After a big breakfast in the restaurant at the lobby level I went out for a bit of a walk before checking out one more time and taking the BST back to the Plaza Athenee.
I opted for the lazy option of a hotel car to the airport again. The ride was relatively quick and we were pulling up to the terminal around 40 minutes after leaving the hotel. A hotel rep met me at the car and took my case and escorted me to the MH check-in desk. After I was finished with check-in I noticed the rep was still waiting for me and he escorted me to the premium security entrance and directed me toward my gate. He wished me a pleasant flight and was on his way.
The check-in agent had given me a lounge pass printed on Thai BP stock with instructions that the lounge was close to the gate. I ignored this and made my way to one of the CX lounges were I grabbed a snack and waited for a while.
Snacks CX J Lounge BKK
CX J Lounge BKK
I thought I had better go to the TG Royal Orchid lounge closer to the flight time. Bad move. My invite was taken I walked inside found no seats available and walked straight on out again. I back tracked up and decided to visit the QF lounge instead.
QF Lounge BKK
QF Lounge BKK
MH boarding cards have the gate open time on them but not when it closes or when boarding starts times. The gate open time was 1 hour before the flight time and I wasn’t about to go to the gate lounge that early.
Around 40 minutes out I made my way down to the gate where my BP and PP were scanned and checked. Ten minutes later boarding finally started and I made my way down onto the flight.
Flight MH0783 BKK-KUL Seat 3A (Business)
Aircraft: B737-800
Departure time: 17:10
On board I was welcomed and directed to my seat. I stashed my bag and took my seat. The seats were the same as my flight earlier in the year from REP-KUL and similar in style to AA domestic F seats in the US or QF domestic J seats.
MH Regional J Seat
On board it was freeing and the chap next to me got a sweater out and put it on. A while later the cabin started to get quite warm but eventually settled down. A cold towel was handed out on the ground and an offer of Guava, Orange, Apple juice or water was made.
The lead attended announced a flight time of 1 hour and 55 minutes. Menus were handed out on the ground to the full 16 passenger business class section.
Menu
We pushed back at 17:11 and taxied out for a take off time of 17:27.
Once in the air and the belt sign off orders for drinks were taken and opted for a glass of bubbly to start.
Pre-dinner Bubbly
The meal trays were then delivered with the hot meal on the tray with the rest of the meal. My glass of bubbly was filled up after the tray laid and bread offered. The spicy fish dish was a little dry but quite tasty and the salad was lovely and zingy like the salads I had eaten in Vietnam earlier in the year.
Dinner Tray
Spicy Red Snapper
I managed to up end my glass of champagne all over my camera and left butt cheek. Just what you need when you are about to do a long haul sector. Luckily the blanket I had been using was able to stop most of the damage. So far I think the camera has come off unscathed.
Around 40 minutes out the first officer announced an ATC delay to our flight and we would need to circle above Epoh for 25 minutes or so. Our estimated arrival time was pushed back to 20:45. We touched down at 20:43 and taxied to the gate where we stopped short. A few minutes later the FO announced that we couldn’t pull up to the gate as a baggage cart was in our way. It was eventually moved and we finally pulled to a stop at 20:51.
I thanked the crew as I walked off and went up into the terminal.