Mumbai15 Feb 21 1 Traveller Economy
Showing International Flight from Phuket
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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
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 (Transportation)
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 Qantas Airways
Qantas Airways Limited is the national flag carrier of Australia and is recognised as the largest airline in the country with respect to international route connectivity and fleet size. The airline is the third oldest in the world following KLM Royal Dutch Airlines and Avianca. It was founded in 1920 and completes 100 years in the aviation industry in 2020. The airline commenced its international operations for passengers in 1935. The name Qantas is an acronym which stands for "Queensland and Northern Territory Aerial Services". It has also been nicknamed as "The Flying Kangaroo" in the aviation industry. Qantas is one of the main founding members of the Oneworld airline alliance. Based out of Sydney's suburb of Mascot, the airline is adjacent to its main hub at Sydney Airport. In 2014, the airline owned 65 percent of the shares in the Australian domestic market while carrying about 14.9 percent of passengers travelling to and from Australia. Qantas as a slew of subsidiary airlines that operate predominantly in the regional market and on some trunk routes (or domestic routes) prevalent in Australia. These airlines fall under the QantasLink banner.
The airline owns and operates one of the biggest low-cost airlines, Jetstar Airways, which caters to the domestic routes as well as international routes from Australia and New Zealand. Qantas has also invested in all the Jetstar-branded airlines and holds a higher stake in all of them. In 1998, along with British Airways, Cathay Pacific, American Airlines and Canadian Airlines, Qantas also co-founded the Oneworld alliance. Eventually, several more airlines joined the airline alliance. Qantas' market share saw a brief dip with budget airline Virgin Blue (now Virgin Australia) entrance to cater to the domestic routes. Intending to compete with the budget airline, Qantas introduced their own version of budget carrier, Jetstar Airways, in 2001. The same year, with Jetstar Airways' creation, its competitor Ansett Australia collapsed. This led to a 90 per cent spike in Qantas' shares in the market. However, simultaneously, cut-throat competition with Virgin Australia also increased as the latter announced expansion plans.
Using the Jetstar subsidiary, Qantas has expanded tremendously in the aviation market catering to domestic routes in Australia and international routes majorly connecting Asian cities and New Zealand. Along with Jetstar Airways, the airline further announced similar modelled budget airlines such as Jetstar Pacific and Jetstar Asia Airways. Qantas is known to have contributed tremendously to the aviation market with the constant creation of various subsidiary airlines. While many failed to take off the way the airline intended them to, that hasn't stopped the parent airline from establishing newer subsidiaries. Some of the famous airline subsidiaries introduced by Qantas include QantasLink, Australia Asia Airlines, Jetstar Airways, Impulse Airlines, Jetconnect, Australian Airlines and Qantas freight as well. During its years as one of the oldest airline, Qantas has seen all sides of the financial scenarios from losses to profits. There was a brief period in the illustrious history of Qantas when the airline reported losses. This resulted in downgrading sources, facilities, fleet and even staff. After suffering from some losses, the airline returned to its profit-making structure in 2015. Further, the airline also sold off its lease of Sydney Airport's Terminal 3.
Fleet size of Qantas
Qantas Airways' fleet size as of 2020 stands at 126. The airline only has variant aircraft from the Airbus and Boeing family. The current fleet comprises aircraft such as 18 Airbus A330-200s, 10 Airbus A330-300s, 12 Airbus A380-800s, 75 Boeing 737-800s and 11 Boeing 787-9s. They have also ordered for additional three Boeing 787-9s. In 2012, the airline announced that they were cancelling their order of 35 Boeing 787-9s due to heavy losses incurred. However, they did hold on to the 15 aircraft Boeing 787-8s order to add to the Jetstar Airways' fleet. In 2015, the airline stated that they would be ordering eight Boeing 787-9s, delivery of the same was expected in 2017.
In 2019, the airline made quite a few orders and cancellations. At the Paris Air Show, Qantas Group stated that they would be converting their 26 Airbus A321neos to A321XLR variants. Similarly, they planned to make a few more conversions with their aircraft, including A321neos to A321LRs and A321XLRs. This led to Qantas Group to accommodate a total of 109 aircraft from the Airbus A320neo family. The same year, they also announced that a select few of their Airbus A350-1000 would be used as non-stop flights from Sydney, Brisbane and Melbourne to connect to international destinations such as Paris, New York, Cape Town, Paris, Frankfurt and Rio de Janeiro.
Baggage Allowance
Qantas Group has a consolidated list of baggage allowance criteria that they have uploaded on their official website, along with a calculator. Passengers who are opting for Qantas Airways can learn more about their baggage allowance deals and whether it works in their favour. As per their policy, the airline accommodates about 50 kg and 40 kg weighing baggage from first class and business class passengers respectively. The weight could vary depending on whether the member is part of the airline's frequent flyer programme. Similarly, the airline allows 40 kg and 30 kg weight for passengers travelling from premium economy and economy class respectively.
The baggage allowance policy as mentioned here applies to all international routes of Qantas Airways except for North and South America. The dimension of the bags should all individually be not more than 158 cm. The same can be calculated using the airline's baggage calculator. Purchase of additional baggage is also allowed with weights that depend on the cabin class of the passenger or the ticket type. As for hand baggage, the airline allows business class passengers to carry one piece of baggage that should not weigh more than 10 kg and can be accommodated with an accessory bag. The dimension for the same should not be more than 115 cm.
In-flight services
Qantas' in-flight services have won several accolades and praise by commuters and critics for being one of the best in the world. They offer a series of facilities onboard starting from comfortable seating with personalised entertainment systems to delicious in-flight meals. The airline's in-flight staff are quite friendly and cater to the requirements of the passengers with a big smile on their faces. The aircraft also comes with premium class cabins to economy class cabins that enable travellers from all walks of life to journey together.
Popular routes and top cities for Qantas
Qantas is one of the few international airlines to operate charters to Antarctica and does the same on behalf of Croydon Travel. The first flightseeing trip to Antarctica took place in 1977. However, the services were suspended for many years due to a crash of the New Zealand Flight 901. Eventually, in 1994, Qnatast restarted flightseeing charters to the continent. Qantas has a slew of operations to various international routes and domestic routes that make it one of the largest in the continent and also in the world. Over the years, the airline has introduced various popular routes from Sydney to North America, the Middle East, the United Kingdom and more. The airline brought forth a non-stop service from Sydney to Dallas/Fort Worth in 2014, which is operated by Airbus A380. Some of its top international destinations include Hong Kong, Denpasar, Jakarta, Tokyo, Osaka, Auckland, Queenstown, Christchurch, Singapore, Bangkok, London, Dallas, Los Angeles, New York City - JFK and San Francisco. They have terminated a huge list of international destinations, following the coronavirus pandemic.
The airline has also signed some agreements and tie-ups with international airlines to accommodate more international routes. Some of its codeshare agreements are with airlines such as Air France, Alaska Airlines, China Eastern Airlines, Jetstar Airways, SriLankan Airlines, Air New Zealand, American Airlines, China Southern Airlines, Jetstar Asia Airways, Vietnam Airlines, Air Niugini, Asiana Airlines, Bangkok Airways, British Airways, Emirates, Fiji Airways, Japan Airlines, Cathay Pacific, Jetstar Japan, Vietnam Airlines and more.
Why travel by Qantas?
Qantas Airways is a known brand that has been offering the best of airline facilities as well as in-flight services for nearly 100 years now. It has expanded tremendously in recent years by accommodating some convenient facilities such as web check-ins, receiving flight status, booking a Qantas flight online or by their mobile app and to know more about their baggage allowance. In fact, you can even purchase extra baggage through their app and keep all flight-related details on the phone. The mobile app also has details of Qantas flight schedules that would help the passenger plan out the journey with more convenience. Further, the airline has also tied up with international airlines to bring forth better frequent flyer programmes that would benefit their regular customers. Qantas has also included newer routes and destinations both, domestic and international, to ensure better connectivity. The fleet size of Qantas has also enhanced to accommodate better aircraft that would cater to world-class facilities and amenities in-flight and give passengers the experience of a lifetime.
