Bangladesh’s largest airline Biman Bangladesh Airlines is currently offering business class tickets from Rome to Bangkok with a great discount, selling for astonishing €1,129. These flights feature lie-flat-seats on the long segment between Rome and Dhaka, as well as priority services and lounge access.
Sadly, a long overnight layover (arrival at 00:30, departure at 11:30) in Dhaka on the outbound is necessary to get the lowest fare. The inbound also features a long stop (18:00-03:00) in Bangladesh’s capital. To leave the airport during this time, a visa on arrival worth US$51 (~€48) is necessary.
Our availability calendar highlights all possible flight dates at the lowest price for trips up to 28 days. It will forward you to Skyscanner with your selected flight dates. There you can select from a variety of online travel agencies which sell these tickets.
A Boeing 787 operates flights between Rome and Dhaka, featuring lie-flat-seats in a 2-2-2 seating pattern, so you won’t have trouble getting sleep on these flights. You can find a 2019 review of the product here. The review also gives impressions of the lounge at Dhaka airport, where you might spend quite a lot of time.
The 150-Minute flights between Dhaka and Bangkok are Boeing 737 services with recliner seats in a 2-2 seating pattern.
Search & Book
According to the fare rules, tickets are on sale without a sales period for travel between April and October 2024. A very short minimum stay of one day is necessary to get the lowest fare. A maximum stay of four months applies.
Google Flights will help you find additional flight dates or compare prices. You can buy these tickets from OTAs via Skyscanner or directly on Biman’s website, where prices start at €1,170.
Why is booking with an airline better than with an online travel agency?
More often than not, online travel agencies offer lower fares than airlines do. We still recommend booking with the airlines directly. There are two main reasons for that:
Better Customer Service
In case any problems like delays, cancellations or missed connections arise, you can communicate directly with the airline. The airline has to take care of you because you have a contract with them.
If a travel agency issues your ticket, you may have to reach out to them first. You also depend on your OTA to forward information like flight changes instead of receiving them directly from the airline. In many cases, you may get a prime exhibition of responsibility shifting rather than problem-solving.
This especially applies to premium tickets. You don’t want to spend more than €1,000 to wind up with some budget OTA’s telephone hotline in case anything goes wrong.
Baggage and Other Fees
Economy fares not including hold luggage are industry standard by now. In most cases, travel agencies charge much higher baggage fees than the airlines themselves. If bags are not included in your fare, airlines are often the cheaper alternative.
This also applies to other things like food services, insurances or priority treatment. In almost all cases, you pay less for additional amenities when booking on the airlines’ website.
Adding a Stopover in Dhaka
Since you end up spending at least 20 hours in Dhaka anyway, it makes sense to add a stopover in Bangladesh. Tickets include a couple of days in Bangladesh are available at €1,185. You can use our Go2 tool to search for these flights.
For stays up to 30 days, most EU citizens are eligible for a visa on arrival in Bangladesh.
Mileage
Since Biman is not part of any major alliance, your earning opportunities are limited to their own program. All flight segments are ticketed in booking class D.
Cover Picture: © CarinaHofi (Pixabay)