Lukla flight - How about oneway, return?

[arunachala]

Hi,
I've the idea to do this Jiri-EBC/Gokyo-Lukla and flyout in late September around 25th.
So, questions, Will this idea work to get a one way return ticket from Lukla?
Is it possible to book the ticket in Lukla? or do i have to do the advanced booking in Kathmandu?
And how much will it be(current price) for a one way ticket and for a return ticket?
And the final question, will there be troubles with the flight & weather around the late Sept or early Oct in that area?
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[Escher]

I think the price has gone up recently (due to fuel costs) - maybe $120 one way now (double for return). It used to be $96 one way before the fuel hikes.

I would book it with an agent in Kathmandu if you know the rough date you will be flying back, lots of people walk in from Jiri and fly out so it isn't hard to arrange. When you get back to Lukla just give your ticket to the lodge owner and they will arrange for you to go on the next available flight. You can arrange it in Namche or Lukla but personally I would like to have a paper ticket already so I can just get on with the trekking. But arranging it in any of those places will do. In any case they normally sort out when you are flying out of Lukla when you arrive after your trek - you aren't exactly booked on flight X at 10.00am for a particular date - that just isn't how it works. Just make sure your ticket is for after the date you will arrive back in Lukla so that they are arranging your flight for you earlier than your intended date. After may be a problem.

Make sure you have extra days to play with before you have to go home as Lukla can be clouded in at any time. However these days they are very efficient in clearing the backlog when things are held up. However the normal experience is you either fly out the next day or wait a day or two at most. Some people do get trapped for longer as the planes will not fly without visibility but it is unlikely at that time of year. It is a busy time of year so there will be lots of groups going out and coming in. If you are lucky that lots of groups are coming in but less going out then there will plenty of spaces. Just allow some extra time and you will be fine.

[yakshaver]

I agree with Escher in terms of having a couple of extra days available in case of the weather causing flight cancellations. Especially that you're going in September.

I think at that time, you can allow yourself the luxury of booking a flight in Lukla, the day you arrive back from Namche. It would not be high season yet. And you give yourself the flexibility to fly with any of the 4-5 airlines plying the route. If you book in KTM, you are tied to one airline. You do this in high season, to be sure... But flying out in Septmenber is not high season, so I don't think there will be lots of people tripping over each other to fly to Kathmandu. You can allow yourself to be flexible.

[Escher]

I guess I didn't read this thread properly. But based on the other thread I assumed that you were going to the AC in early September and are going for Jiri late September. If the other thread is right bear in mind that OCtober is the busiest time of year. Whereas as YS says September will be quieter.

From the other thread:-
Quote:
Originally Posted by kegarne
Late Sept is one of the best times to trek in from Jiri to EBC. I have done it twice, and there were no crowds and fine mountain views all the way.
I may have been lucky those years as sometimes the monsoon can run late so it really depends......I would give it a shot....


great. so, its the exact plan now, AC early Sept. Then to EBC in late Sept.
And now I have yet another question, do you know about how the flight thing works to & from Lukla? Im thinking to do the trek first then to fly back, will it be possible to book the return ticket over there at Lukla ? or in case if i book it in advance how does it works if the flights gets canceled caz of the bad weather? can i fly any other day or do they cancel the ticket? plus how much does it costs now a days for a one way trip?

[Oli]

Agreeing with Escher & Yakshaver.....

You ought to be able to roll up in Lukla one afternoon (but maybe not evening) and get a seat on a flight back to Kathmandu then next morning - assuming that its not cloudy and busy/high season. Conversely, if you buy your return flight in Kathmandu then you can usually change your flight to an earlier day, but if you are late back to Lukla and miss your flight you will have to pay again. I think that you can also arrange a flight from Namche. You might have to pay a small premium on the ticket price but it might be worth it if you are running out of time and need to dash from Namche to Lukla in a day and want to maximize your chance of a flight out the following morning.

If the weather is cloudy and they can't fly you back on the day on your ticket then you'll just have to wait for the skies to clear and they will get you back on the next available flight. Seat reallocation is ad hoc and probably based on who has the best contacts as much as how long you've had to wait. And the airline with the most planes will clear their backlog soonest (Yeti Airlines?).

The best weather window is early morning. As soon as there is light and the clouds clear they will start flying. If conditions are marginal they might have to wait a few hours for the clouds to clear in Lukla before leaving Kathmandu, and sometimes planes can be halfway to Lukla when the clouds pull in and the have to turn round and go back to Kathmandu. When the skies are clear there will be flights in and out all day long.

You should also try to get yourself a seat on the earliest flight of the day. It's more a case of you go on the first or third flight rather than at 6am or 10.30am. If there are delays to the schedule then the people with early tickets will be more likely to get back to Kathmandu that day.

My advice would be to buy your ticket in Kathmandu for a couple of days before you HAVE to get back, and bear in mind that date is liable to change by a couple of days if you are early or the weather is bad. For best views fly POSH (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Port_Out%2C_Starboard_Home), be at the front of the queue to get on the plane. ;)

ps: Escher, please add this thread to the FAQ (http://www.trekinfo.com/forums/showthread.php?t=9042&highlight=flights), the "flights" link there is for international
pps: I recently noticed the FAQ needs a note on "tents (http://www.trekinfo.com/forums/showthread.php?t=15064)" & "camping (http://www.trekinfo.com/forums/showthread.php?t=14998)"
ppps: FAQ "other regions (http://www.trekinfo.com/forums/showthread.php?t=9042&highlight=regions)" needs more Manaslu & Kanchenjunga

[arunachala]

[QUOTE=Escher]I guess I didn't read this thread properly. But based on the other thread I assumed that you were going to the AC in early September and are going for Jiri late September. If the other thread is right bear in mind that OCtober is the busiest time of year. Whereas as YS says September will be quieter.

But I'll be starting late sept around the 25th from Jiri then back around the 10th Oct. Do you guys think it will crowded that early?
And I have no problems to wait for couple of days there in Namche or in Lukla, no hurry, but just want to be sure that i can book the flight from a day before or two in Lukla or Namche(which raises another question, where would it be better to book?, with your experience) when im ready to fly back. i really dont want to do the advanced booking in Kathmandu.
tips?
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[Escher]

But I'll be starting late sept around the 25th from Jiri then back around the 10th Oct. Do you guys think it will crowded that early?


Yes I think it will be crowded or at least just starting to get very crowded. A lot of the big camping groups arrive in the Khumbu just as you are going down. I assume if you are only spending 15 days that you are going into one valley only (5-7 days Jiri to Namche - 10 days up one valley and back to Lukla - you won't have a great deal of acclimatisation in reserve from the Throung La as you don't stay high that long on the AC so you still need to pace yourself above Namche). I would head up to Gokyo instead of EBC. It is a nicer valley and less crowded and you still get great views of Everest. But if you have more time I would include the Cho La too and visit both valleys.



And I have no problems to wait for couple of days there in Namche or in Lukla, no hurry, but just want to be sure that i can book the flight from a day before or two in Lukla or Namche(which raises another question, where would it be better to book?, with your experience) when im ready to fly back. i really dont want to do the advanced booking in Kathmandu.
tips?

I would head to Lukla if you have some spare days and get your ticket there. The likelihood is you will get on a flight the next day as groups will be coming in and not many will be going out. Just ask the lodge owner - they will sort everything out for you - no hassle.

[daras]

Hi,
We was in Gokyo valley 25.09-10.10.2006. There was no problem with crowd and weather. In some places in Gokyo Valley [Dole) we was alone (with no other trekkers). After Gokyo Ri my wife had got a sinusitis and there was not possibility to cross ChoLa as we planned before. We've back down Gokyo Valley (on second side of DudhKoshi) to Porhse [with nobody on the trail]. Then we went to Dingboche and made some side trips (Chhukung, AmaDablam's Lake).
We back to Lukla 9.10 from NB late afternoon to fix our flight to KTM. The man in YeatiAirlines in Lukla - offered us the back flight .... within 15min, becasue the last plane from KTM just landed. The was no crowd, no troubles with weather.
Ok, Maybe a little bit more trekkers when we was back from Dingboche - but it was OK too.
We've got the last plane from Lukla 5:00pm [?]; There was a lot of clouds and rain in Lukla - and our flight tooks apr. 75min!! We turned to the East - wher the weather was better without clouds and rains.
... therefore this year we plan to trek again between 20.09-20.10, so see you on the trail

[Oli]

Namche to Lukla and flight back to Kathmandu in a day is pretty good going

I've had an experience at the other end of the scale...

A few years ago, early October, I was heading up to Lukla for a trek with a young lady I had met in Kathmandu. She already had booked an early flight and when I bought my ticket it was for later in the day. By the time I had checked in she was already in Lukla but the clouds had come in and the planes couldn't fly, I waited at the airport for hours but there were no more flights that day. I had my ticket amended and returned the following morning, but it was still very cloudy up at Lukla, I think a couple of planes took off but couldn't land and had to return to KTM, I just spent most of the day waiting at the airport. When I returned to check in at dawn neck morning I made a drama at check-in - telling them how my young lady friend was stranded up alone in Lukla, we hadn't been able to get in contact and that is the Gods permitted any flight today then I begged for them to get me on it. Fortunately the skies were clear, and was very relieved to see my friend waiting for me at the airport gate in Lukla.

So I think that the flight to/from Lukla is like most other things in Nepal - good & easy if it all goes according to plan, but that doesnt always happen so prepare to be a bit flexible and patient, it'll probably work out well in the end.