Thai Airways B747-400 (Config. 1) Royal Silk (business class)

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  • Anonymous
    Guest

    IanFromHKG
    Participant

    First leg of a two-sector, two-ticket itinerary on TG from HKG-BKK connecting to BA BKK-LHR

    CHECK-IN, IMMIGRATION & SECURITY

    I checked in at the Hong Kong Airport Express in-town check-in in Central during the morning. There was only one THAI desk operating, but only one person in front of me so I was served quickly.

    Although the flights were on separate tickets, the check-in agent happily checked my bags through to London on my connecting flight (on BA). She also changed my seat assignment to the exit row on the upper deck. I had hoped to do that on-line but the TG website doesn’t seem to allow this. She also checked my seat assignment for my return flight. All in all check-in was smooth and efficient, with the only disadvantages being that she couldn’t issue the boarding pass for my onward flight (not her fault) and that although polite and efficient there really was no “warmth” on display.

    When I went to the airport in the evening of course I by-passed check-in. Security was reasonably quick – perhaps 10 minutes – and since one of the manned desks for HK permanent residents had no queue I used that rather than one of the e-gates and was through in about ten seconds.

    LOUNGE

    I had tried to research the Star Alliance lounges beforehand but it seemed that TG’s lounge had the best reviews so I decided not to lounge-shop. The TG Royal Silk lounge is above gate 40 at the far end of the main part of the building, but the check-in agent had explained precisely how to get there, and there was a small map on the back of the invitation, so I had no difficulty finding it.

    There is a First Class section, but only roped off from the business class section so it was easy to see in (and not much different apart from having fewer people in it).

    The lounge was quite a bit larger than I had been expecting. Seats were in various configurations of 2 or 4 together, but the lounge was busy so rather than “share” a twin or four in the main area I found a couple of tables tucked away down a gallery at the far end of the lounge. There is a TV viewing area, another area with plenty of PCs for use, a couple of massage chairs, and even an area with some games consoles. There was also a private (but glass-walled) room but a sign indicating it was reserved (though it remained unoccupied). A very decent selection of newspapers and magazines was available in a variety of languages.

    There was a central buffet area with dim sum, and a small selection of Thai hot dishes and a decent selection of Thai condiments and salads. There were also some rather ordinary sandwiches. I had some red chicken curry which was nothing to write home about but quite acceptable.

    There was a smallish range of spirits, but only two wines (would Sir like red or white?) – a merlot and a chardonnay. Being a white man, I had the latter. Again, nothing to write home about – drinkable, but in my view rather sub-par.

    WiFi was available but didn’t want to work with my iPad so I connected to my phone instead. Staff regularly patrolled the lounge, taking away empties and keeping everything stocked, clean and tidy.

    Altogether I was quite impressed by the lounge, particularly since it is a short-haul out-station for THAI (although this is perhaps in part because it is also the Star Alliance Gold lounge and seems to be used by other Star long-haul carriers that don’t have their own lounge), and in my (admittedly limited) experience of its European equivalents puts them comprehensively to shame – it was much closer to what I would expect for a long-haul lounge, although there are no showers.

    BOARDING

    The flight was delayed slightly due to a late incoming aircraft, but ample notice was given in the lounge and the delay was short. We boarded at gate 46, about five-ten minutes walk from the lounge. Disappointingly, the gate wasn’t open when I arrived even though I had waited for the boarding announcement before I left the lounge. However, I am delighted to report that priority boarding was rigidly enforced, with cheap-seat-people being made to wait while both gate desks were used to clear the queue of premium passengers (and the staff who were checking passports whisking first class passengers out of the queue and escorting them to the front of the line).

    I have flown TG 747s before, always in J on the lower deck, which must have the oddest configuration I have ever seen. The entire starboard side of the business class cabin on the lower deck is occupied by a galley, so not only is seating just 2-2 but there is a solid wall running down the right-hand side of the cabin. This time the check-in agent had helped me change to the upper deck, which is also 2-2 but rather more conventional!

    Thai have updated the seats since my last flight on the 747 and although the odd lower deck configuration remains, the seats have been substantially changed. Framed in a shell, most seats have large TVs set into the shell-back of the seat in front, where there are also holders for water bottles. Being in an exit row, however, I had a smaller screen set into the armrest.

    Staff offered water, juice or champagne very promptly. Headsets, blankets and pillows were already on the seat. Menus were handed out as well.

    IN-FLIGHT

    The drinks service started commendably early after take-off, and menu selections were also sought very quickly. I chose a chicken dish from a choice of three, after seeking a crew member’s advice as to which I should choose. I am rarely troubled by indecision when choosing from airline menus, but as a devotee of Thai food I was struggling to decide. As it turned out, the meal was nicely presented and tasty, and I didn’t regret my choice, albeit I might have expected better in a restaurant. This was washed down with a very pleasant sauvignon blanc. Top-ups were offered at perfectly judged intervals.

    Being a short flight, movies were not offered on the IFE – this was no surprise, as CX (my usual carrier) also only offer TV selections on this route. There was a reasonable selection of TV shows, however, so not only did I not resort to movies on my iPad, I didn’t even feel impelled to finish writing this review on board!

    Although the flight was short and I didn’t want to sleep in any event (I was saving that for my onward flight) I did try fully reclining the seat for research purposes. Here came the first major disappointment of the day.

    I already knew the seat was not fully-flat, but I was surprised at just how angled it was when fully reclined. No great danger of sliding down, which can be a problem with some angled-flat seats, since it is in what I am told is a “lazy-boy” configuration. Although I found it very comfortable (excellent padding, I must say) for a short flight, and could probably have slept in it since I tend to sleep on my back when on aircraft and prefer being slightly angled in any event, I think anyone accustomed to sleeping on their side would have found it most difficult.

    The crew remained reasonably attentive, and overall I would have to say that the service more than matched my expectations.

    ARRIVAL

    Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport was, to my mind, a missed opportunity. The interior, with plenty of concrete on display, still looks unfinished – as though all the interior panelling hadn’t been delivered on time. That’s just visual, though. The real inconvenience is all the walking. I have never, in many many trips, had a short walk through the airport, and this trip was no exception.

    I made my way to the transfer desk, but perhaps due to the late arrival of my incoming flight it appears I had missed the BA desk opening times. I approached the Royal Jordanian desk, having taken to heart the oneworld message that each airline would be able to assist passengers of any other member of the alliance. Hah…. I was just told to go to the gate. Whoops, oneworld…. So much for connectivity…

    Fortunately, having been told by the Thai check-in agent in HK that she couldn’t issue my boarding pass for the BA flight, I had checked in for that leg online and printed my own boarding pass, so I went straight to the BA lounge and asked them to verify my check-in and my connecting luggage, which was done very quickly.

    I could go on, but this really marks the end of the TG leg of my journey so I will stop here save for making one observation which illustrates a sharp distinction in the approach of TG and BA. On my way to London, TG happily checked my bags through to London on BA on a separate ticket. On my return, BA refused to do the same, claiming at first that this was because they didn’t have a baggage agreement with TG. A very quick google search at check-in demonstrated that this was untrue, since TG have a page on their website listing the airlines with which they have an interline baggage agreement, and guess what – BA is listed.

    I also pointed out that on the very same tickets I had checked a bag through from TG to BA – which of course would require an interline baggage agreement – and even showed them my baggage tag to prove this. The check-in staff were unmoved and insisted they would only check my bag through to BKK, so now I have to go through immigration, collect my bags, go through customs, go to the departure hall, check in, go through immigration, go through security… Thanks, BA, you cheapskates… More on the subject here : http://www.businesstraveller.com/discussion/topic/Interlining-bags-from-BA-to-non-oneworld-airline

    SUMMARY

    Helpful and accommodating, if rather distant, check-in agent, although her willingness to accommodate requests for seat changes on both legs, and her willingness to check me and my bags through to a (non-alliance) carrier on a separate ticket more than made up for her rather cool approach.

    A (to me) surprisingly good lounge, well-maintained, with clear and helpful boarding announcements marred only by calling the flight a little too soon. Excellent boarding discipline, decent food, good in-flight service, and a seat which was very comfortable albeit not for everyone on a long-haul flight. Good IFE as well. Altogether an experience I would be very happy to repeat…


    Hermes1964
    Participant

    Ian_from_HKG

    Thanks for the review – very informative. Is the Hong Kong city check-in reliable? I’m planning to use it in August, but still remember a disaster with the Paddington check-in in London in the early days of Heathrow Express when my luggage got to Tokyo two days after me (along with forty other passengers).

    I rather suspect things work very well in HK but would welcome reassurance from those in the know.

    Many thanks


    sparkyflier
    Participant

    Ian this was a really good review with excellent detail and context/nuance, along with comparisons! Thank you for taking the time to share your experiences.


    IanFromHKG
    Participant

    Hermes1964 – in my experience, utterly reliable. Just remember that you need to turn up at least 90 minutes before your flight if you want to check in your bags. And that is really all you need, since the service is very quick and frequent. Happy travels!

    Sparkyflyer, thanks for the compliment


    Hermes1964
    Participant

    Ian
    Will look forward to using it and be sure to leave plenty of time. Information sharing like this is when the forum really excels (as opposed to all the silly bickering) and why i joined.
    Many thanks for sharing your experience and excellent reviews .
    All the best


    IanFromHKG
    Participant

    Hermes1964, glad to be of service. You may also be interested to know that there are free shuttle buses from major hotels to the Airport Express Station:

    http://www.mtr.com.hk/eng/getting_around/complom_free_bus.html

    As a Hong Kong resident, I haven’t used the shuttle bus, but as you might imagine I use the Airport Express all the time, and it really is a superb service. If you are flying CX, when you get to the train platform in Central, turn right and try to enter the train at the third door back from the far right-hand end – that will bring you out right next to the walkway closest to the CX check-in desk. If you are BA, do the same at the left-hand end! You may wish to use the seats which face to the left as you enter the train if you prefer facing forwards during the journey

    If you use the Airport Express on your arrival in HK, buy tickets before getting on the train (you can buy them at the other end since there are no gates at the airport end, but it will save you a lot of time to buy them at the start) either from the ticket machines to the right of the walkway through to the platform or at the manned desk just before it. Then, once you get onto the platform (which is a one-minute walk from the arrival hall) look for the small glass booth half-way along and take the carriage which is to the left (as you face the train) of that booth. This will bring you out next to the exit gates in Central – from there, slightly diagonally left is the shuttle bus connection, and slightly diagonally right are the taxis


    Hermes1964
    Participant

    Wow – what can I say? Very many thanks!


    TealFlyer
    Participant

    Seatplans.com reports that for the Thai B747-400 config. 1 “Thaiis currently refurbishing these frames”. I was wondering how current that info was, and where there might be up to date info available.

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