* Alliance RTW in C class
Oct 4, 2006, 1:41 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Brighton England
Programs: AA Plat, various hotels
Posts: 1,220
* Alliance RTW in C class
Hope you enjoy reading this, it wont be up to the standard of Kiwiflyer or Moomba, but i'll give it a go
The Planning
A year ago my partner and i separated, around the same time my company decided they were going to trial giving staff the opportunity to take extended leave, you can see where this is going, cant you.
After considering it for a few weeks, i took the plunge, asked for and got 2 months off.
After playing around with the downloads from the various aliances, i came up with a business class trip on Star Alliance. One 45 minute phone call to Trailfinders later and my flights and most seats were booked.
Soon after i'd booked it a long standing friend of mine asked if she could come along, she didnt baulk at paying for a business class ticket, so trailfinders got another phone call and a second ticket was booked.
I then spent several weeks booking various hotels homes and cars, building up a rather large folder of printed documents which i would have to carry with me.
Now for 9 months of waiting.....
9 months later
Its October 2nd and yesterday in Brighton, England we had a tornado, its pouring with rain and theres roadworks on the M25. I know, catch the train to heathrow, not much can go wrong there can it?
The following rant will be well understood by any Brits reading this, everyone else just ignore the next few lines!!
Jo-anne gives us a lift to Portslade station where the ticket Office is shut and the ticket vending machine is not working. They get it fixed just before the train arrives, i get the tickets and the 10.16 from Portslade to London Victoria sets off right on time. Once im settled into my seat, the guard tells us that due to a trackside fire at Selhurst, we are going to be 15-20 mins late, not the end of the world i think. We arrive at Haywards Heath right on time, the guard then announces that the coaches which attach to the back of our train are still at Lewes and will not be with us for another 20 mins. 25 minutes later we leave Haywards Heath, go about half a mile and stop at a signal, the guard tells us that the train in front has caught fire and we would be delayed another 10 minutes. We eventually arrive at London Victoria 1 hour late. What a useless bunch of t****s.
At this point i decide to cut my losses, jump a cab to Paddington and catch the Heathrow Express.
The first flight is from that dingy old terminal 2, good news is, no queues at the Lufthansa check in and no queues at 2pm at security either. Neither of us set off the alarm, so neither of us are searched.
Off to the Lufthansa lounge, its rather tired looking but thats probably because nobody wants to spend any money on a terminal thats going to be demolished. Drinks and nibbles are good and kept constantly filled up, the lounge is also kept spotlessly clean. Lufthansa dont offer free wireless, but Iberia in the lounge next door do, so i log onto that for a while, makes you wonder if Lufthansa get any business when you can get Iberias connection for free.
Soon is off to gate 5 and while waiting to board i watch this businessman full of his own self importance walking up and down telling half the lounge his business because he doesnt know how to talk quietly, what an idiot.
Lufthansa are handled by Serviceair and a right indifferent job they make of boarding. Starting with rows fron the back of the plane, he got bored by the time he reached row 15 and just told everyone to board. So much for the priviledge of Business class pre boarding
LH 4757 LHR - MUC 15.35-18.20
A321
Seats 4A and 4C
A very clean and well kept loking plane inside, in fact everything about Lufthansa seemed to involve keeping everything clean.
Those of you who have flown european business on Lufthansa will know that it consists of economy standard seating with the back of the middle seat pulled down to make a drinks tray. Not a problem for a 1hour and 15 minute flight, irritating for much longer.
The cabin crew were everything you would expect from the Germans, polite and efficient.
You dont get a menu on such a short flight, so i will tell you it was a cheese and meat platter with garnishes and an egg custard desert. Bread rolls were nice though.
We took off about 20 minutes late after fighting with AA and UA for the runway, it was raining so hard the planes disappeared into a cloud of spray. We arrived on schedule at the clean and efficient Munich airport and headed off to the Business Lounge to sample the beers before the next flight.
To be continued
The Planning
A year ago my partner and i separated, around the same time my company decided they were going to trial giving staff the opportunity to take extended leave, you can see where this is going, cant you.
After considering it for a few weeks, i took the plunge, asked for and got 2 months off.
After playing around with the downloads from the various aliances, i came up with a business class trip on Star Alliance. One 45 minute phone call to Trailfinders later and my flights and most seats were booked.
Soon after i'd booked it a long standing friend of mine asked if she could come along, she didnt baulk at paying for a business class ticket, so trailfinders got another phone call and a second ticket was booked.
I then spent several weeks booking various hotels homes and cars, building up a rather large folder of printed documents which i would have to carry with me.
Now for 9 months of waiting.....
9 months later
Its October 2nd and yesterday in Brighton, England we had a tornado, its pouring with rain and theres roadworks on the M25. I know, catch the train to heathrow, not much can go wrong there can it?
The following rant will be well understood by any Brits reading this, everyone else just ignore the next few lines!!
Jo-anne gives us a lift to Portslade station where the ticket Office is shut and the ticket vending machine is not working. They get it fixed just before the train arrives, i get the tickets and the 10.16 from Portslade to London Victoria sets off right on time. Once im settled into my seat, the guard tells us that due to a trackside fire at Selhurst, we are going to be 15-20 mins late, not the end of the world i think. We arrive at Haywards Heath right on time, the guard then announces that the coaches which attach to the back of our train are still at Lewes and will not be with us for another 20 mins. 25 minutes later we leave Haywards Heath, go about half a mile and stop at a signal, the guard tells us that the train in front has caught fire and we would be delayed another 10 minutes. We eventually arrive at London Victoria 1 hour late. What a useless bunch of t****s.
At this point i decide to cut my losses, jump a cab to Paddington and catch the Heathrow Express.
The first flight is from that dingy old terminal 2, good news is, no queues at the Lufthansa check in and no queues at 2pm at security either. Neither of us set off the alarm, so neither of us are searched.
Off to the Lufthansa lounge, its rather tired looking but thats probably because nobody wants to spend any money on a terminal thats going to be demolished. Drinks and nibbles are good and kept constantly filled up, the lounge is also kept spotlessly clean. Lufthansa dont offer free wireless, but Iberia in the lounge next door do, so i log onto that for a while, makes you wonder if Lufthansa get any business when you can get Iberias connection for free.
Soon is off to gate 5 and while waiting to board i watch this businessman full of his own self importance walking up and down telling half the lounge his business because he doesnt know how to talk quietly, what an idiot.
Lufthansa are handled by Serviceair and a right indifferent job they make of boarding. Starting with rows fron the back of the plane, he got bored by the time he reached row 15 and just told everyone to board. So much for the priviledge of Business class pre boarding
LH 4757 LHR - MUC 15.35-18.20
A321
Seats 4A and 4C
A very clean and well kept loking plane inside, in fact everything about Lufthansa seemed to involve keeping everything clean.
Those of you who have flown european business on Lufthansa will know that it consists of economy standard seating with the back of the middle seat pulled down to make a drinks tray. Not a problem for a 1hour and 15 minute flight, irritating for much longer.
The cabin crew were everything you would expect from the Germans, polite and efficient.
You dont get a menu on such a short flight, so i will tell you it was a cheese and meat platter with garnishes and an egg custard desert. Bread rolls were nice though.
We took off about 20 minutes late after fighting with AA and UA for the runway, it was raining so hard the planes disappeared into a cloud of spray. We arrived on schedule at the clean and efficient Munich airport and headed off to the Business Lounge to sample the beers before the next flight.
To be continued
Last edited by Gatwick Alan; Oct 4, 2006 at 1:46 am Reason: typo
Oct 4, 2006, 3:27 am
#2
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: London, UK
Programs: AA 2MM - PLT, BA GGL, SPG Plat, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 6,221
Thanks for the compliment. Not sure it I am worthy of being mentioned in such esteemed company as KiwiFlyer though.
I am sure your report will be as entertaining as others on this board if first posts are any indication.
I am looking forward to reading your posts. I am interested to see how Star Business class carriers stack up against their OW counterparts.
I agree with you on T2. I am 6'2" and I feel like I have to keep ducking in the check-in area.
I take it you are you doing the whole RTW in one hit given your extended leave arrangement?
Oh, forgot to add.
Have Fun!
I am sure your report will be as entertaining as others on this board if first posts are any indication.
I am looking forward to reading your posts. I am interested to see how Star Business class carriers stack up against their OW counterparts.
I agree with you on T2. I am 6'2" and I feel like I have to keep ducking in the check-in area.
I take it you are you doing the whole RTW in one hit given your extended leave arrangement?
Oh, forgot to add.
Have Fun!
Oct 4, 2006, 8:11 am
#4
Moderator, Hilton Honors
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: on a short leash
Programs: some
Posts: 71,422
A great start Gatwick Alan. I'm sure you wont sink to my low standards 
45 minutes to complete a booking for a RTW? I'm impressed. You've obviously done this before and were well prepared.
45 minutes to complete a booking for a RTW? I'm impressed. You've obviously done this before and were well prepared.
Oct 4, 2006, 5:45 pm
#5
Original Poster
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Brighton England
Programs: AA Plat, various hotels
Posts: 1,220
Thanks for your comments guys, to answer your queries, the first month is fairly intensive and the second much more slow paced, it will be done as one trip.
As for 45 minutes to book, that was preceded by weeks on the star alliance mileage calculator,seat guru, this website etc to get exactly what i wanted.
The guy taking the booking had the good sense to realise i'd done my homework and just took down the details without interruption.
Kiwi Flyer, im looking forward to 2 weeks in your country.
As for 45 minutes to book, that was preceded by weeks on the star alliance mileage calculator,seat guru, this website etc to get exactly what i wanted.
The guy taking the booking had the good sense to realise i'd done my homework and just took down the details without interruption.
Kiwi Flyer, im looking forward to 2 weeks in your country.
Oct 4, 2006, 6:08 pm
#6
Original Poster
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Brighton England
Programs: AA Plat, various hotels
Posts: 1,220
LH 730 MUC-HKG
21.40-15.15
A 340-300
Seats 3A and 3C
Proper separated boarding on 2 airbridges here, and as i'm walking down the airbridge im thinking, please be the new "c". As we get to the door to first class, i'm relieved to see a refitted plane in all its glory.
Looking at those first class seats, they look a bit of a mess to me with the back framing all folded down for take off, yes they are big and look comfy, but dont look to have the class of say Singapore. Now ive never flown first class so feel free to shoot me down if you think im wrong.
We settle into our seats which ive chosen because they are in the mini cabin.
I cant stop myself playing with the seat to try it out, which makes the flight attendant laugh. They correctly identify that we are 2 people travelling for a good time and not regulars, which we proved later by not having out tray tables out at the correct moment!!
I thought the new seats were very good, i had no problem getting comfortable sitting or lying down and the AVOD worked throughout. My only complaint on that score was when they announced shortly after take off that they would switch it on in half an hour, why not now?
The usual champagne was offered before take off
The flight crew were extremely good, as well as polite and efficient they were also very friendly, and have put Lufthansa higher in my list of preferred airlines.
Onto the food, not stunning, but good and tasty,and in the interest of flyertalkers, we had different choices, menu follows;
DINNER
Hors d'oeuvre
Veal with horseradish sauce, vegetable julienne and pumpkin seed oil
Marinated Prawns with Cilantro and Bamboo shoot salad with celery
Salad
Iceberg lettuce with cucumber, bell pepper, fennel and carrots, pumpkin seed oil dressing
Bread rolls and butter
Entrees
Stir fried chicken strips Szechuan style complemented by scented rice, Cashew nuts and green asparagus
Fillet of Pike-Perch with Kohlrabi, peas and potatoes in cream sauce with mustard seeds
Cheese and dessert
Camembert, Gouda and Romadur cheese
Poppy seed mousse enhanced by apple and pear compote
The veal was nice, the prawns ordinary, the pike was good, the chicken ok.
The wines were good and you were given a tasting first.
We touched down 15 minutes early and despite immigration being extremely busy, we were through in 10 minutes and headed out to get a taxi
21.40-15.15
A 340-300
Seats 3A and 3C
Proper separated boarding on 2 airbridges here, and as i'm walking down the airbridge im thinking, please be the new "c". As we get to the door to first class, i'm relieved to see a refitted plane in all its glory.
Looking at those first class seats, they look a bit of a mess to me with the back framing all folded down for take off, yes they are big and look comfy, but dont look to have the class of say Singapore. Now ive never flown first class so feel free to shoot me down if you think im wrong.
We settle into our seats which ive chosen because they are in the mini cabin.
I cant stop myself playing with the seat to try it out, which makes the flight attendant laugh. They correctly identify that we are 2 people travelling for a good time and not regulars, which we proved later by not having out tray tables out at the correct moment!!
I thought the new seats were very good, i had no problem getting comfortable sitting or lying down and the AVOD worked throughout. My only complaint on that score was when they announced shortly after take off that they would switch it on in half an hour, why not now?
The usual champagne was offered before take off
The flight crew were extremely good, as well as polite and efficient they were also very friendly, and have put Lufthansa higher in my list of preferred airlines.
Onto the food, not stunning, but good and tasty,and in the interest of flyertalkers, we had different choices, menu follows;
DINNER
Hors d'oeuvre
Veal with horseradish sauce, vegetable julienne and pumpkin seed oil
Marinated Prawns with Cilantro and Bamboo shoot salad with celery
Salad
Iceberg lettuce with cucumber, bell pepper, fennel and carrots, pumpkin seed oil dressing
Bread rolls and butter
Entrees
Stir fried chicken strips Szechuan style complemented by scented rice, Cashew nuts and green asparagus
Fillet of Pike-Perch with Kohlrabi, peas and potatoes in cream sauce with mustard seeds
Cheese and dessert
Camembert, Gouda and Romadur cheese
Poppy seed mousse enhanced by apple and pear compote
The veal was nice, the prawns ordinary, the pike was good, the chicken ok.
The wines were good and you were given a tasting first.
We touched down 15 minutes early and despite immigration being extremely busy, we were through in 10 minutes and headed out to get a taxi
Oct 5, 2006, 3:38 pm
#7
Original Poster
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Brighton England
Programs: AA Plat, various hotels
Posts: 1,220
October 3rd-6th Hong Kong
I noticed over on the IC forum that someone was asking a while ago about the holiday inn express here in hong kong, so for those of you interested heres my thoughts on it
Its very much a typical express in many ways, the rooms are on the small size, but thats nothing unusual about Hong Kong. Its situated behind times square which is an easy location to get about from.
The entrance to the Hotel is not prominent, in fact we almost missed it. You have to go up one floor by escalator to reach the lobby, where you will find a separate line for Priority Club members.
You get a free set breakfast and you choose A,B or C
A is pork and vegetable noodles with gluten rice (looked ok, but not fot me at 7 in the morning)
B is scrambled egg, bacon, sausage and 3 pieces of toast with orange juice and coffee (the sausages are frankfurters, bacon is like ham slices and no refills of coffee)
C is a salad concoction (i didnt see anybody have this one)
The hotel is fine if you arent going to spend a lot of time in the room, and lets face it why would you if youre in Hong Kong
We saw the usual tourist sights, victoria peak etc, but by far the best day was when we decided just to get on the next bit of public transport we saw, above ground only. This way we ended up finding just how many different ferries there are and how little they cost, average cost was 1 US dollar for a 25 minute journey. Great fun but we were knackered at the end of the day!!
Next stop Bangkok on Thai air and if thet havent changed the aircraft we should get the new C on an A340-600, will let you know soon
I noticed over on the IC forum that someone was asking a while ago about the holiday inn express here in hong kong, so for those of you interested heres my thoughts on it
Its very much a typical express in many ways, the rooms are on the small size, but thats nothing unusual about Hong Kong. Its situated behind times square which is an easy location to get about from.
The entrance to the Hotel is not prominent, in fact we almost missed it. You have to go up one floor by escalator to reach the lobby, where you will find a separate line for Priority Club members.
You get a free set breakfast and you choose A,B or C
A is pork and vegetable noodles with gluten rice (looked ok, but not fot me at 7 in the morning)
B is scrambled egg, bacon, sausage and 3 pieces of toast with orange juice and coffee (the sausages are frankfurters, bacon is like ham slices and no refills of coffee)
C is a salad concoction (i didnt see anybody have this one)
The hotel is fine if you arent going to spend a lot of time in the room, and lets face it why would you if youre in Hong Kong
We saw the usual tourist sights, victoria peak etc, but by far the best day was when we decided just to get on the next bit of public transport we saw, above ground only. This way we ended up finding just how many different ferries there are and how little they cost, average cost was 1 US dollar for a 25 minute journey. Great fun but we were knackered at the end of the day!!
Next stop Bangkok on Thai air and if thet havent changed the aircraft we should get the new C on an A340-600, will let you know soon
Oct 7, 2006, 1:10 am
#8
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: SYD+TYO+GFK
Programs: UA 1K, QF Plat, VA Gold, IHG Spire Ambassador, Hilton Diamond, Marriott Gold, Coles FlyBuys
Posts: 2,805
Great start to what should be a great trip! Looking forward to your next instalments.
Would you mind posting your routing or are you building suspense?
Would you mind posting your routing or are you building suspense?
Oct 8, 2006, 8:36 pm
#10
Original Poster
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Brighton England
Programs: AA Plat, various hotels
Posts: 1,220
October 6th
Im sitting in the Thai Airways lounge writing this and what a lovely lounge it is, probably the best ive been in since the Golden Club lounge in KL. Great spread of food,internet computers and Wifi and some wonderful massage chairs.
Caught an airport shuttle bus back which we were told would take 90 minutes because of other pick ups, but there were no other pick ups so we got to the airport in 35 minutes, oh well, just have to enjoy the facilities of this lounge.
HKIA is a joy and undoubtedly still one of the best airports in the world. At security, i asked if they wanted the computer or anything else out of my bag, but they said no, didnt have to get undressed either!!
Quick and painless and done with smiles, would the US and UK please send representatives as fast as possible to take a crash course in how to treat customers with politeness, respect and not taking all day about it either.
TG 601 HKG-BKK
Seats 11a and 11b
A340-600
This was a flight of just over 2 hours, so i suppose i ought to compare it to the intra european flight on Lufthansa, however if i do that Thai would win 20 times over, so maybe i'll compare the next flight to Singapore which is on an AB6.
I was very interested to try Thai's new product out to see how i'd like it on a long distance flight. First impression on entering the plane is that first class looks more like what i think first class should look like. A lot better looking than Lufthansa's offering. But i wasnt sitting in first, dammit, so onto the new C class. First impression is that its stylish, but on sitting in the seat in its upright position i did not feel comfortable. The seat squab is very short and only extends when you recline the seat. Im fairly slim, though my friends and family are probably falling about laughing saying what are those flabby bits then, and i didnt think the seat was very wide, someone of a more portly disposition (i would have said fatter, but thats politically incorrect) may find it a squeeze. Reclined into flat mode it was very similar to Lufthansa's seat.
The AVOD was similar, but probably a slightly better choice on Lufthansa.
Food for a 2 hour flight was excellent, menu in a minute, and what i always like about Thai is the wonderfully attentive service, extremely anticipative of your needs. With further longhuals to come on different airlines i will compare further, if you havent all dropped off to sleep by then.
First Course
Palma Ham
Main Course
Roast Duck in red curry, cherry tomato, steamedthai hom mali rice, pak choy and salted egg
Roast tilapia fish, citrus hollandaise sauce potatoes, carrots and green beans
Assorted breads, crackers,butter, cheese and fresh fruits
Dessert
White chocolate mousse with raspberry
Tea, Coffee
Arrived at Bangkoks new airport 10 minutes early.
The walk from a fairly distant gate to immigration seemed to go on for ever. The overwhelming impression is that its grey. Concrete surfaces have been left exposed, the floor planks were precast but the columns and beams appear to have been poured in situ and the repairs stand out in a different shade of grey. Services have been left exposed, but were very neat. All the gaterooms were a planar glazing type system.
All in all it should be easy to maintain but some splashes of colour would liven it up considerably. It looked generally finished inside til someone left a door open exposing haphazardly stacked materials. (anyone want to guess what my day job is?)
I couldnt believe immigration, im used to queues and 30-45 minute waits, but no queues at all, desks free and staffed, and through in no time, with the usual lack of interaction.
Outside it was a zoo, if you were looking for your name on a board, you had about 200 to choose from and 2 different exits too. I'd booked a car downtown and eventually found my name.
I'm not even sure the airports an improvement (immigration excepted) as i quite liked the old one, still we'll see what departing is like on monday.
Im sitting in the Thai Airways lounge writing this and what a lovely lounge it is, probably the best ive been in since the Golden Club lounge in KL. Great spread of food,internet computers and Wifi and some wonderful massage chairs.
Caught an airport shuttle bus back which we were told would take 90 minutes because of other pick ups, but there were no other pick ups so we got to the airport in 35 minutes, oh well, just have to enjoy the facilities of this lounge.
HKIA is a joy and undoubtedly still one of the best airports in the world. At security, i asked if they wanted the computer or anything else out of my bag, but they said no, didnt have to get undressed either!!
Quick and painless and done with smiles, would the US and UK please send representatives as fast as possible to take a crash course in how to treat customers with politeness, respect and not taking all day about it either.
TG 601 HKG-BKK
Seats 11a and 11b
A340-600
This was a flight of just over 2 hours, so i suppose i ought to compare it to the intra european flight on Lufthansa, however if i do that Thai would win 20 times over, so maybe i'll compare the next flight to Singapore which is on an AB6.
I was very interested to try Thai's new product out to see how i'd like it on a long distance flight. First impression on entering the plane is that first class looks more like what i think first class should look like. A lot better looking than Lufthansa's offering. But i wasnt sitting in first, dammit, so onto the new C class. First impression is that its stylish, but on sitting in the seat in its upright position i did not feel comfortable. The seat squab is very short and only extends when you recline the seat. Im fairly slim, though my friends and family are probably falling about laughing saying what are those flabby bits then, and i didnt think the seat was very wide, someone of a more portly disposition (i would have said fatter, but thats politically incorrect) may find it a squeeze. Reclined into flat mode it was very similar to Lufthansa's seat.
The AVOD was similar, but probably a slightly better choice on Lufthansa.
Food for a 2 hour flight was excellent, menu in a minute, and what i always like about Thai is the wonderfully attentive service, extremely anticipative of your needs. With further longhuals to come on different airlines i will compare further, if you havent all dropped off to sleep by then.
First Course
Palma Ham
Main Course
Roast Duck in red curry, cherry tomato, steamedthai hom mali rice, pak choy and salted egg
Roast tilapia fish, citrus hollandaise sauce potatoes, carrots and green beans
Assorted breads, crackers,butter, cheese and fresh fruits
Dessert
White chocolate mousse with raspberry
Tea, Coffee
Arrived at Bangkoks new airport 10 minutes early.
The walk from a fairly distant gate to immigration seemed to go on for ever. The overwhelming impression is that its grey. Concrete surfaces have been left exposed, the floor planks were precast but the columns and beams appear to have been poured in situ and the repairs stand out in a different shade of grey. Services have been left exposed, but were very neat. All the gaterooms were a planar glazing type system.
All in all it should be easy to maintain but some splashes of colour would liven it up considerably. It looked generally finished inside til someone left a door open exposing haphazardly stacked materials. (anyone want to guess what my day job is?)
I couldnt believe immigration, im used to queues and 30-45 minute waits, but no queues at all, desks free and staffed, and through in no time, with the usual lack of interaction.
Outside it was a zoo, if you were looking for your name on a board, you had about 200 to choose from and 2 different exits too. I'd booked a car downtown and eventually found my name.
I'm not even sure the airports an improvement (immigration excepted) as i quite liked the old one, still we'll see what departing is like on monday.
Oct 9, 2006, 3:15 am
#11
Original Poster
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Brighton England
Programs: AA Plat, various hotels
Posts: 1,220
Originally Posted by TrayflowInUK
Great start to what should be a great trip! Looking forward to your next instalments.
Would you mind posting your routing or are you building suspense?
Would you mind posting your routing or are you building suspense?
Singapore, Sydney and surrounding areas, New Zealand and the States more detail to follow!!
Oct 9, 2006, 3:17 am
#12
Original Poster
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Brighton England
Programs: AA Plat, various hotels
Posts: 1,220
6th-9th October Bangkok
The journey down from the airport wasnt bad, only really hit the traffic in downtown Bangkok.
Stayed at the Amari Watergate, because of the bargain price, ive stayed here twice before and i think the rooms are beginning to look a little tired for a hotel that aspires to be a 5 star. The reason for staying here though is its location to Pantip Plaza (computer city) and Pratunam Market. I managed to negotiate my usual bargains, sadly not much room in the suitcase this time!!!
Sunday was just a special day, i dont know if any of you are following the adventures of Charles, an American from L.A on www.globecrawler.net but if you arent you should, hes on a 10 month round the world trip. In June he came to Brighton, my home town and we arranged to meet for an hour, however it was a hot summers day, the traffic was horrendous and i missed him. Just by chance we discovered we were both in Bangkok at the same time and arranged to meet again. This time we did, i thought i was comfortable getting around Bangkok, but Charles knows it far better than me. We had a great day together and Charles is just a real nice guy. Do read his website, its a great story, he may even post a picture of me on it
The journey down from the airport wasnt bad, only really hit the traffic in downtown Bangkok.
Stayed at the Amari Watergate, because of the bargain price, ive stayed here twice before and i think the rooms are beginning to look a little tired for a hotel that aspires to be a 5 star. The reason for staying here though is its location to Pantip Plaza (computer city) and Pratunam Market. I managed to negotiate my usual bargains, sadly not much room in the suitcase this time!!!
Sunday was just a special day, i dont know if any of you are following the adventures of Charles, an American from L.A on www.globecrawler.net but if you arent you should, hes on a 10 month round the world trip. In June he came to Brighton, my home town and we arranged to meet for an hour, however it was a hot summers day, the traffic was horrendous and i missed him. Just by chance we discovered we were both in Bangkok at the same time and arranged to meet again. This time we did, i thought i was comfortable getting around Bangkok, but Charles knows it far better than me. We had a great day together and Charles is just a real nice guy. Do read his website, its a great story, he may even post a picture of me on it
so definately getting colder in the UK!
Oct 10, 2006, 5:54 pm
#14
Original Poster
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Brighton England
Programs: AA Plat, various hotels
Posts: 1,220
9th October
On monday, transferred back to the new airport, traffic wasnt too bad and it took 45 minutes.
Do you want me to tell you about the departures side of the new Bangkok Airport? You do, thats good because i was going to anyway.
There is a separate entrance for thai first and business class and a separate kiosk to pay your departure tax, then you also have separate passport control and you come out right by the entrance to the lounge, so far so good, but its gonna get worse!!
Walked down the escalator and checked in with the lounge bouncer (as Kiwi flyer calls them) and walked into the lounge. Its big, and very long. It was also full and i mean full. We walked end to end and not a seat to be had, in fact when someone got up there was a scrum for the chair, made you frightened to go to get a drink and nibbles. On the subject of drink and nibbles at 9 in the morning, a poor selection and the coffee was only lukewarm. The lounge did have wifi. I can only assume that the louge was being shared by many other airlines, i did notice Singapore used it, and this is why it was so busy. Have to say the Thai lounge in Hong Kong was ten times better.
After a while decided to explore the airport a bit. When you go down onto the main concourse its shops, shops and shops. Trouble is you can look end to end of the concourse and not see a sign, thats because they are floor mounted and if people are standing in front of them, you dont see them. When you move towards the gates the signeage improves dramatically. Security is at the start of each pier, its laptops out, but it was quick and easy, most people got wanded.
The gates were large with plenty of seating.
Boarding was a joke, after the announcement that Royal silk passengers should board first, they opened the door and everybody charged through.
TG 413 BKK-SIN
Seats 12a and 12b
AB6
Well what a difference this flight was to the one from Hong Kong, the plane an Airbus 300, has reasonable seats in C, certainly better than intra-europe flights, but the food was a serious let down, menu follows, the chicken and seafood were basicaly a congealed mess, i should have had the lamb, which looked ok, but i had assumed it wouldnt be. The service from the Thai crew was as good as ever on this 2 hour flight.
First Course
Marinated salmon and halibut roll with horseradish, mixed salad
Main Course
Fried Lamb chop in black peppercorn sauce, fried potatoes and roasted vegetables
Chicken Thigh Curry, steamed thai hom mali rice, stir fried broccoli in oyster sauce
Stir fried seafood with cashew nuts and dried chilli, steamed thai hom mali rice, stir fried broccoli in oyster sauce
Assorted Breads, crackers, butter and cheese
Dessert
Regent chocolate cake
Tea, Coffee
As normal, getting through Changi airport was a pleasure, only 20 minutes from getting off the plane to getting in the cab, and only £7 to get to the intercontinental hotel. Is there a more attractive road to and from the airport than the one in Singapore.
On monday, transferred back to the new airport, traffic wasnt too bad and it took 45 minutes.
Do you want me to tell you about the departures side of the new Bangkok Airport? You do, thats good because i was going to anyway.
There is a separate entrance for thai first and business class and a separate kiosk to pay your departure tax, then you also have separate passport control and you come out right by the entrance to the lounge, so far so good, but its gonna get worse!!
Walked down the escalator and checked in with the lounge bouncer (as Kiwi flyer calls them) and walked into the lounge. Its big, and very long. It was also full and i mean full. We walked end to end and not a seat to be had, in fact when someone got up there was a scrum for the chair, made you frightened to go to get a drink and nibbles. On the subject of drink and nibbles at 9 in the morning, a poor selection and the coffee was only lukewarm. The lounge did have wifi. I can only assume that the louge was being shared by many other airlines, i did notice Singapore used it, and this is why it was so busy. Have to say the Thai lounge in Hong Kong was ten times better.
After a while decided to explore the airport a bit. When you go down onto the main concourse its shops, shops and shops. Trouble is you can look end to end of the concourse and not see a sign, thats because they are floor mounted and if people are standing in front of them, you dont see them. When you move towards the gates the signeage improves dramatically. Security is at the start of each pier, its laptops out, but it was quick and easy, most people got wanded.
The gates were large with plenty of seating.
Boarding was a joke, after the announcement that Royal silk passengers should board first, they opened the door and everybody charged through.
TG 413 BKK-SIN
Seats 12a and 12b
AB6
Well what a difference this flight was to the one from Hong Kong, the plane an Airbus 300, has reasonable seats in C, certainly better than intra-europe flights, but the food was a serious let down, menu follows, the chicken and seafood were basicaly a congealed mess, i should have had the lamb, which looked ok, but i had assumed it wouldnt be. The service from the Thai crew was as good as ever on this 2 hour flight.
First Course
Marinated salmon and halibut roll with horseradish, mixed salad
Main Course
Fried Lamb chop in black peppercorn sauce, fried potatoes and roasted vegetables
Chicken Thigh Curry, steamed thai hom mali rice, stir fried broccoli in oyster sauce
Stir fried seafood with cashew nuts and dried chilli, steamed thai hom mali rice, stir fried broccoli in oyster sauce
Assorted Breads, crackers, butter and cheese
Dessert
Regent chocolate cake
Tea, Coffee
As normal, getting through Changi airport was a pleasure, only 20 minutes from getting off the plane to getting in the cab, and only £7 to get to the intercontinental hotel. Is there a more attractive road to and from the airport than the one in Singapore.