bangkokiscool
Jan 16, 09, 4:22 pm
After an amazing four-night stay at the Napasai resort on Koh Samui, lounging by the beach during the day and sampling Samui's diverse array of culinary delights at night, we were on our way to Siem Reap for the next part of our vacation. First, we had to fly to Bangkok on Bangkok Airways, which calls itself Asia's boutique airline. I've flown on PG many times in the past, and I've always been impressed at this little airline. It may have grown past its initial ATR days to the 717 and now the A320, but it's still an excellent operation.
The journey begins at USM, a private airport owned and operated by PG. TG does fly to USM now, and the airport is expanding to allow for bigger metal, but for now PG is still the primary carrier. Check-in (http://academic.udayton.edu/terencelau/pics/img_0053.jpg) is fast and easy in a big hall, no A/C but you don't really miss it in December. There are many counters to choose from, and all of them are staffed by excellent agents.
After check-in, it's a bit of a walk to the departure gates. You begin by walking (http://academic.udayton.edu/terencelau/pics/img_0054.jpg) outside again. The runway (http://academic.udayton.edu/terencelau/pics/img_0055.jpg) is really close to you, so it's a good chance you'll see a takeoff or landing here. If it's hot, there's always free water (http://academic.udayton.edu/terencelau/pics/img_0056.jpg) not far from you. As the flight display (http://academic.udayton.edu/terencelau/pics/img_0057.jpg) shows, PG also flies to HKG, CNX, UTP, and HKT from here.
You have to walk down a "street (http://academic.udayton.edu/terencelau/pics/img_0058.jpg)" to reach the departure gates. PG calls it the Samui Park Avenue (http://academic.udayton.edu/terencelau/pics/img_0059.jpg). There's all kinds of shops here such as a bookstore, cafe, souvenirs, spa. It's a little quiet, I don't think it's getting the kind of traffic PG thought it would generate. At the end there is a clock tower (http://academic.udayton.edu/terencelau/pics/img_0060.jpg). The departure gates (http://academic.udayton.edu/terencelau/pics/img_0061.jpg) are at the end of the street in another "hut." Some gates (http://academic.udayton.edu/terencelau/pics/img_0062.jpg) are for domestic, others are for international (which requires clearing immigration).
Interestingly, although today I'm on USM-BKK, a domestic flight, I have to go to the International gate because I'm connecting in BKK to Cambodia. That means walking past baggage claim (http://academic.udayton.edu/terencelau/pics/img_0064.jpg) before arriving at the international gate (http://academic.udayton.edu/terencelau/pics/img_0066.jpg). The gate is quite nice, with some finger food (http://academic.udayton.edu/terencelau/pics/img_0068.jpg), including delicious chicken (http://academic.udayton.edu/terencelau/pics/img_0076.jpg) puffs, a drinks (http://academic.udayton.edu/terencelau/pics/img_0069.jpg) station with fruit juices, coffee/tea, and mochas, and internet (http://academic.udayton.edu/terencelau/pics/img_0073.jpg) stations. Although the gate is not air conditioned, the bathrooms (http://academic.udayton.edu/terencelau/pics/img_0074.jpg) are. The bathrooms are nice (http://academic.udayton.edu/terencelau/pics/img_0075.jpg)!
There's hardly anyone in the lounge, just 6 people. PG staff went ahead and changed the flight information (http://academic.udayton.edu/terencelau/pics/img_0071.jpg) to reflect the domestic flight to BKK. You can also get peeks of the ramp (http://academic.udayton.edu/terencelau/pics/img_0072.jpg) from the gate. Boarding is by trams (http://academic.udayton.edu/terencelau/pics/img_0077.jpg). Here's an ATR (http://academic.udayton.edu/terencelau/pics/img_0079.jpg) on the runway as viewed from the tram. The other (http://academic.udayton.edu/terencelau/pics/img_0081.jpg) passengers from the domestic gate are ahead of us. The ramp (http://academic.udayton.edu/terencelau/pics/img_0084.jpg) is pretty busy today, including a private jet (http://academic.udayton.edu/terencelau/pics/img_0087.jpg) that I was assured did not belong to Angelina Jolie and an old Thai air force plane (http://academic.udayton.edu/terencelau/pics/img_0091.jpg) on display. Here's a 717 (http://academic.udayton.edu/terencelau/pics/img_0088.jpg), being phased out of PG's fleet. It's too bad, I remember when the 717s were new to PG. I think takeoff in a 717 is one of the sportiest of any modern jetliner, and the rear-mounted engines makes the cabin one of the quietest.
Boarding (http://academic.udayton.edu/terencelau/pics/img_0090.jpg) commences as we pull up. The passengers (http://academic.udayton.edu/terencelau/pics/img_0092.jpg) are mainly Westerners today. The pushback crew (http://academic.udayton.edu/terencelau/pics/img_0094.jpg) wait patiently for boarding to finish. By the time we got on, most of the passengers were already on board (http://academic.udayton.edu/terencelau/pics/img_0096.jpg). In the States I'd be freaking out about getting overhead space, but relax, this is Thailand! No fees for checked bags, plus people travel lighter here, so there's plenty of overhead space left for the last passengers on the plane. The F/A's speak individually (http://academic.udayton.edu/terencelau/pics/img_0101.jpg) to the exit row customers before pushback. Pretty soon, we taxi to and up the active (no taxiways), and we're off.
It's only an hour to BKK, so service has to move fast. Service includes a sandwich (http://academic.udayton.edu/terencelau/pics/img_0103.jpg) which tasted OK if you're hungry. The chicken (http://academic.udayton.edu/terencelau/pics/img_0105.jpg) looked worse than it tasted and the vegetables were pretty good. In no time, we were on the ground at BKK (http://academic.udayton.edu/terencelau/pics/img_0106.jpg).
In conclusion, although PG has grown by leaps and bounds, and some of the finer aspects of their service has suffered (catering used to be better), it's still an amazing little airline that serves complimentary food to all passengers on the ground and in the air, and has charming and friendly F/As, and nearly new planes. It's a model for small airlines, and I always look forward to a consistent level of service.
Next report when I get time will be BKK-REP. Always interesting flying in to Cambodia! The adventure begins at immigration. More later.
The journey begins at USM, a private airport owned and operated by PG. TG does fly to USM now, and the airport is expanding to allow for bigger metal, but for now PG is still the primary carrier. Check-in (http://academic.udayton.edu/terencelau/pics/img_0053.jpg) is fast and easy in a big hall, no A/C but you don't really miss it in December. There are many counters to choose from, and all of them are staffed by excellent agents.
After check-in, it's a bit of a walk to the departure gates. You begin by walking (http://academic.udayton.edu/terencelau/pics/img_0054.jpg) outside again. The runway (http://academic.udayton.edu/terencelau/pics/img_0055.jpg) is really close to you, so it's a good chance you'll see a takeoff or landing here. If it's hot, there's always free water (http://academic.udayton.edu/terencelau/pics/img_0056.jpg) not far from you. As the flight display (http://academic.udayton.edu/terencelau/pics/img_0057.jpg) shows, PG also flies to HKG, CNX, UTP, and HKT from here.
You have to walk down a "street (http://academic.udayton.edu/terencelau/pics/img_0058.jpg)" to reach the departure gates. PG calls it the Samui Park Avenue (http://academic.udayton.edu/terencelau/pics/img_0059.jpg). There's all kinds of shops here such as a bookstore, cafe, souvenirs, spa. It's a little quiet, I don't think it's getting the kind of traffic PG thought it would generate. At the end there is a clock tower (http://academic.udayton.edu/terencelau/pics/img_0060.jpg). The departure gates (http://academic.udayton.edu/terencelau/pics/img_0061.jpg) are at the end of the street in another "hut." Some gates (http://academic.udayton.edu/terencelau/pics/img_0062.jpg) are for domestic, others are for international (which requires clearing immigration).
Interestingly, although today I'm on USM-BKK, a domestic flight, I have to go to the International gate because I'm connecting in BKK to Cambodia. That means walking past baggage claim (http://academic.udayton.edu/terencelau/pics/img_0064.jpg) before arriving at the international gate (http://academic.udayton.edu/terencelau/pics/img_0066.jpg). The gate is quite nice, with some finger food (http://academic.udayton.edu/terencelau/pics/img_0068.jpg), including delicious chicken (http://academic.udayton.edu/terencelau/pics/img_0076.jpg) puffs, a drinks (http://academic.udayton.edu/terencelau/pics/img_0069.jpg) station with fruit juices, coffee/tea, and mochas, and internet (http://academic.udayton.edu/terencelau/pics/img_0073.jpg) stations. Although the gate is not air conditioned, the bathrooms (http://academic.udayton.edu/terencelau/pics/img_0074.jpg) are. The bathrooms are nice (http://academic.udayton.edu/terencelau/pics/img_0075.jpg)!
There's hardly anyone in the lounge, just 6 people. PG staff went ahead and changed the flight information (http://academic.udayton.edu/terencelau/pics/img_0071.jpg) to reflect the domestic flight to BKK. You can also get peeks of the ramp (http://academic.udayton.edu/terencelau/pics/img_0072.jpg) from the gate. Boarding is by trams (http://academic.udayton.edu/terencelau/pics/img_0077.jpg). Here's an ATR (http://academic.udayton.edu/terencelau/pics/img_0079.jpg) on the runway as viewed from the tram. The other (http://academic.udayton.edu/terencelau/pics/img_0081.jpg) passengers from the domestic gate are ahead of us. The ramp (http://academic.udayton.edu/terencelau/pics/img_0084.jpg) is pretty busy today, including a private jet (http://academic.udayton.edu/terencelau/pics/img_0087.jpg) that I was assured did not belong to Angelina Jolie and an old Thai air force plane (http://academic.udayton.edu/terencelau/pics/img_0091.jpg) on display. Here's a 717 (http://academic.udayton.edu/terencelau/pics/img_0088.jpg), being phased out of PG's fleet. It's too bad, I remember when the 717s were new to PG. I think takeoff in a 717 is one of the sportiest of any modern jetliner, and the rear-mounted engines makes the cabin one of the quietest.
Boarding (http://academic.udayton.edu/terencelau/pics/img_0090.jpg) commences as we pull up. The passengers (http://academic.udayton.edu/terencelau/pics/img_0092.jpg) are mainly Westerners today. The pushback crew (http://academic.udayton.edu/terencelau/pics/img_0094.jpg) wait patiently for boarding to finish. By the time we got on, most of the passengers were already on board (http://academic.udayton.edu/terencelau/pics/img_0096.jpg). In the States I'd be freaking out about getting overhead space, but relax, this is Thailand! No fees for checked bags, plus people travel lighter here, so there's plenty of overhead space left for the last passengers on the plane. The F/A's speak individually (http://academic.udayton.edu/terencelau/pics/img_0101.jpg) to the exit row customers before pushback. Pretty soon, we taxi to and up the active (no taxiways), and we're off.
It's only an hour to BKK, so service has to move fast. Service includes a sandwich (http://academic.udayton.edu/terencelau/pics/img_0103.jpg) which tasted OK if you're hungry. The chicken (http://academic.udayton.edu/terencelau/pics/img_0105.jpg) looked worse than it tasted and the vegetables were pretty good. In no time, we were on the ground at BKK (http://academic.udayton.edu/terencelau/pics/img_0106.jpg).
In conclusion, although PG has grown by leaps and bounds, and some of the finer aspects of their service has suffered (catering used to be better), it's still an amazing little airline that serves complimentary food to all passengers on the ground and in the air, and has charming and friendly F/As, and nearly new planes. It's a model for small airlines, and I always look forward to a consistent level of service.
Next report when I get time will be BKK-REP. Always interesting flying in to Cambodia! The adventure begins at immigration. More later.