Update: I’ve Made it to Bangkok

Hello from Bangkok. My showdown with Ethiopian Airlines is one step closer. I arrived in the middle of the night after a fairly unorthodox routing.

I flew United from Burbank to San Francisco to Hangzhou, one of United’s newer Chinese routes. The flight was fine: wi-fi worked and food was decent. Nice pajamas too!

Choosing Hangzhou as my connection point was deliberate: the point of the trip may be to check out a new Park Hyatt in Bangkok, but there is also a Park Hyatt in Hangzhou I have not reviewed. So that was my first night. Great hotel, btw. A full review is coming.

Then I opted for an Air Asia flight from Hangzhou to Bangkok DMK, the older airport in Bangkok that now serves as a base for the region’s burgeoning network of low-cost-carriers.

I arrived into DMK at 3am in the morning and now I’ll give you some insight into how I think as a traveler. Money doesn’t grow on trees and every dollar I spend is one dollar less for charity, savings, or to lavish my family with.

Not wanting to pay $250+ for what would amount to less than half a night at the new Park Hyatt, I reserved a room at a tiny little inn just a short walk from the airport. Price: $12.

The accommodations were hardly luxurious and wi-fi was slow, but the a/c worked well and I managed to get five hours of sleep, so it was $12 well spent!

Yes, that’s how I roll. A $12 inn sandwiched around two five-star Park Hyatts.

Despite avoiding alcohol and limiting my coffee, I am fairly jetlagged. I’m going to try and relax for the next couple days before the real adventure with Ethiopian begins…

> Read More: Ethiopian Airlines Showdown: I’m Flying to Bangkok