Star Alliance Abandons Siem Reap

Air Asia flies several times a day from Bangkok (DMK) -- Quick 50 minutes, roughly $150/RT. Routing from there can be an option.

wouldn't it be way easier to just take a flight to PP' and they take the boat to SR? such a better way to actually see Cambodia, than fly in fly out...

Ahhhhhh just check my award reservation for next February from LAX-ICN-REP and my ICN-REP has been changed to be operated by Qatar???? Thanks for let us know because I didn't receive any notification email from United.

I had this issue but had used asiana miles. Still decided to fly out of Phnom Penh and use asiana proper

@AC are you sure? QR doesnt serve REP...

Thank God I bought a cheap ticket from BKK to REP with PG & VN.

I know that QR flies BKK to REP, not sure they do REP ICN so you know @AC

@ AC -- Qatar doesn't fly Incheon to Siem Reap either, so you might want to check on that.

@ Mark -- That's very interesting. What did Asiana say when you contacted them? They should have a closer relationship with Air Seoul, obviously, so surprised they canceled outright.

Honestly, it's probably easier to get to REP from BKK than Phnom Penh, be it flying or overland. Cambodia's best highway runs from Siem Reap to the Thai border on the road to Bangkok. From Suvarnabhumi, you're already 25% of the way to the border.

I booked SilkAir using SQ miles for February. Still looks intact. Tiffany, why did you say in your post that SilkAir isn't useful for those who play the points and miles game?

@ Dave -- Oh, you can book most of these subsidiary carriers using miles from the "primary" program, but not those of other Star Alliance partners. So you can use KrisFlyer miles on SilkAir, but can't use Aeroplan miles, etc.

@Dave I dont think SilkAir is bookable with United miles - is it? That could be what she meant. Also, she's referring to tickets that included travel on Asiana's ICN-REP flights, which was the last full service Star Alliance airline serving REP

ThaiSmile flies from BKK, to REP, so you might be able to find award flights or at least accrue to the airport.

There was never much a star Alliance traffic to/presence in REP so this is no biggie.

This year will be my 4th in a row going to REP and so far I've had to pay cash for a ticket to get there because TG, which reigns supreme in the region these days, offered no award tickets out of BKK or SIN. SQ offers nothing either. The BKK-REP flight is about 1hr and revenue tickets are cheap. So, I have paid to fly on Air Asia once and the rest of times on Bangkok Airways (PG), including this coming trip, because *A presence in REP is close to nil...OZ might have been it, but they were likely good only for folks coming from N-Asia

Sounds like the easiest option, if you have an award ticket, would be to get the carriers to agree to change your destination to BKK or Phnom Penh. Flights to REP from PP are plentiful, short, and cheap. Angkor Air operates many flights per day on that route. My experience with them a few years ago was perfectly pleasant (although it PP it took them a long time for them to deliver the checked luggage, and the arrival hall was open to the Cambodian heat).

Bangkok Airways. Cheap and they serve a full meal BKK-REP ! Done deal

@Tiffany, I think it's a glitch from United to show the flight was changed to a Qatar flight. Anyway I'm able to move our flight one day early to flight to PNH. Now we have to pay one extra night at PNH plus the airfare to REP. At least we are prepared ahead and not on the day of our travel!

This happened to me on an upcoming trip planned in mid-November. The ticket was a United award in Global First from CLT-IAD-PEK-REP with Air China operating the final leg to REP. United was proactive and called me 3-months ago to alert me that Air China cancelled the route and they started working to find an alternate; perhaps because I am 1K but nevertheless, much appreciated. I ended up speaking with 4 separate agents in hopes of getting someone to fly me on a non-partner airline to REP, but no luck. United did open up a Global First (O) fare from CLT-ORD-HKG-BKK with the final leg operated by Thai in First. I will have an overnight layover in BKK before departing on my own paid ticket (Bangkok Air) to REP. Ultimately costing me more time and money but I was pleased with United's willingness to do as much as possible to get me to my destination without Star Alliance options. I'm looking forward to a great trip in November!

thanks for this ... i have an upcoming ICN-PNH flight on OZ using UA miles. i'll keep a close watch on that one just in case.

@Richard You'll have to check out the Bangkok Airways lounge at BKK - its a crack up. A pile of finger sandwiches with everyone circling it with cocked labrador heads like "how do i approach this" .. great airline though, they won regional airline of the year from skytrax or something ...

and yet, Dragon Air can be booked with AA miles. Seems like a win for oneworld.

Just to clarify: I'm flying Silkair as a Singapore flight number from Singapore to Siem Reap next month, paid ticket. This flight is not affected, right? It's just Asiana flights?

Silkair (MI) is operating as usual. REP is just like JOG; x amount of flights per week to provide foreign tourists connecting from Singapore Airlines (SQ) transport to the classic antiquities. If flying business class from REP a lounge is available.

Fly to BKK and make a connection Star Alliance Thai Airways has 2 flights a day.

@Mallard84 'cocked labrador heads' I can't stop giggling like a schoolgirl at your comments. Thanks for cheering me up, mate!

Sorry if this dumb question - am I good on China Eastern? They are Sky team I believe. Maybe I should call to be safe?

NH started serving PNH from NRT in September. Using Star Alliance miles with NH, and connecting with a paid ticket with K6 from PNH to REP is what I'm doing just now. The K6 ticket set me back USD 25++ per way.

I dont see the issue. Plenty of airlines flying to Siem Riep. If by all means it has to be Star Alliance use Thai. Or book SilkAir with SQ miles. Or by a short haul from somewhere.

Shouldn't you still be able to earn *alliance miles even if you're flying on Thai Smile? It's still a Thai Airways flight that is operated by Thai Smile...as opposed to say, the SilkAir flight, which isn't a Singapore Airways flight operated by SilkAir; it's just a SilkAir flight.

Oh well. At least SkyTeam and Oneworld still have some options.

@ RCB -- Yes, you're fine.

@ nick @ Ron @ Julia -- Thai Smile isn't a Star Alliance partner. So no mileage accrual outside of ROP, elite benefits, lounge access, international baggage allowance, or even the option to have bags interlined from a carrier other than Thai.

None of those are insurmountable obstacles, of course, but they're worth knowing about if you already have a ticket issued, or were counting on Star Alliance benefits in any way.

@ Julia -- Good question, but no. With Star Alliance you earn miles based on the operating carrier, so if your flight number starts with "WE" (the code for Thai Smile) you won't earn miles.

@ Eddie -- You're fine.

Tiffany, this is valuable information you're providing, but relevant only to a very small segment of the OMAAT audience; I'm not sure it required over 1,100 words. Consider brevity for your next blog.

Interesting, because if you book a flight on Thai's website for BKK-REP, this what it shows:

"Thai Airways International (TG2588) operated by Thai Smile Airways"

Welp... Hopefully my itinerary still matches up because I had to book a specific schedule in order to be able to make it to Siem Reap in Jan before heading back to Chicago for work.

1/6/17 I'm supposed to depart Ho Chi Minh via Vietnam Airlines (Operated by Cambodia Ankor Air)
1/7/17 I'm supposed to depart Siem Reap via China Eastern Airlines.

From reading... It seems like I dodged a bullet by not selecting the Asiana flight I nearly booked. But seems like those who booked with a Star Alliance member are going to make that an interesting trip to the airport.

Korean flew from ICN as of Monday (lots of award space), as of Wednesday 11/2, there is no inventory showing for awards or purchase.

I was trying to book a one way partner award with Krisflyer miles, REP-SIN-NRT-OR (last leg on ANA metal) and they would not allow it as one award ticket. I could start fromy SIN for one award, but starting fron REP would mean two awards. I still do not understand why. I called twice. Does anyone have any insight?

I think Korean dropped their flight as of Feb 2017. Maybe be going low cost airline