He joins the group tour in Hanoi on 6 October and flies back with them on 20 October — but travels independently, coming up from Ko Phangan instead of out of Tel Aviv.
Everything else is settled — this isn't. The group's paperwork says IZ596 on 20/10, but that flight has zero seats in public inventory that day, in economy and business. It sells fine on the Tuesdays either side (6, 13, 27 Oct). Meanwhile IZ590 on the 20th is wide open.
Two readings, and they lead opposite ways:
One question to the operator — flight number and departure time off the group's ticket — decides it.
| Flight | Runs in Oct | Hanoi → Tel Aviv | On 20/10 | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| IZ596 | Tue 6, 13, 27 | 17:25 → 01:55+1 | Sold out | — |
| IZ590 | 8, 12, 16, 20, 24, 28 | 19:00 → 03:40+1 | Available | $1,062 |
IZ590 business is $2,361. Note IZ590 runs an unusual every-four-days cycle in October rather than a fixed weekday — probably why it didn't look like a real scheduled option. From 29 Oct Arkia moves the 590 number to a new Ho Chi Minh City route, so searching by number may surface confusing Saigon results. That doesn't affect the 20th.
First Thong Sala → Samui crossings run about 08:00, take 30–45 min, plus ~20 min to the airport. So any Samui departure before ~10:00 means overnighting on Samui the night before — which partly defeats the point of him staying with you.
Relaxed morning ferry off Phangan, no rush, lands Hanoi the night before. He sleeps in Hanoi and meets the group when they land at 14:05 on the 6th.
Book on Kiwi →Arrives 10 minutes before the group — elegant, and saves a hotel night. But it needs a Samui overnight anyway, and has zero buffer: if the Samui leg slips he misses the group's first day entirely. For $10 less, not a trade worth taking.
There's also a $242 option that day (PG102 07:50 → VZ930 → Hanoi 13:10), same Samui-overnight caveat.
On an Israeli passport he needs one. Because he arrives independently — different flight, likely a different day — any visa letter or on-arrival arrangement the operator made for the group very likely won't cover him. The e-visa is online, about $25, and takes a few working days. Worth confirming with the operator rather than assuming he's included.
| When | What |
|---|---|
| → 5 Oct | With you in Ko Phangan |
| Sun 5 Oct | Ferry to Samui → fly Samui–Bangkok–Hanoi, lands 21:05. Night in Hanoi. |
| Mon 6 Oct | Group lands Hanoi 14:05 on IZ595 (departed TLV 22:30 on the 5th). Tour starts. |
| 6 → 20 Oct | Group tour |
| Tue 20 Oct | Flies home with the group, Hanoi 19:00 → Tel Aviv 03:40 on the 21st (pending flight-number confirmation) |