1. Get on those new Asian routes for a quick getaway

New routes often come with promotions to get them in the public eye. Bangkok Airways, for example, is now flying direct to Danang, which is close to historic cities Hue and Hoi An—two of the most iconic sites in Vietnam. Round-trip tickets cost from B8,710. AirAsia is also adding a direct Bangkok-Shantou connection, making it easier than ever to reach the Teochew city and its culinary delicacies, with one-way tickets from B4,980. Thai Lion Air is also operating a new Bangkok-Yangon route, with a dirt cheap 3-days-2-nights package including airfaire for B4,200.

2. Or go inter with destinations that offer a change from Paris, London and Tokyo.

AirAsia has also announced flights to Barcelona in 2017, making it cheaper than ever to get the buzzing Catalonian capital, with prices starting from BTK. THAI Airways will also resume flights to Tehran (Iran) in October and Moscow (Russia) in November.

Credit: Creative Commons Airbus A330-200 - SriLankan Airlines (4R-ALG) by Beata May

3. Know where to snag cheap business- and first-class flights

Look for second-tier airlines that are not necessarily flying out of Bangkok. SriLankan is a recent addition to the OneWorld Alliance. The airline's brand new Airbus A330-300s fly to many European destinations like London (LHR), Paris (CDG), and Frankfurt (FRA). These new birds are equipped with reverse herringbone lie-flat seats in business class—identical to those found on the more expensive Cathay Pacific’s planes. From Bangkok, you will need to connect in Colombo (CMB), which is just a short 3.5 hr flight. You can bank the miles flown with any OneWorld members like Cathay Pacific or Japan Airlines. We’ve also found cheap deals on Vietnam Airlines  (via Ho Chi Minh City, good for flights to Europe), China Southern (via Guangzhou, good for flight to Australia), Finnair (via Helsinki) and Air India (via Delhi).

4. Box Hotels in Airports

For those of you keen to catch cheap flights, you’re bound to get stuck with a long layover at some point. The good news is, it’s getting cheaper to get a proper bed at major international airports thanks to box hotels that offer capsule-style rooms, which can be rented by the hour or the day. Hanoi recently launched one, with rooms at B200/hour and B,1000 for 24 hours. Don Mueang and Suvarnabhumi, too, now have their own—but prices are not very competitive for us locals. Elsewhere in the world, look for Yotel in London, New York and Amsterdam; Napcabs in Munich; Sleepbox in Mosco; and Snoozecub in Dubai.

5. Plan your duty-free shopping spree

We love the ritual of starting a trip with some duty-free shopping. Except that if you get to the airport as late as we usually do, it's less of a ritual and more of a frantic grab and go. Here are some tips to make your next pre-flight shopping session a bit more relaxed.

• With four different branches located in the downtown areas, you can visit King Power Rangnam, Sriwaree, Pattaya or Phuket at your leisure, before your trip. The Rangnam branch is easily reached as it's a short walk from BTS Victory Monument while Sriwaree is close to Suvarnabhumi International Airport. Both are open 10am-9pm so there’s no need to rush!

• In fact, at King Power, you can shop up to 60 days before your trip and your goodies will be waiting for you at the airport.

• You might even find something to take home right there and then: King Power products with blue price tags can be taken home without flying them out of the country.

• With up to 20-percent discounts on many products for registered members, registering is the smartest way to save on watches, accessories, bags, perfume, liquor and electronics.

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