goodeats21

I am taking a crack at a first Trip Report, so wish me luck.

Many thanks to the entire FlyerTalk community for all their assistance and knowledge sharing over the past year. It has really made my new addiction to international travel much more rewarding. It is in the interest in paying back the help with my own meager contribution.....

While last year I traveled solely to Europe, 2010 has become the year of Thailand for me. Numerous trips to the Land of Smiles and I am still intrigued by the culture, personality, and chaotic thrill of the Kingdom. The fact it is one of the more distant destinations on United Airlines is just gravy (love the miles )

This trip was a spur-of-the-moment idea, made possible by a combination of other travel plans being canceled and a week of vacation time remaining. A quick call to the 1K desk at UA and I was pleasantly surprised to find a First Class award ticket to BKK for the week before Christmas.

OK...make that incredibly shocked to find a First Class award ticket to BKK for the week before Christmas.

While the routing was far from ideal, I was jazzed to have my first trip with Thai Airways on the books....and sitting up front !


First Class Check In

There was a small issue with checking in for my trip. There was a mechanical delay on the inbound portion of my trip which resulted in itinerary changes. This apparently caused some issue with Thai Airways pulling up my e-ticket. It took about 15 minutes to resolve, but the staff was very gracious and apologetic during the delay.

After sorting out the ticket info, I was escorted to passport control. BKK has priority lanes for this, and it took about 5 minutes to clear. A quick trip through security (again, less than 5 minutes) and I was airside. My escort turned me over to the golf cart / buggy driver with a smile and a wai....

I entered the First Class Lounge at BKK and was blown away. I am sure much has been written about the experience of the lounge, so I will try not to gush like a school girl. To sum up: It Was Awesome.

After scheduling an appointment for a full body massage at the spa, I was escorted to a small, private area of the lounge for my visit. Comfortable seating and my own personal television. An attendant immediately offered breakfast. After a quick perusal of the menu, I opted for a plain omelet, bacon, toast, orange juice, and coffee.


Breakfast at the lounge


Cappuccino with Thai Airways logo on top...cool.

I must next offer an apology for failing the reader of this report with a total lack of photos of the spa experience. I will blame a lack of sleep and succumbing to the total bliss of the spa.

The spa was a real treat. It was a relaxing environment, nicely furnished and decorated. The massage was well done for the purposes of relaxation. It was not a deep-tissue, work out the kinks type of affair. I am fairly certain I dozed off for a brief period. Bliss.

After a shower and a cup of tea, it was back to the lounge for a short wait for my flight. An attendant let me know they were ready for me to board. Myself and another guest were loaded onto a buggy for a ride to the gate.
As it turned out, we were to be the only 2 First Class passengers for this flight....

Boarding was already complete when we arrived. We breezed through the gate area and were welcomed on-board by the cabin crew. The 2 main attendants introduced themselves and took charge of storing my carry on bags. The purser was also on hand and visited with us for a bit. All three addressed me by name and were very welcoming. I really felt they were genuine with wanting to provide me with a very pleasant flight.

For those into the details, it was TG flight 614. BKK to PEK on a 747 (type 7442 in the world of TG). I was in 2K. As I mentioned, only one other passenger was with me in First Class.


Pre-departure Champagne and Mac nuts

There was a mechanical delay for the flight which was announced shortly after I boarded. While I had a tight connection in PEK to navigate, it was somewhat difficult for me to care at the moment. I spent the better part of an hour finishing off my personal bottle of Bollinger, snacking on some nibbles, and simply enjoying the experience.


More nibbles and more champagne


First Class cabin. TG 747 (7442)

I asked about the available choices for scotch whiskey and was informed that Johnie Walker Black was available. I declined.
A minute later I was informed that they had located a bottle of Johnie Walker Blue and asked if I would change my mind and have a taste....I accepted.

Shortly after take off, the food service began. The service was spot-on. Smiling, attentive, well-paced, not smothering. Every menu choice was truly delicious. Wow.



Hot Savoury
Deep-fried Crab Roll

First Course
Half Lobster Salad with Tartar Sauce

Soup
Pumpkin Cream Soup with Orange Peel

Main Course
Pork Curry "Pa-naeng" (with Peanuts)
Steamed Thai Hom Mali Rice
Stuffed Egg with Pork Thai Style
Sauteed Vegetables

or

Stir-fried US Scallop with Yee Heong Sauce
Egg Noodles, Vegetables

or

Roast Turkey stuffed with Apple, Mixed Berries Sauce
Roasted Potatoes, Mixed Vegetables


Assorted Bread, Crackers, Butter
Cheese and Fresh Fruits

Dessert
X'Mas Log Cake with Mixed Berries Sauce
Mixed Fruits Pearl
Nougat Ice Cream
Tea, Coffee
Espresso, Cappuccino

3 quick notes on the menu.
The "Hot Savoury" was listed as a deep-fried crab roll, but I was actually served some sort of sausage pieces with a dipping sauce.

I apologize to any wine enthusiast that has wandered onto this thread. I am not much of a wine drinker, other than the obligatory champagne to start off the flights. I failed to get any wine details for these flights.

The menu noted that during the last half of December, a menu choice is offered in recognition of the holidays. On this flight, it was the roasted turkey option. I have flown on US carriers on actually holidays (Thanksgiving, Christmas) and there was no change in the menu for these holiday flights. Interesting. I can't see how this would be so difficult to implement. It would certainly add some variety to what is becoming rather routine choices on UA.
Back to the flight....



Some sort of sausage with sauce - not my favorite. There was something mildly off-putting about the texture / flavor.


Table set for service


Half Lobster Salad with Tartar Sauce


Pumpkin Cream Soup with Orange Peel


Stuffed Egg with Pork - Thai Style
Steamed Rice, Sauteed Vegetables


Pork Curry "Pa-naeng" (with Peanuts)


Dessert with Cappuccino

With the exception of the sausage dish noted before, the entire meal service was delicious. All items were at the right temperature, everything tasted fresh and was well presented.


First Class Lav amenities

After a short nap (made all the more comfortable by the champagne and scotch), we landed in Beijing. The cabin crew and purser all stopped by to thank me for flying with them and wished me Merry Christmas. They also again apologized for the hour delay in arrival. Honestly, I had kind of forgot about the delay and my subsequent connection impact, but more on that in the next posting.


Orchid presented at flight's end

They also presented an orchid, which was a nice touch. I wasn't sure what to do with it as I was connecting to another flight. I'm not sure I would try to enter any country with a fresh flower anyway, so kinda shrugged my shoulders on that one.....

That about wraps up my first experience with Thai Airways. It was an amazing experience and I am grateful for the opportunity to have flown with them.

Thanks for taking the time to read. Any comments or questions are welcome. I will try to get around to posting about the UA segment shortly. These things take much longer to put together than I ever realized.

sobore

Great TR goodeats21!^
Cappuccino with Thai Airways logo! ^

Flyingfox

Excellent report. Lovely pictures too!

I've never seen the Thai logo on the drink - must be new?

The lobster is actually quite pretty in presentation! I was surprised by this!

Thai are quite tacky in referring to Christmas as "x-mas" on the menu.

goodeats21

I deplaned from Thai Airways and threw myself into the Beijing airport. My UA flight was due to depart in about 40 minutes and this was my first time transiting through Beijing.

Let me just state that I was not impressed with this airport.

Signage was less than ideal. I could find no area for priority processing, if there is such a thing at this airport. While waiting in a very slow moving line at passport control, I did not think I would make this flight.

I was then approached by a young woman wearing a truly impressive uniform. It seemed she was ready to either march in a parade or was a model for every type of uniform accessory able to be worn. She motioned for my boarding pass, seemed rather startled that boarding for my flight had already begun, grabbed my arm, pushed our way through the entire waiting line and deposited me in front of the immigration officer. She then disappeared back into the line before I could even thank her.

I am not sure what prompted her to approach me to begin with. I am sure I had a pained expression on my face at the prospect of being stranded in China. However it happened, this young lady saved my trip.

Made it through immigration, customs, and security and found myself in a terminal area looking for signage or flight displays or something that would help me figure out where to go from here.

Let this be a "warning" for those first-time Beijing airport passengers following in my footsteps....
A golf cart pulled up and asked what flight I was looking for. When I indicated UA - Chicago, he gestured for me to hop in the cart and off we go. While thinking to myself "this is some service...may need to re-think my impression of this airport", I was driven around a corner for a trip of about 45 seconds. As I hopped off, the driver then gestured rather imperiously to a small sign inside the cart that there was a fee associated with this service.

As the only cash I had on-hand was Thai Baht, I don't think he appreciated my patronage. I have no idea how much this service normally fetches, but I handed over 50 Baht (about $1.50 US) and marched to the gate.

I again had some trouble checking in for the flight. The boarding pass on Thai Airways stock didn't seem to impress the UA check-in staff. Again, they clustered around a computer asking about alternate ticket numbers or a paper ticket. After 5 minutes or so, they seemed to straighten it out and let me board with my Thai issued boarding pass. Strange.

A rather detailed personal body inspection at secondary security was followed by a comically inadequate search of my luggage. This was probably due to my over-packed roller board which was visibly straining at the zipper. I was concerned I would not get it all fastened back up if she rooted around through the contents. After lifting the lid, she put it back down without checking a thing.

With my harrowing trip through Beijing airport complete, I boarded the plane for the long trip to ORD.

UA Flight 850
Boeing 777 (non-reconfigured)
13 hour flight in seat 1A
3 open seats in First Class

I was welcomed on board by the purser. I must have still had a panicked appearance, as the FA asked if I could use a glass of water. I gratefully accepted and commented that I just made a 30 minute dash from my connecting flight through all the formalities. She then handed over the large water bottle with a knowing look and said I could probably use more than a little glass. Gratefully accepted.

I should note that other beverages were offered, including the champagne, but I decided to go with just the water for the time being.

After getting settled in, I have to mention the poor condition of the cabin. The seat was in bad shape, frayed cover, cracked plastic, arm rest practically falling apart. It really was a striking difference between the Thai cabin, and certainly between the reconfigured 747 from the inbound flight. Still, I was happy for the lie flat bed for this segment, but it will be nice when the 777 reconfigurations are complete.

After takeoff, service commences:


Warm nuts and Glenlivet scotch


Table set for service

The menu

Beginnings

Appetizers
Herb marinated shrimp and spinach, feta parcel with lemon grass tomato sauce

Soup
Minestrone soup

Salad
Fresh seasonal greens with cucumber, red capsicum and broad beans.
Served with your choice of Creamy Ginger or Balsamic Vinaigrette

Main Course
Pan-seared filet mignon with herb and wine sauce. Dijon mustard mashed potatoes, sauteed spinach with garlic and turned pumpkin

or

Pan-seared Dory filet with tomato, basil, and caper relish. Saffron jasmine rice and vegetable caponata.

or

San Francisco Cioppino with shrimp, scallops, mussels, and crab. Angel hair pepperoncini.

or

Braised chicken with oyster sauce and black mushrooms. Egg jasmine rice and Chinese mixed vegetables.

To finish
Ice Cream
Haagen-Dazs ice cream with your choice of chocolate sauce, butterscotch topping and whipped cream.

Cheese selection
Served with red grapes and crackers

Edam - mellow and savory in flavor; made with part skimmed milk and has a pale yellow interior with red or yellow paraffin coating

Brie - cream colored, buttery soft with down white rind; mellow in flavor with a creamy consistency.

Danish Blue - milder and less complex than Roquefort but has a zest all its own. Versatile, semi-soft cheese exceelent with fruit, dark breads, and red wines.

Graham's is one of the top names in Port and its Late Bottled Vintage Port 2005 is intense, powerful, chocolate-rich and delicious with our cheese selections.


OK starter...pales in comparison to TG's lobster


Very small bowl of a very light soup. Flavor was good.




Nicely prepared steak. Med Rare to Medium. Wine sauce was not very good.


Took a bite before remembering to take a picture....ooops

As my normal routine for the long-hauls, I popped a sleeping pill along with the scotch. By meals end, I was ready for sleep. I reclined to the lie-flat bed and drifted off to sleep. OK, that is not really accurate. I more or less passed out from the booze and the pill. Either way, I managed about 7 hours of sleep, which is the best way to pass the time on these flights.

I availed myself of some of the snacks....the standard UA bowl of re-hydrated noodles, a sandwich, chips. Nothing to write home about...or write up in a trip report.

The second meal service was started as we neared ORD.

Lunch
Vol-au-vent with creamy mushroom and chicken

or

Fresh seasonal fruit plate with creamy yogurt



Service complete and landed at ORD without incident.

Service was fine on the UA segment. It was attentive and friendly, but no where close to the service on the Thai flight. Having experienced it first-hand, I certainly understand the many comments and comparisons I have read about the Asian airline service levels in contrast with the US based airlines.

Thanks to Global Entry, I breezed through US immigration and made the long trek to the First Class lounge in Terminal C.

I had not seen any recent reports on this lounge. It was not busy at all, so I took the opportunity to snap some photos of the offerings. Again, no comparison to the Thai version, but compared to my usual Red Carpet Club expectations, it was a nice place to spend a long layover.





One of the questions I had posed on FT prior to the trip was about the availability of showers at ORD outside of the published Arrivals by United operation hours. As I was welcomed into the lounge, a shower was offered without even having to ask. It was desperately needed and I was very glad to have the opportunity. Very nice facility, well stocked with all needed amenities. It was nicer than the shower at the 1st class UA lounge at NRT.

Next are some photos of the lounge itself. I also tried to get photos of the various offerings so others may know what to expect on their visits. The food was well maintained and was fresh, even with such few people in the lounge.





















That wraps up the report. Having now compiled one of these reports, I am even more grateful for those that share their experiences with the community. It takes quite a bit of time and effort. So thanks.

Safe travels to all.

putongo

goodeats21

Thanks for the photos and thanks for the description of the golf cart experience in PEK. Could it be possible that the driver was just trying to squeeze you for a tip? Was there any kind of signage mentioning a fee for service?

Always great to see photos!!!

p

BKKROP

Enjoyed your report, happy to see someone else taking advantage of the private room service in the lounge, they do beautiful scrambled eggs on toast with the crispiest bacon. I love having this when I arrive, sort of starts the day for me. Must have been a great flight, love the photos and how about that character at Beijing with the trolley, actually a very good business idea, I can think of some airports where it would be welcomed.

goodeats21

Thanks for the kind words. It really was a fun trip home, and made leaving Thailand a tad bit more tolerable. OK, nothing makes leaving Thailand more tolerable, but it took some of the sting away.

In regard to the golf cart guy in PEK, there was a small sign on the inside of the golf cart, mostly hidden by his walkie-talkie. It certainly looked like some type of fee service announcement, but no way to have known about it prior to him pointing it out. Pretty slick. For the 50 Baht I handed over, it was actually worth it to me just to have my gate identified.

He was one of 4 golf carts hanging out by the exit from security, and was not shy about pulling right up to me and offering the service. I agree it is a great service to offer, but just be warned to have some cash handy. As I mentioned, Thai Baht did not seem to be the currency of choice. The look on his face broke all language barriers....he clearly thought it was some version of monopoly money.

Thanks again.

JumboJetLA

An Amazing report!!!!

wandertheglobe

Nice report, thanks for taking the time to post. Nice to get some pointers as well!

Seat 2A

Thanks for this nice trip report. Thai's service looks very nice for a mid-range intra-Asian flight. Alas, United was not at all impressive. The only way I'll ever fly in United's First Class is if it's paid for by someone else or via "free" op upgrade. No way I'd ever pay for that!

goodeats21

Thanks. One of the reasons for writing the report was I found very little info on the more "regional" length service levels on TG. I was not disappointed. Great service both on the ground and in the air.

I have to agree with you on United. It is my "home" airline, so I have more experience with them than any others. They are not a carrier I would choose willingly if there were other options for a premium product.

On the plus side, the FF program is good and they really take care of elites during irrops.

fly747first

Did you find the old TG F seats comfortable?

goodeats21

They were just fine for the 4 hour + flight from BKK to PEK. The cabin was in good shape, well maintained, clean, etc.

I dozed a bit in the seat after the meal service and was comfortable. It certainly wasn't a lie-flat bed, but was just fine for this flight.

I didn't explore the IFE at all. I think I used the map function, but that would have been it.

timmynl

I am bit surprised that you said it was not a lie flat bed. My experience was that it is a horizontal lie flat bed. perhaps there was something wrong with the control.

aurigakb

Thanks for sharing!^