Thai Airways Royal Orchid Plus - Dissapointing F experience BKK - FRA

Just got home from a disappointing experience in TG F from BKK to FRA.

- Waited more then 15 minutes in the check-in area. Only 1 other pax there when arrived.

- No towel or juice was served in the check in area.

- No transport from F lounge to Gate A 6. Had to walk. And A6 is on the end of the A pier.

- After boarding, 2 thai empolyees was moved up from C. Both the Cabin Mangager (or what its called) and the captain was down there saying hello to them, but never even say hello to the rest of us in F.

- No name recognition.

- 2 very young Thai girls was serving. The where total helpless. When trying to find the right white wine she lifted up all the bottles and read on them. Even the cognac. Shows that she didnt know anything about the products they where serving. One thing is that she didnt know how to open a bottle of Dom P, but when she didnt know how to open a bottle of port wine, I had to conclude that she definitely was at the wrong place. And she continuously placed the plates and stuff on the wrong place on my table.

- I had pre-ordered a fillet steak. They served it to me before the starter. When I told them, they took it back, and served the starter. The pumpkin soup was cold. I asked if it was supposed to be that, and then they took it back to reheat it. It came back but tasted absolutely nothing. And what is the point of serving a plate with a bowl of soup, a small plate of a scallop, and one with 2 cubes of foie gras pate. It doesnt work together!!

- When they came back with my main course, it was reheated for the second time, and was completely dry. My friend, having the same said his was nice though.

- When cheese was served, I asked what cheeses they where. She didnt know, and went back to the galley for a piece of paper with the description. She then point on the stilton and told me that was the Emmentaler. Again: Knowing the products??

- Because of the inexperienced stewardesses the service was very slow on this late night flight. And I really felt irritated. In addition the English skills was very poor. And the Cabin manager was obviously not interested in talking to the F pax at all.

On the positive side:
- They didnt ran out of Dom P (probably since we where on the way home, ha ha)

- Seat is ok.

- Lounge experience at BKK nice.

- Nice welcome in FRA and escorted to lounge.

Pretty glad I didnt pay full price for the ticket, because then I really would have been mad!

Just had to share with you!

I think that this is business as usual on Thai.

Waited more then 15 minutes in the check-in area. Only 1 other pax there when arrived.Next time do what others do: Go to the C check-in. Much more efficient.


No transport from F lounge to Gate A 6. Had to walk. And A6 is on the end of the A pier. Had to walk to C9 twice during the last 4 days -too long as well IMO.


2 very young Thai girls was serving.Now that could have been much worse :D.


In addition the English skills was very poor.Nothing new here, thus hardly understandable.

F.R.

I think you may have checked in at the wrong locality, Thai's first check in is very large, there would have been people everywhere, ranging from luggage porters to service representatives and they would have whisked you through your own private immigration and customs, then onwards to the lounge. it is at this point YOU decide if you wish to walk or have assistance. hey it is no big deal, it is a load of fun though. Anyone visiting Asia, has the same food "problems" you experienced and everywhere it is the same. Try telling a waiter you will have your tea at the end of your breakfast, or that you prefer to eat your cornflakes prior to the bacon and eggs, nope, it all arrives at once, you see this is how food is eaten over here, we pick a little of this and mix it with a little of that. Sorry to read that you didn't enjoy your flight, put it down to experience, next time, whoever you fly with in First, you will have a standard that has to be reached, albeit no that high in your estimations but a standard all the same. I just flew China and the only western person on board, I didn't know what I was eating, I laugh when you say you ordered a steak, wish I knew what mine was

I think you may have checked in at the wrong locality, Thai's first check in is very large, there would have been people everywhere, ranging from luggage porters to service representatives and they would have whisked you through your own private immigration and customs, then onwards to the lounge. it is at this point YOU decide if you wish to walk or have assistance. hey it is no big deal, it is a load of fun though.

Actually F check in is rather slow. OP noted no juice or towels brought, so those individuals must have been on holiday. OP also noted there was no transpo from the F lounge to the gate... (s)he made no mention of transpo to the lounge. But hey it is at this point that YOU read and take what you want. Hey it's no big deal, we all know how things operate in certain posts.


Anyone visiting Asia, has the same food "problems" you experienced and everywhere it is the same. Try telling a waiter you will have your tea at the end of your breakfast, or that you prefer to eat your cornflakes prior to the bacon and eggs, nope, it all arrives at once, you see this is how food is eaten over here, we pick a little of this and mix it with a little of that.

Your generalizations are absurd. Food in Asia tends to come out when it is done regardless of what it is. Asian restaurants, unless westernized, do not serve food at the same time. And lets be frank, most restaurants aren't westernized here. :rolleyes:


Sorry to read that you didn't enjoy your flight, put it down to experience, next time, whoever you fly with in First, you will have a standard that has to be reached, albeit no that high in your estimations but a standard all the same. I just flew China and the only western person on board, I didn't know what I was eating, I laugh when you say you ordered a steak, wish I knew what mine was

Since we're past your prologue this is the only section that matters and you completely whisk away OPs reasonable complaints.

You might laugh with the food but I laugh at your apologist notions.

I think that this is business as usual on Thai.

You get what you pay for. Amen.

Thailand will remain Thailand and TG will remain TG. This is the real third world especially in their brains. Take it or leave it, but it will not change.

I now fly (outstanding, excellent) C with LX and C with SQ which are both better than what I ever got with TG F. Unfortunately this gets me less miles.

Actually F check in is rather slow. OP noted no juice or towels brought, so those individuals must have been on holiday. OP also noted there was no transpo from the F lounge to the gate... (s)he made no mention of transpo to the lounge. But hey it is at this point that YOU read and take what you want. Hey it's no big deal, we all know how things operate in certain posts.

Your generalizations are absurd. Food in Asia tends to come out when it is done regardless of what it is. Asian restaurants, unless westernized, do not serve food at the same time. And lets be frank, most restaurants aren't westernized here. :rolleyes:

Since we're past your prologue this is the only section that matters and you completely whisk away OPs reasonable complaints.

You might laugh with the food but I laugh at your apologist notions.

Sorry, Dsquared, you blame OP for "absurd generalizations", but your statements (also in other threads) tend to be more and more cynical that I can hardly take them serious any more (as I believe that you will know the sober facts much better).
I also share BKKOP's experiences (re Asian culture and TG's airport handling at BKK), while we all know that TG's cabin staff tend to have their pros and cons.
It certainly makes a difference when we compare them to CX, SQ, JL, NH or CI, thats true. But that is no reason to react as cynical as I have noted it continuously with you. What BKKOP also wants to say (as I do understand him): as a customer we have a choice and can -in most cases- opt for an alternative flight.

I did not blame the OP.

cheers

Sorry to hear your disappointing experience story BizflyerNorway. As I myself have just completed my first ever F experience with TG, I also have a mixed feeling about my flight experience - they are not bad, but something is not right...? I may need some time to understand TG's style, then relax.

As being an Asian myself, I would neither say "third world" nor to stress "Asian culture" - if you cannot match up with globally standardized customer service, then you have to go. And if Asian culture is the reason, another all Asian carriers also should fail.

But you also have listed TG's positive side as well. Maybe, just maybe, you (even myself) might enjoy a bit more next time.
Just wanted to share with you ;)

I think you may have checked in at the wrong locality, Thai's first check in is very large, there would have been people everywhere, ranging from luggage porters to service representatives and they would have whisked you through your own private immigration and customs, then onwards to the lounge. it is at this point YOU decide if you wish to walk or have assistance.

The OP's experience is not unusual. 15 minute check-in at the F area is almost normal in my experience. As stated by dsquared the OP was talking about buggy service from lounge to gate, I also was not offered this last time I flew TG F and had to walk right out to the end of C concourse. I was given the buggy from bottom of escalator to F lounge though.

hey it is no big deal, it is a load of fun though. Anyone visiting Asia, has the same food "problems" you experienced and everywhere it is the same. Try telling a waiter you will have your tea at the end of your breakfast, or that you prefer to eat your cornflakes prior to the bacon and eggs, nope, it all arrives at once, you see this is how food is eaten over here, we pick a little of this and mix it with a little of that. Sorry to read that you didn't enjoy your flight, put it down to experience, next time, whoever you fly with in First, you will have a standard that has to be reached, albeit no that high in your estimations but a standard all the same. I just flew China and the only western person on board, I didn't know what I was eating, I laugh when you say you ordered a steak, wish I knew what mine was

none of the above excuses the poor meal service the OP received IMO.

As for Creole Spirit: you are amongst very few I am afraid.

I am always very surprised sbout the experience some people have with Thai , negative ones obviously being much more popular as far as it concerns the length of the complaints :

The BKK F-checkin to me is checkin-overkill . Most of the time I am buzy to get rid of all the people who want to do something for me . How anybody can spend 15 minutes at that place is a mystery to me . Mostly it is not worthwile even taking a seat .

Who misses towels , juices and probably a foot massage at checkin ? Maybe that would make it 15 minutes alltogether .

A Thai Captain moving out of his cockpit to welcome a passenger is something I never ever experienced , these passengers ( " Thai employees " ) must have been absolute top people which makes me wonder how they would ever start a trip to Europe in C . Possibly new signs of modesty .

Two young thai girls serving would be the biggest surprise in airline history . Actually something I have dreaming of for 15 years flying Thai . I would not even mind if they only spoke a Northern Thai hilltribe dialect . Trying to find the right wine by lifting the bottle is also something I very much appreciate because it is the only human way to find out what is inside the bottle . By looking down into the hole you get insufficient information . Maybe man from Norway tells us how to improve the process .

Same young lady being unable to open a bottle of Dom would be a case of minor horror because all bottles are opened in the kitchenette to avoid unpleasant accidents . i have never seen any Thai person opening a bottle in the cabin . Never .

Flying through the air there must one or multiple mysterious Thai attendants who are not capable of speaking English . Not that it matters , but I don`t know any although they appear from time to time , though only on internet forums as I believe . Usually inside flying objects their English is just fine .

Man from Norway complains about lack of understanding names of cheese . God forbid , she thinks Stilton is Emmentaler . I wonder why you ask her what it is if you already know it .

And so forth .

Summarising the terrible experience that Man from Norway had to suffer from I do not wish to call this a load of nonsense but just sort of unfortunate fate . I am a polite individual . My personal statistics over said 15 years Thai on yearly 3 to 4 return trips did not take me anywhere near such desasterous lows . Maybe I should increase the frequency .

What BKKOP also wants to say (as I do understand him): as a customer we have a choice and can -in most cases- opt for an alternative flight.

Right you are , Sir . But unfortunately that mostly means to open your wallet to an extend which makes bad feelings of another type arise in the frequent traveller`s mind . Less elegant to talk about this aspect of course .

Thai C check-in at BKK has got it about right.

Drinks at airport and hotel check-ins are pure silliness: though I appreciate that others might enjoy the opportunity to flirt with drinks at inappropriate moments.

I do find it odd that it's assumed I require transport twixt F-check-in and airside lounge, yet I'm not offered the same facility to ease transition between lounge and aircraft seat. Puzzled but not particularly fussed.

Thai doesn't offer quite the level of service and on-board facilities offered by many other major carriers. It's a market: lower fares plus generally wide-open redemption availability make up for the lack of finesse and help fill the cabin.

I've always been happy to accept the compromise. Clearly the OP was not. Lufthansa offer a superb alternative but at a very significantly higher cost.

In my limited experience, cabin crew in Thai F try hard to please: but perhaps I'm easily pleased. The OP's comments about the young attendant are cruel: was he trying to intimidate her with his questioning? I'm lost on the "opening of bottles" part of the complaint: this should be done in the galley.

Last year we were the only two passengers in F between Milan and Bangkok. One of the two cabin crew was working First for the first time. She got a little flustered sometimes, with her supervisor watching every move, but she was charm personified. Perhaps the attendant the OP criticises was training, but the OPis not so easily charmed.

I've flown ten long haul F segments with TG in the past year. I'm still waiting to run into a service debacle that has me running here to vent.

I've had TG crews ranging from excellent to average. I have never had a below average crew on TG. I've had far greater service issues on my SQ and JL flights.

Yes, I have had one or two longer than average check-in experiences. I've also have been escorted without a buggy to some of the "closer" gates. Even with those minor issues I can't think of a better ground experience in Asia...

I dunno why - but the length of time taken at F check-in is not unusual to TG. I find most First class check-ins around the world seem to have the slowest passengers... or staff... its hard to work out who slows it down...

Maybe F pax are trying to get away with more luggage, or with tiny cabins they are trying to get two seats together? Or confirming special meals? Whatever... with the exception of CX in HKG, I have waited longer than biz class pax at many F check-ins.

As for hot towels and drinks... the hot towel at BKK is nice to clean your hands and face. I can happily skip the drinks.

As for hot towels and drinks... the hot towel at BKK is nice to clean your hands and face. I can happily skip the drinks.

I thought the towel at F check in was icy cold to cool you down after battling with your bags from the front door to the F porters! If it was supposed to be hot I wish to register a complain! :mad::p

I'm in my "dead" year with TG Gold, so I haven't enjoyed the pleasures described above yet in 2012. I have no difficulty recognizing the inconsistent performances described. When it has worked in my favor, which is most of the time, TG F is sublime, notwithstanding a few of the tin cans they fly. When it does not work in my favor, which is rare though it does happen, the difference is glaring. It's not easy to be knocked off one's lofty perch for someone's cousin, but it's good preparation for life in someone else's country and on that country's carrier.

I am quite surprised when reading this threat. Is THAI that bad?

Here are my comments:
- Unlike many airlines, as far as I know air hostesses for Thai must pass some kinds of tests and extra training before they can work in J or especially F. That's why most travelers have experienced older flight attendants in F. So very young female air hostesses in F on this occasion must be an extremely rare event. There must be something seriously wrong with operations on that particular flights.
- Although there are no excuses for not know their products, ie names of cheeses, Thais don't like cheese and cheeses are something most Thais are not familiar with. Furthermore, I think if OP said Danish blue instead of Stilton, they might understand because THAI usually serves only Danish Blue (if my memory serves me well).
- Regarding opening Champagne bottle, THAI FA usually opens the cork in the galley due to safety reason. Not only the bubbly bottle, Wine bottles are usually unscrewed in the galley as well.
- Lastly one thing about Thai culture is that many Thais usually respond the same way as they are treated. Polite gestures and nice words can go thousands miles in Thailand. Perhaps FAs a bit intimidated in this event. (well, this is just my humble opinion and I am sure nobody has done nothing to anybody in this case).

Although I am quite puzzled to what I read, I respect the OP's opinion.

You get what you pay for. Amen.

Thailand will remain Thailand and TG will remain TG. This is the real third world especially in their brains. Take it or leave it, but it will not change.

I now fly (outstanding, excellent) C with LX and C with SQ which are both better than what I ever got with TG F. Unfortunately this gets me less miles.

I agree with you.
When LX or SQ J is not more expensive than TG F, that is the route I go for longhaul.
I also choose CX J over TG F for overall reliability.
Except for the 77W (and possibly the new A380), TG seat (and avod) is outdated and the overall experience a hit and miss, mostly miss. I recently flew HKG-BKK on TG F and am still fuming. But as BKKROP tried to say, I vote with my feet, or rather my wallet.

Better deleted. Edited doesn't really work.

I've edited and removed some posts to remove ad hominem comments. Let's remember to keep the conversation substantive and not personal. Thanks.

the trolls

Funny - I was just thinking about them!

There are lots of people at Thai First checkin, you definitely checked in at the wrong area, when I check in there are lots of people always available to help, because of this, if you checked in and there werent people to help, you could not have checked in at the right area. I get lots of upgrades so i always check in at the right areas, so i know. if everyone jumps on the omnibus and says there are no people around for check in, then the trolls become active and there's always an upgrade if i ask for it so i can always check in at the First counter, there are lots of people. How did you find the food? You're travelling on Thai, so you have to appreciate the influence of Asia. Even if you fly on SQ or CX, it's Asia so what comes is what comes. It's part of the charm. I love it for the variety and personality, it's better than SQ. But i get lots of upgrades so when I am buying a business ticket and I get upgraded to First then I don't complain. In China, I am the only western person. On the plane in China I was the only western person, I don't even know what I am eating so on Thai you must know what you were eating. I wish it was steak. When you travel as much as I do and get so many upgrades, it allows you to point out the errors in other opinions. There were definitely lots of people at the Royal First checkin. Are you sure you were in Bangkok? I get lots of upgrades. Just take it all with a laugh. When you are flying First Class and things are not perfect, next time you fly First Class you will be happy, even if you order steak and they bring cheese. I get lots of upgrades.

Haha, that´s a great post. Yes, the OP must have been very confused. Perhaps he was in another country altogether? The TG apologists have just outdone themselves.

PS I also read your first post, which was also entertaining (you get so many upgrades you now fly the plane..)

On a serious note, I won´t bother posting any criticism of TG F in this forum, unless one enjoys being chastized and ridiculed by some of the TG apologists.

Just got home from a disappointing experience in TG F from BKK to FRA.

Hi BizflyerNL

The TG experience can be a bit more variable than with other carriers such as SQ (frighteningly consistent), Cathay and Lufthi (they are scary consistent, too). Some regard this as part of the fun of flying TG, others get justifiably get upset. In your shoes, I think I would be quite upset too. First should mean First.

Sounds like you encountered a string of events which accumulated to spoil the overall travel experience. You may wish to write to TG as they should know about such events (but be ready for a bland reply).

I regard TG premium cabin fares as pretty good value (recognising the hard and soft product isn't the best available but overall is pretty good) and, to be fair, have had almost consistently good or great experiences onboard (and on the ground). Maybe I've just been lucky? Please dont take this as a denial of what occurred.

Wishing you a better ride next time.

...When you travel as much as I do and get so many upgrades, it allows you to point out the errors in other opinions... Are you sure you were in Bangkok? ... When you are flying First Class and things are not perfect, next time you fly First Class you will be happy, even if you order steak and they bring cheese...

This is the best satire I've come across in a long time... excepting it isn't political... but it is.

I'm picturing John Cleese in the role and my wife wonders why I'm laughing. Thank you whomever you are. :D

Haha, that´s a great post. Yes, the OP must have been very confused. Perhaps he was in another country altogether? The TG apologists have just outdone themselves.

PS I also read your first post, which was also entertaining (you get so many upgrades you now fly the plane..)

On a serious note, I won´t bother posting any criticism of TG F in this forum, unless one enjoys being chastized and ridiculed by some of the TG apologists.

Funny, this is opposite from my point of view. Yes, there are some so called TG apologists, but many more posters who read OP carefully and share their point of view with full respect of OP's while warning those extreme TG apologist. At least, that how I perceive and appreciate.

Thanks to the mystery poster I too was laughing at the computer screen

I must say that I have been in doubt if I should write a reply here or not!
First of all, thanks to those of you giving serious answers, and to the rest of you serving bull***t, you don't need to post again in this thread!!

I am actually disappointed that somebody can think they know everything so much better then the rest of us, and I have a hard time understanding how somebody can make an excuse out of "get what you deserve" kind of thing.

I made my comment based on my own previous experiences with TG F, and on the tripreports I have read about the same. I have done a lot of flying in the last 20 years, in all classes, so no need to underestimate me! (All though I only got an upgrade once! ;))

In my first post in this thread, I was simply comparing that knowledge to my own experience on the mentioned flight.

I would compare a First Class experience like a visit to a top class restaurant. A top class restaurant will have their serving staff knowing what they are serving. You would not find a waitress there taking a bottle of cognac as a bottle of white wine!

There was also an argument about Thai being an Asian airline, I should have expected Thai food and service. Well. If I was running a Japanese restaurant in England, I would expect my staff to know what sushi and sake is. On my Thai flight 3 out of 4 main courses was Western style dishes. Starter is also western style.

I also have to ad that my post was not a general criticism of Thai Airways, but only of the flight mentioned.

I have no problem saying that I was more happy with the service I received on TG F LHR-BKK 2 weeks earlier:
-Was welcomed on board by Cabin service director by name and thanked for flying Thai and he introduced me to the sweet stewardess that gonna serve me on the flight.
- Glasses where topped of constantly (had to ask for wine BKK-FRA)
- The lobster dish I had pre-ordered was not good, and she suggested to replace it with something else from the menu.

When we talk about service; the service in the BKK F lounge was impeccable. I chosen 4 dishes, 1 from menu and 3 from buffet. It was served to me in the dining room as a 4 course meal. Everything in right order. The waiter was also asking what I would like to drink to each course (even it was only small courses). All service in that lounge was perfect. So it is absolutely possible also in Thailand to have good service!

I am actually disappointed that somebody can think they know everything so much better then the rest of us, and I have a hard time understanding how somebody can make an excuse out of "get what you deserve" kind of thing.

We feel your pain, Bizflyer. Sadly, the regulars here are completely used to the very issue which is frustrating you. If it's any consolation, in time you'll just learn to laugh about it.

I would compare a First Class experience like a visit to a top class restaurant. A top class restaurant will have their serving staff knowing what they are serving. You would not find a waitress there taking a bottle of cognac as a bottle of white wine!

Couldn't agree more. Flying First class is certainly about the hard product, but it's also significantly about the soft product. Sounds like you really did draw the short straw on the flight in question (and this can happen on any airline), and so I'm pleased to hear you had excellent experiences elsewhere.

Please stay active in our forum.

I had a mixed experience on TG, as compared to other F carriers.

However, your experience sounds a bit unusual.

I guess revenue tickets should go to another carrier, but I would gladly fly them ex- BKK if nothing else was available.

Thanks BizFlyerNorway for your report!

I am not a frequent FF on Thai, but my few experiences in F and J (including a RT in J from LAX to BKK) are best described as mixed. I had a horrible BKK to LAX flight with the crew doing the minimal that they can do. But then I have a wonderful J flight from HKG to BKK that the crews were friendly, personable, and engaging. I personally think that Thai's weaknesses are:

1. Too many configurations with too many products - that really upsets people with frequent last minute aircraft substitution, and the worst is that the product really varies - like first class - classic first class sleeper seats, full flat sleeper seats, suite type seats, and then another version of suite type seats that have yet to showcase in reality.

2. Inconsistency in terms of quality of flight attendants - some of them are super nice and personable, but some of them are simply uninterested. This happen across the board - not limited to just economy cabin. How purser carries his or her duties always dictate how well the flights will be.

However, I am very surprised at the poor execution of the ground service of Thai First. Its ground service remains one of the strengths of Thai First Class. This ground service at BKK makes CX (lack of) and SQ (lack of and not to mention lounge matrons) look poor. The staffs are genuinely friendly and make your ground experiences as pleasant as possible. The escort service to the gate is nice, as BKK is huge. I am just surprised that a gate escort is not available.

I hope you will write Thai an email and let us know how it goes.

Thanks for sharing!
Carfield

I pride myself being the longtime president of the Thai Women Appreciators Club . ( TWAC ) It is therefore a permanent disappointment flying Thai F and being served by overaged overweight disillusioned female persons who have the only desire to rush through the unavoidable service and go to sleep til morning comes . Having said so , some are nice personalities .

It is this the only thing that does seriously worry me , Thai being a transporation company and not an entertainment centre . For those here who did ever have the experience of buying a ticket ( meaning in exchange for cash ) I may point out that their prices are good and what else does really matter except of arriving alive .

It is this the only thing that does seriously worry me , Thai being a transporation company and not an entertainment centre . For those here who did ever have the experience of buying a ticket ( meaning in exchange for cash ) I may point out that their prices are good and what else does really matter except of arriving alive .

+1. Well said (except you did not mention debacle with the cheese, regardless of price............THE HORROR :D

+1. Well said (except you did not mention debacle with the cheese, regardless of price............THE HORROR :D



That the poor girl was trained to operate evacuation slides, and much other emergency eqipment, is surely eclipsed by her inability to distinguish between two varieties of cheese made in Europe.

I think you are not treating seriously the distinction between a fine British cheese and a, well, non-British piece of flabby rubbish with holes in it.

That the poor girl was trained to operate evacuation slides, and much other emergency eqipment, is surely eclipsed by her inability to distinguish between two varieties of cheese made in Europe.

I think you are not treating seriously the distinction between a fine British cheese and a, well, non-British piece of flabby rubbish with holes in it.

Ummm.. how do you know what she was trained for? You might be pleasantly surprised :D

And: Care to elaborate "British cheese" as there is only this rock hard orange-yellowish piece of somehow worked on milk as far as I remember sir.. ?

Very well , gentlemen , we seem to be heading for serious business now talking about cheese being served on board of an Asian plane. OP complained about aforementioned women , though said to be of a somewhat younger species , being unable to distinguish cheese A from B and elaborate on the difference . Very bad . Though they put more energy into identifying liquids by :

" When trying to find the right white wine she lifted up all the bottles and read on them. "
I could swear Stilton shows a " Made in UK " somewhere . You just got to lift it .

Ummm.. how do you know what she was trained for? You might be pleasantly surprised :D

And: Care to elaborate "British cheese" as there is only this rock hard orange-yellowish piece of somehow worked on milk as far as I remember sir.. ?


Your experience in The World of British Cheese is clearly in need of some refinement :)

The supermarket version of Cheddar (probably your reference) is plain sad. But there are any number of artesenal producers of terrific cheeses, including Stilton - as served by Thai, and so dragging the thread back on topic.

I recently flew Egyptair from BKK and was surprised to find the airline had Thai cabin crew on board. Full marks to MS for its cultural sensitivity and the effort to make its Thai passengers more comfortable and put them at ease.

Clearly our OP was in need of such cultural pampering, so perhaps Thai could consider placing European cabin crew on its services to our great continent. This would put an end to the linguistic challenges faced by the OP, and the new crew member could be trained as Maitre Fromager/Sommelier to further enhance the OP's on-board experience.

Dont make this into a "cheese discussion", because that is not what it is. Its just a small part of many things went wrong on one specific flight.

I dont think you will find anybody buying a F class ticket with the only intention of getting there alive! So give me a break!

If only 2-3 of the things went wrong, I would probably never wrote about it. It was since so many things went wrong at the same time I made the first post. As I have mentioned earlier, my flight out of London was very good.

But on the other hand, TG is scoring low on food served in F compared to other carriers. They could really need some western expertise in order to give them some advise on the catering side. On the beverage side however, they are doing great.

BizflyerNorway was merely just voicing his opinion on that particular flight. This is what forum and discussion is about. Some people whether by culture or character are just simply mean and sarcastic when other people's opinion don't go in line with theirs. I mean.... do u have to be so sarcastic? Yes, its funny written but i feel its much more of sarcasm. Yes, you may experience more or whatsoever. "Dont be evil". :)

On unrelated matter, i flew few times with TG F. LHR/NRT/FRA - BKK
I think most of us here already agreed that TG is very inconsistent. It depends on your luck. RELATIVELY. Everything is relative. Relative to SQ, CX, MH, OZ, KE, NH, JL .... TG definately ranked lower compared to those first tier premier asian airlines. (except that TG has very good ground service). If you compared to UA, US, AA etc.... then you are comparing second tier group airlines... TG will fare well. Relative.

I have no problem with TG. In fact i mostly fly with them due to cheaper pricing! My complain is always about the food only. Again, this is my taste bud, my opinion. TG food is bad COMPARED to those first tier asian airlines i mentioned.

First world problem. :)

Cheers.

I recently flew Egyptair from BKK and was surprised to find the airline had Thai cabin crew on board. Full marks to MS for its cultural sensitivity and the effort to make its Thai passengers more comfortable and put them at ease.

Clearly our OP was in need of such cultural pampering, so perhaps Thai could consider placing European cabin crew on its services to our great continent. This would put an end to the linguistic challenges faced by the OP, and the new crew member could be trained as Maitre Fromager/Sommelier to further enhance the OP's on-board experience.

Mr Ian ,

your posts show outstanding compassion for the needs of the hungry traveller and for the international confusion on the language -sector . May I offer you my fullest respect , if not adoration . May I most respectfully ask you to further elaborate on the problem of finding out what is in a bottle without looking at it .

Again , I am impressed .

I mean.... do u have to be so sarcastic? Yes, its funny written but i feel its much more of sarcasm. "Dont be evil". :)

I have no problem with TG. In fact i mostly fly with them due to cheaper pricing! My complain is always about the food only. Again, this is my taste bud, my opinion. TG food is bad COMPARED to those first tier asian airlines i mentioned.


Of course, you are right: Evil is not the way to go. But slow moving targets are always so tempting....

I'm pleased you at least acknowledge the universal truth that low prices generally involve some kind of compromise on quality or convenience. Thai is accessible in First, either through relative low fares and affordable upgrades or its wide open redemption availability.

To fly Thai First and expect it to be the equivalent of, say, Lufthansa's way more exclusive First-class cabin is perhaps expecting too much.

...
- 2 very young Thai girls was serving. ...

- I had pre-ordered a fillet steak. They served it to me before the starter. When I told them, they took it back, and served the starter....

Could it be possible that these 2 young girls were accustomed to serving in Y class and this was the first time they had to serve a special meal in F class?

In Y class, passengers who have ordered special meals are usually served before other passengers (sometimes before the regular meal service) and no other meal is then served to these pasengers.

They might have even assumed that your fillet steak was your "entire special meal" and had you not said anything assumed that was the only thing you're going to be eating!!

[/QUOTE]

Sir ,

nobody at Thai would allow 2 " young girls " servicing anything in F just based on what they think is good for the passenger . To add a tecnical aspect : all meals in F are supplied on trays of 6 identical meals . The meals are thern individually prepared which is the reason that always somebodyx runs through the cabin with a piece of paper to note your preference . Result of this procedure is then pinned to the wall in the kitchenette and after it has been served it will be marked as done . There is always a cabin chief appointed at least for F for the individual flight supervising this . Can't tell you about special meals because no have before . Pity they have nothing on the drink side to order in advance , couple of caipirinhas never a mistake .

doing sometimes F trips FRA-BKK-FRA and never had any of those problems addressed. ground and air service was always good.

I am always very surprised sbout the experience some people have with Thai , negative ones obviously being much more popular as far as it concerns the length of the complaints :

The BKK F-checkin to me is checkin-overkill . Most of the time I am buzy to get rid of all the people who want to do something for me . How anybody can spend 15 minutes at that place is a mystery to me . Mostly it is not worthwile even taking a seat .

Who misses towels , juices and probably a foot massage at checkin ? Maybe that would make it 15 minutes alltogether .

A Thai Captain moving out of his cockpit to welcome a passenger is something I never ever experienced , these passengers ( " Thai employees " ) must have been absolute top people which makes me wonder how they would ever start a trip to Europe in C . Possibly new signs of modesty .

Two young thai girls serving would be the biggest surprise in airline history . Actually something I have dreaming of for 15 years flying Thai . I would not even mind if they only spoke a Northern Thai hilltribe dialect . Trying to find the right wine by lifting the bottle is also something I very much appreciate because it is the only human way to find out what is inside the bottle . By looking down into the hole you get insufficient information . Maybe man from Norway tells us how to improve the process .

Same young lady being unable to open a bottle of Dom would be a case of minor horror because all bottles are opened in the kitchenette to avoid unpleasant accidents . i have never seen any Thai person opening a bottle in the cabin . Never .

Flying through the air there must one or multiple mysterious Thai attendants who are not capable of speaking English . Not that it matters , but I don`t know any although they appear from time to time , though only on internet forums as I believe . Usually inside flying objects their English is just fine .

Man from Norway complains about lack of understanding names of cheese . God forbid , she thinks Stilton is Emmentaler . I wonder why you ask her what it is if you already know it .

And so forth .

Summarising the terrible experience that Man from Norway had to suffer from I do not wish to call this a load of nonsense but just sort of unfortunate fate . I am a polite individual . My personal statistics over said 15 years Thai on yearly 3 to 4 return trips did not take me anywhere near such desasterous lows . Maybe I should increase the frequency .

doing sometimes F trips FRA-BKK-FRA and never had any of those problems addressed. ground and air service was always good.

+1
Just did SYD-BKK-FRA on TG in F and didn't have any issues. If anything, l think that TG Ground services are very good and a pleasure to have.

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i think our fellow traveller from NO expected an old stylish F class from 80s or 70s but these old times are gone and F became a better C and TG staff is still on top of the list

they don t speak much of English but they are nice and polite (unlike AF in F)

all in all i m sorry that the NO man was dissapointed as F should be a nice experience and fun tooo ( i always have fun in F except for AF)

Just compleeted 2 legs in F HKG-BKK-HKG and service in air and on ground has been outstanding! So I guess I just had bad luck om my BKK-FRA trip!

I flew LHR-BKK-FRA in F this month & both legs were superb. I simply could not drink any more Dom.

The four of us flew SYD-BKK-FRA...MXP-BKK-SYD in June/July in F and service was very good. The FA's were particularly good with our two small children.

I'm having a bit of a laugh at the checkin experience. Last flight from HKT to HKG, I used economy as it was faster than the J class. No fast track through immigration and the airport experience is decrepit. However, the experience still is better than what I have experienced in North America and on domestic EU flights. As for food, yes, TG's catering has deteriorated, but so has its competitors. Not an excuse, but TG premium classes still surpass North American and most EU carriers. I gave up on airline catering years ago. They aren't restaurants and never will be.