[JasonMyers]

SiamAir & Martyn, Thanks for your comments and I do understand the problem when travelling on economy or even premium classes on some other airlines at Suvarnabhumi, before Xmas i travelled to Cairo (got my timing right there) unfortunately on Egypt Air First Class and was not given a fast track card, even when I complained the security were adament that I go through the economy channels of immigration and security and it was very crowded and took me about 40 minutes to get through and not leaving much time to relax in the lounge or do any shopping. As a Star Alliance carrier I was very disapointed in some of the Egypt Air product but I guess you get what you pay for. Egypt Air did not credit my miles at all and cost me my Gold status by a few miles, which I have just got Thai to finally credit the miles and reinstate my Gold status. I am currently in Buenos Aires Argentina, travelling here on Thai to Joburg, SAA to Sao Paulo and TAM to Buenos Aires and I must say how impressed I was with both SAA and TAM both excellent business class products. With reference to Siam and your experience in Manila, all I can say is you were extremely lucky as I regularly fly in and out of Manila and it is not unusual to wait an hour at immigration due to the amount of people and few staff. Manila is a shambles they built a new terminal, could not open it for about 5 years because the government would not pay the contractor and when they finally opened it a couple of years ago, it is being used by the local budget airlines. The existing Terminal 1 is the same airport that I think Magdellan used when the Spanish came to conquer the Philippines a few hundred years ago. It is cramped and if the air conditioning works on the day you use it, your very lucky!

[stevescoots]

James,

yep, qatar do give you fast track cards. i recently transited thru BKK on thai business class. even transit security check was tediously long and slow. lounges were spartan to say the least. overall as a transit traveller I cant really rate it accuratly.

regarding entrance security, I once made the mistake of flying into dehli international, then had to go over to domestic for a flight in 6 hours. as the stop was short i dint bother with a hotel, thought I would sleep in the lounge…..wrong! security would not let me in the terminal without a ticket, even tho I had printed it out. No one from airport present to confirm so no entry…I ended trying to sleep on the pavement outside for 3 hours…not good..

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