Air Canada: Q29XPZB1 - 10% discount code applies for travel beginning Friday, December 13, 2024 and ending Friday, January 10, 2025 to the city of Bangkok.

Air Canada: RMMVTFY1 - 10% discount code applies for travel beginning Wednesday, December 18, 2024 and ending Wednesday, January 15, 2025 to the city of Tokyo.

WestJet: 5U9M3BR - Discount code applies for travel beginning Saturday, December 14, 2024 and ending Thursday, January 9, 2025 to the city of Seoul. 2% off Econo, 5% off EconoFlex and 10% off Premium base fares.

~ Discount codes can be used for one-way or round trip bookings.

~ Open jaw, circle trip, multi-city and interline itineraries are not eligible.

~ Flight dates must be within the described travel windows.

~ If the discount was applied successfully, you will see "2-10% discount applied" underneath the fare.

~ We are encouraged to have at least 10 bookings or be at risk of losing the discount.

The below is intended to spark research into various routes, some utilizing the discount codes, some not. If intending to visit multiple countries, one way flights could save you time from having to backtrack and may work out to be the same or a bit higher in price. If you have the time, a round trip could be easier to book and lower in cost. Remember that it will likely take at least 2 days to arrive from Canada.

Leaving before Christmas:

BKK (discount), NRT (discount), TPE, and ICN (discount) are all possible routes to arriving in CNX by December 28

Leaving after Christmas (time more limited):

BKK (discount) and TPE are possible routes to arriving in CNX by December 28

Depending on how much time you have after the wedding, other parts of Thailand (Pai, Bangkok, Phuket, etc.), Laos, Vietnam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Singapore, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Philippines, Japan, and Korea are all possible pitstops before heading home.

👩🏻‍✈️ DTA Travel Tip 👨🏻‍✈️ If we're looking for ideas on routes, things to see, and where to stay in a new location, we look at itineraries, tours, and accommodations from established or luxury tour companies and mirror where it makes sense. Often these sites will provide you an itinerary at a glance (that you can follow), highlight the main attractions (that you can pick and choose from), and suggest vetted accommodations (where you can find low cost alternatives in the same neighbourhood). Examples of tour companies: AsiaTours.com, Abercrombie & Kent.

1. Set a budget, start monitoring, and set alerts

Once you have a number in mind, start looking for flights and keep an eye on prices. Setting Google Flights price alerts will send you email alerts when prices change. When you see a good drop in price, consider booking*. Also keep an eye out for special deals. Some other sites worth checking out:

yqrdeals.com

yxedeals.com

theflightdeal.com

secretflying.com

👩🏻‍✈️ DTA Travel Tip 👨🏻‍✈️ as a personal choice, though we utilize search engines to view potential routes, we try to book directly with the airline whenever possible.

2. Be flexible with travel dates and times

Airline ticket prices vary greatly depending on the day of the week, time of year, and upcoming holidays. In a nutshell, if you are going to fly when everyone is flying, then your ticket is going to cost more. Going a few days or weeks earlier or even extending your trip after the wedding — could result in some savings.

3. Be flexible with your destination

If you can’t be flexible with when you fly, perhaps you can be flexible with where you fly or the order of your vacation. Websites like Google Flights or Skyscanner offer explore tools that allow you to put in your home airport and see a map of the world with all the flights on it. This allows you to easily compare multiple destinations without having to brainstorm every possible option.

Flying directly to Thailand might not yield the cheapest flights but maybe flying to another large city in Canada or Asia and then onwards to Thailand could. For example:

YQR > CNX > YQR = $3,000

YQR > CNX = $ 1,700

YQR > BKK > YQR = $2,300

BKK > CNX = $40

YQR > NRT = $1,800

NRT > CNX = $300

YQR > YVR = $500

YVR > BKK = $1800

If you do book separate segments on the same day, be sure to have sufficient time (or days) between flights. This will give you space in case there is a delay as separate flights won’t wait for you.

4. Consider utilizing travel rewards

Travel rewards are at their most valuable when cash prices are high. If you are constrained to your dates and destination, it can make sense to book with miles, where prices are much more stable than cash prices.

If you don't have one already, look into signing up for a travel credit card which often offer huge welcome bonuses, access to airport lounges, travel insurance, and much more. For example, recently the signup bonus for the RBC Avion Visa Infinite was 6 global airport lounge passes and up to 70,000 points (35,000 points on approval, 20,000 bonus points when you spend $5,000 in your first 6 months, and 15,000 on your card anniversary) which is worth about $1,500.

The Dommie Travel Agency (DTA) has been facilitating Dommie Thailand Adventures since 2024. We would like to make your journey to our wedding as smooth and enjoyable as possible! If you are having issues with any of the promo codes or would like suggestions on potential routes, please reach out to ensure a seamless and memorable trip to Chiang Mai for our special day.