the back). I was glad the airline did not overdo the "tiger" image. No hideous tiger stripes decorations in the plane or on the uniforms of the staff. Very professional. There were at least 3 rounds of food being trolleyed for sale (and 2 rounds of DFS goods) during the 3 hours journey. Prices were quite alright. A bottle of Evian water and a can of Coke each went for S$2 while a cup of drip-coffee went for S$4. They were trying to sell Nasi Lemak and Lo Mai Kai for S$8 each, which I felt was a little steep. All in all, for a budget airline, it certainly was above my expectation. I was expecting worse." (Quotes lifted from airlineequality.com.)
Yangon Airways: www.yangon-airways.com.
Myanmar (Burma) has got a lot of bad press recently for its violent suppression of its attempted Saffron Revolution, and in the current climate, it is unlikely anyone would want to holiday there. I have to confess that at one point I was planning to visit Burma this year; now I am convinced that a tourist boycott of Burma is the only way to go. I recently took part in the campaign against Lonely Planet's Myanmar (Burma) guidebook, and received this response from Lonely Planet: "Our aim in publishing this guide is to provide objective information to help travellers make informed decisions about whether or not to visit Myanmar (Burma). No one reading our guide could be in any doubt about our opinion of the current regime, which we describe as 'abominable'. Lonely Planet fully supports the restoration of democracy in Myanmar (Burma). We do not however, believe that you create new freedoms by stifling information or banning books.
"Lonely Planet's Myanmar (Burma) guide extensively outlines the arguments both for and against visiting the country: without such information it's entirely possible that travellers will make the decision to visit Burma without even being aware of the boycott.
"Once a traveller has made the decision to visit Myanmar (Burma), Lonely Planet's guidebook is one of only a very few resources that will enable them to maximise their support for the local population, and minimise the prospect of any money which they might spend going to the military regime.
"When travellers return, we encourage them to speak out about what they have seen, to write to the local Myanmar embassy and to share their experience with others, perhaps by participating in Lonely PlanetðôÙü own discussion forum, the Thorn Tree.
"If you have any further questions please visit our website: www.lonelyplanet.com/myanmar."
 And if you have to go to Myanmar, Yangon Airways could be one of your budget alternatives. The airlines flies to locations all around this curious country (which curiously looks like the mirror image of Thailand on a map.) The airline for example will connect you with Rangoon (or whatever is the capital these days) and Kaw Thoung, Ngapali Beach or Kengtung. As Hanuman posted on Lonely Planet's Thorn Tree: "Less than a year ago it was no problem flying either from Mandalay or Heho/Inle Lake to/from Kyaingtong or Tachileik [aboard either Air Bagan or Yangon Airways, as I'd experienced several times] but as of last fall, it SEEMS that exiting via Tachileik into northern Thailand can be done BUT with the added cost of a permit [if memory serves from some previous postings, running close to U$30] that wan't required previously. Some of the previousl reports indicated that the permit was gotten from travel agencies in Yangon but I don't know if Mandalay or Inle Lake travel agencies can secure the same permits or whether it's possilbe from other agencies in Burma.
"If you're entering from the Tachileik-Mae Sai border, I know that you've got to fill out an itinerary form but don't know if this allows for travels into central Burma and re-exiting via Tachileik or via other Myanmar airports."
One tourist who visited Kawthoung in Burma had this to say about the place: "Later that night Ali took me on a motorbike to the bronze statue of Bayinnaung - a 16th century monarch who taught those pesky Thais a thing or two. Dressed in full battle gear and drawing a mighty big sword, he's probably not too inviting to any visiting Thai, but the view and the story was good for a time. Then we headed out of town for a sunset view of the seaside, which was nice and all until an undercover army guy came and asked Ali what he was doing bringing a foreigner out here. There's a 3km limit for farangs and he was reminding us that we were at it, so we should head back - which we duly did.
"In the end I just wanted food, so I paid off Ali and headed to the main hotel in town for a couple of 80 cent hamburgers and a bottle of Myanmar Beer (not bad). Thinking I'd call it a night early (had to be up at 3am for the boat) I thought I'd get some more shots of Bayinnaung lit up before retiring. And it was then that I met Au Pauk and Aoke, two early 30s locals who could speak some English, on vacation from Rangoon and drinking whisky over the view.
"To cut a long story short we ended up having a few drinks and a meal, checking out some more temples and talking a little about the state of their nation. I'm sure I ended up at a temple way out of town and beyond the foreigner limit, but the only army personnel that approached us was a young guy who wanted to say 'hi'. Even though I only hung out with them for a few hours it was great to talk so candidly and get to know these people that are the same age as me but from such a wildly different situations. And in the end they didn't register as being so different, which was a bit of a surprise.
"The next morning saw a torrid ride through the Mergui archipeligo on a large and fast speedboat. It was meant to depart at 3.30am, but only managed to get away after 5am, so our friendly neighbourhood propaganda team thought it best that we listen to a DVD recording of an excrutiatingly repetitious chanting monk for duration of the wait. More unfortunately, it was played at 125 decibels - the volume of all the morning's TV entertainment - so not much sleep was had. Fortunately the coffin shaped boat did a cracking 30+ knots, so we chewed up the 250km to Myeik in seven to eight hours..."
"Ngapali Beach is one of the loveliest places in Myanmar; it is also one of the most unspoilt beaches in the world, with miles of pure white sands skirting the crystal clear waters of the Indian Ocean. Actually, Ngapali is not one single beach. but a series of beaches interspersed with small fishing villages stretching from Mazin where the airport is located, to Lontha on Mayo Bay where coastal steamers dock in a sheltered anchorage.
"A small winding tarmac road snakes its way along the coast for about twelve miles from Mazin to Lontha, passing through Ngapali village, Shwewa Gyaing, Myabyin, Lontha and several other small villages nestling between the beaches and the hills along the coast. A golf course next to the road near Ngapali village is being upgraded. The road is also being widened, from two lanes to four lanes, and the airport will be extended to take bigger planes. A new terminal building has already been constructed. The private Mandalay Air and the government Myanmar Airways fly to Ngapali on alternate days throughout the week. It takes only 45 minutes flying time from Yangon.
b u d g e t + n e w s
 BUDGET AIRLINE SET TO TAKE ON WORLD
Press Association
Monday January 1, 2007 6:48 AM
Virgin and EasyJet are to team up with an Asian airline to create the world's first budget global network.
Richard Branson's Virgin and and EasyJet's Stelios Haji-Ioannou will join forces with AirAsia to form a Malaysia-based alliance, the south-east Asian country's Star newspaper says.
It quoted unidentified industry sources as saying that the new joint venture would first fly between Kuala Lumpur and Manchester, and Amritsar in India.
And the alliance - if it decided to fly to London as well - could also use Luton airport as a hub because Virgin already operates a rail link from there to central London, the paper said.
Fares to Britain will be between ¡¦½¶3 and ¡¦½¯65, about half the price of a ticket on a regular airline, it added.
It said the alliance would give Virgin and EasyJet access to Kuala Lumpur's low-cost airport terminal, the gateway to a dream Asian hub for their Europe-to-Australia routes.
Sir Richard is having talks with AirAsia's Tony Fernandes and recently-knighted Greek-British tycoon Sir Stelios and that plans could include flights to Hangzhou near Shanghai, China and Tianjin near Beijing, according to the report.
The newspaper quoted a source familiar with the discussions as saying that fares on the long-haul network would be as low as ¡¦Ð¤4 for destinations in China.
AirAsia spokesmen were not immediately available for comment because of a public holiday in Malaysia.
But The Star quoted Mr Fernandes as saying that AirAsia, Asia's most profitable and largest no-frills carrier, was currently focused on short-haul services "where we have much work to do".
THIS IS FROM THE NATION NEWSPAPER, OCTOBER 18, 2006: "Thai budget carriers want to move back to Don Muang."
Low-cost carriers said Wednesday they want to move their operations back to Bangkok's old airport, citing increased costs at the capital's new international airport.
"The new airport is getting busy with more traffic, while our operation costs are rising," said Tassapon Bijleveld, chief executive officer of budget airline Thai Air Asia.
"Consequently, every low-cost airline would like to discuss the possibility with airport officials of moving back to Don Muang," he told AFP.
AOT president Chotisak Asapaviriya said he did not understand why the budget airlines wanted to move back to Don Muang, and said operating costs for low cost carriers were unlikely to rise at the new airport.
The only price hike, he said, was a 15-per cent increase in landing fees, which will take effect in April 2007.
He said AOT will hold a meeting Friday with airlines to discuss the problem.
"The new airport could serve up to 45 million passengers yearly. I have not seen any reason to say that it is getting too crowded at the moment," Chotisak added.
Here is a story from the SYDNEY MORNING HERALD, dated February 8, 2007:
Turbulent times for Qantas Asia foray
Email Print Normal font Large font Scott Rochfort
February 8, 2007
Other related coverage
QANTAS'S plans to conquer Asia have run into trouble after its Jetstar Asia franchise in Singapore cancelled several flights with little explanation this week.
"The airline cancelled a third of its scheduled flights and its subsidiary, Valuair, cancelled half of its services out of Singapore yesterday amid talk in the aviation industry that the airline is looking to jettison some of its unprofitable routes.
"Qantas is the subject of an $11.1 billion takeover by a private equity consortium and in the past week has been spruiking the airline's growth prospects for flights from Australia to Asia.
"A Jetstar Asia spokesman, Ai Ling Ng, denied there were any problems despite the Changi Airport departure board showing five out of nine flights had been cancelled by mid-afternoon.
"'It's just one flight, because there was a mechanical problem with one of the aircraft,' Ms Ng said. It is understood the other four cancellations are due to lack of demand.
"She also denied widespread speculation in Singapore that the airline was facing an acute pilot shortage. The Herald has been told this is due to expatriate pilots taking jobs at Qantas or at Jetstar in Australia.
"The airline also appears to have quietly taken some flights out of service, with some services on the Jetstar Asia schedule appearing to be no longer on sale. Sources said it could soon cancel services to Taipei. The problems came as Jetstar Asia offered one-way tickets for as little as $S18 ($15).
"Jetstar Asia was a radical attempt by Qantas to operate a low-cost airline out of Singapore into other Asian centres to tap the world's fastest growing airline market.
"But it has struggled from day one. After four months it sub-leased four jets to a Turkish airline due to poor demand. It has since lent aircraft to Jetstar in Australia. It has failed to secure access to China and Indonesia.
"Figures obtained by the Herald show that Jetstar Asia lost $S68.2 million from the time of its incorporation in March 2004 to March 31, 2006. This does not include the losses racked up by Valuair, which was taken over by Jetstar Asia in 2005. The airlines collectively lost $S80 million in the 12 months to March 31.
"Qantas's head of corporate affairs, Belinda de Rome, said the carrier had no plan to quit its 44.5 per cent investment in Valuair. The other major shareholder in the airline is the investment arm of the Singaporean Government, Temasek Holdings, which also owns the majority of Singapore Airlines.
"A spokesman for Airline Partners Australia, the consortium bidding for Qantas, said it would not scuttle Jetstar Asia.
"However, one member of the consortium - the private equity firm Texas Pacific Group - might like to see the end of Jetstar Asia. It competes with the low-cost airline Tiger Airways. Tiger is co-owned by Texas Pacific's founder, David Bonderman, Singapore Airlines and Temasek.
"The consortium has made no mention of Jetstar Asia since its offer in December.
Ah, sweet memories -- nothing will ever be as exotic as that first
night in Bangkok, because I was a travel virgin, and the first time is
always the most intense. Equally sentimental about Don Muang and its
charms is Bangkok
Dazed, a foreign bookshop owner in the city, who wrote on his
blog: "Late morning flight back to Bangkok from Yangon today. I
wander through the terminal and realize that this will be my last time
at Don Muang International Airport, which will shut down when
Bangkok's new Suvarnabhumi Airport opens on the 28th of this month.
I'll miss the cramped and chaotic confines of Don Muang. It's a funky
old facility (and what other airport in the world has a golf course
tucked in between its runways!) but it's easy to get to from Central
Bangkok and in the 15 years that I've been a passenger there I've
never suffered any missing luggage or other unpleasant incidents.
Goodbye old buddy!
"Meanwhile, here in the Big Mango, it's raining again. Wet streets and
Bangkok's usual cocktail of polluted air, fresh fruit, and vendors
grilling skewers of satay greeted me when I stepped off the airport
bus..."
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