Getting There:
Cheap Asia Flights



"Finding cheap Asia flights"

This article covers tips on how to find cheap Asia flights.

And since we're going through a global financial crisis, it`s natural for travelers to worry about what may happen to the airlines and travel agencies.

Click here to search for cheap flights to Asia now

So, you`ll be reading about the common issues around travel and the financial crisis as well.

Say, if the airlines/travel agencies go out of business, how can you protect yourself from losing money? Read on to find out!

Note: And since this website is about Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Malaysia and India, I`ve focused on these countries. And this theme is comprehensive, so I divided it into five parts. This page is part 1.

Here are the other pages:

Part 2: Where to buy tickets -- Should I buy my ticket online or at a travel agency?

Part 3: What to consider when looking for cheap Asia flights

Part 4: The credit card rule, and the issues regarding airlines/travel agencies going bankrupt

Part 5: Travel overland, or fly? What to do when you`ve bought a ticket!

Your options for cheap airfares Asia and personal reviews of airlines I've tried -- search for cheap flight to Asia right here

First, let`s start with the big (and difficult) question...

How much is a cheap ticket?

Getting there is not a problem! The best way to travel to Asia is by airplane. It`s your biggest expense, so it`s not cheap. But it`s faster.

How much you have to pay for your ticket depends highly on

  • When you want to travel

    Travelling during the high/peak season is more expensive than the low season.

    Because that`s when everyone`s travelling... Most backpackers don`t want to travel when it`s pouring rain during their entire trip! They want the sun to shine on their face. And there`s usually more sun, and less rain during the high/peak season.

  • Where you want to travel

  • ...and when you buy the ticket

    Usually the tickets are cheaper when you buy them like, 6 months before the date you're planning on leaving.

    So, if you buy your ticket like 3 weeks before planned departure, you can`t really expect to pay rock-bottom price (in the high season)!

When is the high/peak/low season in Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Malaysia and India?

The high season (apart from Malaysia) runs from November to February. The low season is from May to October.

While the high season in Malaysia is from June to August.


I didn`t answer the question, did I?

That`s because there are NO obvious answers to this question. But there are some standard prices:

Like a ticket to Bangkok usually starts from 700 USD dollars.

An example is traveling with Thai Airways from Sydney, Australia to Bangkok in the month of February (2010). It will cost you around 730 Australian dollars.

Or if you travel from London (Stansted) with the company AirAsia to Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia, the price can be as low as 250 dollars in June.

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When should I book a ticket?



cheap asia flights time backpacking-tips-asia.com

For flights to Asia during the high season, you should book a ticket at least 6 months ahead, if not one year.

There`s only a certain number of cheap tickets, and when these are sold out, you`re usually stuck with the expensive ones.

Airlines start to sell cheap tickets early to lure potential customers. They have to do this because of the tough competition.

My mom runs a travel agency (called Villarey Travel) and has told me:

"Amanda, if you want to get the cheapest tickets, book them one year before if possible. If not one year, then book 6 months before."

She has successfully run her business for 10 years now, so I can`t say anything against this. She knows the deal.

Just to clear up a couple of things, in case you`re thinking that I have an ulterior motive:

I`m not mentioning my mom`s business to promote her. Her business runs well, with or without promotion. I honestly know little of the travel business. So, to get the real tips I interviewed my mom. And that`s why I`m mentioning her business.

On the other hand, there are exceptions to this rule nowadays (sorry mom).

The whole world is going through a financial crisis. And this of course, includes the travel business.

So, have you noticed that the ticket prices are waaaay unpredictable?

Because of the unstable oil prices, the flight taxes keep dropping, rising, dropping, rising and so on. I bought tickets to Kuala Lumpur for 1000 dollars, 3 months before departure… (1000 dollars is the cheapest ticket I`ve ever bought for Asia, in such a short time)

But who knows how long these prices will roller coast…

So, all in all, it`s better to be early when buying a ticket.

Remember that there are NO obvious answers to when you should a book/buy a ticket, to get cheap flights.

It`s all about timing to get cheap international flights. So, my intention in this section is just to tell you the basic rules.

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Next stop is...

  • Should I buy my ticket online or at a travel agency?
Click onto the next page!

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Where do you want to go next?

Considering round the world travel?

11 tips on how to find around the world airline tickets

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