Thai in Business Class on Bangkok-Singapore: it gets better

I had a mixed impression of my Thai Airways flight from Singapore to Bangkok. Did the return flight change my mind?

Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport. Here Thai is playing at home so I expect a different performance than in Singapore, the quality of the salon and the services that were offered there having weighed a lot in my previous disappointment.

We start with the very fast check-in. There was no one there, but on the plus side, you could take a seat.

Enregistrement SIlver Silk - BKK

Express passing to the various controls and on the way to the lounge. It is the issue with Bangkok airport : you walk a lot. Really a lot. Nice when you have time and want to go shopping in one of the numerous luxury boutiques of the airport but tiring in the long run when you want to go straight to the essential.

Compared to my experience on the outbound flight, the lounge looks much better and the first glance at the buffet reassures me. After a closer inspection, if the catering offer is more important and varied than in Singapore, it remains very disappointing in variety. At least this time it is eatable, but there is no reason to be ecstatic.

Thai Royal Silk Lounge - Terminal C BKK

Thai Royal Silk Lounge - Terminal C BKK

Thai Royal Silk Lounge - Terminal C BKK

In short, either Asian airlines are overrated or we Europeans are far too critical of our respective national airlines. In any case it is just worthy of a business lounge on an international flight.

I was pleasantly surprised when I boarded and discovered the cabin: this time I was flying on a Boeing 777 and the cabin, even if it was not state-of-the-art, corresponded to market standards. A 1-2-1 configuration with a “full-flat” seat even though on a two-hour flight this is of little importance.

Cabine Business Thai 77W

Cabine Business Thai 77W

 

Cabine Business Thai 77W

The IFE is also worthy of the name with a large selection of films, some of which are in French version, not even subtitled.

As on the outward journey, the restaurant service is largely sufficient (provided you like the local cuisine). In any case, it is difficult to criticize a 2-hour flight: more would be too much, even unrealistic. So you shouldn’t expect creative gastronomy but it’s simple, good and efficient.

Menu Business - Thai

Menu Business - Thai

The order is taken before takeoff and the service is very fast.

I was about to give this flight an excellent rating when I decided to overzealously test the seat in the bed position. Bad news: if it is indeed “full-flat”, my 1m88 doesn’t fit lying down. One will have to bend his knees or make his neck suffer.

To take this picture I had my neck at 90°, not only because I had to frame it but anyway because I could not do otherwise.

 

Cabine Business Thai 77W

That’s the only bad grade. Futile on such a short flight (although at certain times some might like to take a quick nap) but somewhat surprising and not in a good way.

What do I retain from it?

This flight partially erased my disappointment of the outbound flight.

Even if it is a bit old the cabin is quite presentable and in any case more than sufficient on such a flight. This is the ambiguity of such a journey. A product largely superior to what we can have in Europe on such routes but, precisely, since the service is close to that of a long-haul flight, it is more comparable to this type of flight. And we are talking about an airline known for the quality of its services, so we naturally expect a lot. However, the ” too short bed ” part, even if it has no importance on its flight, surprises me and leaves a mixed impression.

The in-flight service is beyond criticism unless you don’t like Asian food. I don’t see how we can do more on such a flight.

On the other hand – and I’ve heard this from others who have had similar experiences in recent times – Thai seems to have a real problem with catering in its lounges. Even “at home”. The lounge itself is very presentable but the catering offer lacks variety and is not extraordinary in quality. Being, moreover, arrived at the lounge on the slot of the lunch I expected something else.

It is difficult to judge on such short flights but if this return flight was without reproach for the air part I still expected a little better from an airline with the reputation of Thai Airways, especially on the lounge part. It’s good, even very good in some aspects but I didn’t feel the thing that makes me say “I’m flying on one of the best airlines in the world”. Or maybe the reputation of the airline is a bit overrated.

The complete story of the flight is on flight report.

The complete photo album is here.

Bertrand Duperrin
Bertrand Duperrinhttp://www.duperrin.com
Compulsive traveler, present in the French #avgeek community since the late 2000s and passionate about (long) travel since his youth, Bertrand Duperrin co-founded Travel Guys with Olivier Delestre in March 2015.
1,324FansLike
954FollowersFollow
1,272FollowersFollow
370SubscribersSubscribe

Trending posts

Recent posts