Ben10 From Thailand, joined Apr 2008, 19 posts, RR: 0 Posted (1 year 7 months 1 week 4 days 19 hours ago) and read 20022 times:
Hello Everyone,
This is my first TR here on Airliners.Net. In fact, I've just joined this website a few days ago. Anyway this TR is based on a flight I've taken about a year ago so I'll try my best to recall the details. I hope you enjoy reading it. Any feedback is greatly appreciated.
Ben
Airline: Thai Airways International (TG)
Route: Bangkok Suvarnabhumi (BKK) - London Heathrow T3 (LHR)
Flight: TG910
Date: 7 June 2007
Time: 01:30AM
Duration: 12 hour
Arrival Time: 7:30AM
Class: Royal First (F)
Seat: 1A
Load factor: 80%
Special Meal: Pad Thai Lobster Tail
Ben10 From Thailand, joined Apr 2008, 19 posts, RR: 0 Reply 1, posted (1 year 7 months 1 week 4 days 19 hours ago) and read 20017 times:
Check-In
------------------------
Premium Check-In at Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport is very good, especially for TG Royal First Class passengers. I was greeted at the curbside by porters who helped me with my luggage.
The check-in process was completed at a comfortable lounge area.
I was then escorted through immigration fast-track to the Royal First Class lounge where I took a buggy ride through the business class.
The Lounge
------------------------
The lounge dragons were friendly and appeared to be smiling genuinely. The lounge was quite empty at the time I arrived, it was about 10pm.
There were plenty empty seats around.
The interior design was very warm and gives a feeling of calm and serenity. It lacks the 'Thai touch' though.
The "private room" is pretty much like a living room. Consisting of a sofa set, a B&O TV (Thai channels only) and a work desk with powerport and Wi-Fi. Air conditioning fluctuated between very warm to freezing.
Ben10 From Thailand, joined Apr 2008, 19 posts, RR: 0 Reply 2, posted (1 year 7 months 1 week 4 days 19 hours ago) and read 20005 times:
It's strange to me how they've spent US$6,000 on a Bang & Olufsen TV set and fails to connect it to a US$50 a month cable service. There were only Thai free TV channels available.
Pre-Flight Dining
----------------------------
The lounge has its own dining room with alacarte menu and wine list. The portions were small so you will need to order quite a few dishes if you're hungry. Dom Perignon is not served in this lounge, I believe they serve NV Moet Brut.
Ben10 From Thailand, joined Apr 2008, 19 posts, RR: 0 Reply 3, posted (1 year 7 months 1 week 4 days 19 hours ago) and read 19996 times:
Bathroom
--------------------
The lounge has about 10 private powder rooms and about 5 shower rooms. There are attended by two cleaners who are always there.
Shower room amenities.
Very refreshing, powerful shower.
Royal Orchid Spa
-----------------------
Thai Airways have an exclusive spa facility for First and Business class passengers. First class passengers are entitled to a full 60/90 minute of Thai/Oil full-body massage and Business class passengers a 30 minute head/shoulder/foot massage.
Ben10 From Thailand, joined Apr 2008, 19 posts, RR: 0 Reply 4, posted (1 year 7 months 1 week 4 days 19 hours ago) and read 19971 times:
Boarding
-------------------------------------
Thai Airways have a strange boarding sequence, First Class passengers are the last group to be called for boarding. This is because they want F pax to maximize their time in the lounge/spa. I was one of the last people to board the aircraft.
I was escorted to the gate although there were no fast-track lane for security screening. The boarding area was already deserted by the time I arrive.
The route
------------------------------------
BKK-LHR
Fbgdavidson From United Kingdom (England), joined Oct 2004, 3409 posts, RR: 34 Reply 9, posted (1 year 7 months 1 week 4 days 2 hours ago) and read 17990 times:
Nice work so far and welcome to airliners.net!
Quoting Ben10 (Reply 1): It's strange to me how they've spent US$6,000 on a Bang & Olufsen TV set and fails to connect it to a US$50 a month cable service.
It is possible B&O gave Thai, or even pay Thai to have the television put there. Promise of lots of wealthy First Class passengers (potential B&O customers) enjoying the television is just another form of advertising. I know that publishers fight over eachother to get their magazines put in the BA's lounges.
"My first job was selling doors, door to door, that's a tough job innit" - Bill Bailey
Ben10 From Thailand, joined Apr 2008, 19 posts, RR: 0 Reply 10, posted (1 year 7 months 1 week 3 days 20 hours ago) and read 17606 times:
CONTINUED..............
Personal LED reading lamp. The brightness was adjustable. I prefer a "goose neck" style like on BA as it's more flexible.
Dom Perignon '99. Came in a tray (not poured at seat).
My iPod + Shure E4c and TG's noise canceling cans
Touch screen AVOD IFE. The selections were pretty good. I can't complain much except the small-ish screen size compared to CX/SQ or even TG business class (B777-200ER).
Menu (i forgot to take a photograph of the english pages)
For this certain flight, the menu is as follow (sorry about my crude translation):
Appetizer - smoked ham/salmon and stuff
Main course
-----------------
roasted chicken with pasta
or
lamb and pasta
or
thai prawn curry and rice (also offered in business/economy)
or
grilled salmon and rice (also offered in business)
or
thai beef noodle
Assorted breads
Cheese selections and port
Fresh fruits
Dessert - assorted Thai desserts and chocolate cake
Tea (Earl Gray, Darjl Jeeling, Oolong, Green), Hot Chocolate, or Coffee (Cappucino, Espresso)
THAI inflight catering in premium cabins is not up to a standard I would have expected. Although it is "adequate". The caviar entree has been eliminated due to cost cutting. Unlike Singapore Airlines, THAI does not team up with leading restaurant or chefs to create innovative dishes. Instead, it allows First class pax to pre-order meals from a selection of about 20 dishes (lobster thermidor and thai dishes among the selections) - this menu has not been changed for years.
I pre-ordered PHAD THAI GLASS NOODLE WITH LOBSTER. It was pretty good and the portion was generous.
Overall, I'd rate the meal service 3 stars and a half. The FAs seem to have rushed through the courses to get their work done quickly so they can retire to their sleep (and of-course to turn the cabin lights off and put the passengers to sleep). Dishes were brought to the seat by hand (no tray or cart). Cutlery were plastics but this has been changed to metals this year.
Flying over Poland, approaching LHR in a few hours
Breakfast table set up
Croissant, cereal, youghurt, coffee (small cup! i'd like a regular big mug).
Some yucky western breakfast (i complained and the FA prepared me a Thai noodle)
Much better Asian style breakfast - fish balls soup noodle
----------------------------
Random
Ottoman and shoes storage
Hermes Amenity Kit contents
TG Publications
Luggage Tags
The plane I flew (interior retrofitted but exterior livery is old)
-------------------------------------------------
Conclusion
----------------
Thanks for your patience while I sorted out this review. I am new to Airliners.Net and to the posting system (didn't know how to use HTML Image embedding thing and i ran out of the upload space this site provided).
My apologies for poor photo quality. I used a Canon IXUS 900 Titanium with the flash turned off and set the ISO quite high (resulting in very noisy photos).
You may find that this review lacks of lot of detailed writing. The reason for this is simply because I can't remember much about that flight, it was quite uneventful (which is good, i guess)! On my next reviews I will be more detailed as my memory from the flights should be fresh. Any tips on how to do a good TR would be highly appreciated.
My rating for this particular flight
------------------------------------------------
Check in: 10/10 (faultless)
Lounge: 9/10 (would be 10 with cable TV, better air conditioning and better quality drinks)
Ground service: 10/10 (creme de la creme)
In-flight service: 7.5/10 (old chatty FAs, greeted me by name, rushed service, not very personalised).
Seat: 8/10 (comfortable bed, lacks privacy)
Food: 6/10
Value: 9/10 (for US$6,000 return, this is a bargain)
Overall: very good and well worth the money. i'd fly TG F over BA/SQ C anytime for roughly the same price.
Singapore_Air From United Kingdom, joined Nov 2000, 13606 posts, RR: 25 Reply 13, posted (1 year 7 months 1 week 2 days 15 hours ago) and read 16140 times:
An interesting trip report Ben10.
01 OCTOBER 2009: This user has retired from aviation to the status of lurker. Thanks Airliners.net for some great times
FAH345 From United States, joined Dec 2007, 60 posts, RR: 0 Reply 14, posted (1 year 7 months 1 week 2 days 8 hours ago) and read 15760 times:
Cool report! Food looks yummy!
I flew TG's J class last year and especially loved the smell of BVLGARI Parfumee. Sprayed almost 1/4 bottle in the lavatory. Hope I didn't poisoned the passenger used the loo right after..!
Did flight attendant hand out the fresh orchid pin to passengers during the flight? Or before disembarkation?
Airbus3801 From United States, joined Apr 2004, 1078 posts, RR: 7 Reply 16, posted (1 year 7 months 1 week 2 days 4 hours ago) and read 15515 times:
Good first trip report, they are quite a daunting task that I rarely do them anymore so I laud you for the undertaking. If I may so though on another note, I simply love the Eau D'Orange Verte scent that you received with the Hermes amenity pack, it is truly heavenly.
Time passes, no matter how slowly and painfully it seems, it passes
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Looking forward to reading more from you 
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