Asia - Help with Business flights to Vietnam with Thai?

Hi all

I am going to Vietnam soon and never bought a business flight, only went in business with award tickets.

I will be flying Paris- Bangkok- Ho Chi Minh and return Hanoi- Bangkok - Paris.

I can get a business ticlket for this trip for 2.750 Euros on Thai Airways. Do you think it's a good price for Business and is it worth it? How is Thai Airways business? I understood the planes are 747-400.

If I don't go in business I can get the same itinerary on Singapore Airlines for 943 Euros in economy.

Can you please help here?

Thanks in Advance!

It's a while since I've flown Singapore Airlines business class so I can't help you with that comparison. However I've just come back from a Munich to Bangkok/Chiang Rai to Zurich itinerary on Thai Airbuses and found them pretty good. Definitely much better than the last time I flew them about 6 years ago.

They're quite narrow seats but slope flat (if you know what I mean) but if you're on the large side you might find them uncomfortable.

I wouldn't rank them as high as BA as their seats are better or Air France as their food is better, but they were easily as good as KLM.

Not sure about whether the cost is good value for you as I'm not sure if that's a good fare.

Hi all

I am going to Vietnam soon and never bought a business flight, only went in business with award tickets.

I will be flying Paris- Bangkok- Ho Chi Minh and return Hanoi- Bangkok - Paris.

I can get a business ticlket for this trip for 2.750 Euros on Thai Airways. Do you think it's a good price for Business and is it worth it? How is Thai Airways business? I understood the planes are 747-400.

If I don't go in business I can get the same itinerary on Singapore Airlines for 943 Euros in economy.

Can you please help here?
Thanks in Advance!

Hi Terocas, my first impression is that the tickets are good value, and that it will be up to you as to (a) can you afford it, (b) can you fly that far in economy (c) do you need to be spoilt in Business.
I flew economy for too many years in the old days, and now I need to arrive refreshed after being looked after. Is it worth it? You bet it is!!!!!. I do the CDG flight once a year, it leaves at 1.30pm out of Paris, so they will come for you in the business class lounge and escort you to your seat. With a glass of champagne in your hand you can play with the seating and watch the passengers board. You have a lunch setting, relax and watch a movie before dinner, a liquer and coffee after then press the buttons to lay down and they wake you 1 hour out of Bangkok for breakfast. You will be escorted to the TG lounge for a shower, maybe a walk around the terminal to get the circulation going then onwards to exotic and charming Hanoi. Once again would you rather have that or cramped into cattle class down the back. I am very happy to pay the extra, enjoy whatever you decide, regards bkkrop

Thank you both very much for your replies.

BKKROP, I know what you mean. I have always flown economy from Europe to Asia and I arrive there completly exhausted. I flew once Paris to LA in Business ( award ticket) and it was the flight of my life! I arrived fresh, relaxed, well slept. When I flew to Asia I always did it with my adult kids so I couldn't afford Business seats for 3 !

Now I am flying to Vietnam alone and will go on a 15 day tour. I have just turned 50 ( woman) and I think I deserve some comfort. I won't break my bank account if I pay 2000 euros more for a flight. But asking my kids they told me I was crazy to spend all that money on a flight...!!! And now I hesitate. I know that sounds stupid, it's my money but I feel guilty and wonder if I should do it....

Anyway, someone told me that the seats Thai use for that flight are old ones and not very comfortable. Can you tell me something about it? Other flights I saw with other airlines are much more expensive than this one with Thai.

Thank you so much:)

Just wanted to chip in...

Flying TG from BKK to SGN was my first ever C class experience. I was flying LHR to SGN with TG, but Y was full BKK to SGN, so I paid the extra. Felt it was very extravagant and slightly "naughty" since I wasn't a business person. Felt great to be "on the carpet" at BKK check-in. (I'd overnighted.) Won't waffle on - but it was great service - but that was back in 1994.

One tip. I did once fly with AF LHR to SGN via CDG in C. I got a better fare by booking two separate legs and joining them up. I booked LHR/BKK and BKK/SGN. The reason it was cheaper seemed to be because:

1) From LHR, there are many direct flights to BKK - so flying via CDG is a pain - so AF discount LHR/BKK.

2) From LHR, there are no direct flights to SGN, but AF has one of the best connecting flights - so LHR/SGN is relatively expensive.

3) At BKK, most AF pax get off the AF flight, and for regional travellers there are more obvious BKK/SGN flights - VN, TG etc. So AF discounted this route heavily.

This reasoning was confirmed by the AF office in SGN as well as a knowledgeably FA. This was all a while back - but unless you are committed to Thai, it might be worth investigating.

I wouldn't rule out VN airlines either. They are running relatively new 777s. OK they are not shell seats, or lie flat. But I did find them nice and soft and very comfortable. Much more comfortable than my other main C long haul experience - EVA's Premium Laurel on LHR/TPE which is a angled-flat seat in a shell. I thought VN's service was excellent too , but other's have had variable experience of VN.

I have never flown TG C long haul, only Y. I've flown AF, TG and VN on BKK/HAN, BKK/SGN in C. I thought AF was the best, but nothing to choose between VN and TG.

Sorry, can't answer about the seats - my experience is too old. Don't hesitate to mix'n'match on the airlines though. Often for C the price works out pretty much the same and it can add to the variety. (eg TG on the long haul, Vietnam Airlines on the short etc).

Many economy fares on SQ do not earn "miles", while I am sure the TG Business class fare does. If "miles" mean anything to you, that should narrow the price difference by a couple of hundred euros ;)

Thank you all. You helped me decide to book a Business class ticket ( I deserve it...). And the best thing is that I found a even better rate in Business flying from Madrid ( I live in Lisbon ) with Thai for 2.470 euros!!! Madrid- BKK- SGN and BKK - Madrid return. I will buy a separate flight in Nok Air from Hanoi to BKK for just 70 euros in NOK Plus.

I think it's a pretty good deal:)