Don muang advice

[Shutree]

have a flight booked to udon thani at 6.00 am so I'm guessing we need to be checking in about 4.00 am

I feel for you BLD. AirAsia have given me a lot of pain.
Get to DMK early, AirAsia have a lot of early flights and on my last visit their checkin was mobbed. Their app makes it look easy to check in ahead of time and just drop your bags using the bagage tag machines but none of that was working when I was there. Like you I had an overnight stop so when I came in to DMK the evening before I used the AirAsia checkin machines at the south end of all the checkin desks to get boarding passes for the next day. Only because the machines were quiet, being at the opposite end of the building to AirAsia checkin counters. It didn't help with luggage though.
Let us know how the Amari works out. I usually use a cheaper option Louis Tavern not too far from the airport but if I was travelling with a family the Amari sounds easier.

[spliff]

Did they get the seats properly fastened to the flooring yet? jeeeeez

[cyrille]

Wait! Shutree...did you actually encounter an AirAsia check-in machine that was working?

My guess is Amari will be overpriced, small but adequate.

That seems to be part of their business model.

[BLD]

Definitely overpriced but certainly convenient. The amari used to be quite cheap as swampy was supposed to be the ONLY bkk airport. When they were forced to reopen don muang the Amari was in the box seat. I thin they may have even spent some money to renovate the old girl? We will see

[Shutree]

Wait! Shutree...did you actually encounter an AirAsia check-in machine that was working?

Once, in Penang. All the signs said you must use the machines but most people couldn't figure it out. I managed to get a baggage tag - success! Then I dragged the bag and pushed in shamelessly at the front of a queue of about 200 people. Then the checkin clerk tore off my baggage tag and replaced it with one she printed. I guess AirAsia don't have anyone looking at Process Management.

[cyrille]

My last AirAsia flight was also from Penang.

The check-in machines stood like midget Easter Island statues as controlled mayhem ensued at the desk.

[aging one]

My guess is Amari will be overpriced, small but adequate.

2500B a night right next to the airport does not seem expensive to me. The rooms are large clean and have been renovated. 429 rooms and suites does not seem small to me either. This price is in peak high season as well.

[cyrille]

2500B a night right next to the airport does not seem expensive to me. The rooms are large clean and have been renovated. 429 rooms and suites does not seem small to me either. This price is in peak high season as well.

It was the rooms I meant would be small, not the number of them.

If you've stayed there then I bow to your superior knowledge.

[aging one]

^ have stayed there, and have had a number of friends stay as well. 32 sq meters for most of the rooms so not large, but not small either.

[Edmond]

Open up yer gaff as a B+B, AO.

Pick 'em up from the airport, don your apron, spread malicious lies about bad-reviewers being pedos, reckon it'd be a goer.

[Shutree]

About 2 days after deciding on this option and booking it I get an email that the schedules totally changed

FWIW, I got an email from NokAir on Saturday. Not a telephone call or anything personal, just an email from "Donotreply@". My long booked flight from Udon Thani to Bangkok on Friday is cancelled. "Your options are blah, blah, blah. Figure it out for yourself. We already have your money, why should we care?"
I am flying to London on Sunday (if that doesn't get cancelled) and I have an appointment with an old lady friend on Saturday, so I needed to sort it out. I figured I could spend a couple of hours making my fingers bleed on the Internet and cursing the laptop or I could do it the old-fashioned way and drive an hour each way to Udon Thani airport where, so far as I know, sits the nearest NokAir agent. In fact it all went well enough, the young man at the desk was helpful if far less attractive than the charming woman who sold me the original ticket. I remained calm and got my new booking on a later flight on Friday. Sorted with a smile.
The point is that whilst AirAsia are a pain, the others are not a great deal better. Every booking is a lottery.

[david44]

In fact it all went well enough, the young man at the desk was helpful if far less attractive than the charming woman who sold me the original ticket. I remained calm and got my new booking on a later flight on Friday. Sorted with a smile.

Coming out gently, welcome to the mile high club and the Tom Boyz

I wish you a good trip I had similar stuff with Nok and Finnair who paid within days, both apologized and offered better deals, will use again.

A ticket for a deceased friend bought Sydney Bangkok took 9 months and a lawyers letter
They kept wanting to offer a seat another date, I asked did they wish to pay to unearth the corpse.
Ironically my friend was a well know Musician and composer, and now a decomposer.
I finally sent the refund to his widow and told her to tell all the family to boycott BA which they have done and use Qantas to visit UK

Scoot took 12 months and again only after threat of legal action

I will never use BA or Scoot again.

[thailazer]

Asia Airport Hotel is another option.
Same location as Zeer Rangsit, just up the road from Don Muang

Used to stay there decades ago and it was old then, but it looks like it has been renovated since. Have you been there recently to give a report?