From East and Central USA

Flying eastwards, there are many route options depending on where you want or do not want to stop over. Figure on spending at least 20 hours on planes.


The best consolidated fares are invariably from New York falling in the range of $1200-1500 in low season. Singapore Airlines usually comes in near the top of that range, but has excellent connections and the route avoids political hotspots. Somewhat cheaper tickets may be had on Gulf, Kuwait, Air India, Austrian Airways and various others which often have you crossing the Atlantic with one airline and then switching to another. Qatar Airways which flies to Kathmandu from London (and is slated to start flying out of New York as well) is well worth trying to connect with.


The story is similar from other eastern and mid western cities but fairs may be a slightly higher. In many cases, the cheapest option would be to go via New York to take advantage of the rock bottom consolidated fares from there.  From the Midwest, flying west via Los Angeles may not cost anymore, in case you have got a Far Eastern stopover in mind.


In the autumn and spring tourist high season (late Sep to mid Nov, and late Feb to mid March) flights to Kathmandu – Nepal’s only airport, Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA) fill up months ahead, so book in advance if you wish to travel during these times. As relatively few airlines serve Kathmandu, you may well find yourself making several hopes with two or even three different carriers. Most people book tickets through to Kathmandu, but you can also make your own way to a major regional air hub such as Delhi or Bangkok, and take a separate onward flight from there. These alternative gateways are popular mostly with travelers with longer trips, and those entering Nepal overland from neighboring countries.


Airfares depends on the time of the year, but timing on the high, low and shoulder seasons are calculated differently by each airline and may not always coincide with Nepal’s tourist season. More important is where you are flying from.  You can usually cut costs by going through a specialist flight agent – either a consolidator, which buys up blocks of tickets from the airlines and sells them at a discount, or a discount agent, which in addition to dealing with discounted flights may also offer special student and youth fares and a range of other travel related services. Many airlines and discount travel websites offer you the opportunity to book the tickets online cutting out the costs of agents and middlemen.  Good deals can often be found through discount or auction sites, as well as through the airline’s own websites.


The best way to fly to Kathmandu from North America is via Bangkok, Singapore, Seoul, Hong Kong, Delhi, Abu Dhabi or Doha. Here are just some options: 

 

  • All major airlines from Europe are flying from North America (US and Canada) via Europe to Delhi.
  • Northwest Airlines is flying from the US to Bangkok and then with Thai Airwys to Kathmandu.
  • Continental Airlines is flying from New York (Newark) to Delhi.
  • American Airlines is flying from New York US to Delhi
  • Thai Airways is flying from Los Angeles or New York via Bangkok to Kathmandu.
  • Singapore Airlines is flying from Canada/US to Singapore and then with Silk Air to Kathmandu.
  • Korean Air is flying from Canada/US via Seoul to Kathmandu.
  • Cathey Pacific is flying from Canada/US to Hong Kong and then with Dragonair to Kathmandu.
  • Air India is flying from Los Angeles and New York to Delhi and then with Indian Airlines to Kathmandu. www.airindia.com
  • Etihad Airways is flying from Toronto and New York JFK via Abu Dhabi (UAE) to Kathmandu. www.etihadairways.com
  • Qatar Airways is flying from New York via Doha (Qatar) to Kathmandu. www.qatarairways.com
  • Jet Airways (from India) is flying from Toronto, Newark and New York JFK via Brussels and Delhi to Kathmandu. www.jetairways.com

 

And then there is also Biman Bangladesh Airlines and Pakistan International Airlines flying from Europe and Asia to Kathmandu when you are on a tight budget. From Delhi to Kathmandu you can fly daily: Indian Airlines, Jet Airways, Jet Lite, Nepal Airlines, Cosmic Air or Druk Air of Bhutan (four times a week).

 

 

 Airlines

 From

 To

URL

Qatar Airways

Doha

Kathmandu

www.qatarairways.com

Cathay Pacific

Bangkok

Kathmandu

www.cathaypacific.com

Air Arabia

Sharjah

Kathmandu

www.airarabia.com

ArkeFly

Amsterdam

Kathmandu

www.arkefly.nl

Fly Dubai 

Dubai

Kathmandu

www.flydubai.booksecure.net

Druk Air

Paro - Delhi

Kathmandu

www.drukair.com.bt

Etihad Airways 

Abu Dhabi

Kathmandu

www.etihadairways.com

Gulf Air 

Bahrain

Kathmandu

www.gulfair.com

Dragon Air

Hong Kong

Kathmandu

www.dragonair.com

Indian Airlines

Delhi, Kolkata

Kathmandu

home.airindia.in

Jet Airways

Delhi, Mumbai

kathmandu

www.jetairways.com

JetLite 

Delhi

Kathmandu

www.jetlite.com

Korean Air

Seoul

Kathmandu

www.koreanair.com

Pakistan International Airlines 

Karachi

Kathmandu

www.piac.com.pk

Nepal Airlines

Kathmandu

Bangkok, Delhi, Dubai, Hong Kong, Kuala Lumpur, Osaka, Singapore, Shanghai

www.nepalairlines.com.np

Silk Air 

Singapore

Kathmandu

www.silkair.com

Thai Airways 

Bangkok

Kathmandu

www.thaiairways.com

GMG Airlines

Dhaka

Kathmandu

www.gmgairlines.com

China Southern Airlines 

Guangzhou

Kathmandu

www.csair.com/en

Spice Jet

Delhi

Kathmandu

www.spicejet.com

Kingfisher 

Delhi

Kathmandu

www.flykingfisher.com

Biman Bangladesh

London/Heathrow – Dhaka

Kathmandu

www.iman-airlines.com

Oman Air

Muscat

Kathmandu

www.omanair.com

Bahrain Air

Al Manama

Kathmandu

www.bahrainair.net

Saudi Arabian Airlines

Riyadh

Kathmandu

www.saudiairlines.com

Singapore Airlines

 

Kathmandu

www.singaporeair.com

Air China

A: Chengdu
B: Lhasa

Kathmandu

www.airchina.com

China Eastern

Kunming

Kathmandu

www.flychinaeastern.com

United Airways

Dhaka

Kathmandu

www.uabdl.com

 

Tribhuvan International Airport (KTM) Profile

Location: The airport is situated four miles (6km) east of Kathmandu.


Time: GMT +5.45.


Contacts: Tel: +977 (0)1 470 274.


Coordinates - 274150N - 0852128E


Elevation - 4390 ft.AMSL


Reference Temperature - 27.8 C


Runway Designation - 02/20


Runway Dimension - 10000 ft. x 150 ft.


Runway Surface Strength - 54 F/A/W/T


Transfer between terminals: The small international and domestic terminals are located within easy walking distance of one another.


Getting to the city: A pre-paid taxi service operates from immediately outside the arrival gate. Rates are exhibited on a board and the fare must be paid in advance. Local buses also serve the airport; the journey is 35 minutes and costs around Rs40.


Car rental: Car rental companies are represented.


Airport Taxis: Both pre-paid taxis and normal taxis are available at the airport. Pre-paid taxis are often more expensive than regular taxis hailed outside the airport. Taxi drivers often try to overcharge passengers, so only pay when you are at your destination and agree on a price before getting into the vehicle. Fares into the city are generally NPR 250 during the day and a NPR 50 surcharge at night.


Facilities: Facilities include banks and bureau de change, shops, duty-free, snacks, Internet, post office and tourist information. The airport is well equipped with facilities for those with disabilities.


Departure tax: NRs. 1,356 Per Person for departure to SAARC (South Asian) countries: Bangladesh, Maldives, Bhutan, India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. And NRs. 1,695 for departure to other international destinations and Rs. 169.50 (domestic).


Website: www.tiairport.com.np

Glance of Nepal