Hi all,

This my another TR which done before, hope you would enjoy too!

Background of the trip:
I do this trip because I found that TG is using A340-600 for BKK-HKG-TPE-HKG-BKK route every Monday and Wednesday, as a A340-500/600 lover, I would give it a try. IIRC, I havn't on A340-500/600 since my SIN-CGK-SIN turnaround last year. The ticket price including taxes and surcharges was HK$1610, it is quite expensive comparing with China Airlines or EVA Air in this route which offering ~HK$1200 all inclusive.

24 June 2009

Hong Kong (HKG) -- Taipei (TPE)
Airline: Thai Airways
Flight: CI 600
Aircraft: A340-600
Registration: HS-TNF
Seat: 37A (Economy)
Gate: 44

My Purple Boarding Pass


Gate44, It's 12:07 now, but where is the plane?


Some minutes later, HS-TNF is coming......
When I booked the ticket, I hope TG would use the newest A346, and the night before the flight, I checked though the BKK airport site and it showed HS-TNF will do TG600 on 24 June, I was really excited to have this 8 months old baby!!


Engines off, everybody in position!


Boarding started as 12:40, a bit delay.
And here is my seat 37A


Seating pitch is quite good, believe it is 34"


But the IFE box occupied whole under seat area:frown:


13:00, ready to push back


Safety Card



After the long take off, we have approached to the 31000ft, once the seat belt light was gone, time to eat:hello2:
The table is rather thick, but I like it!


I have pre-booked the Seafood Meal


See what's inside......
Hey, is this the starter only, and the main course serve seperately?
Sorry........no.....It is what for your lunch:5eek:
In addition, although mine one is special meal, I found that all others meal are the same as mine.


Front Economy Cabin
The load was 70-80% in Economy


Arrived the gate in 14:40, and my next departure would be 18:00, so I decide to visit the Aviation Musuem

Taking free shuttle bus


Outside the Museum, Admission fee is NTD30


View from the museum tower, can see both runways on the left and right. Middle is the new Metro connecting the City and the Airport.
There are some excibitions about Civil and Military Aviation about Taiwan and the world, it can spend you about 1-2 hours


It's time to go!!

24 June 2009

Hong Kong (HKG) -- Taipei (TPE)
Airline: Thai Airways
Flight: CI 607
Aircraft: A340-600
Registration: HS-TNF
Seat: 51A (Economy)
Gate: B5

Shocking Pink Boarding Pass, I'm Loving it!


Gate B5 to Hong Kong


Oh, most of the people on board already! But it was 17:30 only


Welcome onboard


Passed through the empty business class


Finally arrived my 51K


17:40, the first officer was telling us that two were missing.
They appeared 10 minutes later, and the monster was ready to help us to leave


Seating pitch of 51K, seems better than 37A.
Note the seating pitch of left hand side (SeatA,C)of rear cabin is only 32" while right hand side is 34"+


After a powerful take off, crusing at 38000ft.
Love that huge engine


Meal time......but...what was inside is not as the cover say, it was a vegetarian meal inside:cussing:


After asking the FAs what happened, they tried to find my meal but unsuccessed, I accept the normal meal, the FA gave me two.
But in my opinion, the meal sucks. Only 3 pieces cold cut with some salad, and the cake was dry.


I tried to return the extra meal to the FA, and he said he found my seafood meal finally. He went back to the galley and take it back to me, however, the meal was even worse than the normal meal. Tasteless overdone salmon with some vegetable.......
I asked the FA is that the meal was load at Hong Kong CPCS rather than Taipei's. He said yes and he don't know why too. It is so strange that I was having the meal loaded in BKK for HKG-TPE sector while haveing the meal loaded in HKG for the TPE-HKG sector. Isn't the meal from Hong Kong is more expensive than Taipei?



View from the rear, load was 20% in economy


Approaching to HKIA, my home is just under the wing.


Last photo before disembark


Bought it from the Gift Shop of the Aviation Museum
1:200 China Airlines 747-400 with Boeing Livery


Comment:
The A340-600 was good, clean and new, but it will be better if it is A340-500:tongue3:.

The meals was bad comparing with China Airlines and EVA Air as CI normally provide dim sum and BR normally provide hot meal in the same route. TG one feel like in the domestic flight (Although HKG-TPE is even shorter than some domestic service).

FAs were quite bad. They like to stay in the galley all time once the door was closed. They don't even check the seat belt of passengers and make sure all the seats were in up-right position. Moreover, on the return sector, I asked two FAs for the seat belt extension once I am onboard, but still nothing to come during push back. Then I pressed the service button, still nobody came and they cancel the light from the galley for twice. The third time I pressed, someone's come from the galley finally and we were on the way to the runway already! I asked myself afterwards, am I too demanding? or I just use to the service from those 5 star airlines......?

Thanks~

Sutrakhk

My past TR:
Three 5-Star Airlines In 8 Days (102pics) (June 2008)
First Touch Of China Southern MD82 (31 Pics) (August 2008)
China Airlines HKG - TPE (47 Pics) (August 2008)
HKG,MFM,TPE,SIN,BKK In CX C And BR Y (201 Pics) (August 2009)

Hello.
Thanks for the trip report. It's very nice and photos are so clear. Good job.

The food is lame. TG really cuts all the cost. But, given the flight is so short, I'd the same thing if I am TG. TG is no big HKG-TPE-HKG player. Why give superb service for nothing?

And if you really want to ask, YES, you were way too demanding. Keep pressing the button many times requesting all those things you could imagined for 1 hour flight is no fun for any flight attendants out there. It might be their jobs to serve you, but every jobs have their own limits and lines.

Keep more TR coming, it's very nicely done.
NET

Quoting Nethkt (Reply 1): And if you really want to ask, YES, you were way too demanding. Keep pressing the button many times requesting all those things you could imagined for 1 hour flight is no fun for any flight attendants out there. It might be their jobs to serve you, but every jobs have their own limits and lines.

To be honest, I never press the call button during my other flights. And this time why I press the call button because I need a seat belt extension but not a bag of peanuts or a cup of coke. I have asked two times before the door closed but it never come and it's already push back and that means we are going to takeoff, it is the matter of safety, is it too demanding to have a safe journey? Or SAFETY is not even in the mind of TG by having no seat belt check before takeoff?

For the issue of the meal service, I never try to bother the crew by pressing the button but wait until they were serving normal meal, or I am too demanding to have a pre-ordered meal?

Quoting Nethkt (Reply 1): And if you really want to ask, YES, you were way too demanding. Keep pressing the button many times requesting all those things you could imagined for 1 hour flight is no fun for any flight attendants out there. It might be their jobs to serve you, but every jobs have their own limits and lines.

Does the limit you are referring to stop at safety? The person concerned needed a seatbelt extention and the failure of the cabin crew to provide one for him is already flouting so many rules in the book.

So no, he wasn't too demanding because he was concerned for his life.

Take a chill pill man, it is not like he demanded to be served tom yam!

Quoting Sutrakhk (Thread starter): The ticket price including taxes and surcharges was HK$1610, it is quite expensive comparing with China Airlines or EVA Air in this route which offering ~HK$1200 all inclusive.

Not bad.

Quoting Sutrakhk (Thread starter): Engines off, everybody in position!

The A346 looks beautiful, absolutely stunning bird!

Quoting Sutrakhk (Thread starter): View from the rear, load was 20% in economy

Why would TG operate the A346 on such a low-load short haul route like this? Isn't this just a complete waste, considering how much fuel it burns?

Anyway enjoyed the TR!

Regards,
Pete

Hello very nice report! I had no idea TG served the HKG - TPE route, is it new? Does KA still operate the TPE route or have they given them all to CX? I wonder how many daily flights there are between the two cities.

Where is the mesuem in Taipei? is it easy to get there from T1 arrivals?

I remember vaguely that TG hands an orchid flower to each passenger, do they still do that?

Anyway thanks again for a great TR

Toby

(^_o)v

Quoting Nethkt (Reply 1): And if you really want to ask, YES, you were way too demanding. Keep pressing the button many times requesting all those things you could imagined for 1 hour flight is no fun for any flight attendants out there. It might be their jobs to serve you, but every jobs have their own limits and lines.

NO he was not too demanding in any shape or form. He wasn't requesting to be served a drink or a snack before push, he was asking for a seat belt extension which he would most definitely needed before take off. Given that it also concerns his own safety, then he by no means whatsoever overstepped his bounds. And I think it's irrelevant if he pushed the call button to get a snack or what have you, the fact that the call bells not only weren't answered but were RESET from the galley means that the crew saw that he had rang then actively chose to ignore. I always respond to a call bell even before take off, because there are times when the passenger in question does need something of relevance.

Quoting Sutrakhk (Reply 2): For the issue of the meal service, I never try to bother the crew by pressing the button but wait until they were serving normal meal, or I am too demanding to have a pre-ordered meal?

No Sutrakhk, you were not too demanding   In fact you sound like the type of passenger we crew love.

I also have to say that the crew seemed to be a bit disorganized given the sequence of events. I just realized that by the end of the 1 hour flight he had recieved three different types of meals. While all three of them being of poor standards wasn't the crew's fault, it makes me wonder where they were "finding" these meals, especially because a. he got a veggie meal which presumably someone else had ordered, and b. the load on the flight was so light!

Nice report & pictures, thanks for posting.

Quoting Sutrakhk (Thread starter): the IFE box occupied whole under seat area:frown:

- Yikes, never seen one take up that much space!

Food looks unimpressive compared to other TG meals we have seen recently, though short haul Asia flights seem to be heading the way of Europe & America ;(

Rgds

Mark

Quoting BA319-131 (Reply 7): Food looks unimpressive compared to other TG meals we have seen recently, though short haul Asia flights seem to be heading the way of Europe & America ;(

Mark,

don't worry for longer flights TG still has the full works meals wise. TPE-HKG is only slightly over an hour block time which effectively means you are in the air for half of that. Not much time to dish out trays. The continuing sector of HKG-BKK has a full meal service with bar sevice.

Quoting BA319-131 (Reply 7): Food looks unimpressive compared to other TG meals we have seen recently, though short haul Asia flights seem to be heading the way of Europe & America ;(

Quoting Ryanair!!! (Reply 8): Mark, don't worry for longer flights TG still has the full works meals wise. TPE-HKG is only slightly over an hour block time which effectively means you are in the air for half of that. Not much time to dish out trays. The continuing sector of HKG-BKK has a full meal service with bar sevice.

Though from what I hear the same can no longer be said for Malaysian Airlines. Oh what has come of your once beloved MH!?

Quoting SQ_EK_freak (Reply 9): Though from what I hear the same can no longer be said for Malaysian Airlines. Oh what has come of your once beloved MH!?

Darling, darling... Oh my darling...

Malaysia Airlines is now nothing more than a glorified LCC who so happens to have a fleet of 747 and 777. The annual figures of their eroding market share radiating from KUL is simply more telling than anything else. I do not need to tell you about their ever growing giant Air Asia gnawing at their feet.

This is what happens when you rest on your laurels and keep thinking you are the best and that nothing will ever happen because your competitor is but a cheap low fare set up.

Reality is not pretty. They can use all the road blocks available to them via the government to prevent Air Asia's growth just because they (admittedly) are not ready for real competition. But Air Asia is not waiting... Block me? I franchise... Simple. Block me some more? I franchise SOME MORE!

So all Malaysia Airlines can do now is - really - to keep harping on their Skytrax awarded 5-star status to trick people into flying with them. It won't be long for the public to realise this veil of deceit because the press is proof that the flying public is not stupid. Constant complaints are real and very much alive about promising 5-star but failing to deliver.

A pure case of inferiority complex is at play when past glories are constantly puffed up.

I miss Malaysia Airlines... I really do. It pains me to see them this way.

Oh how I DIGRESS!

I am booked on this TG flight in Dec (well but it's 747-400). I had no idea they serve lunch and dinner in the box exactly like in domestic flight! when BR, CX, CI have it on a tray!
I live in the US, so I am so excited to fly on Asian carrier and hope to see sth better than this.

Quoting NewYorkCityBoi (Reply 11): I am booked on this TG flight in Dec (well but it's 747-400). I had no idea they serve lunch and dinner in the box exactly like in domestic flight! when BR, CX, CI have it on a tray! I live in the US, so I am so excited to fly on Asian carrier and hope to see sth better than this.

TG only serve boxed lunches on short flights. On flights 2hrs and above, a full tray meal service would be served. You can refer to my recent trip reports for a preview.

Well I remembered flying BKK-RGN only 1 hrs flight in 2002 and got a hot meal service in a nice tray. Maybe this box policy was just added sometimes after 2002?

Great report ! I'm gonna fly with Thai Airways for the first time in two weeks, and I'm very impatient.

Quoting Sutrakhk (Thread starter): When I booked the ticket, I hope TG would use the newest A346, and the night before the flight, I checked though the BKK airport site and it showed HS-TNF will do TG600 on 24 June, I was really excited to have this 8 months old baby!!

Can you please tell me how you managed to get the aircraft registration through the BKK airport website ? I checked the flight status but nowhere the registration is indicated.

Quoting Sutrakhk (Thread starter): But the IFE box occupied whole under seat area:frown:

Short question, are these boxes under EVERY window seat (left/right side)? and what about those sitting in the middle?

cheers chris

I love the A346! It is absolutely the most beautiful airplane in the world. I mean, the 747s have their appeal, but they're old. The a346 is as good as it gets!

Quoting Nethkt (Reply 1): And if you really want to ask, YES, you were way too demanding. Keep pressing the button many times requesting all those things you could imagined for 1 hour flight is no fun for any flight attendants out there. It might be their jobs to serve you, but every jobs have their own limits and lines.

Are you serious? The fact that this man was not given his seat extension is grounds for a lawsuit (discrimination, hazardous exposure). That doesn't fly in America, or anywhere where safety is truly first.

Quoting A1ring23 (Reply 4): Why would TG operate the A346 on such a low-load short haul route like this? Isn't this just a complete waste, considering how much fuel it burns?

Maybe TG want to operate these flights with First class, so they use A346 and 747-400 on this BKK-HKG-TPE route. And I believe it would be better to fly these aircrafts rather than ground them between the Europe arrival and departure

Quoting Toby25 (Reply 5): Hello very nice report! I had no idea TG served the HKG - TPE route, is it new? Does KA still operate the TPE route or have they given them all to CX? I wonder how many daily flights there are between the two cities. Where is the mesuem in Taipei? is it easy to get there from T1 arrivals? I remember vaguely that TG hands an orchid flower to each passenger, do they still do that?

TG make use the 5th freedom right ex-HKG, like HKG-TPE and HKG-ICN

KA stll operate TPE route with 4 flights per day, quite often on CX's metal if KA have aircrafts shortage. It is quite interesting that CX is in Terminal 1 and KA is in Terminal 2 in TPE, would it be better if they combine their operation?

As of today, HKG-TPE operate 36 flights per day mostly on wide-bodies, it is fewer than former 44 flights. However during Hong Kong public holidays, more flights would be added, and most interestingly BR would use MD-90 for chartered flight. IIRC, during the first day of the public holiday, they can be up to 20 TPE flights ex-HKG between 6 am to 9 am

The mesuem is about 1 km apart from terminal 2, what you can do is go to take the FREE T1-T2 shuttle bus station, there are information about which departure will via the mesuem.
Make Sure you know the departure time from the mesuem, otherwise I afraid you would miss you flight as next bus will be 1 hour later

No flower for this sector, don't know HKG-BKK

Quoting AOMlover (Reply 14): Can you please tell me how you managed to get the aircraft registration through the BKK airport website ? I checked the flight status but nowhere the registration is indicated.

I checked from this website, hope it can help!

Quoting Debonair (Reply 15): Short question, are these boxes under EVERY window seat (left/right side)? and what about those sitting in the middle?

Yes, all windows seats have the IFE box plus seat G

Quoting YOW346 (Reply 16): I love the A346! It is absolutely the most beautiful airplane in the world. I mean, the 747s have their appeal, but they're old. The a346 is as good as it gets!

I love both A340-500 and A340-600, which providing quite and stable environment during the journey, but it would be better to have a wider cabin like 777   

[Edited 2009-09-21 03:57:37]

Quoting Sutrakhk (Reply 17): I checked from this website, hope it can help!

It does help ! Thanks a lot.

Hi Sutrakhk,

very entertaining report with nice pictures, well done!

Quoting Sutrakhk (Thread starter): But the IFE box occupied whole under seat area:frown:

The cabin looks so nice, but that IFE box type is a major disappointment. After seeing that I'm not keen on flying on TG's A340s. I guess the people who have decided to install these boxes never fly Economy Class...

Quoting Sutrakhk (Thread starter): View from the museum tower, can see both runways on the left and right. Middle is the new Metro connecting the City and the Airport. There are some excibitions about Civil and Military Aviation about Taiwan and the world, it can spend you about 1-2 hours

Great place, I spent a few hours there on my trip to China and Taiwan last year.

Quoting Sutrakhk (Thread starter): The meals was bad comparing with China Airlines and EVA Air as CI normally provide dim sum and BR normally provide hot meal in the same route.

I flew HKG-TPE-HKG on BR last year and the catering wasn't great either. If you want to read more about it:

"The Wings Of Taiwan": EVA Air A332, 744 Combi


PH

"But the IFE box occupied whole under seat area:frown:"

That is amazing, you have no foot-room at all! And the 20% loads on such a short flight are not a good sign.