Flight question - Stop over length

Raymond Lin · 19 Jan 2018 at 20:29

Later this year I have to attend a wedding in Taiwan, and want to make an extended stop over in Hong Kong on the way there but on the way back I want to come back as quickly as possible.

Is it possible to get a stop over in the length of like 5 days on the way out and on the way back, either direct or a few hours stop over (anywhere).

arknor · 19 Jan 2018 at 20:32

I don't get the question.
surely its just how you book the flights?

book a flight to hong kong, book another flight 5 days later to taiwan ? for the way back just book a direct or with as little stop over as possible.

if you are trying to use the same airline for all then maybe not so easy

Delta3D · 19 Jan 2018 at 20:33

Probably best to be looking at booking 1 flight to the general stop over point, then another from there to the final destination 5 days later. And just booking the fastest back.

Raymond Lin · 19 Jan 2018 at 21:07

arknor said:
I don't get the question.
surely its just how you book the flights?

book a flight to hong kong, book another flight 5 days later to taiwan ? for the way back just book a direct or with as little stop over as possible.

if you are trying to use the same airline for all then maybe not so easy

A Direct Flight to Hong Kong is £692, not counting another flight to Taiwan and then the return leg.

A Stop over Flight to Taiwan is £595.

So as you can see, if there is some way to make the Stop Over flexible, i can save a lot of money? I am just wondering, no doubt someone might say "well, duh, if you can, then everyone would be doing it." I just wondered if it is actually possible that's all and what's the best or cheapest way doing thees 2 places. I thought what I planned above would be the cheapest, if it works.

Ahleckz · 19 Jan 2018 at 21:28

What dates do you want to go and what do you think is a fair price? Just use Google Flights multi city...

Edit - Probably makes sense to book return flights from London to HK and then get a cheap flight to and from Taipei.

28th Aug - 9th Sept.
LHR - HK (direct with BA - I know you like them)
£658

6th Sept - 9th Sept
HK - TPE (direct, China Airways. Not a recommended airline, but be ok for a short trip like this).
£126

Second edit: @Raymond Lin , you can't fly direct from Taipei to London with a decent airline so a stop in HK makes sense. I think my above is the best way to do it but if you want to keep it all in one booking this works, found on Expedia:

Raymond Lin · 19 Jan 2018 at 22:15

Ahleckz said:
What dates do you want to go and what do you think is a fair price? Just use Google Flights multi city...

Edit - Probably makes sense to book return flights from London to HK and then get a cheap flight to and from Taipei.

28th Aug - 9th Sept.
LHR - HK (direct with BA - I know you like them)
£658

6th Sept - 9th Sept
HK - TPE (direct, China Airways. Not a recommended airline, but be ok for a short trip like this).
£126

Second edit: @Raymond Lin , you can't fly direct from Taipei to London with a decent airline so a stop in HK makes sense. I think my above is the best way to do it but if you want to keep it all in one booking this works, found on Expedia:

Wedding is 27th so that’s firm.
Also I need to leave on 28th to come back ASAP.

The only flexibility is outbound where I can stay anywhere between 3-5days.

Destination · 19 Jan 2018 at 22:27

Raymond, try booking 'multicity' with your chosen dates.
Check various airlines.

We will fly to Japan later this year, adding a 2 days multicity stopover in Hong Kong on the way took the flight cost of return flights with Cathay down significantly.

Raymond Lin · 19 Jan 2018 at 22:40

Destination said:
Raymond, try booking 'multicity' with your chosen dates.
Check various airlines.

We will fly to Japan later this year, adding a 2 days multicity stopover in Hong Kong on the way took the flight cost of return flights with Cathay down significantly.

Perfect ! I do like BA but I also like Cathay.

Something like this would do nicely.

Destination · 19 Jan 2018 at 22:45

When you go to any of their direct websites, there will be option for one way, return, and multicity.
Chose multicity, and then enter you chosen days and dates for each.
Should allow some options and ideas on price, when you find the best deal, then quidco the purchase too.

Raymond Lin · 19 Jan 2018 at 22:53

Destination said:
When you go to any of their direct websites, there will be option for one way, return, and multicity.
Chose multicity, and then enter you chosen days and dates for each.
Should allow some options and ideas on price, when you find the best deal, then quidco the purchase too.

I never had to do this before, thanks for the tip.

JBuk · 21 Jan 2018 at 12:07

I book my flights as multi stop with Emirates, it is usually the same price as a return but allows me to do stop overs

Sometimes if there's no Emirates route between 2 destinations I'll book a separate flight on an Asian airline, they're usually cheap too

jamoor · 22 Jan 2018 at 02:22

You have two options

Book on either Cathay or Eva air with stopovers in the relevant places.

Or the potentially cheaper method will be to buy an open jaw ticket. Fly into Hong Kong and home from Taipei.

Then you just buy a one way between hk and Taipei.

You can do either of these with a multi stop search on kayak

Rifte · 22 Jan 2018 at 07:03

JBuk said:
I book my flights as multi stop with Emirates, it is usually the same price as a return but allows me to do stop overs

Sometimes if there's no Emirates route between 2 destinations I'll book a separate flight on an Asian airline, they're usually cheap too

This is pretty much what I do.

It can be difficult to extend connects on the same ticket, so I tend to split it into two.

I ALWAYS do this on the way to the US from India (5 day or so stop over back home in Blighty), and I usually do this on the way to Australia with a stop over in Singapore....another great country to spend time in.

Price wise I have never managed to get it any cheaper and it usually adds around 10% (in my experience ) onto the same journey with this method.

Jimbeam3678 · 22 Jan 2018 at 07:31

@Raymond Lin I've done this trip a fair few times with my wife being Taiwanese - Cathay Pacific via Hong Kong is your best bet. Which City is the wedding in? I only ask as you can fly into Taichung from Hong Kong.

StuBob · 22 Jan 2018 at 08:56

Check out https://airwander.com for longer layovers in different cities. Pretty decent website for this type of requirement.

Feef · 22 Jan 2018 at 16:19

Jimbeam3678 said:
@Raymond Lin I've done this trip a fair few times with my wife being Taiwanese - Cathay Pacific via Hong Kong is your best bet. Which City is the wedding in? I only ask as you can fly into Taichung from Hong Kong.

Just to add, Cathay fly to Kaohsiung too should it be even further south. You can fly HKG to Tainan too, but not with Cathay, and nobody comes here anyway

tlrBeta · 22 Jan 2018 at 16:24

As mentioned above, just do multicity and ensure you have linked ticket on the way back.

Enjoy!

Jimbeam3678 · 22 Jan 2018 at 18:01

Feef said:
Just to add, Cathay fly to Kaohsiung too should it be even further south. You can fly HKG to Tainan too, but not with Cathay, and nobody comes here anyway

I did when I was last over there. I stumbled across this place https://www.facebook.com/daisys.tearoom.taiwan/ anywhere near you ?

Feef · 22 Jan 2018 at 20:09

Jimbeam3678 said:
I did when I was last over there. I stumbled across this place https://www.facebook.com/daisys.tearoom.taiwan/ anywhere near you ?

Maybe a 10 minute drive away, pretty sure I've walked past it, but not been myself. I should clarify I meant that nobody flies in to Tainan, though I would like to use the airport one day, can watch the runway from my bedroom balcony, could just walk over there.

It's close enough that the air force recently offered us either double glazing or 2 air conditioners as compensation for the noise of jets taking off over us

Jimbeam3678 · 22 Jan 2018 at 20:22

Can't leave us hanging what did you go for ?