Mumbai05 Sep 24 1 Traveller Economy
Showing International Flight from Phuket
About Phuket
Phuket, in Thailand, is one of the most popular holiday destinations in the world and a very affordable one at that, too. The white sands at the beaches, the picturesque cliffs and the aquamarine waters in Thailand will make you want to extend your stay. Travellers get a lot of options to choose from for their itinerary. If you want to spend your vacation relaxing, you can book a hotel in Phuket that is next to the beach and has spa treatment facilities. If you want to go on adventures, the city has a ton of water sport activities that you must definitely try. Phuket is also a very happening party place and the perfect place for you, in case you are or want to be a party animal. Not only are there luxury resorts in the city but you will also find a lot of hostels since Phuket has a lot of young tourists and backpackers every year.
Best Time to Visit Phuket
Phuket is most visited during winter and early summer. Any time between November to April is considered as the peak season and sees a lot of tourists. December and January are popular months to plan a trip to Phuket since this is when tourists get to attend the most parties in the town. The weather remains cold from November to February, making it a perfect time to hit the beach, try out all the water activities and go sightseeing. The frequency of flights to Phuket is quite high during this season since the demand is high.
March and April are summer months in Phuket. If you are okay with the heat during the day, you can plan your trip to Phuket during these months. However, stepping out in the middle of the day might be a bad idea. The scorching heat will only make you head back to your hotel room or dive into the pool. But it is a great time to plan a vacation if you are only in for sunbathing or not indulge in any adventure activities. Flight tickets to Phuket from India during this time will be slightly cheaper than it is from November to January. In fact, you can even book a hotel in Phuket at a cheaper rate during this time.
Monsoon hits Phuket from May to October, and it is not the best time to visit the city. You won't enjoy your visit to the beach, and a lot of water activities will also remain shut during this time. It is not exactly a popular time for tourists to go to Phuket. The heavy rains and the powerful waves will only keep you deprived of all the water fun you can have otherwise. But since it is off-season, you might even get lucky with flight deals to Phuket.
Places to Visit in Phuket
Since Phuket is a city that has a lot of beaches, you can spend your holiday visiting each one of them. Patong beach is popular and happening beaches in Phuket. You'll find a lot of shacks, cafes and pubs around the beach where you can chill with a glass of beer. You will also find locals selling beach mats and umbrellas so you can lie on the beach and soak in the sun. You can also rent the beach mats and the umbrella. They will charge around 100-200 Thai Bahts to rent the mats and umbrella. You can also go on an island tour to the Phi Phi islands, James Bond Island, Phang Nga Bay and a couple of more islands. You will find a lot of tour guides who will offer you a combined tour of the islands. Karon View Point is another very popular tourist spot in the city. You get a view of the Kata Noi, Kata Yai and Karon beaches from a height. You will also get to take pictures with tamed eagles here. Not to mention, this makes it a perfect place to take pictures. You can also indulge in beverages and local snacks offered here.
Big Buddha is another very popular tourist destination and the perfect spot to embrace spirituality. Wat Chalong, an old Buddhist temple, is also a popular spot. The Phuket Aquarium and the Tiger Kingdom are also some famous places in the city that you can visit. The city also has museums and a couple of boxing stadiums that you can add to your itinerary.
Things to do in Phuket
Phuket is the perfect place for any vacation. You can spend your weekend sunbathing at the beach or indulging in luxurious spa treatments and going to the fanciest places to dine. You can visit the beaches in the city and try activities like snorkelling, jet skiing, surfing, parasailing and other water activities. You can also plan an adventurous trip and one where you can please the party person in you. Full moon parties are a big deal in Thailand and if you love partying you must definitely be a part of one. You can also check the lunar calendar and the full moon party schedule in Phuket before you plan the trip. Don't fret if you somehow miss attending the Full moon party because the city also throws a half-moon party. If you have chosen to stay at a hostel, make sure you check with the hostel desk about any event that they are planning. A lot of hostels plan pub crawls, which is also something you can experience. Phuket is one of the safest cities in Thailand, but there's no harm in making sure you don't lose any of your belongings.
If you are an animal lover, you can volunteer at the Soi Dog Foundation. Though the shelter is shut on Sundays, it is open on the other days and will be a treat to all animal lovers. Another speciality in the city is the Bangla Night Market. It's a popular place to go shopping but make sure you bargain.
Foods and Restaurant in Phuket
Thai food is quite popular in the city. You can try the local street food, or you can dine at a fancy restaurant. Phuket also has a few Indian restaurants that serve really good Indian food. If you feel like trying out some Thai cuisine, Blue Elephant is a place you must try. You can also head to the Red Duck restaurant at Kata Beach for some great food and good service. The Odysseus Greek Organic Restaurant at Kata beach is where you go to try some delectable Greek food. The ambience and decor only add to a fine dining experience. You can always take a walk on the beach after dinner before you call it a night.
Sam's Steaks and Grill at Patong is another popular restaurant that promises value for money. It's not too expensive, and it is completely worth your time. Head over to Green Tamarind Kitchen for good burgers with toppings that will be a treat for your taste buds. Do make sure you go to the Quip Sky Bar in Phuket Old Town for a fun night. It is the town's first rooftop bar, which makes it a highly recommended place. Wassa Homemade Bar in Patong is another rooftop bar that will serve you the best cocktails and a breathtaking view of the sunset. You can also visit the rooftop bars inside the hotels that you are staying in Phuket.
How to Reach Phuket
Direct flights to Phuket International Airport from India are quite limited. GoAir is one of the only airlines that fly directly to Phuket from Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport in Mumbai. Bangalore, Delhi and Bangkok are the popular routes to Phuket via connecting flights. Overall, the flight connectivity to Phuket is excellent, and you will get better flight deals to Phuket after January since November to January is high peak season. Thailand offers visa on arrival to a couple of countries, and if you are one of those who qualify for this, you might have to wait in line after you land before you get out of the airport. But the authorities do try their best to reduce time. Also, if you have forgotten to carry your passport sized pictures by any chance, there is a photo booth right near the Immigration section. You can take a picture and pay for it in Thai Bahts. Not to mention, make sure you look out the window while you land to spot the beach on one side. You will get a ride to your hotel or your hostel at the airport, and it won't be too expensive. Make sure you also get a local temporary sim card that will be available outside the terminal. It will only help you access the internet without having to look around for WiFi. You will get cheap flight tickets to Phuket if you book during the off-season or by the end of the peak season. Getting around the city is not too difficult, either. You can either opt for public transport or go for a tuk-tuk or hire a taxi to get around Phuket city.
About Malaysia Airlines
Malaysia Airlines Berhad (MAB) or formerly referred to as Malaysian Airline System (MAS) is primarily recognised by its brand name Malaysia Airlines. It is the national flag carrier of Malaysia and is also one of the members of the Oneworld airline alliance. The airline has its headquarters in Kuala Lumpur International Airport. In fact, the airport is also the main hub for the airline with Kota, Kinabalu and Kuching being the secondary hubs. The airline was predominantly owned by the Malaysian government's sovereign wealth fund called Khazanah Nasional. It owned about 69.37 per cent of stakes in the airline. However, in 2014, the fund further expressed interest to purchase the remaining ownership from the small-time shareholders and to even de-list Malaysia Airlines from Malaysia's stock exchange. Their eventual aim was to renationalise the airline by primarily taking over the entire venture. The airline has catered to a slew of destinations sprawled across Asia, Europe and Oceania. It currently operates two subsidiary airlines under its wing, namely, Firefly and MASwings.
Malaysia Airlines' Firefly operates from its two designated home bases in Penang International Airport and Subang International Airport. It has scheduled flight operations and focuses majorly on tertiary cities. Meanwhile, MASwings focuses on inter-Borneo flights. Along with the passenger-flying airline subsidiary, Malaysia Airlines also has a cargo carrier fleet called MASkargo. The freighter fleet enables cargo carrier services and caters to the aircraft cargo-hold capacity for all the dedicated passenger flights of Malaysia Airlines. The history of the airline traces back to the time when it was founded as Malayan Airways Limited. The airline was founded in the 1930s, in Singapore and chartered its first commercial flight in 1947. In 1963, the airline was rebranded as Malaysian Airways following the formation of Malaysia. As Singapore separated from Malaysia in 1966, the airline was once again renamed as Malaysia - Singapore Airlines. Eventually, the assets were divided, and in 1972 two diverse airlines, namely Malaysian Airline System and Singapore Airlines, were formed.
Over the years since its formation as a dedicated national flag carrier to Malaysia, the airline has received tremendous recognition by Skytrax, including the titles of The World's 5-Star Airline and Asia's Leading Airline at the World Travel Awards. They have actually won these accolades on multiple occasions. However, despite the recognition and accolades, Malaysia Airlines has struggled to cope with the costs that have accumulated with the rise in the low-cost carriers prevalent in the region. After incurring huge losses, the airline did announce a turnaround plan by cutting a few routes prominent yet unprofitable long-haul international destinations. These included Los Angeles and Buenos Aires in North and South America as well as cities in South Africa. Internal restructuring of the management and operations in Malaysia Airlines also kick-started as they planned to sell off some of the engineering and pilot training units. Malaysia Airlines currently owns about 28 subsidiaries, of which 25 of them are wholly owned by the company. Further, the airline has also diversified into various sectors that are pertinent and related to the aviation industry. These include aviation engineering, tour operator operations, aircraft ground handling and aircraft leasing, to name a few.
Fleet size of Malaysia Airlines
Malaysia Airlines' current fleet size accommodates 81 aircraft in total. The airline majorly has Airbus and Boeing aircraft. It has a total of 48 Boeing 737-800 narrow-body aircraft, 15 Airbus A330-300s, six Airbus A330-200, Airbus A330-900 and Airbus A380-800. Meanwhile, the airline has already placed an order for 15 Boeing 737 MAX 8 and 10 Boeing 737 MAX 10. Airbus A330-200 and Airbus A330-300 flights cater majorly to the high-demanding medium-haul and long-haul routes. These flights also accommodate business class and economy class cabins. Meanwhile, they started accepting deliveries of six Airbus A350-900 in 2017 and replaced them with the ageing Boeing 777-200ER fleet.
With the inclusion of Airbus A350-900, the airline received its first aircraft fleet with provisions of first-class cabins. With a view to replacing the ageing Boeing 747-400 fleet with Airbus A380s, Malaysia Airlines also signed a contract in 2003 to purchase six of the new fleet. Although the flights were expected to be delivered in 2007, there were some delays that cropped up due to manufacturing concerns. Malaysia Airlines did announce to purchase 25 Boeing 737 MAX jets in 2016, the aviation authorities put the deliveries on halt, following two fatal crashes that took place in less than five months.
Baggage Allowance
Baggage allowance in Malaysia Airlines varies depending on the ticket type and class cabin. For passengers who are travelling from the business class cabin, the maximum weight for checked baggage allowed is 40 kg. The passenger will be charged extra if the weight exceeds the set allowance weight. As for the economy class cabin, the airline allows 30 kg of checked baggage. The checked baggage dimensions should also not exceed a sum of 158 cm. While extra baggage weight can be purchased, the same cannot be done for the dimensions as it is a mandatory clause. For hand baggage, the airline allows two pieces to be carried in the cabin. The weight of the two bags should not exceed 14 kg. As for the economy class cabin passengers, the airline allows baggage weight to be 7 kg and not more than that.
Passengers also need to make a note of the dimension of the baggage which should be within the total dimension of 115 cm. Should your baggage weigh more than the free checked baggage allowance allotted by Malaysia Airlines, the airline would charge in US dollars per kg. It will also depend on the passenger's point of departure for the tariff. For example, if the passenger is travelling from India, the set airline charge for the excess baggage would be USD 20 per kilo. Medicines and toiletry items such as perfumes, toothpaste, creams, etc., can be carried in hand luggage, provided they are in 100 ml/mg containers. The airline also expects the passengers to put the said toiletries in transparent plastic bags, and the total dimension should not exceed 80 cm. Special reservations are made for passengers who are travelling with infants. Details of the same can be found on the official website of the airline.
In-flight services
Malaysia Airlines is recognised for its immaculate in-flight services that range from world-class hospitality to well-equipped flights. The airline offers a slew of exquisite in-flight services such as comfortable seating arrangement, reclining seats made of leather, decent legroom, personalised in-flight entertainment systems, in-flight meals for medium and long haul flights, and more. These facilities are available on all the class cabins to enable a comfortable journey for the passenger.
Popular routes and top cities for Malaysia Airlines
Malaysia Airlines initially catered to about 118 domestic routes and over 114 international routes that sprawled over six continents. However, following the announcement of the turnaround plan in 2006 to accommodate more profits to the venture, the airline terminated several flight services to destinations that didn't yield profit. Some of the routes whose flight operations were reduced include Vienna, Manchester, Kolkata, Zurich, Chengdu, Fukuoka, Xi'an, Cairo, Ahmedabad and Nagoya. The airline did commence services to South Africa with flights to Cape Town, Johannesburg, to name a few.
However, these services were also suspended following the cost-cutting plans. Malaysia Airlines has played a pivotal role in introducing the Kangaroo Route, which has direct connections to Australian and New Zealand destinations from Europe via Kuala Lumpur, in less than 5 hours. As of 2020, the airline caters to top cities such as Brisbane, Melbourne, Sydney, Phnom Penh, Beijing, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Chennai, Delhi, Kochi, Mumbai, Jakarta, Osaka, Kuala Lumpur, Langkawi, Penang, Kathmandu, Jeddah, Medina, Seoul, Colombo, Bangkok, London, Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, to name a few.
Why travel by Malaysia Airlines?
Malaysia Airlines has witnessed tremendous trials and tribulations over the years since it rebranded and became a new aviation entity. Despite all the concerns with respect to losses and debts, the airline continues to offer world-class facilities and amenities that manage to attract travellers to choose the said airline. Over the years, the airline has terminated a few of its international routes and domestic routes to accommodate better in-flight services and enhance the travel experience of the passengers.
Further, they have also started online booking facilities as well as ensured to keep their website up to date. Passengers can book a Malaysia Airlines ticket online without having to worry much as it is available on all travel portals. The airline's phenomenal connectivity with major Southeast Asian destinations has added to its reputation for being a sought-after choice to travel in the Asian continent. Plus, their newer and more comfortable international routes with direct flights have also put them on the map. Passengers can do web check-ins as well as get updates on the flight status. They can also get hold of Malaysia Airlines' flight schedule on their official website to help plan a trip.
