1) SriLankan Airlines (UL) 

SriLankan is a recent addition to the OneWorld Alliance. The airlines’ 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. Do note that some of the A330-200 variants come with old recliner seats, so watch out for those (luckily they are more often used on shorter regional routes.) 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. Round-trip fares to Europe start at B66,900.

2) Vietnam Airlines (VN)

Vietnam Airline is Southeast Asia’s emerging player in long-haul aviation. Vietnam now flies brand new Boeing 787 Dreamliners and Airbus A350s to London (LHR), Paris (CDG), and Frankfurt (FRA). The Dreamliners and A350s have lie-flat seats in business class, but be cautious as some older planes with old recliner seats are still being flown on some dates. You will need to transit in HCMC or Hanoi, either of which are under 1.5 hr from Bangkok. As a Skyteam member, Vietnam Airlines will let you bank your miles with any of its Skyteam peers like Korean Air and Delta. Round-trip fares to Europe start at just B58,900.

3) China Southern (CZ)

China Southern is a major Chinese carrier whose base in Guangzhou (CAN) is only 1.5 hr from Bangkok. The best deal is to Sydney, Australia (SYD) where Airbus A330s with fully flat seats in business class are deployed. China Southern is a member of Skyteam, so you accrue your miles with the likes of Korean Air and Delta. A round-trip ticket to Sydney will run you around B73,300.

4) Finnair (AY)

Starting this winter, this Finnish carrier will fly the state-of-the-art Airbus A350 daily from Bangkok to Helsinki (HEL) where you can conveniently connect onto other European or east coast USA destinations. Finnair is a member of OneWorld Alliance, so you will be able to bank the miles flown with any OneWorld members. Prices start at B72,300 to Europe and B92,300 to USA.