Macau to Bangkok AirChina Flights

  About Macau

Macau is nestled along the Pearl River Delta on the South China Sea. The city is bang opposite the city of Hong Kong and is recognised as one of the top tourist destinations. It is also known to be one of the most populous regions globally.

Best time to visit Macau

Macau's location on the coast makes it susceptible to extreme heat and humidity. The proximity of the coastal city to the South China Sea further brings over monsoons that could get really ugly. The monsoon is between April through October with July to September receiving maximum rainfall. The torrential rains could put a damper on all your tourist plans. They are so bad that the city streets get flooded and even bring over typhoons. The peak monsoon season is also recognised as typhoon season as the city witnesses a lot of natural calamities. This easily makes for bad weather that is definitely not ideal for vacation. More than ideal, it is actually quite risky as you could get stranded in the city or you might also have to deal with the repercussions of typhoons and heavy rains. Investing for a trip to Macau during this time of the year would only be a waste of money. Although it should be noted that the city's hotels see a drop in prices. But irrespective of the cheap hotel bookings you can make in Macau, it is not worth the money as you wouldn't be able to enjoy the city.

Summer is just as bad. The extreme heat and humidity can get quite annoying. You would have a tough time having fun in the city as the heat would irk your senses. While the water is right there for you to soak in and cool down, it is still not the best season. You should know though that summers are actually peak season for Macau. There are many tourists flocking over to soak in the sun and salty breeze. A majority of the crowd come from the winter locales of China and other countries. The outdoor activities are also enabled during this time, making it an ideal spot for summer vacation. The hotels do see a surge in prices during summers. Booking a hotel in Macau during summers would be splurging far more than your speculated budget. You could get some lovely online deals, but for it, you'll have to make advance reservations. Winter season in Macau, from December to February, is the best and most favourable time to plan a trip to Macau. Not just the weather but even the city's spirits turn happy with festivals and events, which would give you a good opportunity to indulge in their culture.

Places to visit in Macau

Macau has a beautiful balance of ancient architecture and modern skyscrapers. You can start your touristy rendezvous by checking out the Ruins of St. Paul's. It was originally a Catholic religious complex which also had a college in the complex. The 17th-century structure has been recognised by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site. The Monte Fort is another UNESCO World Heritage Site that was originally constructed to safeguard the city's Jesuit properties from invasion. For some quaint time in the neighbourhood, you should visit Coloane, an island close to Macau. The place is exquisite with Portuguese architecture. While you're here, you can further visit Taipa, another island in Macau that is famously acknowledged for the slew of casinos and interesting structure. The bridge connecting Coloane and Taipa is actually a famous tourist attraction in Macau that deserves some attention. The city does have many beautiful Chinese temples with the construction that will leave you spellbound. Do ensure to visit the many temples.

Things to do in Macau

Macau has some really cool indulgences that you simply cannot miss. One of the biggest attractions is the casinos that are prevalent in the city. You should visit the Venetian Macao casino resort. The estate is owned by the American Las Vegas Sands organisation and is the biggest attraction for many tourists. The huge casino hotel is one of the most posh and luxe structures in the city. The City of Dreams should definitely be on your list of attractions to check out in Macau. The exquisite water fountain show is captivating and too beautiful an experience. Hanging out at the Hac Sa Beach is something you should not miss. The quaint waters touching the shores with a quiet vibe is also a good place where you can relax. For more Portuguese architecture, you should visit the Guia Hill Fortress. The white structure with yellow and orange borders is a lovely space and especially has an exquisite landscape. Make sure that you continue with your food excursion as the city does have a slew of lovely restaurants and food establishments.

Food and restaurants in Macau

Macau's big competition in the culinary field Hong Kong, stands juxtaposed with the South China Sea playing a spectator. Although Hong Kong is recognised to be one of the most hi-tech cities with a thriving food culture, Macau also offers fusion food in this department. The coastal city has a slew of cuisines ranging from Portuguese to Chinese, all of them available with exquisite ambience. Predominantly, Macau favours Portuguese cuisine and has many restaurants and food establishments of the same descent. However, that doesn't mean they do not favour any other cuisine. Macanese cuisine, which is basically fusion food, is quite popular in the vicinity too. The mix of Chinese and Portuguese cultures on a platter is something you might have never encountered. Well, Macau gives you the opportunity to do the same. You can start with your food rendezvous in Macau by visiting the Clube Militar de Macau, a Portuguese restaurant which even has a very colonial-style vibe and decor. Make reservations for this place and definitely indulge in some of their lip-smacking Portuguese food and wine.

Another famed Portuguese-inspired restaurant is Albergue 1601. Hidden away from the city's bustle in Macau is this lovely two-storeyed restaurant which offers a quaint vibe and serves Portuguese and Macanese dishes. You can upscale your dining experience in Macau by opting for a Michelin-starred establishment by visiting Robuchon au Dôme. Make sure to carry enough money for this is going to be quite some indulgence. Also, their 14,500 labels of wine are quite a trip. The city also has restaurants that favour Indian cuisine. Golden Peacock is recognised for its perfectly cooked Indian food with a nice modern touch. You will find dishes such as butter chicken, skewered chicken, biryani and of course, vegetarian dishes too. Macau's Urban Kitchen is another perfect food establishment that you should check out without fail. The place boasts Asian, Japanese and Korean grub with special focus on seafood. You will not be disappointed here, and the all-day buffet system further adds to its perks. For a kaiseki meals setting, you don't have to travel to Japan but can find it in Macau's Yamazato.

How to reach Macau

Even though Macau is quite close to Hong Kong, a dedicated airport has been built to lure more tourists to the coastal city. The flight connectivity to Macau from Indian cities is decent as it is technically not too far. But there are no direct flights connected to Macau from India. Despite the demand for the city as a tourist haven, airlines have not reserved direct flights to the city. Hence, you will have to take flights which have layovers in other cities. Singapore Airlines, NokScoot, Air Macau, Silkair, Cathay Pacific, Korean Air, Eastar Jet, Asiana Airlines, to name a few, have flights that have connectivity to Macau. The most popular route chosen to reach Macau is often the one from Singapore and Hong Kong. A transit visa is required to travel as the flights connecting Macau have layovers in cities such as Singapore, Seoul, Bangkok and more. The airports of these cities have made it mandatory for the passengers to carry a transit visa. You can apply for one at the embassy, or you can opt for an easy online application.

The international route to Macau from Singapore and Hong Kong is actually favoured. However, often people choose to take flights to Hong Kong directly and use the means of sea to reach Macau. There are daily ferries that can reach Macau from Hong Kong. As tourists wish to check out both the cities in China, they often pick this option over the others. This is also convenient in many ways as the duration to reach Macau is reduced drastically from Hong Kong by the water body. Not to mention how it also saves a lot of flight ticket cost. You can make your flight bookings to Macau online, but finding cheap tickets would be tough. The city, especially during peak season, sees a lot of crowds. Hence, when you're booking flight tickets to Macau, make sure that you do it in advance to get the peak season ticket without splurging too much. There are always many online flight deals to Macau that you can avail, as long as you are able to find them on time. You can also make your hotel reservations in Macau well in advance to avoid expensive room prices.

 Enter Heading

  About Air China

Air China Limited is the official flag carrier and also one of the largest airlines of the People's Republic of China which has its headquarters located in the Shunyi District of Beijing. The airline's flight operations are based in its hub at Beijing Capital International Airport. The airline came into existence in 1988 when the airline's parent company Air China International Corporation was established. In 2002 though, the central government made some reformation plans with respect to the airline industry and decided to merge all the top airlines. This included Air China International Corporation, China Southwest Airlines and China Aviation Corporation to for one company called Air China International Corporation. In 2004, the company went ahead to rebrand itself from Air China International Corporation to Air China Limited. The same year, the airline's company turned into a publicly-traded entity that was listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange as well as the London Stock Exchange. Air China's corporate logo comprises of a phoenix, a legendary bird that is worshipped by the nation for its symbolic reference that calls for luck and happiness.

The symbol is painted in red, which is associated with all things happy and lucky, according to the Chinese culture and traditional beliefs. The main idea behind choosing this logo is to express Air China's commitment towards promoting the development of China's airline industry while offering a slew of facilities and a pleasant experience for travellers. The core belief of Air China is that the airline would continue to soar right and serve the world. Air China is recognised as one of the only national flag carriers to be part of the airline alliance network, Star Alliance. The airline was also associated as the airline partner during the Olympics Beijing 2008. The airline caters to a phenomenal number of international routes and domestic routes as one of the largest airlines in the country.

Further, it also provides special flight facilities to foreign heads, VIPs and government leaders for their travel requirements. This further adds to their exclusive national carrier status. Air China has branches in several cities, including Southwest China, Chongqing, Shanghai, Tibet, Hubei, Zhejiang, Guizhou and Tianjin, to name a few.

In 2010, the airline completed its shareholding deal in Shenzhen Airlines to become the controlling stakeholder in Shenzhen Airlines. This move enhanced Air China's position in the domestic network market across Beijing, Shanghai and Chengdu. In the same year, the airline also received an accolade as the Plaque for Tourist Merit by Spain's highest tourism industry award. Air China became the first airline to receive such an honour given by a Spanish organisation. Further, in the same year, the airline also introduced combined ticket offers that enabled passengers to include domestic flight tickets along with shuttle bus services to nearby cities. With this, the airline once again became the first-ever Chinese airline to combine flight-shuttle tickets. Their first route connected Tianjin via a shuttle bus service whereas the domestic flights passed through Beijing. By 2011, the airline introduced WiFi services on board, making it the first Chinese airline to pull off such an in-flight service. With a view to renewing its fleet, Air China announced in 2015 that it had opted for Boeing 737 Next Generation and 737 MAX for the same.

Fleet size of Air China

Air China's current fleet size stands at 430 aircraft. Considering how the airline caters to a massive number of destinations with both international routes and domestic routes, the fleet is required to be huge and strong. Air China majorly has aircraft compilation of 33 Airbus A319-100, 44 Airbus A320-200, 26 Airbus A320neos, 61 Airbus A321-200, 30 Airbus A330-200, 28 Airbus A330-300, 102 Boeing 737-800, 16 Boeing 737 MAX 8, 28 Boeing 777-300ER, 14 Boeing 787-9 and 14 Boeing 787-9, to name a few. They have a combination of narrow-body and wide-body aircraft to enable easy connectivity with the short-haul, medium-haul and long haul routes. Further, the airline also has about 138 aircraft that have been ordered and are yet to join the Air China fleet. Much of the mixed aircraft have been retired over time with only space for aircraft from the Boeing and Airbus family. The airline also has one Comac ARJ21-700 and Dassault Falcon 7X as part of its fleet. They have further ordered for 34 and 20 aircraft respectively.

Baggage Allowance

Air China's baggage allowance is different depending on the international route, Mainland China route, regional operations and more. In terms of international routes, Air China allows a weight of up to 23 kg for premium economy and economy class passengers. Passengers who are travelling from first or business class are allowed to carry baggage weighing up to 32 kg. The rule does have restrictions to certain cities and routes that the passenger will need to check ahead of the journey. The dimensions for the standard checked baggage should not exceed a total of 158 cm. This includes the wheels, handles and pockets. Rules for the hand baggage as specified by the airline include allocation of two pieces of carry-on baggage for first class and business class. The weight of the baggage should not exceed 8 kg per piece. As for economy class passengers, the carry-on baggage should weigh no more than 5 kg with one piece of allocation per passenger. The dimensions for the baggage that is carried onboard should be within 55 cm x 40 cm x 20 cm as the bags need to fit in the overhead bin.

In-flight services

As an airline that is celebrated to be one of the best and largest in Asia, Air China's in-flight services boast exquisite facilities. These include a comfortable seating arrangement that caters to the privacy and convenience of the passenger. With great legroom and armrest teamed that also comes with entertainment systems, the journey is easily one of the best experiences. The in-flight services also include delicious in-flight meals that add to the comfort.

Popular routes and top cities for Air China

Air China's international routes and domestic routes have extended tremendously since its inception. The airline has accommodated various destinations across Asia, Western Europe, North American and the Middle East. With hubs at Beijing Capital International Airport and Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport, the airline now has a significant number of destinations from Shanghai as well. A majority of the international routes operate from cities such as Xiamen, Chengdu, Dalian, Kunming, Chongqing and Hangzhou. Air China is one of the few recognised airlines to cater to all the six habitable continents with a plethora of destinations. The airline's fleet modification and expansion have further enabled adding more routes to its network.

As of 2020, the top cities that Air China caters to Athens, Auckland, Bangkok, Barcelona, Beijing, Busan, Chengdu, Chiang Mai, Colombo, Copenhagen, Delhi, Dazhou, Dubai, Dusseldorf, Frankfurt, Geneva, Guangzhou, Hanoi, Havana, Ho Chi Minh City, Hong Kong, Houston, Islamabad, Johannesburg, Karachi, Kathmandu, Kuala Lumpur, London, Los Angeles, Madrid, Montreal, Moscow, Mumbai, Munich, New York City, Newark, Panama City, Rome, Seoul, Shanghai, Singapore, Stockholm, Sydney, Tianjin, Toronto, Vancouver, Wuhan, Yangon, and Zhengzhou, to name a few.

Why travel by Air China?

Air China's illustrious history teamed with its special in-flight services and airport lounge facilities make it one of the most sought-after airlines to pick. The airline is known to offer the best domestic route and international route connectivity in Asia. In fact, Air China is especially ideal for travel plans that are within Mainland China. With their expansion plans over the years, the airline has managed to gather a strong community of loyal customers. Considering the facilities and services that the airline offers, it becomes rather easy to choose the airline. Right from booking an Air China flight online to web check-in services, the airline's website caters to all kinds of such requirements.

Not to mention how you can find Air China's flight schedule and the flight status on their website and other travel portals. Similar facilities have been incorporated on the airline's official mobile app as well. Passengers who are flying from Air China or wish to book a flight ticket from the airline can rake in some benefits on their mobile app. The app is usually full of offers such as discounts on flight tickets and added benefits of booking accommodation and transportation services in the destination. Further, baggage allowance depending on the ticket type can be best understood on their website and mobile app. The consolidated information is mentioned and explained to cater to the understanding of the passenger.

While these benefits do make it a good option, the airline's affiliation with Star Alliance adds to the list of perks. For passengers who are already members of the Star Alliance frequent flyer programmes, they can avail premium benefits when booking Air China flights. Along with the ticket perks, access to airport lounge facilities will also be enabled. Overall, Air China provides world-class services teamed with an excellent domestic route and international route connectivity. Hence, it is one of the ideal airlines to choose, especially when travelling within China.

  About Bangkok Airport

Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport is often referred to as Bangkok Airport. It is one of the two major international airports that serve Thailand. Although Don Mueang International Airport was also recognized for its international flight services. However, the same was halted in 2007. Now the airport serves as a hub to low-cost airlines that connect in Bangkok. Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport is sprawled across 8,000 acres of land and is one of the biggest international airports in the Southeast Asian region. It is also a hub for aviation in Bangkok.

Suvarnabhumi Airport was originally chartered with limited domestic flight services. However, it soon started expanding to add more domestic and international flights. Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport is currently the important hub for Thai Smile Airways, Thai Airways International and Bangkok Airways. The airport basically serves as a regional gateway to several foreign carriers too. It has been recorded to be the 17th busiest airport in the world and 11 busiest in Asia. The airport has the capacity to accommodate about 60 million passengers in a year. There are over 95 airlines that operate from Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport.

About Airport Terminals

Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport has three terminals in total. Terminal 1 and Terminal 2 are responsible for operations of international flights. Meanwhile, Terminal 3 is focussed on domestic flights to cater to connectivity in Thailand. The two terminals are located right next to each other while the domestic terminal or Terminal3 is 500 meters away from Terminal 2. The distance between the terminals is not massive. The proximity often makes it confusing. The departure and arrival zones in the international terminals have dedicated immigration counters as well as check-in and baggage to make it easy for the travellers. The terminal's roof has been designed aesthetically with the use of structural elements and bays that have been placed in cantilevered wavelike forms. The airport is capable of accommodating an Airbus A380. There are two parallel runways at the airport with a total of about 120 parking bays for flights. The passenger terminal is recorded to capacitate about 76 flight operations every hour. An underground rail link station has also been constructed to connect the terminal with the city centre. Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport's terminal passenger terminal is famed for being the fourth-biggest building in the world, following Hong Kong International Airport, Beijing Capital International Airport and Dubai International Airport.

About Airport Authority

Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport is funded and operated by the Airports of Thailand Public Company Ltd. (AOT). The airport's body is responsible for six international airport ventures in Thailand. Four more airports have been added recently under its wing. The statutory body received recognition as one of the most valuable airport operators across the globe. The organization was established in 2002 after a consortium between private firms and the state-owned Airports Authority of Thailand. The Thailand government holds a higher share in the consortium with about 70 per cent stock. The Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport is the most profitable venture for the airport's authority with passenger statistics of about 63,379,077, as recorded in the year 2018. Over the years, the airport management has done a phenomenal job of efficient connection of the international airport with the city centre. They have also worked towards fixing some of the pressing matters to bolster the functions and efficiency of the airport in terms of safety and connectivity.

Top airlines flying from Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport

The demand for Bangkok in India as a tourist destination is quite high. Hence, there are several Indian airlines that operate from the Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport as well. In fact, the first flight to fly to the Bangkok Airport was a Lufthansa Cargo which took off from Mumbai. Some of the Indian airlines that operate from the Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport include Air India, GoAir, IndiGo and Vistara. They have direct connectivity and fly on a regular basis. Airlines such as Thai Airways and Thai Smile, which predominantly operate from Suvarnabhumi Airport also have direct services to Indian cities such as Mumbai, Bangalore, Delhi Ahmedabad, Chennai, to name a few.

As an international tourist destination, the Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport also sees much air traffic from international flights. Some of the prominent airlines that operate from the Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport include Air Astana, Air China, Air France, Air Macau, All Nippon Airways, Asiana Airlines, Austrian Airlines, Bangkok Airways, British Airways, Cathay Pacific, Cambodia Airways, China Airlines, Druk Air, EgyptAir, Emirates, Ethiopian Airlines, Etihad Airways, Finnair, Garuda Indonesia, Gulf Air, Japan Airlines, Jetstar Asia Airways, Kenya Airways, KLM Royal Dutch Airways, Korean Air, Lufthansa, Malaysia Airlines, Nepal Airlines, Norwegian Air Shuttle, Oman Air, Qatar Airways, Shenzhen Airlines, Singapore Airlines, Srilankan Airlines, Swiss, Thai Airways, Turkish Airlines, Uzbekistan Airways, Vietnam Airlines and Ural Airlines. These airlines cater to various parts of the world and have impeccable connectivity. There are reservations for cargo flights to function from the Suvarnabhumi Airport. They are Lufthansa Cargo, Cathay Pacific Cargo, DHL Aviation and Singapore Airlines Cargo.

Facilities at the Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport

ATMs and currency exchange - There are foreign exchange booths and ATM kiosks available at the airport. You can withdraw money or exchange to local currency to make your trip convenient.

Baggage - Baggage services are available with plastic wrapping and porter services. You can also find trolleys at regular intervals.

Internet and communication kiosks - There are internet kiosks that have established at the airport. You can get your work done while you wait for boarding. There are telecom desks where you can purchase local mobile SIM numbers to avail WiFi. Postal services are also available.

Restaurants and cafes - There are many food establishments and restaurants at the airport's terminals. The departure zone has a slew of joints, including ones with liquor and coffee.

Medical care - Medical rooms and pharmacies have been installed at regular intervals. You can make last-minute purchases of prescribed medicine, or you can get necessary tablets or toiletries.

Prayer rooms - Devoted prayer rooms and multi-faith corners have been established at all terminals. There are monks' reception rooms also available at the Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport.

Transit hotels - To make the passenger's experience at the Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport good, they have also installed an in-transit hotel. You can check-in for the few hours you need to wait and even rest as much as you can.

Spa and massage - The airport is blessed with good serviced spas and massage parlours. For in-transit passengers who need to take a second flight or who need to wait due to layovers, can avail this service.

Smoking zones - There are dedicated smoking lounges in the Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport. These are available at all the terminals' departures and arrivals. You can even purchase boxes in case you need it for the time being.

Special assistance – The airport also has professionals who cater to the special needs of passengers who fall under the category of senior citizens, expecting mothers and physically disabled. The professionals have been trained to help out the individuals by enabling a smooth transition of their check-in and boarding processes.

How to reach Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport

By Bus and car rentals

The Airport Shuttle bus operating from the city is another efficient way to reach the Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport. These buses have a direct connection to the airport from within the city, making travel cheaper and easier. Along with the buses, you can always book a ride to the airport too. There are five routes from the airport that have a direct connection with the Bangkok Airport. These routes connect from Bangkok's downtown as well as Chonburi Province, connections from North Bangkok and Bang Na Bang Pakong which stands at the South. The main entrance to the Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport though is at the Samut Prakan Province. There are elevated highways and flyovers which need to be used to reach the Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport. You can find a car and rental booking booths at the airport's arrival segment. Even the entrance to the airport has a dedicated taxi counter where you can book your ride to the city.

By Airport Rail Link

One of the best ways to reach the Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport opened in 2010 after much delay but has since managed to receive good passenger traffic. Called the Airport Rail Link (ARL), the rail is operated by SRTET which is a subsidiary of the State Railway of Thailand. The long 28.6 km gauge line runs at an elevation for most of its length. The link directly connects to the passenger terminal building off the Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport. The rail services start at 6:00 in the morning till 24:00. There are two interchange stations called Phaya Thai and Makkasan which run on different lines, also available. The future plans to expand the airport is also in talks where the Airport Rail Link plans to merge and complement the SRT Red Line commuter service. This way, you wouldn't need to change the metro links to reach the Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport.