HELyes From Finland, joined Oct 2010, 655 posts, RR: 1 Posted (1 year 11 months 6 days 16 hours ago) and read 8963 times:
Hi Guys,
During my stay in Thailand this summer I wanted to try TG's A333 on the busy domestic route HKT-BKK. Their Business Class price EUR 120 one way looked so tempting that I didn't have to think twice.
First a couple of pics from Phuket. My travel companion's choice Patong Beach didn't sound a good idea at first but it was actually much nicer now in summer, a lot less tourists and the weather was fine too.
A very comfy hotel Centra Ashlee, a room for EUR 27:
The hotel's roof terrace:
The Aussie-Finnish beach starts here? Unlike in winter, I saw really few Nordics, it seemed most visitors were from Australia, Asia and the Arabic countries.
In the 2004 tsunami many were trapped inside this supermarket, only few got out:
The Phuket airport, domestic departures air side.... Hard to find an empty seat:
But the Royal Silk Lounge was completely empty when I arrived (early):
The buffet, no alcohol available:
Not a bad snack:
The boarding starting soon:
Our bird retrofitted A330-343X "U-Thong", 36 seats in Business Class, 236 in Economy. First flight 19/10/2009, stored at BOD 24/12/09 - 20/05/11, deliveried 20/05/2011.
The first impression: I love this new cabin... It felt new and fresh, with colors to my taste. The Business cabin was around 50% full.
My angled lie-flat seat, comfortable except a bit hard for sleeping perhaps:
A welcome drink and hot towel:
Cool AVOD, huge screen:
Bye Phuket:
The meal service has started. The crew was friendly as expected, especially the male FA's.
...but what is this? I think I've just got my worst warm airline meal ever, in TG Business Class! A tiny bland omelette with dry rice, taste: zero. The desert was a cheap tasting chocolate mousse. Well, the coffee was good. No meal choices, no menu.
Reading material:
TG fleet:
Just 20 minutes to BKK:
Welcome to hot and humid Bangkok, still enjoying the coolness of BKK Suvarnabhumi:
580m? It's a long walk to the baggage claim...
Conclusions:
This was my first experience of TG Business and loved it, except the meal thing... I know it was a short flight, didn't expect a hot meal but I did expect better quality from TG. Anyway, that was just a minor disappointment, all the rest exceeded my expectations. The new TG A333 cabin was REALLY pleasant, would be great to try it again on a longer flight.
initious From Singapore, joined Dec 2008, 1011 posts, RR: 16 Reply 2, posted (1 year 11 months 6 days 10 hours ago) and read 8470 times:
Sawasdeekrup HELyes!
I hope you've enjoyed your stay in Thailand. This TR caught my eye immediately as TG is my favourite airline and I nowadays I tend to fly J on them. You're making me jealous as I don't know when my next flight with them is. :P
Quoting HELyes (Thread starter): During my stay in Thailand this summer I wanted to try TG's A333 on the busy domestic route HKT-BKK. Their Business Class price EUR 120 one way looked so tempting that I didn't have to think twice.
Quite pricey for a short 90 mins hop for me, I would have stuck to FD unless I can fly the A300 on TG or maybe OX for their MD-80s.
Quoting HELyes (Thread starter): A very comfy hotel Centra Ashlee, a room for EUR 27:
Looks wonderful!
Quoting HELyes (Thread starter): In the 2004 tsunami many were trapped inside this supermarket, only few got out:
Thinking of it makes me shiver...
Quoting HELyes (Thread starter): The first impression: I love this new cabin... It felt new and fresh, with colors to my taste. The Business cabin was around 50% full.
I also fell in love with this cabin once I stepped into it, albeit on the Boeing 777-200ER. Looks much better than the ones on their B744s, B772s, A345s and A346s!
Quoting HELyes (Thread starter): I think I've just got my worst warm airline meal ever, in TG Business Class!
I think this is the first time I've seen someone complain about food on TG! However, I have to agree the meal looks unappetising! Hope it's just a service lapse.
PlaneHunter From Germany, joined Mar 2006, 6211 posts, RR: 79 Reply 3, posted (1 year 11 months 6 days 10 hours ago) and read 8421 times:
Hi HELyes,
nice report about the ride on this relatively new bird. I'm a bit disppointed that they didn't install lie-flat seats considering that these planes are also used on longer sectors to Australia and the Middle East.
Quoting HELyes (Thread starter): Their Business Class price EUR 120 one way looked so tempting that I didn't have to think twice.
Good deal!
Quoting HELyes (Thread starter): A very comfy hotel Centra Ashlee, a room for EUR 27:
That's cheap!
Quoting HELyes (Thread starter): My angled lie-flat seat, comfortable except a bit hard for sleeping perhaps:
No option to soften it?
Quoting HELyes (Thread starter): A tiny bland omelette with dry rice, taste: zero. The desert was a cheap tasting chocolate mousse.
bananaboy From United Kingdom, joined Oct 2004, 1558 posts, RR: 25 Reply 4, posted (1 year 11 months 6 days 9 hours ago) and read 8278 times:
Nice report - thanks for sharing. The cabin looks great, and those screens are huge!
Quoting HELyes (Thread starter): I think I've just got my worst warm airline meal ever, in TG Business Class!
I've seen several reports that mention the poor food in TG C class on domestic routes. Seems that that is only confined to domestic; international C class food is pretty good usually.
Mark
All my life, I've been kissing, your top lip 'cause your bottom one's missing
airbuseric From Netherlands, joined Jan 2005, 4068 posts, RR: 51 Reply 5, posted (1 year 11 months 6 days 7 hours ago) and read 8106 times:
Hi HELyes,
nice report, I love the TG A330 cabin; nice colours and design.
But agree on the meal really bad, even for a just 90 minute flight. It needed some 'sauce' maybe, to make it tasting less dry maybe?
Regards
Eric
"The whole world steps aside for the man who knows where he is going"
It was a great hotel, good design. The only problem was the Hard Rock Cafe across the street, a bit noisy in times...
Quoting initious (Reply 2): Thinking of it makes me shiver...
It does... I visited Phuket just before the tsunami, I bought drinking water and snacks from this shop before going to the beach. I left home for the Christmas 2004, my friends stayed in the Kamala Beach, where the tsunami also hit. Luckily they managed to escape with minor injures.
I didn't check if there was. In the sitting position it felt really good.
Quoting bananaboy (Reply 4): I've seen several reports that mention the poor food in TG C class on domestic routes.
Quoting airbuseric (Reply 5): But agree on the meal really bad, even for a just 90 minute flight.
I wish they had served a nice cold sandwich and fruits, for an example. Or is there a TG rule it has to be a "warm meal" also in the domestic C, what ever the result is...
HELyes From Finland, joined Oct 2010, 655 posts, RR: 1 Reply 8, posted (1 year 10 months 3 weeks 5 days ago) and read 6445 times:
Quoting MSS658 (Reply 7): Nice TR, thanks for sharing. I like the nice composition of the photo's.
Thank you!
I think I should finally get a proper camera though and get rid of my cheap pocket toy... any recommendation, anyone? Thinking travelling and trip reports especially
717Flyer From Finland, joined Jun 2011, 303 posts, RR: 10 Reply 9, posted (1 year 10 months 3 weeks 4 days 21 hours ago) and read 6262 times:
Terve!
Quoting HELyes (Thread starter): Their Business Class price EUR 120 one way looked so tempting that I didn't have to think twice
Oh dear, I wish more airlines would offer such fares.
On the other hand, if I remember right, HKT-BKK is a route with lots and lots of competition. You've got Thai, Air Asia, Bangkok Airways, Orient Thai and I'm sure I forgot some airline...
You'd think TG could easily fill up J class with such fares!
Nice pictures of Phuket. I've been planning to go to Thailand for a long time - not knowing whether Bangkok, Krabi or Phuket would be the right choice.
Glad you got on the A333, but perhaps the A300 would have been even more interesting?
Quoting 717Flyer (Reply 9): Nice pictures of Phuket. I've been planning to go to Thailand for a long time - not knowing whether Bangkok, Krabi or Phuket would be the right choice.
Glad you got on the A333, but perhaps the A300 would have been even more interesting?
I would recommend a couple days in Bangkok + a beach resort somewhere if thats your thing. Chiang Mai (the OUL of Thailand :P) in north is a good place if you like nature. I've been on TG A300 from Chiang Mai to Phuket, to get on A300 once but didn't miss back... To combine Bangkok and Hong Kong works as well I think, there is a lot of interesting metal flying between BKK and HKG. And affordable choice too, you can get a seat on EK A380 for around EUR 120 one way, around a double that for J-class.
Of course there all the package holiday choices available from HEL, the prices can be very friendly if you are able to travel outside the peak times. This summer my friends flew on TUI Nordic's 767 to HKT, was kind of tempting for me too, never been on a 767.
LH4116 From Sweden, joined Aug 2007, 1673 posts, RR: 15 Reply 11, posted (1 year 10 months 2 weeks 6 days ago) and read 5327 times:
Hey there, great report! Seems like TG offer a great J product on the new A333's. Saw an ad about it in Newsweek the other day, though not too different from the product fitted on the A345/6, etc. For €120 it looked like great value for the money, with the lounge and all. Too bad about the food though. Thanx for sharing!
I won't stop complaining until SAS reintroduces free service in Economy Class!
phatfarmlines From United States of America, joined Sep 2001, 1323 posts, RR: 1 Reply 13, posted (1 year 10 months 2 weeks 4 days 15 hours ago) and read 4721 times:
On a flight like this, is there a separate arrivals corridor leading to the bag claim for domestic flights a BKK, unlike in the US where domestic flights are unloaded at the gate area mixed in with arrivals / departures?
HELyes From Finland, joined Oct 2010, 655 posts, RR: 1 Reply 14, posted (1 year 10 months 2 weeks 4 days 15 hours ago) and read 4702 times:
Quoting phatfarmlines (Reply 13): On a flight like this, is there a separate arrivals corridor leading to the bag claim for domestic flights a BKK, unlike in the US where domestic flights are unloaded at the gate area mixed in with arrivals / departures?
It was similar than in US then. And in HEL where domestic/Schengen-Europe arrivals/departures get all happily mixed.
qf002 From Australia, joined Jul 2011, 2606 posts, RR: 1 Reply 15, posted (1 year 10 months 2 weeks 4 days 8 hours ago) and read 4588 times:
Great report - thanks for sharing!! Never flown TG, but they seem to be generally pretty solid despite the disappointing meal...
Quoting joffie (Reply 1): Quite pricey for a short 90 mins hop for me, I would have stuck to FD unless I can fly the A300 on TG or maybe OX for their MD-80s.
Ha! You should try flying QF between SYD and MEL (basically a 60 minute flight) - don't usually see anything below $600 for J on this route!
nethkt From Thailand, joined Apr 2001, 987 posts, RR: 3 Reply 16, posted (1 year 10 months 2 weeks 3 days 10 hours ago) and read 4299 times:
Nice way to fly from Phuket to Bangkok.
HKT needs an intensive upgrade on its airport. However, properties prices are so high.
The land around airport are no exception. I hope the government could pull something big! Just hope!!
Decent aircraft on this PER-HKT-BKK flight. New aircrafts, new seats! Nice.
I always like bigger planes on this short BKK-HKT-BKK route, 744, 773, 772, 346, 345, 330 you name it!!
THAI is not putting a lot of effort on the domestic market with the local carriers offering such cheap fares.
And I mean really CHEAP!! What they are doing is just feeding pax to international connection via BKK.
And sell the rest seats to fill up aircraft.
Food could have been better, but don't try to compare with the ones you get on ground in Thailand.
Many thanks,
net-hkt
Don't be annoyed knowing the passengers around you are non-revs and op-upgraders, be grateful for them. Life is beautifu
HELyes From Finland, joined Oct 2010, 655 posts, RR: 1 Reply 17, posted (1 year 10 months 2 weeks 2 days 21 hours ago) and read 4185 times:
Quoting qf002 (Reply 15): Great report - thanks for sharing!!
Thanks to you!
Quoting nethkt (Reply 16):
Decent aircraft on this PER-HKT-BKK flight.
Oh ok the 333 was coming from PER, makes sense now.
Quoting nethkt (Reply 16): HKT needs an intensive upgrade on its airport. However, properties prices are so high.
The land around airport are no exception. I hope the government could pull something big! Just hope!!
Yes HKT is in rather bad shape, a nice TG lounge though.
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