Hi all, welcome to my 5th TR of 2010 & 42nd TR in total.

This TR features the final sectors from our trip to Vietnam in early 2010, it’s much delay in posting, so apologies to those who were following the earlier stories.


02.03.2010
QR613
BKK-DOH
777-3DZER A7-BAF 2A Business Class
1st Flight on this aircraft, 2nd on the -300ER
Sch Dep 08:35 Sch Arr 12:00
Act Dep 08:40 Act Arr 11:50

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Photo © Werner Horvath

I like to be at the airport at least 2 hours prior to departure, mainly for spotting purposes, but also due to the reason I don't like to feel rushed during the whole check-in and security clearance process, you can never tell how long things may take.

Since todays flight was at 08:35 this called for an early start, thankfully we were not far from the airport as we had stayed at the airport Novotel, very convenient and quite a nice property too, do recommend it when using BKK.

A couple of room views for those interested.




Check-out was easy, I took advantage of the room key card drop box, the invoice would be e-mailed, the regular check-in and out lines were busy.

Outside 2 minibuses were filling up with passengers for the airport, seems lots of other people had early morning starts - we managed to find space in the second vehicle, a few minutes in the van and we were dropped off outside the terminal, it was now 06:10 local time.

Here are a couple of shots from the outside the terminal






The Qatar check-in area was located just inside from where the van dropped us off, just a minute later we stook at the desk being checked in, or not as the case would be.



The friendly agent advised us the check-in system the airlines use was down, as a result she could not check us in at that time, this not only effected Qatar but every airline in the terminal - I has a walk around, some of the queues were pretty horrendous.

Back at the desk we just waited and the economy queue just continued to grow, there were no announcements as to the delay, I think something should have been said over the public address system, at least people would know what was causing for the delay.



Eventually the system went back on line and we were able to check-in, we got our boarding passes at 06:42.

Given time was moving along we proceeded to security & passport control, First & Business passengers have a priority lane, thank goodness for that! - the queue for economy was just a huge snaking line around the terminal!

We got through security & passport control just before 7am, though finding the lounge proved to be an effort. Qatar use the Thai Royal Orchid lounges, the one we used or stumbled across seemed pretty hard to find, directional signage was quite poor, if fact it took some 15 odd minutes to find the place, ok I stopped to look at a plane or 2 but that was about it.

Lounge entrance


I though the lounge was a bit poor, far from the windows so little apron/runway visibility, food and beverage offerings were a bit on the weak site too from what I saw, that said, I was not feeling to great, guess something I ate the day before had upset my system a little so that might have helped influence my opinions.

A few views from the lounge






Limited apron views


Not sure what time we left the lounge but by the time we arrived at the gate boarding was showing final call though boarding had yet to start, it was now 08:05.





Once through the airbridge we were welcomed aboard, warm smiles from the crew.

Amenity kits and menus were already at the seat as per the norm on Qatar.

View outside



Whilst getting settled in drinks were offered by the crew, I took OJ rather than champers given I was feeling crummy still.

The front office came on and give a quick, if almost inaudible, announcement about the flight and duration.

Hot or cold towels were offered along with drink top ups if required.



A few seat/cabin pictures









Menu offerings





Push took place a few minutes behind schedule



a bit of a taxi around the terminal







before heading to the active



wheels up at 08:55 local time











I must admit BKK seems much quieter than the old BKK in terms of traffic, there was almost northing much around.

The seat belt sign went off 9 minutes after take off, the crew started preparations for breakfast service.





Fantastic views





I skipped breakfast, just taking a glass of ginger ale, the wife had breakfast, here are a couple of pictures.

The table set up was the usual affair of crisp white linens etc.







Shortly after breakfast was finished turbulence really kicked in over the the Bay of Bengal, by this time I had my seat in the bed position, it was so rough my legs were jumping a foot or so off the bed, amazing turbulence, never felt anything like this before, as you can imagine, the crew were assigned to their seats by the boys up front.



A few random inflight pictures during my on/off sleeping, note the blinds were closed and the mood lighting on.





Smoking is banned, so why bother with these?



At some stage I decided I felt better and needed food and drink, a passing FA stopped and took an order, nuts and Champers pls!





The champers went down well as did the nuts, I must have been feeling much better now.

Not long later the pre-arrival snack service began, tables were set up in the usual manor, which I do like, it's most elegant and has the feel of a top quality restaurant.

I took the warm rueben corned beef sandwich with more champagne, the sandwich was excellent though I guess as was pretty hungry having missed breakfast.





Descent started at 11:19, so a quick trip to the bathroom was in order, even after some 6+ hours of flight the bathroom was in an excellent condition, top marks to the crew for keeping these so clean throughout the flight.



During descent hot towels were offered, again I do love the quality of the towels, much better than the ones BA provide in Club.

Views on final approach to DOH.











BAF's wheels touched down at 11:50 local time, some 10 minutes ahead of schedule, short taxi onto a remote stand, flight 1 of 2 today was complete.



Last look at BAF



Another nice set of crew on this flight, can't complain.

As usual the good old bus transfer to the Premium Terminal with the hope of grabbing the odd reg or 2 during the drive.



I have to admit I was not looking forward to this 5 hours layover, the original plan was to have plenty of spotting time, however as we saw from our brief visit on the outbound journey, the Premium Terminal is pretty pants for spotting, it looked like it would be a long few hours.

After a quick walk through duty free to see what was worth buying we headed to the lounge, stopped en-route again to have our status checked to ensure we were entitles to use the facility,seriously, we made it through security before which our boarding passes were checked, where do you think we sprung from??

Anyway, we arrived in an almost deserted lounge at 12:20.

I found a seat that offered me the best possible chance of seeing some passing traffic and set up camp there.



Here are a few pictures from the lounge and our stay there.















Having set up base camp MrsBA319131 decided to get some food and bring it back to our camp, however she was told food had to be eaten in the dining area, so despite the lounge being empty we packed away the cameras, laptops etc and made our way to the dining area for a late lunch.



In my opinion Qatar should be a bit more flexible and relaxed about the lounge and food etc, the BA Galleries lounges at T5 show how it should be done.

The area actually has better view of the ramp, still very limited but better for sure, shame the lounge had not been designed in a different way.

Just a taster of the food offerings







After lunch we headed back to our camp and set up again. The remaining time was taken up with internet, reading, a few drinks, a shower, and wandering around to relieve the boredom.





This is the view outside the lounge



I also took a trip down to duty free to pick up a coupled of bottles of scotch, it was very cheap! Upon my return I was again asked for my boarding pass to ensure I was entitled to be there, surely they saw me walk down there 5 minutes before??!!

At one point the blinds all started to lift offering decent views of the outside, not the ramp though, I guess when it starts to cool down they lift them to show the outside world.

The long layover gave me some 13 new planes, most QR as you might imagine, though I also picked up an Oman Air 738, Saudia MD-90, Gulf Air 320, Bahrain Air 319 & Kuwait 320. Had the view been better I'm sure there would have been a few more to be made.

I got these shots prior to boarding the bus to the plane






02.03.2010
QR17
DOH-LHR
A330-202 A7-ACE 12K Business Class
1st Flight on this aircraft, 11th A330 flight, 4th on the -200.
Sch Dep 17:10 Sch Arr 22:00
Act Dep 17:25 Act Arr 21:46

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Photo © Toshi Aoki - JP Spotters

Boarding started at 17:04, later than expected, this we were advised was due to the late arrival of the operating aircraft, no matter really, though after so much down time in the lounge I was keen to get on the plane and go home.

Whilst sat on the bus awaiting the last Business passengers a lady of perhaps Indian descent? got on board, it was obvious she was quite furious about something, it appears the guy who checks your boarding pass and passport asked her how she could afford to travel in business class, as one can imagine, she was quite upset and created quite a fuss, got off the bus and tried to walk back to the terminal to demand the guys name etc, the staff were stopping her saying she needed to get back on the bus etc etc - in the end what I assume to be a senior staff member came to the bus and provided the details the lady had asked for, this ended the matter for now, though In have no doubt the lady was going to follow this up with Qatar customer services.

A short bus ride out to the plane



we were onboard by 17:20, not quite such a warm welcome though hot towels and drinks were distributed in a rather rushed fashion during push back off stand - the safety demo was also played at the same time. It seems the crew felt under pressure to get the service out and plane off the ground, the pressure showed in the service delivery.

Legroom and other views















A short taxi out



and off to a rolling departure, wheels up at 17:37 and straight into a low cloud base.





During climb I leafed through the IFE magazine, District 9 was a film I quite fancied so I decided to watch it, however for some reason it was not loaded into this planes IFE, must admit I was quite disappointed, especially as I rarely used the IFE for anything other than the moving map facility.





Service on this leg did not seem to improve, newspapers were not offered so I had to ask for one. Meal and drinks orders were taken but the drink took ages to arrive.



The configuration on this A330 has 18 passengers in a 2-2-2 layout, so that's 3 rows in this small J cabin. Quite a few of the passengers knew each other and were busy chatting, so it was quite a noisy cabin, not to my liking.



I had mez to start, it was pretty good, I took a curry to follow which was excellent as was the desert.









MrsBA319131 was quite tired, I think all the travelling had finally got the better of her as she decided not to eat and just get her head down for some sleep, in fact she slept from pretty much the entire flight.



All in all an very enjoyable meal and the service started to improve too, my glass of champagne never got below half full.

Regular readers will know I'm a great sleeper on flights as a general rule, however try as I might I could not sleep on this flight, a combination of noisy passengers and the angled lie flat bed worked against me so I stuck to champagne, reading and a few shows of 2 and a half men to keep me going.





The pre-arrival snack was pretty decent, a nice little mix of 'stuff'











Descent started at around 21:00 with ACE's main gear touching down on 09L at 21:46, almost 15 minutes early despite our slight delay out of DOH.

Taxi to the gate was pretty quick and we were off the plane in no time at all, our journey was over, all that was left was immigration, luggage and our driver to take us home.

To sum it up:-

Qatar are an excellent airline who I'd happily fly with again.

The planes are all pretty new, our oldest plane was 6 years old though you would never know as it was immaculate inside and out, the newest was 4 months old when we flew it.

The 777 fleet has a better J seat than the Airbus fleet and more legroom, it would be nice to think the Airbus fleet would get the upgraded J seat & space, though with 787's due soon I doubt that is likley.The 777's are too noisy, even in front of the engines, it's a plane I'm keen to avoid to be honest, despite the better layout.

Food on QR is excellent and the service is generally excellent, most of the smiles seem genuine though there are a few forced ones, cabin crew are much better than the ground staff who seem to lack certain customer service skills.

All in all I have no hesitation in booking with QR again, and the fact you can earn mileage with some Star Alliance carriers is a bonus not to be ignored - I know, BA is my usual carrier but I do collect bmi mileage too, though not enough to have any status with them.

So, thinking of a flight and QR is a potential, book it, I'm sure you will enjoy the ride.

Final note, Vietnam, loved it, I'd happily pack up and move there tomorrow if it was possible.

Thanks for reading, hope you enjoyed, feel free to drop a reply or question if one pops to mind.

Best Wishes

BA319131 - Mark

The previous threads can be found below:-

Asia 2010 Part IV - Vietnam Airlines
http://ww.airliners.net/aviation-forums/trip_reports/read.main/167982
Asia 2010 Part III - Vietnam Airlines - Domestic
http://ww.airliners.net/aviation-forums/trip_reports/read.main/166645
Asia 2010 Part II - Vietnam Airlines
http://ww.airliners.net/aviation-forums/trip_reports/read.main/166195
Asia 2010 Part I - QR - Your 5 Star Airline?
http://ww.airliners.net/aviation-forums/trip_reports/read.main/165931

And some older trips:-

2010 Starts:- 2 New Aircraft Types
http://ww.airliners.net/aviation-forums/trip_reports/read.main/163401
Now 4 , In Search Of My Next A380 Operator
http://ww.airliners.net/aviation-forums/trip_reports/read.main/159975
Viva Las Vegas With BA & US
http://ww.airliners.net/aviation-forums/trip_reports/read.main/152474
Spotting In Orly C/o BA Via CDG
http://ww.airliners.net/aviation-forums/trip_reports/read.main/148690
LHR-EDI-LHR With BA & BD
http://ww.airliners.net/aviation-forums/trip_reports/read.main/147841
Asia 2009 - Part 6 - BA HKG-LHR - The Final Leg
http://ww.airliners.net/aviation-forums/trip_reports/read.main/153047
Asia 2009 - Part 5 - NH NRT-PEK & CA PEK-HKG
http://ww.airliners.net/aviation-forums/trip_reports/read.main/144252
Asia 2009 - Part 4 - NH HND-ITM-HND
http://ww.airliners.net/aviation-forums/trip_reports/read.main/143628
Asia 2009 - Part 3 - JL HND-KIX-HND
http://ww.airliners.net/aviation-forums/trip_reports/read.main/143385
Asia 2009 - Part 2 - NH SIN-NRT
http://ww.airliners.net/aviation-forums/trip_reports/read.main/143096
Asia 2009 - Part 1 - QF LHR-SIN
http://ww.airliners.net/aviation-forums/trip_reports/read.main/143046
Swiss To IST For A Few Hours
http://ww.airliners.net/aviation-forums/trip_reports/read.main/142132
BA268 LAX-LHR,the Final Journey Home
http://ww.airliners.net/aviation-forums/trip_reports/read.main/139862
AA270 HNL-LAX,the Journey Home Begins
http://ww.airliners.net/aviation-forums/trip_reports/read.main/136434
Day Trip To The Big Island With Hawaiian
http://ww.airliners.net/aviation-forums/trip_reports/read.main/134733
Off To Hawaii On CO From EWR
http://ww.airliners.net/aviation-forums/trip_reports/read.main/133923
To Hawaii Via NYC With BA
http://ww.airliners.net/aviation-forums/trip_reports/read.main/133822
BA EDI - LCY Operated By Flightine
http://ww.airliners.net/aviation-forums/trip_reports/read.main/135610
Returning Home Via ZRH On Swiss
http://ww.airliners.net/aviation-forums/trip_reports/read.main/132036
Emirates A380 First Flight DXB-JFK
http://ww.airliners.net/aviation-forums/trip_reports/read.main/131469
VS To DXB Looking For The EK 380
http://ww.airliners.net/aviation-forums/trip_reports/read.main/131451
Long Weekend In Palma Via BA
http://ww.airliners.net/aviation-forums/trip_reports/read.main/130116
Spotting In DUS C/o BA
http://ww.airliners.net/aviation-forums/trip_reports/read.main/128616
BD052 LHR-EDI - Something Different
http://ww.airliners.net/aviation-forums/trip_reports/read.main/127454
QF Domestic - 4 Flights, 3 Aircraft Types
http://ww.airliners.net/aviation-forums/trip_reports/read.main/126794
EY:SYD-AUH-LHR - Any Better This Time?
http://ww.airliners.net/aviation-forums/trip_reports/read.main/112425
A380: The First Ever Commercial Flight
http://ww.airliners.net/aviation-forums/trip_reports/read.main/112188
EY:LHR-AUH-SIN - Is It Hype Or Are They That Good?
http://ww.airliners.net/aviation-forums/trip_reports/read.main/112039
BD121 LHR-DUB BA8083 DUB-LGW
http://ww.airliners.net/aviation-forums/trip_reports/read.main/125784
BA LHR-CDG
http://ww.airliners.net/aviation-forums/trip_reports/read.main/124998
BA902 LHR-FRA & BA913 FRA-LHR
http://ww.airliners.net/aviation-forums/trip_reports/read.main/123867
BA177 LHR-JFK
http://ww.airliners.net/aviation-forums/trip_reports/read.main/120960
BA LHR-AMS-LHR
http://ww.airliners.net/aviation-forums/trip_reports/read.main/120281
BA WTP: LHR-JFK, EWR-LHR
http://ww.airliners.net/aviation-forums/trip_reports/read.main/110396
BMI LHR-EDI-LHR
http://ww.airliners.net/aviation-forums/trip_reports/read.main/108850
Air Nostrum & Iberia : MAH-BCN-LHR
http://ww.airliners.net/aviation-forums/trip_reports/read.main/106626
Air Nostrum PMI-MAH
http://ww.airliners.net/aviation-forums/trip_reports/read.main/106105

Hi Mark,

enjoyable report with nice pictures as usual! The catering in general looks great.

Quoting ba319-131 (Thread starter): This TR features the final sectors from our trip to Vietnam in early 2010, it’s much delay in posting, so apologies to those who were following the earlier stories.

Not a problem at all - I also haven't found time either to write about a few trips between May and July.

Quoting ba319-131 (Thread starter): I took the warm rueben corned beef sandwich with more champagne, the sandwich was excellent though I guess as was pretty hungry having missed breakfast.

That looks excellent!

Quoting ba319-131 (Thread starter): The long layover gave me some 13 new planes, most QR as you might imagine, though I also picked up an Oman Air 738, Saudia MD-90, Gulf Air 320, Bahrain Air 319 & Kuwait 320.

Not too bad!

Quoting ba319-131 (Thread starter): Whilst sat on the bus awaiting the last Business passengers a lady of perhaps Indian descent? got on board, it was obvious she was quite furious about something, it appears the guy who checks your boarding pass and passport asked her how she could afford to travel in business class, as one can imagine, she was quite upset and created quite a fuss, got off the bus and tried to walk back to the terminal to demand the guys name etc, the staff were stopping her saying she needed to get back on the bus etc etc - in the end what I assume to be a senior staff member came to the bus and provided the details the lady had asked for, this ended the matter for now, though In have no doubt the lady was going to follow this up with Qatar customer services.

Very odd. It would be interesting to hear the other side of the story, too.

Quoting ba319-131 (Thread starter): The 777's are too noisy, even in front of the engines, it's a plane I'm keen to avoid to be honest, despite the better layout.

I'd always prefer engine noise over chatting people or similar sounds - that's why I don't mind at all about the 777 cabin noise.



PH

Hi Mark,

good report. Almost forgot about this last one, which was still missing of course!

Quoting ba319-131 (Thread starter): Check-out was easy, I took advantage of the room key card drop box, the invoice would be e-mailed, the regular check-in and out lines were busy.

Nice! I like these services.

Quoting ba319-131 (Thread starter): Having set up base camp MrsBA319131 decided to get some food and bring it back to our camp, however she was told food had to be eaten in the dining area,

Oh, that's pretty bad after you just found a place for your own and now had to relocate again.

Quoting ba319-131 (Thread starter): in the end what I assume to be a senior staff member came to the bus and provided the details the lady had asked for, this ended the matter for now, though In have no doubt the lady was going to follow this up with Qatar customer services.

I'll bet that guy won't be seen anymore when we travel via DOH again today!  

Quoting ba319-131 (Thread starter): Service on this leg did not seem to improve, newspapers were not offered so I had to ask for one. Meal and drinks orders were taken but the drink took ages to arrive.

Not good, they shouldn't happen on J-class. Actually I recently had a similar bad experience on a European J-class, and there is no excuse for that.

Regards
Eric

Very nice report with very nice pictures, Mark! Qatar seems to be very good consistantly although not as great on the second flight. Meal presentation is fantastic ! Too bad your views from the Premium terminal weren't very good; views from the regular terminal are excellent, big windows righ next to the runway. It is slow but there are a lot of helicopters from Gulf Helicopter that one can log and it gets quite busy with them.

Glad you had a nce trip to Vietnam and that Qatar Airways did not disappoint.

The777Man

Hi MArk,

An excellent documented TR!

Quoting ba319-131 (Thread starter): We got through security & passport control just before 7am, though finding the lounge proved to be an effort. Qatar use the Thai Royal Orchid lounges, the one we used or stumbled across seemed pretty hard to find, directional signage was quite poor, if fact it took some 15 odd minutes to find the place, ok I stopped to look at a plane or 2 but that was about it.

Tell me about it, you can easily lost at BKK. Poor signages .... we almost missed our flight!

Quoting ba319-131 (Thread starter): The front office came on and give a quick, if almost inaudible, announcement about the flight and duration.

LOL, reminded me one of those flights when I traveled to SIN from BOM and I could not understand any word what the Chinese captain spoke. My friend later asked, doesn't SQ make announcements in English?

Quoting ba319-131 (Thread starter): I also took a trip down to duty free to pick up a coupled of bottles of scotch, it was very cheap! Upon my return I was again asked for my boarding pass to ensure I was entitled to be there, surely they saw me walk down there 5 minutes before??!!

To be on their side, a lapse results in dire consequences ... in the middle east as you know things can be merciless.

Quoting ba319-131 (Thread starter): got on board, it was obvious she was quite furious about something, it appears the guy who checks your boarding pass and passport asked her how she could afford to travel in business class, as one can imagine, she was quite upset and created quite a fuss, got off the bus and tried to walk back to the terminal to demand the guys name etc, the staff were stopping her saying she needed to get back on the bus etc etc - in the end what I assume to be a senior staff member came to the bus and provided the details the lady had asked for, this ended the matter for now, though In have no doubt the lady was going to follow this up with Qatar customer services.

Sad that it happened, but we can't comment till the other side of the story is heard.

Meal presentations were excellent, overall an enjoyable experience I believe.

As far as the skewed service to the Europe, it is really confusing as the management is really strict about the quality of service to flights to Europe especially to LHR (according to my crew friends). However it does not show in the trip reports. Hope it improves.

Thanks for sharing.

Hi Mark a great final leg to you're big Asia trip! Like in Suryo's recent TR, QR seem to be doing nearly everything right. I suppose its a shame the crew didn't too interested on the last leg though. But it seems that the lounge offerings in the Premium Terminal have improved since you were there.

Quoting ba319-131 (Thread starter): The friendly agent advised us the check-in system the airlines use was down, as a result she could not check us in at that time, this not only effected Qatar but every airline in the terminal - I has a walk around, some of the queues were pretty horrendous.

Ouch...not a good start first thing in the morning. How long was it down for before you arrived?

Quoting ba319-131 (Thread starter): Shortly after breakfast was finished turbulence really kicked in over the the Bay of Bengal, by this time I had my seat in the bed position, it was so rough my legs were jumping a foot or so off the bed, amazing turbulence, never felt anything like this before, as you can imagine, the crew were assigned to their seats by the boys up front.

I think this has always happened to everyone. I don't know what it is about the Bay of Bengal but its flying back over the Atlantic Ocean at night. Always guaranteed turbulence and its very bad!

Quoting ba319-131 (Thread starter): Upon my return I was again asked for my boarding pass to ensure I was entitled to be there, surely they saw me walk down there 5 minutes before??!!

Surely if it was the same member of staff who was there when you left, then you'd expect them to remember your face!

Quoting ba319-131 (Thread starter): Whilst sat on the bus awaiting the last Business passengers a lady of perhaps Indian descent? got on board, it was obvious she was quite furious about something, it appears the guy who checks your boarding pass and passport asked her how she could afford to travel in business class, as one can imagine, she was quite upset and created quite a fuss, got off the bus and tried to walk back to the terminal to demand the guys name etc, the staff were stopping her saying she needed to get back on the bus etc etc - in the end what I assume to be a senior staff member came to the bus and provided the details the lady had asked for, this ended the matter for now, though In have no doubt the lady was going to follow this up with Qatar customer services.

It is a bit of a personal question, especially to ask that in front of everyone. I would be furious and embarrassed if that happened to me. Normally you would get asked that question either at passport control or immigration but never at the gate.

Sandeep (AI151)

Hola Mark!

Quoting ba319-131 (Thread starter): This TR features the final sectors from our trip to Vietnam in early 2010, it’s much delay in posting, so apologies to those who were following the earlier stories.

It was about time, heheheheeh   I thought probably you had settled in Vietnam, after looking at the pictures you posted, I would not be surprised. Really, thanks for sharing with us this great trip back.

Quoting ba319-131 (Thread starter): I also took a trip down to duty free to pick up a coupled of bottles of scotch, it was very cheap! Upon my return I was again asked for my boarding pass to ensure I was entitled to be there, surely they saw me walk down there 5 minutes before??!!

Maybe they saw your picture as a bar tender in the EK380 flight to NYC last year and they were suspicious  

Quoting ba319-131 (Thread starter): At one point the blinds all started to lift offering decent views of the outside, not the ramp though, I guess when it starts to cool down they lift them to show the outside world.

This is to make sure you remember what real world is like from the Premium Terminal.

Quoting ba319-131 (Thread starter): I rarely used the IFE for anything other than the moving map facility.

Ahhhhh! Is there anything else?   Seriously, this is usually the best option. When the seat next to me is vacant I set the in-flight map on it and watch a film or listen to some music in mine. Try to get the best of both worlds.

Quoting ba319-131 (Thread starter): I stuck to champagne, reading and a few shows of 2 and a half men to keep me going.

That's my option. I am poor sleeper on planes and I really look in anger and envy all those around, champagne usually prevents me from further action   

After reading your posts and Suryo's, I am really considering taking a flight with QR. They have started service to BCN recently and although the first leg is flown on an A319, I am sure it is worth the experience.

BTW, did you get MrsBA319-131 for publishing her picture sleeping, didn't you?

Salut!

Roger

[Edited 2010-08-30 11:33:55]

Hi Mark,

I have been waiting for this part of your trip report. Finally!  

Quoting ba319-131 (Thread starter): 777-3DZER A7-BAF 2A Business Class

You can't be serious? I got assigned the very same seat on our way back from Bali to Doha. Thanks for keeping my seat warm.  

Quoting ba319-131 (Thread starter): I was not feeling to great, guess something I ate the day before had upset my system a little so that might have helped influence my opinions.

Too bad about this. Luckily you got feeling better en route to DOH.

Quoting ba319-131 (Thread starter): A few seat/cabin pictures

Nice to see the cabin view of A7-BAF by daylight.

Quoting ba319-131 (Thread starter): Menu offerings

Soo Qatar!

Quoting ba319-131 (Thread starter): tables were set up in the usual manor, which I do like, it's most elegant and has the feel of a top quality restaurant.

Definitely.

Quoting ba319-131 (Thread starter): Views on final approach to DOH.

Great shot! Too bad I had to miss it out.

Quoting ba319-131 (Thread starter): we headed to the lounge, stopped en-route again to have our status checked to ensure we were entitles to use the facility,seriously, we made it through security before which our boarding passes were checked, where do you think we sprung from??

Quoting ba319-131 (Thread starter): Upon my return I was again asked for my boarding pass to ensure I was entitled to be there, surely they saw me walk down there 5 minutes before??!!

I think we will have to take it with a pinch of salt. I was quite annoyed at the beginning, but now I am rather used to it.

Quoting ba319-131 (Thread starter): I found a seat that offered me the best possible chance of seeing some passing traffic and set up camp there.

Thanks to the J terminal expansion. Two years ago, the view on the parking place was all what you had got.

Quoting ba319-131 (Thread starter): it appears the guy who checks your boarding pass and passport asked her how she could afford to travel in business class,

Just like other fellow A.netters, I wished to know both sides of the story. But still, it was rude to ask such question.

Quoting ba319-131 (Thread starter): Service on this leg did not seem to improve, newspapers were not offered so I had to ask for one. Meal and drinks orders were taken but the drink took ages to arrive.

Ouch, QR's standard was slipping here. I wonder what was going on. Luckily your meal saved the grace.

Quoting ba319-131 (Thread starter): The pre-arrival snack was pretty decent, a nice little mix of 'stuff'

Oh yes, my favorite QR's high tea.

Great report. Thanks for sharing. It's like a dejà vu for me.  

Cheers,
Suryo

Hi Mark,

excellent TR, I was looking forward to it - so much looking that I feared I must have missed it somewhere!. But I'm glad to be wrong this time.

I must admit I'm quite envious, I'd love to spend 5 ours in such a luxiurious business class lounge as you did!



Is the John Simpson on the book the same JS from BBC World? If so, would you recommend this book?

Thanks!

Fabrizio - JL418

Hey, Mark

Thanks for sharing your last installment of your trip to Asia! Looks like you had a really nice flight overall with Qatar. Definitely an airline I'd like to try in the future ..

Quoting ba319-131 (Thread starter): The pre-arrival snack was pretty decent, a nice little mix of 'stuff'

I really like how creative the presentation seems to be with the food served ... very nice flatware, and the way the food is placed on all corners. How classy!

Looking forward to your next trip!

Matthew (767747)

Do you need any shots for Vietnam?

Thanks.

I know I was waiting for this, and then I kind of forgot about it....Glad to see it finally made it here  

Quoting ba319-131 (Thread starter): Eventually the system went back on line and we were able to check-in, we got our boarding passes at 06:42.

It's nice you got out so fast, considering you entered the terminal at 0625, and given the delay and line ups which I think were much longer for economy.

Quoting ba319-131 (Thread starter): a bit of a taxi around the terminal

Look at that gorgeous TG A346!!

Quoting ba319-131 (Thread starter): Smoking is banned, so why bother with these?

A subtle reminder for the hardcore smokers who might try to sneak one in the lavatory, behind closed doors.

Quoting ba319-131 (Thread starter): Descent started at 11:19, so a quick trip to the bathroom was in order, even after some 6+ hours of flight the bathroom was in an excellent condition, top marks to the crew for keeping these so clean throughout the flight.

Something EK can learn, given sometimes their lavatories can be messy, with not just toilet paper around, but wet floors. MH gets top marks for keeping washroom cleans in Y for all sectors, I flew on.

Quoting ba319-131 (Thread starter): Whilst sat on the bus awaiting the last Business passengers a lady of perhaps Indian descent? got on board, it was obvious she was quite furious about something, it appears the guy who checks your boarding pass and passport asked her how she could afford to travel in business class, as one can imagine, she was quite upset and created quite a fuss, got off the bus and tried to walk back to the terminal to demand the guys name etc, the staff were stopping her saying she needed to get back on the bus etc etc - in the end what I assume to be a senior staff member came to the bus and provided the details the lady had asked for, this ended the matter for now, though In have no doubt the lady was going to follow this up with Qatar customer services.

This instance will definitely get Al Baker's attention as he says "Where we will corner them in a room and get what we want from them"....uh oh!! http://www.flightglobal.com/pages/video.htm?navigationid=531&slotid=47 (Search for Al Baker interview)

Quoting ba319-131 (Thread starter): A short taxi out

That spot across the taxi way looks like a great spotting location.

Quoting ba319-131 (Thread starter): we were onboard by 17:20, not quite such a warm welcome though hot towels and drinks were distributed in a rather rushed fashion during push back off stand - the safety demo was also played at the same time. It seems the crew felt under pressure to get the service out and plane off the ground, the pressure showed in the service delivery.

Quoting ba319-131 (Thread starter): Service on this leg did not seem to improve, newspapers were not offered so I had to ask for one. Meal and drinks orders were taken but the drink took ages to arrive.

For most cabin crew London Heathrow is nicknamed as "Death-row" as they are the most demanding routes. I guess in general most cabin crew feel the pressure before service can even begin.

Quoting ba319-131 (Thread starter): Food on QR is excellent and the service is generally excellent, most of the smiles seem genuine though there are a few forced ones, cabin crew are much better than the ground staff who seem to lack certain customer service skills.

Better forced smiles, than no smiles at all!!

Great report! I have yet to fly on QR but I'd really like to in the near future.

I love the Airshow map on QR's 77W. It's just like the one on TAAG, and it's a shame more carriers don't have it. Those pics of DOH while your aircraft was one approach were great! QR's lounge looks nice, but it's annoying how up-tight they were about where you eat. Also, the food presentation on board the aircraft is excellent!

Thank you for sharing!

Thanks Mark for the final report of your epic trip. I was beginning to wonder when we would see this report on QR.

Quoting ba319-131 (Thread starter): We got through security & passport control just before 7am, though finding the lounge proved to be an effort. Qatar use the Thai Royal Orchid lounges, the one we used or stumbled across seemed pretty hard to find, directional signage was quite poor, if fact it took some 15 odd minutes to find the place, ok I stopped to look at a plane or 2 but that was about it.

= Ok. Seriously, what is up with BKK in that instance? I got lost 4 times in the past 2 months trying to find those bloody lounges - now I just go to the First Class counter and have them walk me there. I even reported about this when comparing Delhi's T3 on my UL report: Sri Lankan UL 196: 31/JUL/10: DEL-CMB: J/ DEL T3 (by abrelosojos Aug 15 2010 in Trip Reports)

Quoting ba319-131 (Thread starter): After a quick walk through duty free to see what was worth buying we headed to the lounge, stopped en-route again to have our status checked to ensure we were entitles to use the facility,seriously, we made it through security before which our boarding passes were checked, where do you think we sprung from??

= Welcome to Doha. Uugh.

Quoting ba319-131 (Thread starter): Whilst sat on the bus awaiting the last Business passengers a lady of perhaps Indian descent? got on board, it was obvious she was quite furious about something, it appears the guy who checks your boarding pass and passport asked her how she could afford to travel in business class, as one can imagine, she was quite upset and created quite a fuss, got off the bus and tried to walk back to the terminal to demand the guys name etc, the staff were stopping her saying she needed to get back on the bus etc etc - in the end what I assume to be a senior staff member came to the bus and provided the details the lady had asked for, this ended the matter for now, though In have no doubt the lady was going to follow this up with Qatar customer services.

= While we have not heard the other side, I am not surprised at all. I have witnessed really amazing stuff at Doha. Take a look at my report (https://www.airliners.net/aviation-forums/trip_reports/read.main/146050/) - the ground staff barking at a Pakistani in JCL, etc.

Personally, they will get their wake-up call soon enough when these premium pax start flying other carriers. It has happened to several formerly "invincible" carriers ... karma is a bitch  .

It is a shame really, because QR in the air is very very good. Sadly, their premium product leaves much to be desired on the ground .

Saludos,
A.

Hi, Mark,

another great read, well done, also the nice pictures. Despite you feel not that really well during the first part of the journey, you made definitely the best of it.

Nice to see some DOH daylight shots, only been there during the night myself.

About sleeping in planes,
Jan fixed it yesterday to sleep from boarding at AMS, also during takeoff, till disembarking at STR,
not a minute awake!.
But also not a minute to sleep on the nightly YUL-AMS leg, with all that available movies.

Greetings,
Markus(FLIEGER67)

Great report Mark and well worth waiting for. Doha looks like its a building site ! The service/meals and product looked really good.

Nice conclusion to a interesting trip.

Regards

Philip

Excellent TR as usual! Always enjoyed reading your TR!

You took a photo of my grandparent's house on approach, and of our apartment in the Pearl  !

I have ridden QR's 77W J many times but they were all to DXB short haul. I am yet to try them long haul!

Quoting ba319-131 (Thread starter): The configuration on this A330 has 18 passengers in a 2-2-2 layout, so that's 3 rows in this small J cabin. Quite a few of the passengers knew each other and were busy chatting, so it was quite a noisy cabin, not to my liking.

I think you missed a row of J class located at the end of the First Class cabin--or maybe Im mistaken.

Hi Mark,

A great, if a very overdue report on your return trip. QR premium service seems to be very good indeed on these legs as well.

Now go on and write new reports, you have lots of catching up to do!  

Hi Mark,

Good to see this series dusted off! I bet you're glad it's finally finished too! Such a shame you weren't feeling too well for the flight.. And especially when travelling in a premium class. QR looks quite nice but I have a feeling it's a long way off before I try them.

Quoting ba319-131 (Thread starter): The friendly agent advised us the check-in system the airlines use was down, as a result she could not check us in at that time, this not only effected Qatar but every airline in the terminal

Gosh, that must have been a pain. Crazy how it can affect the entire airport.

Quoting ba319-131 (Thread starter): Given time was moving along we proceeded to security & passport control, First & Business passengers have a priority lane, thank goodness for that! - the queue for economy was just a huge snaking line around the terminal!

Sure thing! I'd hate to be in that long Economy queue so early in the morning.

Quoting ba319-131 (Thread starter): Having set up base camp MrsBA319131 decided to get some food and bring it back to our camp, however she was told food had to be eaten in the dining area, so despite the lounge being empty we packed away the cameras, laptops etc and made our way to the dining area for a late lunch.

Gee, what a strict rule. I wonder why they make such decisions - are the staff lazy to the point that if you were to spill something, it'd be easier to clean up in one area? But the offerings don't look to disappoint.

Quoting ba319-131 (Thread starter): Upon my return I was again asked for my boarding pass to ensure I was entitled to be there, surely they saw me walk down there 5 minutes before??!!

I guess they weren't paying attention to who was in the lounge.. Next time, try and sneak someone else in with your wife's boarding pass!  

Thanks again, looks like you've been pretty busy - summer peak period I'm guessing?

Trust all is well!

Cheers,
Nicholas

Hi Mark,

Thanks for this nice report. It seems QR offer a solid business class product, food looks excellent, bags of space.

Quoting ba319-131 (Thread starter): I like to be at the airport at least 2 hours prior to departure, mainly for spotting purposes, but also due to the reason I don't like to feel rushed during the whole check-in and security clearance process, you can never tell how long things may take.

Exactly how I think. It only takes one broken down car or train or bus and you've had it. I can't enjoy things if I'm constantly looking at my watch wondering if I'll make it.

Glad you had a successful holiday

Happy flying
Infodesk   

Great TR Mark!

You have been rather quiet on the TR-producing front lately, and i am glad you came back with this great work  

There have been several QR reports lately, and all show a good inflight product. But from yours, i notice a slight slack on one of the flights (seems unusual for this airline, at least on a.net). Ground staff, as is the norm with all GCC non-EK airlines, seems quite bad!

Quoting ba319-131 (Thread starter): The friendly agent advised us the check-in system the airlines use was down, as a result she could not check us in at that time, this not only effected Qatar but every airline in the terminal

Strange. Must be an IT tech issue, and not just with the airline system as they use different types i believe.

Quoting ba319-131 (Thread starter): View outside

Very nice view to be honest! I love sitting between two aerobridges  

Quoting ba319-131 (Thread starter): Smoking is banned, so why bother with these?

Precisely! Same goes for that no-smoking sign!

Quoting ba319-131 (Thread starter): At some stage I decided I felt better and needed food and drink, a passing FA stopped and took an order, nuts and Champers pls!

WoW! That was a quick turnaround!  

Quoting ba319-131 (Thread starter): In my opinion Qatar should be a bit more flexible and relaxed about the lounge and food etc

Very odd! A premium passenger should be allowed to eat anywhere!

Quoting ba319-131 (Thread starter): it appears the guy who checks your boarding pass and passport asked her how she could afford to travel in business class, as one can imagine, she was quite upset and created quite a fuss, got off the bus and tried to walk back to the terminal to demand the guys name etc, the staff were stopping her saying she needed to get back on the bus etc etc - in the end what I assume to be a senior staff member came to the bus and provided the details the lady had asked for, this ended the matter for now, though In have no doubt the lady was going to follow this up with Qatar customer services.

That is outrageous! I hope that lady filed her complaint!  


When are you headed to NYC? I am there on September 10th!

Thanks a lot for sharing! Best wishes to you and the Mrs!


Cheers,
Roni

Hi all, thanks for all the reads and comments much appreciated - not going to reply to all, I'll be here until winter!  

Quoting PlaneHunter (Reply 1): Quoting ba319-131 (Thread starter): I took the warm rueben corned beef sandwich with more champagne, the sandwich was excellent though I guess as was pretty hungry having missed breakfast. That looks excellent!

- Indeed it was PH  

Quoting PlaneHunter (Reply 1): Quoting ba319-131 (Thread starter): Whilst sat on the bus awaiting the last Business passengers a lady of perhaps Indian descent? got on board, it was obvious she was quite furious about something, it appears the guy who checks your boarding pass and passport asked her how she could afford to travel in business class, as one can imagine, she was quite upset and created quite a fuss, got off the bus and tried to walk back to the terminal to demand the guys name etc, the staff were stopping her saying she needed to get back on the bus etc etc - in the end what I assume to be a senior staff member came to the bus and provided the details the lady had asked for, this ended the matter for now, though In have no doubt the lady was going to follow this up with Qatar customer services. Very odd. It would be interesting to hear the other side of the story, too.

- Yes there could indeed be another side, though from what we could see and hear it was pretty one sided.

Quoting PlaneHunter (Reply 1): Quoting ba319-131 (Thread starter): The 777's are too noisy, even in front of the engines, it's a plane I'm keen to avoid to be honest, despite the better layout. I'd always prefer engine noise over chatting people or similar sounds - that's why I don't mind at all about the 777 cabin noise

- You have a point, though this is the first time I've had this problem of passengers in J making too much noise.

Quoting airbuseric (Reply 2): Quoting ba319-131 (Thread starter): Having set up base camp MrsBA319131 decided to get some food and bring it back to our camp, however she was told food had to be eaten in the dining area, Oh, that's pretty bad after you just found a place for your own and now had to relocate again.

- I know, bummer!

Quoting The777Man (Reply 3): Very nice report with very nice pictures, Mark!

- Thanks Lars 

Quoting The777Man (Reply 3): Too bad your views from the Premium terminal weren't very good; views from the regular terminal are excellent, big windows righ next to the runway

- Interesing to know, perhaps I'll try economy next time just for the views!

Quoting ojas (Reply 4): Tell me about it, you can easily lost at BKK. Poor signages .... we almost missed our flight!

- Seems we are not alone!

Quoting AI151 (Reply 5): Quoting ba319-131 (Thread starter): The friendly agent advised us the check-in system the airlines use was down, as a result she could not check us in at that time, this not only effected Qatar but every airline in the terminal - I has a walk around, some of the queues were pretty horrendous. Ouch...not a good start first thing in the morning. How long was it down for before you arrived?

- I think it broke down just as we arrived, typical!

Quoting AI151 (Reply 5): Quoting ba319-131 (Thread starter): Shortly after breakfast was finished turbulence really kicked in over the the Bay of Bengal, by this time I had my seat in the bed position, it was so rough my legs were jumping a foot or so off the bed, amazing turbulence, never felt anything like this before, as you can imagine, the crew were assigned to their seats by the boys up front. I think this has always happened to everyone. I don't know what it is about the Bay of Bengal but its flying back over the Atlantic Ocean at night. Always guaranteed turbulence and its very bad!

- Funny, never had bad turbulance over here before, this sure made up for it!

Quoting rogerbcn (Reply 6): Maybe they saw your picture as a bar tender in the EK380 flight to NYC last year and they were suspicious

- Ha, you might be right Roger  

Quoting rogerbcn (Reply 6): Ahhhhh! Is there anything else? Seriously, this is usually the best option. When the seat next to me is vacant I set the in-flight map on it and watch a film or listen to some music in mine. Try to get the best of both worlds.

- If only I was lucky enough to have an empty J seat next to me, can't remember the last time that happened!

Quoting rogerbcn (Reply 6): After reading your posts and Suryo's, I am really considering taking a flight with QR. They have started service to BCN recently and although the first leg is flown on an A319, I am sure it is worth the experience.

- Go for it, looking forward to the TR aleady!  

Quoting rogerbcn (Reply 6): BTW, did you get MrsBA319-131 for publishing her picture sleeping, didn't you?

- I have her proof the report before posting...........

Quoting akhmad (Reply 7): Quoting ba319-131 (Thread starter): 777-3DZER A7-BAF 2A Business Class You can't be serious? I got assigned the very same seat on our way back from Bali to Doha. Thanks for keeping my seat warm.

- My pleasure  

Quoting akhmad (Reply 7): Great report. Thanks for sharing. It's like a dejà vu for me.

- Thanks Suryo.

Quoting JL418 (Reply 8): Is the John Simpson on the book the same JS from BBC World? If so, would you recommend this book?

- Hi Fabrizio , yes, an excellent read!

Quoting 767747 (Reply 9): I really like how creative the presentation seems to be with the food served ... very nice flatware, and the way the food is placed on all corners. How classy!

- Indeed, it's just like a flashy restaurant!

Quoting lychemsa (Reply 10): Do you need any shots for Vietnam?

- Not sure,, never checked! - never caught anything  

Quoting flightsimboy (Reply 11): I know I was waiting for this, and then I kind of forgot about it....Glad to see it finally made it here

- Yep, i forgot too! - Thanks for reading  

Quoting flightsimboy (Reply 11): Quoting ba319-131 (Thread starter): A short taxi out That spot across the taxi way looks like a great spotting location.

- It is, not sure if the local cops would be happy with spotters though.

Quoting flightsimboy (Reply 11): Better forced smiles, than no smiles at all!!

- True!

Quoting abrelosojos (Reply 13): Thanks Mark for the final report of your epic trip. I was beginning to wonder when we would see this report on QR.

- Me too Alex!  

Quoting abrelosojos (Reply 13): Ok. Seriously, what is up with BKK in that instance? I got lost 4 times in the past 2 months trying to find those bloody lounges - now I just go to the First Class counter and have them walk me there

- Good idea, seems we are not alone in getting lost here!

Quoting abrelosojos (Reply 13): Take a look at my report (https://www.airliners.net/aviation-forums/trip_reports/read.main/146050/) - the ground staff barking at a Pakistani in JCL, etc.

- I remember it well, great TR!

Quoting FLIEGER67 (Reply 14): another great read, well done, also the nice pictures. Despite you feel not that really well during the first part of the journey, you made definitely the best of it.

- Thanks Markus, I tried not to let feeling bad detract me from the job in hand, gatehring pix and detail for a TR  

Quoting FLIEGER67 (Reply 14): Jan fixed it yesterday to sleep from boarding at AMS, also during takeoff, till disembarking at STR, not a minute awake!. But also not a minute to sleep on the nightly YUL-AMS leg, with all that available movies

- Kids are funny!

Quoting oa260 (Reply 15): Doha looks like its a building site !

- Your not wrong Philip!

Quoting oa260 (Reply 15): The service/meals and product looked really good.

- Indeed, you'd like them and can get bmi mileage too!

Quoting QatarA340 (Reply 16): Quoting ba319-131 (Thread starter): The configuration on this A330 has 18 passengers in a 2-2-2 layout, so that's 3 rows in this small J cabin. Quite a few of the passengers knew each other and were busy chatting, so it was quite a noisy cabin, not to my liking. I think you missed a row of J class located at the end of the First Class cabin--or maybe Im mistaken.

- Could have sworn it was just a cabin of 3 rows behind first class..........

Quoting FlyingFinn76 (Reply 17): Now go on and write new reports, you have lots of catching up to do!

- I know P, seems I'm not as on the ball as you!

Quoting NZ107 (Reply 18): Good to see this series dusted off! I bet you're glad it's finally finished too!

- Thanks Nicholas.

Quoting NZ107 (Reply 18): Such a shame you weren't feeling too well for the flight.. And especially when travelling in a premium class

- I know, at least you can enjoy the comfort and space, better to feel crappy bp fron than crammed into a Y seat.

Quoting NZ107 (Reply 18): Quoting ba319-131 (Thread starter): Having set up base camp MrsBA319131 decided to get some food and bring it back to our camp, however she was told food had to be eaten in the dining area, so despite the lounge being empty we packed away the cameras, laptops etc and made our way to the dining area for a late lunch. Gee, what a strict rule. I wonder why they make such decisions - are the staff lazy to the point that if you were to spill something, it'd be easier to clean up in one area? But the offerings don't look to disappoint.

- I thinks its about maintaing a set standard, I think they should relax a little myself.

Quoting NZ107 (Reply 18): Thanks again, looks like you've been pretty busy - summer peak period I'm guessing?

- Yes, work has been manic, were in an expansion mode.

Quoting NZ107 (Reply 18): Trust all is well!

- It is thanks, trust you are keeping well too.

Quoting infodesk (Reply 19): Quoting ba319-131 (Thread starter): I like to be at the airport at least 2 hours prior to departure, mainly for spotting purposes, but also due to the reason I don't like to feel rushed during the whole check-in and security clearance process, you can never tell how long things may take. Exactly how I think. It only takes one broken down car or train or bus and you've had it. I can't enjoy things if I'm constantly looking at my watch wondering if I'll make it.

- Glad it';s not just me Hannah! - Thanks for reading.

Quoting ronerone (Reply 20): You have been rather quiet on the TR-producing front lately, and i am glad you came back with this great work

- Yes sorry, glad you enjoyed Roni  

Quoting ronerone (Reply 20): When are you headed to NYC? I am there on September 10th

- Dropped you a PM - who you flying with, EY? - I'm on BA001  

Cheers all.

Mark

Quoting BA319-131 (Reply 21): who you flying with, EY? - I'm on BA001

I am on EK 203, a far cry from BA001! I am so very envious!  

Quoting ronerone (Reply 22): Quoting BA319-131 (Reply 21): who you flying with, EY? - I'm on BA001 I am on EK 203, a far cry from BA001! I am so very envious!

- I trust you'll post a TR for the trip?

It's not quite as rare as the BA LCY service but I'm sure service will be just fine.

Shame the dates don't work, next time my friend.

Cherrs

Mark

Hey Mark, great to finally see you make it home from Vietnam after so many months  

Another brilliant installment of an airline that's obviously won your heart.

Quoting ba319-131 (Thread starter): thankfully we were not far from the airport as we had stayed at the airport Novotel, very convenient and quite a nice property too, do recommend it when using BKK.

Totally agree. It's among the nicest airport hotel properties I'd seen anywhere. It has an excellent resort-style pool too.

Quoting ba319-131 (Thread starter): The friendly agent advised us the check-in system the airlines use was down, as a result she could not check us in at that time, this not only effected Qatar but every airline in the terminal - I has a walk around, some of the queues were pretty horrendous.

Wow, this doesn't look good at all. And at that time of the morning BKK is pretty heavy with departures too! Lucky you're travelling J and not Y.

Quoting ba319-131 (Thread starter): directional signage was quite poor, if fact it took some 15 odd minutes to find the place, ok I stopped to look at a plane or 2 but that was about it.

Welcome to BKK! It seems to have been designed for those partial to mazes. If you were a TG passenger it's a little easier because they have a dedicated fast-track entrance that brings you directly to the largest premium lounge but for the rest, best of luck! It's amazing that you managed to see any planes at all while en route to your lounge...  

Quoting ba319-131 (Thread starter): tables were set up in the usual manor, which I do like, it's most elegant and has the feel of a top quality restaurant.

  

Quoting ba319-131 (Thread starter): she was told food had to be eaten in the dining area,

I think that's rather unnecessary when the lounge isn't full. But QR lounge attendants are nothing if not sticklers for rules: we encountered the same when we passed through in Feb.

Thank you for this very enjoyable series. Looking forward to the write-up for your next excursion.  

Cheers and all the best,
airpearl

Quoting airpearl (Reply 24): Hey Mark, great to finally see you make it home from Vietnam after so many months

- Ha, yes, wish we had been there for months  

Quoting airpearl (Reply 24): Quoting ba319-131 (Thread starter): thankfully we were not far from the airport as we had stayed at the airport Novotel, very convenient and quite a nice property too, do recommend it when using BKK. Totally agree. It's among the nicest airport hotel properties I'd seen anywhere. It has an excellent resort-style pool too.

- Never got around to the pool area, if we use it again I'll have a look, the wife will like it.

Quoting airpearl (Reply 24): Quoting ba319-131 (Thread starter): directional signage was quite poor, if fact it took some 15 odd minutes to find the place, ok I stopped to look at a plane or 2 but that was about it. Welcome to BKK! It seems to have been designed for those partial to mazes. If you were a TG passenger it's a little easier because they have a dedicated fast-track entrance that brings you directly to the largest premium lounge

-That's interesting, I guess its a case of looking after their own!

Cheers

Mark