Trip Report: BA/LX/TG to CNX and SIN in F/J + M. Oriental & Shangri La
Jun 13, 2007, 1:35 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Apr 2004
Location: Nairobi
Programs: LX, AZ, BA, LH, SA
Posts: 316
Trip Report: BA/LX/TG to CNX and SIN in F/J + M. Oriental & Shangri La
It was time to take another short holiday trip to Asia to relax in Thailand and shop in Singapore. This year I will be travelling longhaul to Singapore with British Airways in Club World, and take a sidetrip to Chiang Mai (via Bangkok) in First class with Swiss and domestic business with Thai Airways. The itinerary sounds rather complicated but in the end, it was not.
BA549, Rome FCO-London Heathrow, Club Europe
I found an empty check-in desk where a cheerful BA staff checked-me in to London only. Given my lack of trust in BAA baggage handling, I had chosen the earlier connection to LHR in order to allow plenty of time to collect bags and carry them myself to Terminal 4. The agent suggested I use the nearby security station normally used for flights to the US, which spared me the long walk to Terminal B which all non-US bound passengers are normally requested to use. After a brief queue for security and passport check, it was barely one minute to the Club Europe lounge which was fairly quiet and had a decent selection of drinks. Later on a tray of finger sandwiches was added to the buffet area. This flight was delayed so I was not surprised that upon reaching the gate after a short train ride to satellite C the flight was not yet boarding. I joined the queue and boarded some 10 minutes later. This A320 was full to the brim, due to the fact that the previous day the Italian ATC was on strike and airlines rebooked passengers on today’s flights.
After boarding the captain announced a further delay and said “we’d rather wait a little more to ensure that all bags are onboard rather than depart now and leave some bags behind”. I couldn’t agree more, but passengers with tight connections were getting anxious. Hot towels were passed out on the ground but BA offers no pre-take off drinks in European business, even if the wait on the ground stretches to almost one hour, as in this case.
Once the flight did take off, a first round of drinks was offered with a small pack of pretzels. I chose water only at this stage. When drinks were cleared lunch trays were given, with a choice of wok fried beef with noodles or chicken Caesar salad. I opted for the latter, which was large and tasty although the salad dressing was too small a bottle compared to the size of the salad. I had a glass of delicious kiwi Sauvignon blanc but when I returned the bottle half full the FA asked whether I did not enjoy the wine and perhaps she could serve me the chardonnay instead. I reassured her that the wine was delicious and that I was only allowed a glass with lunch. After the salad there was a cheese course with biscuits, then tea/coffee. Service was great, polite, friendly, efficient. I have nothing but praise for BA Club Europe product.
We reached Heathrow 40 minutes late, and after the maze of corridors and narrow stairs which is Terminal 1 I reached the baggage hall where there was a good 15-minute wait for bags. Once bags were retrieved I jumped on the Heathrow Express for the short (free) ride to Terminal 4.
BA11, London Heathow-Singapore, Club World
Upon reaching reaching the Terminal 4 Club World check-in area I was asked where I was flying and which class before I could proceed to the counter. There were only two agents on duty but I did not have to wait for long. I had prebooked seat 62A on the upper deck, and the seat chart on ba.com identified this 747-400 as being of the 38J kind – i.e. fitted with the old club world seats. The lady put a fast track sticker on the boarding pass but forgot to priority-tag the bags. Fast track had a much longer queue that slow track today – this facility is increasingly becoming a hit or miss. After security I proceeded to the Terraces lounge near gate 10, and immediately booked myself a back massage at the Molton Brown spa.
I really don’t see why other European airlines did not follow BA’s lead with lounges at their home base. I personally find that getting massage followed by a power shower is the best start to a longhaul flight. The massage was a 20-minute back and neck massage (other treatments are available though) and was well done although there was no background music so the peaceful surroundings were occasionally shattered by the sound of other passengers calling in to book their own treatments. Also I noticed that they used to serve herbal teas after the treatment but I was offered none. After a brief shower which had a choice of rainfall or body jets, I went back upstairs and waited for my flight. There was a good selection of food: a salad bar with cold cuts, cheese and greens, choice of soups, sandwiches, crisps, biscuits etc. The lounge near Gate 1 apparently also offers a warm buffet but I wasn’t hungry so I just had a bowl of mushroom soup and some crisps with a nice south African white wine (there was a choice of four whites and four reds in the world wine bar).
When boarding time approached I went to the gate and boarding started promptly although there was no priority call. For unknown reasons the aircraft was parked at the gate but not docked, hence we walked down the finger, down a flight of stairs, walked a few yards across the tarmac and then climbed a very steep and shaky stair onto this 747. Upon entering the aircraft I was directed upstairs where the cabin filled up quickly and this flight turned out to be full in J (a Qantas flight to Singapore had been delayed so many passengers were rebooked on BA).
The cabin had the old style club world seats which I found perfectly adequate for sleeping. My seat was by the emergency exit so I did not need to climb over my neighbour to reach the aisle. Amenity kits were offered along with menus, drinks and hot towels, and my jacket was hung. Departure was delayed by about 30 minutes but taxi to the runway was short. Typically on BA, a Singaporean crew member introduced herself over the PA system (she was serving in World Traveller) and announced she would be pleased to provide any additional information regarding Singapore.
The Menu:
Rock shrimp and prawn terrine with lemon creme fraiche
Or
Buffalo mozzarella cheese with fresh figs and grapefruit dressing
Fresh seasonal salad served with vinaigrette
Shaun Hill’s fillet steak with morel mushrooms and mustard sauce
Or
Salmon fish cakes with parsley and caper sauce
Or
Hot and sour vegetable noodles
Or
Main course Caesar salad with chicken, sundried-tomato bruschetta and Caesar dressing
Lemon and sultana cheese cake with raspberry coulis
Or
Shropshire Blue and Tasty Lancashire cheese served with biscuits and butter
A selection of fruit
Chocolates
Dinner orders were taken airborne and before the meal we were offered aperitifs with packaged nuts. For dinner I opted for the prawn terrine which was nice, as was the salad with the olive oil and lime dressing. I had the beef main which was nothing to write home about, followed by two very nice mature British cheeses with biscuits. Food was ok overall and service was quite fast.
After the meal I watched Casino Royale on my PTV and eventually went to bed. There was a rather large soft pillow and a thin duvet which, along with the flat seat and virtually no turbulence, ensured a sound 6-7 hours of sleep. I woke up about 3 hours before landing and helped myself to the Club kitchen – alas nothing much was left by now apart from digestive biscuits – and watched short comedies.
Chilled orange juice
An energising smoothie of cranberry and raspberry
Fresh fruit appetizer
Or
Birchermuesli
A selection of warm breads and breakfast pastries
Classic Bitish breakfast of grilled bacon, pork sausage, tomato, scrambled eggs and mushrooms
Or
Sharp cheese frittata and mornay sauce
Or
Apple and sultana crepes with cinnamon butter
Precisely 1.5hrs before landing lights came up and hot towels were distributed followed by breakfast. All items on the tray were freezing temperature – the warm croissant turned cold the minute it landed on the plate which was unfortunate. Breakfast consisted of orange juice, fruit salad, and a choice of main. I had the eggs with bacon with hashed browns, sausage, tomato and mushrooms which was ok. Just like with dinner the bread basket made a single appearance, whereas the coffee and tea service came while I was well into the main course – I would have liked an earlier offer. I have overall mixed feelings regarding inflight service on this particular flight: while the two crew were polite, they could have been more attentive and prompt. Service was a little too minimalist for longhaul J class.
Landing in Singapore was 40 minutes late, with no real improvement, and we parked at gate C1, the closest to immigration. Passport control took about one minute and precisely one minute after arriving in the baggage hall the belt was moving. The first bags appeared shortly afterwards but because the agent in London did not priority-tag mine, my bags were not amongst the first, although they appeared a little later.
BA549, Rome FCO-London Heathrow, Club Europe
I found an empty check-in desk where a cheerful BA staff checked-me in to London only. Given my lack of trust in BAA baggage handling, I had chosen the earlier connection to LHR in order to allow plenty of time to collect bags and carry them myself to Terminal 4. The agent suggested I use the nearby security station normally used for flights to the US, which spared me the long walk to Terminal B which all non-US bound passengers are normally requested to use. After a brief queue for security and passport check, it was barely one minute to the Club Europe lounge which was fairly quiet and had a decent selection of drinks. Later on a tray of finger sandwiches was added to the buffet area. This flight was delayed so I was not surprised that upon reaching the gate after a short train ride to satellite C the flight was not yet boarding. I joined the queue and boarded some 10 minutes later. This A320 was full to the brim, due to the fact that the previous day the Italian ATC was on strike and airlines rebooked passengers on today’s flights.
After boarding the captain announced a further delay and said “we’d rather wait a little more to ensure that all bags are onboard rather than depart now and leave some bags behind”. I couldn’t agree more, but passengers with tight connections were getting anxious. Hot towels were passed out on the ground but BA offers no pre-take off drinks in European business, even if the wait on the ground stretches to almost one hour, as in this case.
Once the flight did take off, a first round of drinks was offered with a small pack of pretzels. I chose water only at this stage. When drinks were cleared lunch trays were given, with a choice of wok fried beef with noodles or chicken Caesar salad. I opted for the latter, which was large and tasty although the salad dressing was too small a bottle compared to the size of the salad. I had a glass of delicious kiwi Sauvignon blanc but when I returned the bottle half full the FA asked whether I did not enjoy the wine and perhaps she could serve me the chardonnay instead. I reassured her that the wine was delicious and that I was only allowed a glass with lunch. After the salad there was a cheese course with biscuits, then tea/coffee. Service was great, polite, friendly, efficient. I have nothing but praise for BA Club Europe product.
We reached Heathrow 40 minutes late, and after the maze of corridors and narrow stairs which is Terminal 1 I reached the baggage hall where there was a good 15-minute wait for bags. Once bags were retrieved I jumped on the Heathrow Express for the short (free) ride to Terminal 4.
BA11, London Heathow-Singapore, Club World
Upon reaching reaching the Terminal 4 Club World check-in area I was asked where I was flying and which class before I could proceed to the counter. There were only two agents on duty but I did not have to wait for long. I had prebooked seat 62A on the upper deck, and the seat chart on ba.com identified this 747-400 as being of the 38J kind – i.e. fitted with the old club world seats. The lady put a fast track sticker on the boarding pass but forgot to priority-tag the bags. Fast track had a much longer queue that slow track today – this facility is increasingly becoming a hit or miss. After security I proceeded to the Terraces lounge near gate 10, and immediately booked myself a back massage at the Molton Brown spa.
I really don’t see why other European airlines did not follow BA’s lead with lounges at their home base. I personally find that getting massage followed by a power shower is the best start to a longhaul flight. The massage was a 20-minute back and neck massage (other treatments are available though) and was well done although there was no background music so the peaceful surroundings were occasionally shattered by the sound of other passengers calling in to book their own treatments. Also I noticed that they used to serve herbal teas after the treatment but I was offered none. After a brief shower which had a choice of rainfall or body jets, I went back upstairs and waited for my flight. There was a good selection of food: a salad bar with cold cuts, cheese and greens, choice of soups, sandwiches, crisps, biscuits etc. The lounge near Gate 1 apparently also offers a warm buffet but I wasn’t hungry so I just had a bowl of mushroom soup and some crisps with a nice south African white wine (there was a choice of four whites and four reds in the world wine bar).
When boarding time approached I went to the gate and boarding started promptly although there was no priority call. For unknown reasons the aircraft was parked at the gate but not docked, hence we walked down the finger, down a flight of stairs, walked a few yards across the tarmac and then climbed a very steep and shaky stair onto this 747. Upon entering the aircraft I was directed upstairs where the cabin filled up quickly and this flight turned out to be full in J (a Qantas flight to Singapore had been delayed so many passengers were rebooked on BA).
The cabin had the old style club world seats which I found perfectly adequate for sleeping. My seat was by the emergency exit so I did not need to climb over my neighbour to reach the aisle. Amenity kits were offered along with menus, drinks and hot towels, and my jacket was hung. Departure was delayed by about 30 minutes but taxi to the runway was short. Typically on BA, a Singaporean crew member introduced herself over the PA system (she was serving in World Traveller) and announced she would be pleased to provide any additional information regarding Singapore.
The Menu:
Rock shrimp and prawn terrine with lemon creme fraiche
Or
Buffalo mozzarella cheese with fresh figs and grapefruit dressing
Fresh seasonal salad served with vinaigrette
Shaun Hill’s fillet steak with morel mushrooms and mustard sauce
Or
Salmon fish cakes with parsley and caper sauce
Or
Hot and sour vegetable noodles
Or
Main course Caesar salad with chicken, sundried-tomato bruschetta and Caesar dressing
Lemon and sultana cheese cake with raspberry coulis
Or
Shropshire Blue and Tasty Lancashire cheese served with biscuits and butter
A selection of fruit
Chocolates
Dinner orders were taken airborne and before the meal we were offered aperitifs with packaged nuts. For dinner I opted for the prawn terrine which was nice, as was the salad with the olive oil and lime dressing. I had the beef main which was nothing to write home about, followed by two very nice mature British cheeses with biscuits. Food was ok overall and service was quite fast.
After the meal I watched Casino Royale on my PTV and eventually went to bed. There was a rather large soft pillow and a thin duvet which, along with the flat seat and virtually no turbulence, ensured a sound 6-7 hours of sleep. I woke up about 3 hours before landing and helped myself to the Club kitchen – alas nothing much was left by now apart from digestive biscuits – and watched short comedies.
Chilled orange juice
An energising smoothie of cranberry and raspberry
Fresh fruit appetizer
Or
Birchermuesli
A selection of warm breads and breakfast pastries
Classic Bitish breakfast of grilled bacon, pork sausage, tomato, scrambled eggs and mushrooms
Or
Sharp cheese frittata and mornay sauce
Or
Apple and sultana crepes with cinnamon butter
Precisely 1.5hrs before landing lights came up and hot towels were distributed followed by breakfast. All items on the tray were freezing temperature – the warm croissant turned cold the minute it landed on the plate which was unfortunate. Breakfast consisted of orange juice, fruit salad, and a choice of main. I had the eggs with bacon with hashed browns, sausage, tomato and mushrooms which was ok. Just like with dinner the bread basket made a single appearance, whereas the coffee and tea service came while I was well into the main course – I would have liked an earlier offer. I have overall mixed feelings regarding inflight service on this particular flight: while the two crew were polite, they could have been more attentive and prompt. Service was a little too minimalist for longhaul J class.
Landing in Singapore was 40 minutes late, with no real improvement, and we parked at gate C1, the closest to immigration. Passport control took about one minute and precisely one minute after arriving in the baggage hall the belt was moving. The first bags appeared shortly afterwards but because the agent in London did not priority-tag mine, my bags were not amongst the first, although they appeared a little later.
Last edited by hilltopper; Jun 13, 2007 at 1:51 am Reason: add pix
Jun 13, 2007, 1:36 am
#2
Original Poster
Join Date: Apr 2004
Location: Nairobi
Programs: LX, AZ, BA, LH, SA
Posts: 316
LX183, Singapore-Bangkok, First Class
I quickly moved up one floor to the departure area to find an empty Swiss early check-in open (it was around 18.00 and the flight did not leave before 21). I was efficiently processed and I quickly made my way airside to the Thai lounge. Swiss uses the Premier Lounge but I find the adjacent Thai lounge to be much more stylish so I flashed my Senator card and was allowed in. There was a good selection of drinks and snacks, a choice of local newspapers and internet stations with printing facilities. I asked the receptionist to arrange a quick massage at the Rainforest Lounge, which costs S$38 and was quite enjoyable, even though it was performed in a large room along with other people rather than in a private suite. When I was done it was almost time to board so I went to the gate and boarded straight away.
This A340-300 had six out eight seats in First taken. A rather nice bar had been set up in the alcove in front of row 1 with flowers and champagne. I was offered nuts and drinks but declined. Menus were also given out. We pushed back on time for this short trip to Bangkok.
Once airborne the two crew worked hard to serve a light meal. I had a large green salad topped with fresh asparagus and French dressing followed by a tomato soup and a beef tournedos main course. Salad and soup were nice but the main was a little overcooked, fortunately the potato gratin that the beef came with was very tasty. I skipped the dessert and had a mug of Rooibos tea instead with Sprungli chocolates.
The Menu:
Fresh seasonal salad
Beef tournedos -thai green peppercorn sauce, grilled tomato, snow peas and gratin potatoes
Or
Snow fish – chinese ginger sauce, Asian mixed vegetables and steamed rice
Sweet favourites
Swiss chocolates
Espresso and a selection of coffees and teas
Upon request: a selection of soups (cream of tomato, oxtail clair, miso), seasonal salads, Swiss cheeses, fresh fruits
Service was very good. Whilst very formal, the crew was very efficient and attention to detail was noticeable. The purser also appeared and introduced herself to each passenger. She was very friendly and said that if we needed anything we only had to let her know.
Landing in Bangkok was ahead of schedule and myself and two other passengers disembarked here. We were greeted by ground staff who chauffeured us on a buggy (sparing us what appeared like a mile-long walk) to the passport control area where we skipped the queue and the lady told us to wait by baggage claim while passport formalities were taken care of. She later returned with our stamped passports and baggage delivery did not take too long. I walked out of customs and met my limo chauffeur and within a few minutes I was on my way into Central Bangkok.
I have to say I was very impressed by this short flight, especially by ground services in Bangkok.
The Royal Orchid Sheraton Bangkok
Not much to say about this hotel which looked a tad worn to me, but adequate for the less than 8 hours that I spent there, as I just needed a place to crash in before my domestic connection to Chiang Mai the next day. The pre-booked limo, a rather ordinary black Mercedes which costs around 2.200 THB, arrived at the hotel in central Bangkok in around 30 minutes. It was by now almost midnight so I went to bed immediately. The next morning I had some time to inspect the room a little more thoroughly. It had a nice river view, but apart from that not much in the way of amenities. The bathroom was small and poorly lit, and the room lacked style. I went down to the reception to settle the bill, and asked a porter to pick up my bags. The bill was settled in a matter of minutes but the bags arrived after a good 15 minute wait. The concierge arranged a cab and I spent the next hour or so in Bangkok’s morning traffic on the way to the airport.
TG104, Bangkok-Chiang Mai, Royal Silk Class
The check-in area for domestic flights is right next to the separate Royal First/Royal Silk check-in area. There was a single desk dedicated to Royal Silk class, having booked online I was asked to produce the credit card with which I had processed the booking. Through security I took the escalator to the lower floor in search of the Royal Orchid lounge as there were no signposts anywhere. The new terminal was airy and spacious, and I eventually found the lounge. It was a rather comfortable place, nicely furnished with immaculate bathroom facilities and a small buffet with freshly brewed coffee, pastries, fruit and sandwiches.
When boarding time approached I moved to the gate on the lower floor – the area was packed with people and we would be boarding by bus. After a good 15-minute wait the flight was called and there was a priority call for Royal silk class – a lady came round with the distinctive deep purple boarding pass to ask business class passengers to approach the gate. However once C class was on the bus, we waited for more Y class passengers to fill the bus before moving. Worse still, we were dropped at the wrong end of this A300, which meant backtracking to the C class cabin at the front.
The décor of this aircraft is aimed at Eighties excellence, and so is comfort, though adequate for this 1-hour flight. It is hard to believe that the 2-2-2 configured cabin, with around 38” pitch and a bar on the seat in front acting as a footrest was the standard C class product about 20 years ago. Crew offered papers, hot towels and juices as we waited for ATC clearance, and we left a good 30 minutes late.
The flight itself was uneventful, with a warm tuna croissant and a very sweet thai jelly dessert served airborne with drinks and more hot towels. Thanks to schedule padding we landed only 5 minutes late. There was a long receiving line of high-ranking military authorities upon deplaning, apparently for the passenger seated in the first row by the window. We deplaned through the middle door so he wasn’t the first off the aircraft. Priority bags came out promptly and I met a Mandarin Oriental staff upon leaving the baggage claim area. We waited a few minutes for the pre-booked car (an old style Range Rover in pristine conditions) because they blocked traffic to allow the VIP to leave the airport quickly. The drive to the Mandarin Oriental Dhara Dhevi took about 15 minutes.
Mandarin Oriental Dhara Dhevi Chiang Mai
The architecture of this hotel – a replica of a Thai royal palace – can be a bit intimidating. But if you’re in the mood for it, it’s great. Most of its communal areas are open-air making this hotel clearly aimed at the leisure traveller. The hotel manager was waiting by the lobby upon arrival, and I sat down with a teapot of iced tea and a cold towel to freshen up while formalities were taken care of. Distances between the main areas of the hotel aren’t huge but the heat is such that transport can be arranged by buggy at any time. One took me to the villa I had booked which was located around an orchard with ponds.
Reception
The villa itself had an open-air lounge on the lower floor, with a small library, dining table and tea/coffee making facilities, while the main room upstairs had a lounge-cum-bedroom of reasonable size, a very large bathroom with whirlpool tub, separate toilet and shower room, vanity desk, 4 telephones (two of which cordless) and a decent-sized TV. The room was stylishly decorated and being entirely made of wood, was very pleasant. Amenities such as shampoo, conditioner and shower gel were available in large glass bottles replenished daily. A copy of the newspaper was left in the open-air lounge downstairs and I guess one could order breakfast (or any meal) to be served downstairs. Mosquitoes were a problem however, especially at night. Supplies of mosquito repellent were plentiful however. Grand deluxe villas have their own private outdoor pool, however should you prefer a more traditional hotel-style accommodation there are suite located in low-rise colonial-style buildings.
Villa
Open-air lounge downstairs
TV lounge upstairs
The big plus of this hotel/resort is the undoubtedly the Spa which is very large and set in several thai pavillions. Treatments rooms are sumptuous and the list of treatments is quite impressive although there is a clear emphasis on Indian Ayurvedha. There is also a consultation service to help decide on the treatment. I had three sessions, one which lasted for almost 4 hours, and each was done professionally.
The Spa buildings
There are a number of sports facilities such as tennis courts and a reasonably-sized fitness room fitted with Life Fitness machines. The fitness area shares luxurious washrooms and showers with the adjoining pool (one of two) which overlooks a rice field and is set on several levels, with underwater music. Staff by the pool is extremely attentive, serving bottles of water, glasses full of ice cubes, water facial spray and cool moist towel as soon as you approach the area. There is a good menu for light meals and drinks.
The only complaint could be that the hotel/resort isn’t hot on restaurants choices: only 3 are available (mediterranean, thai, chinese) in addition to the Oriental Cafe’ which serves delicious pastries and breads during the day. On longer stays this could be a disadvantage.
A large library, filled with a large selection of books, CDs and DVDs (which can be taken to your villa and returned upon check-out) also has a few stations with free internet access. There are many books, CDs and DVDs on Asian and Thai culture and history one wouldn’t find in Europe.
Service was extremely friendly and thoughtful throughout the resort, although the command of english of some of the staff was rather weak. Only service during the buffet breakfast wasn’t as attentive as you would expect, but this is a minor complaint really. Also the buggy on one occasion never shows up, making it faster to just walk around the resort.
I quickly moved up one floor to the departure area to find an empty Swiss early check-in open (it was around 18.00 and the flight did not leave before 21). I was efficiently processed and I quickly made my way airside to the Thai lounge. Swiss uses the Premier Lounge but I find the adjacent Thai lounge to be much more stylish so I flashed my Senator card and was allowed in. There was a good selection of drinks and snacks, a choice of local newspapers and internet stations with printing facilities. I asked the receptionist to arrange a quick massage at the Rainforest Lounge, which costs S$38 and was quite enjoyable, even though it was performed in a large room along with other people rather than in a private suite. When I was done it was almost time to board so I went to the gate and boarded straight away.
This A340-300 had six out eight seats in First taken. A rather nice bar had been set up in the alcove in front of row 1 with flowers and champagne. I was offered nuts and drinks but declined. Menus were also given out. We pushed back on time for this short trip to Bangkok.
Once airborne the two crew worked hard to serve a light meal. I had a large green salad topped with fresh asparagus and French dressing followed by a tomato soup and a beef tournedos main course. Salad and soup were nice but the main was a little overcooked, fortunately the potato gratin that the beef came with was very tasty. I skipped the dessert and had a mug of Rooibos tea instead with Sprungli chocolates.
The Menu:
Fresh seasonal salad
Beef tournedos -thai green peppercorn sauce, grilled tomato, snow peas and gratin potatoes
Or
Snow fish – chinese ginger sauce, Asian mixed vegetables and steamed rice
Sweet favourites
Swiss chocolates
Espresso and a selection of coffees and teas
Upon request: a selection of soups (cream of tomato, oxtail clair, miso), seasonal salads, Swiss cheeses, fresh fruits
Service was very good. Whilst very formal, the crew was very efficient and attention to detail was noticeable. The purser also appeared and introduced herself to each passenger. She was very friendly and said that if we needed anything we only had to let her know.
Landing in Bangkok was ahead of schedule and myself and two other passengers disembarked here. We were greeted by ground staff who chauffeured us on a buggy (sparing us what appeared like a mile-long walk) to the passport control area where we skipped the queue and the lady told us to wait by baggage claim while passport formalities were taken care of. She later returned with our stamped passports and baggage delivery did not take too long. I walked out of customs and met my limo chauffeur and within a few minutes I was on my way into Central Bangkok.
I have to say I was very impressed by this short flight, especially by ground services in Bangkok.
The Royal Orchid Sheraton Bangkok
Not much to say about this hotel which looked a tad worn to me, but adequate for the less than 8 hours that I spent there, as I just needed a place to crash in before my domestic connection to Chiang Mai the next day. The pre-booked limo, a rather ordinary black Mercedes which costs around 2.200 THB, arrived at the hotel in central Bangkok in around 30 minutes. It was by now almost midnight so I went to bed immediately. The next morning I had some time to inspect the room a little more thoroughly. It had a nice river view, but apart from that not much in the way of amenities. The bathroom was small and poorly lit, and the room lacked style. I went down to the reception to settle the bill, and asked a porter to pick up my bags. The bill was settled in a matter of minutes but the bags arrived after a good 15 minute wait. The concierge arranged a cab and I spent the next hour or so in Bangkok’s morning traffic on the way to the airport.
TG104, Bangkok-Chiang Mai, Royal Silk Class
The check-in area for domestic flights is right next to the separate Royal First/Royal Silk check-in area. There was a single desk dedicated to Royal Silk class, having booked online I was asked to produce the credit card with which I had processed the booking. Through security I took the escalator to the lower floor in search of the Royal Orchid lounge as there were no signposts anywhere. The new terminal was airy and spacious, and I eventually found the lounge. It was a rather comfortable place, nicely furnished with immaculate bathroom facilities and a small buffet with freshly brewed coffee, pastries, fruit and sandwiches.
When boarding time approached I moved to the gate on the lower floor – the area was packed with people and we would be boarding by bus. After a good 15-minute wait the flight was called and there was a priority call for Royal silk class – a lady came round with the distinctive deep purple boarding pass to ask business class passengers to approach the gate. However once C class was on the bus, we waited for more Y class passengers to fill the bus before moving. Worse still, we were dropped at the wrong end of this A300, which meant backtracking to the C class cabin at the front.
The décor of this aircraft is aimed at Eighties excellence, and so is comfort, though adequate for this 1-hour flight. It is hard to believe that the 2-2-2 configured cabin, with around 38” pitch and a bar on the seat in front acting as a footrest was the standard C class product about 20 years ago. Crew offered papers, hot towels and juices as we waited for ATC clearance, and we left a good 30 minutes late.
The flight itself was uneventful, with a warm tuna croissant and a very sweet thai jelly dessert served airborne with drinks and more hot towels. Thanks to schedule padding we landed only 5 minutes late. There was a long receiving line of high-ranking military authorities upon deplaning, apparently for the passenger seated in the first row by the window. We deplaned through the middle door so he wasn’t the first off the aircraft. Priority bags came out promptly and I met a Mandarin Oriental staff upon leaving the baggage claim area. We waited a few minutes for the pre-booked car (an old style Range Rover in pristine conditions) because they blocked traffic to allow the VIP to leave the airport quickly. The drive to the Mandarin Oriental Dhara Dhevi took about 15 minutes.
Mandarin Oriental Dhara Dhevi Chiang Mai
The architecture of this hotel – a replica of a Thai royal palace – can be a bit intimidating. But if you’re in the mood for it, it’s great. Most of its communal areas are open-air making this hotel clearly aimed at the leisure traveller. The hotel manager was waiting by the lobby upon arrival, and I sat down with a teapot of iced tea and a cold towel to freshen up while formalities were taken care of. Distances between the main areas of the hotel aren’t huge but the heat is such that transport can be arranged by buggy at any time. One took me to the villa I had booked which was located around an orchard with ponds.
Reception
The villa itself had an open-air lounge on the lower floor, with a small library, dining table and tea/coffee making facilities, while the main room upstairs had a lounge-cum-bedroom of reasonable size, a very large bathroom with whirlpool tub, separate toilet and shower room, vanity desk, 4 telephones (two of which cordless) and a decent-sized TV. The room was stylishly decorated and being entirely made of wood, was very pleasant. Amenities such as shampoo, conditioner and shower gel were available in large glass bottles replenished daily. A copy of the newspaper was left in the open-air lounge downstairs and I guess one could order breakfast (or any meal) to be served downstairs. Mosquitoes were a problem however, especially at night. Supplies of mosquito repellent were plentiful however. Grand deluxe villas have their own private outdoor pool, however should you prefer a more traditional hotel-style accommodation there are suite located in low-rise colonial-style buildings.
Villa
Open-air lounge downstairs
TV lounge upstairs
The big plus of this hotel/resort is the undoubtedly the Spa which is very large and set in several thai pavillions. Treatments rooms are sumptuous and the list of treatments is quite impressive although there is a clear emphasis on Indian Ayurvedha. There is also a consultation service to help decide on the treatment. I had three sessions, one which lasted for almost 4 hours, and each was done professionally.
The Spa buildings
There are a number of sports facilities such as tennis courts and a reasonably-sized fitness room fitted with Life Fitness machines. The fitness area shares luxurious washrooms and showers with the adjoining pool (one of two) which overlooks a rice field and is set on several levels, with underwater music. Staff by the pool is extremely attentive, serving bottles of water, glasses full of ice cubes, water facial spray and cool moist towel as soon as you approach the area. There is a good menu for light meals and drinks.
The only complaint could be that the hotel/resort isn’t hot on restaurants choices: only 3 are available (mediterranean, thai, chinese) in addition to the Oriental Cafe’ which serves delicious pastries and breads during the day. On longer stays this could be a disadvantage.
A large library, filled with a large selection of books, CDs and DVDs (which can be taken to your villa and returned upon check-out) also has a few stations with free internet access. There are many books, CDs and DVDs on Asian and Thai culture and history one wouldn’t find in Europe.
Service was extremely friendly and thoughtful throughout the resort, although the command of english of some of the staff was rather weak. Only service during the buffet breakfast wasn’t as attentive as you would expect, but this is a minor complaint really. Also the buggy on one occasion never shows up, making it faster to just walk around the resort.
Last edited by hilltopper; Jun 13, 2007 at 12:54 pm
Jun 13, 2007, 1:37 am
#3
Original Poster
Join Date: Apr 2004
Location: Nairobi
Programs: LX, AZ, BA, LH, SA
Posts: 316
TG103, Chiang Mai-Bangkok, Royal Silk Class
The same pre-booked car took me back to the airport upon departure, one hour before take-off I was dropped off curbside at Chiang Mai airport. There was no MO staff there to help process bags which surprised me (this service is offered at Bangkok for example), but after going through X-ray the Royal Silk check-in desk was empty and not too far. Then it was up the escalator and through another bag screening into the departure hall; fortunately Thai has a lounge here which, while not comparable to the one in BKK, is a haven of tranquility compared to the main departure area. Boarding was started on time and again C class boarded first, through an airbridge on the same A300 used on the way to Chiang Mai.
Not much to say about this flight either, this time departure was on time, crew was much friendlier than on the outbound flight and breakfast consisted of two finger sandwiches (cheese and some sort of ham) plus a fruit tartlet. Landing in Bangkok was a little early, this time through an airbridge. There was a wait in the baggage hall but priotity-tagged bags came out first.
LX182, Bangkok-Singapore, First Class
The LX check-in desks open just two hours prior to departure for the flight to Bangkok which is unnecessarily late considering that a very large queue had already built up around the economy class desks even before check-in had opened. There was nobody at the First class desk fortunately so I was processed quickly and then escorted by a lady through passport control and shown to the Thai Royal First lounge, which LX First passengers are entitled to use. Upon reaching the lounge the staff wished me a happy flight and left; this attentive ground service surely sets LX apart from TG or SQ on this route. Not sure if it is standard service to any F class passenger however.
The Thai lounge is very plesant indeed and offers all desirable facilities. Staff come round to take drink orders (rather than having a self-service bar) and, apart from the main lounge area, there are numerous more secluded lounges which sit around 6 people, each equipped with large flat TV screen and plush sofas. There is a buffet area and a selection of main courses can be ordered and eated in a restaurant-style dining room. Staff were very attentive taking drink orders regularly. There is also a Spa but I was unable to check out its facilities because only passengers on TG flights are entitled to use it. I chose one out of a large choice of european papers available, ordered some water and sat down for an hour relaxing and waiting for the flight.
I moved to the gate when boarding was announced and after a brief wait at the gate there was a priority call for F/C and elite members. Upon entering the aircraft through the middle door of the A340 I was directed to the cabin but once there there was no crew in sight so I settled down and left my jacket in the area on the side of the seat (1K by the window). I was the only passenger in F boarding in Singapore, the other two were flying through from Zurich, so this would explain why crew were not there to welcome passengers. After a few minutes the crew did notice me and my jacket was hung. The bar had not been set up this time, instead I was offered a drink of my choice and a newspaper, which I declined as those were a day-old european tabloids.
We left the gate more or less on time and once airborne the purser introduced himself – again he was extremely friendly. The two other crew on the other hand, while discreet and efficient, lacked charm and service altogether was much less polished than on the flight from Singapore. The Champagne, for instance, was downright flat. It must have been the same bottle opened for the dinner service from Zurich, which had not weathered the long flight and climate change well.
A light meal was served airborne. The Menu:
Fresh seasonal salad
Green chicken curry with steamed rice
Or
Salmon steak – lime butter, asparagus, red bell peppers and saffron potatoes
Sweet favourites
Swiss chocolates
Espresso and a selection of coffees and teas
Upon request: a selection of soups (cream of tomato, oxtail clair, miso), seasonal salads, Swiss cheeses, fresh fruits
The salad this time it was a rather ordinary green salad with feta cheese. The choice of dressing was yoghurt or olive oil and balsamic vinegar (I opted for the latter, which was poured from full bottles). I again requested tomato soup, which was light and tasty. I had the fish for main course which was actually quite nicely done. Potatoes were served in a separate bowl. The dessert platter included three small sweets but by now I was quite full so I only had a mouthful of a sacher-style chocolate cake. Hot drinks were then offered and I had again a cup of Rooibos although this time I was given a silver tea pot and empty cup. The cup had been previously reheated to keep drinks warm. Finally Sprungli chocolates and a hot towel completed the service, just before starting descent into Singapore. Landing was on time, and my bags were among the first off the belt. I was in a cab once again in record time.
The Valley Wing at the Shangri-La, Singapore
The minute the cab pulled up at Valley Wing driveway (which is accessed from a different road than the main Shangri-La) the hotel receptionist greeted me by name and escorted me straight to the room. Not sure how they worked it out – either I was the last guest of the day (though I’d be surprised considering it was around 7.15pm) or they took a guess based on the landing time I had provided when I booked the hotel. On the way to my room, I was quickly introduced to the Valley Wing facilities, and all formalities were completed in the room. Excellent start.
Colleagues praised this hotel as the best in Singapore, so expectations were high and I was not disappointed. Excellent facilities, impeccable service and comfortable rooms.
The room was large – approaching the size of a junior suite actually. A request card for four different kinds of pillows was placed on the bed. Curtains were electrically controlled from the nightstand. The desk had a fax and modem connection and was well stocked with stationery, and there was an additional vanity desk in the room. Fresh fruit and chocolates were provided every day, along with three newspapers in the morning (Wall Street Journal Asia, Herald Tribune and Straits Times). There is a complimentary shoepolish service. The walk-in closet in between the room and the bathroom has an ample area for suitcases. The white marble toilet, with separate shower and toilet rooms, had a choice of ambience or bright lighting, and offered a good choice of Agner amenities. What I liked here was the tub with a flat TV screen, excellent for relaxing.
The room
Tub with flat screen TV
The business centre is open 24h a day and has two small offices with computers and free internet access, although printing is charged. The main lounge offers drinks throughout the day and during cocktail hour (not sure about the timings but around 6pm) there is free flowing champagne. When I visited, I was immediately asked the drink of my choice (which was of course champagne). Minutes later a waiter filled a flute of Moet et Chandon and served a bowl of cashew nuts. A little later a plate with four warm amuse-bouche arrived (which change daily), along with several unsolicited top-ups of champagne to the background of a live performance by a harpist. The atmosphere was both refined and relaxing, especially after a busy day in Singapore.
Breakfast is another facility which I really liked – it is offered in a dining room with great views over the garden. There is a small buffet with fruit, cereals, cheese, cold cuts and breakfast pastries. I helped myself to some fruit and croissants while and attendant asked for my choice of hot drink, juice and toast. I had fresh orange juice, espresso coffee and white toasts. There is a menu offering a choice of more than a dozen main courses – anything from full british breakfast to freshly made to order omelettes, egg benedict or crepes with fruit and waffles with chocolate. Service was spot-on, corteous, attentive and discreet.
With just about 100 rooms, service was impeccable. Upon checking in, the receptionist enquired without prompting whether I had a late flight on my last day and perhaps a late check-out could be arranged. The next morning I found a sealed message envelope – the kind at work used for classified documents – which asked that I please contact reception to arrange a late check-out. I was given until 4pm (normal time 12pm), which allowed for some extra last-minute shopping.
I was less impressed however by the facilities which the hotel shares with the main Shangri-La hotel. When I wanted to quickly dip in the swimming pool, none of the poolside service provided by Mandarin Oriental was found here – I was just given a towel and asked to write my name down on a sheet. Similarly the fitness room, while quite large and better equipped than most hotel gyms I’ve been to, was overseen by indifferent staff.
The same pre-booked car took me back to the airport upon departure, one hour before take-off I was dropped off curbside at Chiang Mai airport. There was no MO staff there to help process bags which surprised me (this service is offered at Bangkok for example), but after going through X-ray the Royal Silk check-in desk was empty and not too far. Then it was up the escalator and through another bag screening into the departure hall; fortunately Thai has a lounge here which, while not comparable to the one in BKK, is a haven of tranquility compared to the main departure area. Boarding was started on time and again C class boarded first, through an airbridge on the same A300 used on the way to Chiang Mai.
Not much to say about this flight either, this time departure was on time, crew was much friendlier than on the outbound flight and breakfast consisted of two finger sandwiches (cheese and some sort of ham) plus a fruit tartlet. Landing in Bangkok was a little early, this time through an airbridge. There was a wait in the baggage hall but priotity-tagged bags came out first.
LX182, Bangkok-Singapore, First Class
The LX check-in desks open just two hours prior to departure for the flight to Bangkok which is unnecessarily late considering that a very large queue had already built up around the economy class desks even before check-in had opened. There was nobody at the First class desk fortunately so I was processed quickly and then escorted by a lady through passport control and shown to the Thai Royal First lounge, which LX First passengers are entitled to use. Upon reaching the lounge the staff wished me a happy flight and left; this attentive ground service surely sets LX apart from TG or SQ on this route. Not sure if it is standard service to any F class passenger however.
The Thai lounge is very plesant indeed and offers all desirable facilities. Staff come round to take drink orders (rather than having a self-service bar) and, apart from the main lounge area, there are numerous more secluded lounges which sit around 6 people, each equipped with large flat TV screen and plush sofas. There is a buffet area and a selection of main courses can be ordered and eated in a restaurant-style dining room. Staff were very attentive taking drink orders regularly. There is also a Spa but I was unable to check out its facilities because only passengers on TG flights are entitled to use it. I chose one out of a large choice of european papers available, ordered some water and sat down for an hour relaxing and waiting for the flight.
I moved to the gate when boarding was announced and after a brief wait at the gate there was a priority call for F/C and elite members. Upon entering the aircraft through the middle door of the A340 I was directed to the cabin but once there there was no crew in sight so I settled down and left my jacket in the area on the side of the seat (1K by the window). I was the only passenger in F boarding in Singapore, the other two were flying through from Zurich, so this would explain why crew were not there to welcome passengers. After a few minutes the crew did notice me and my jacket was hung. The bar had not been set up this time, instead I was offered a drink of my choice and a newspaper, which I declined as those were a day-old european tabloids.
We left the gate more or less on time and once airborne the purser introduced himself – again he was extremely friendly. The two other crew on the other hand, while discreet and efficient, lacked charm and service altogether was much less polished than on the flight from Singapore. The Champagne, for instance, was downright flat. It must have been the same bottle opened for the dinner service from Zurich, which had not weathered the long flight and climate change well.
A light meal was served airborne. The Menu:
Fresh seasonal salad
Green chicken curry with steamed rice
Or
Salmon steak – lime butter, asparagus, red bell peppers and saffron potatoes
Sweet favourites
Swiss chocolates
Espresso and a selection of coffees and teas
Upon request: a selection of soups (cream of tomato, oxtail clair, miso), seasonal salads, Swiss cheeses, fresh fruits
The salad this time it was a rather ordinary green salad with feta cheese. The choice of dressing was yoghurt or olive oil and balsamic vinegar (I opted for the latter, which was poured from full bottles). I again requested tomato soup, which was light and tasty. I had the fish for main course which was actually quite nicely done. Potatoes were served in a separate bowl. The dessert platter included three small sweets but by now I was quite full so I only had a mouthful of a sacher-style chocolate cake. Hot drinks were then offered and I had again a cup of Rooibos although this time I was given a silver tea pot and empty cup. The cup had been previously reheated to keep drinks warm. Finally Sprungli chocolates and a hot towel completed the service, just before starting descent into Singapore. Landing was on time, and my bags were among the first off the belt. I was in a cab once again in record time.
The Valley Wing at the Shangri-La, Singapore
The minute the cab pulled up at Valley Wing driveway (which is accessed from a different road than the main Shangri-La) the hotel receptionist greeted me by name and escorted me straight to the room. Not sure how they worked it out – either I was the last guest of the day (though I’d be surprised considering it was around 7.15pm) or they took a guess based on the landing time I had provided when I booked the hotel. On the way to my room, I was quickly introduced to the Valley Wing facilities, and all formalities were completed in the room. Excellent start.
Colleagues praised this hotel as the best in Singapore, so expectations were high and I was not disappointed. Excellent facilities, impeccable service and comfortable rooms.
The room was large – approaching the size of a junior suite actually. A request card for four different kinds of pillows was placed on the bed. Curtains were electrically controlled from the nightstand. The desk had a fax and modem connection and was well stocked with stationery, and there was an additional vanity desk in the room. Fresh fruit and chocolates were provided every day, along with three newspapers in the morning (Wall Street Journal Asia, Herald Tribune and Straits Times). There is a complimentary shoepolish service. The walk-in closet in between the room and the bathroom has an ample area for suitcases. The white marble toilet, with separate shower and toilet rooms, had a choice of ambience or bright lighting, and offered a good choice of Agner amenities. What I liked here was the tub with a flat TV screen, excellent for relaxing.
The room
Tub with flat screen TV
The business centre is open 24h a day and has two small offices with computers and free internet access, although printing is charged. The main lounge offers drinks throughout the day and during cocktail hour (not sure about the timings but around 6pm) there is free flowing champagne. When I visited, I was immediately asked the drink of my choice (which was of course champagne). Minutes later a waiter filled a flute of Moet et Chandon and served a bowl of cashew nuts. A little later a plate with four warm amuse-bouche arrived (which change daily), along with several unsolicited top-ups of champagne to the background of a live performance by a harpist. The atmosphere was both refined and relaxing, especially after a busy day in Singapore.
Breakfast is another facility which I really liked – it is offered in a dining room with great views over the garden. There is a small buffet with fruit, cereals, cheese, cold cuts and breakfast pastries. I helped myself to some fruit and croissants while and attendant asked for my choice of hot drink, juice and toast. I had fresh orange juice, espresso coffee and white toasts. There is a menu offering a choice of more than a dozen main courses – anything from full british breakfast to freshly made to order omelettes, egg benedict or crepes with fruit and waffles with chocolate. Service was spot-on, corteous, attentive and discreet.
With just about 100 rooms, service was impeccable. Upon checking in, the receptionist enquired without prompting whether I had a late flight on my last day and perhaps a late check-out could be arranged. The next morning I found a sealed message envelope – the kind at work used for classified documents – which asked that I please contact reception to arrange a late check-out. I was given until 4pm (normal time 12pm), which allowed for some extra last-minute shopping.
I was less impressed however by the facilities which the hotel shares with the main Shangri-La hotel. When I wanted to quickly dip in the swimming pool, none of the poolside service provided by Mandarin Oriental was found here – I was just given a towel and asked to write my name down on a sheet. Similarly the fitness room, while quite large and better equipped than most hotel gyms I’ve been to, was overseen by indifferent staff.
Last edited by hilltopper; Jun 14, 2007 at 2:57 am
Jun 13, 2007, 1:38 am
#4
Original Poster
Join Date: Apr 2004
Location: Nairobi
Programs: LX, AZ, BA, LH, SA
Posts: 316
BA12, Singapore-London Heathrow, New Club World
A quick check on ba.com revealed that while no emergency exit seats had become available, the layout changed from J38 to J52 – a clear indication that we would most likely travel on one of the newly refitted 747s.
I got into a cab at around 8pm for my 22.50 departure to London, and roads were surprisingly busy. The driver was getting worried so I reassured him that there was plenty of time before my flight. BA First and Club World passengers have access to a separate Premium lounge check-in area, somewhat similar to the facility Singapore Airlines offers for First Class (minus the curbside porter) in its own terminal next door. Before being allowed in staff check if you qualify for the facility on a computer, then escorts you to one of the desks. I sat down for no more than one minute and my boarding card to London was issued. This time I specifically asked to place priority tags.
After passport control I was off to the Qantas/BA business lounge upstairs. It is one of the largest lounges I’ve seen outside an airline’s hub. I guess Singapore is a very large station for Qantas flights. Plenty of seats, quite a number of computers for surfing the net, and a rather uninspiring buffet with some hot food (pizza or soup), cheese, fruit, crackers etc... The modern design was very pleasant although being so large the atmosphere was not much different compared to the main departure lounge downstairs.
This time the gate was the furthest from the lounge area and a good 10 minute walk away. There was a strict security check – I was surprised that lots of crew members were still queuing for security (some of them had obviously paid an extensive visit to the duty-free shop) at 22.30 while I had assumed they would be busy on board cheking supplies and preparing for boarding. It was no surprise then that nothing happened until departure time, apart from the early boarding of wheelchair passengers. At 23.00 finally ground staff announced a delay due to problems with the lighting system – a maintenance team was onboard to fix the problem. Boarding started at 2320 and there was a priority call for First and Club World. Upon boarding I moved to the upper deck and indeed all seats were last generation.
The cabin quickly filled up completely. Two seats were empty in row 61 but when I asked if I could move to the window seat I was told they were “reserved for pilots”. They remained empty during the whole time I was awake. Staff offered drinks, hot towels and newspapers. They had copies of a day-old newspapers supplied from London or same-day Times printed in Singapore. I had the latter, printed on thick white paper.
Once airborne, about one hour late, the captain anticipated an on-time arrival in London due to strong tailwinds. Despite the late hour the crew offered aperitifs with nuts and wine lists. This flight was on May 30 and the stewardess explained that being the end of a meal cycle they had supplied the wrong menus. She explained the choices for tonight: either a salmon or porcini mushrooms starter, and four mains (beef, duck, cheese ravioli or prawn salad). Dinner service was quite fast. The salmon starter was a bit disappointing – two slices of dill salmon with a lemon wedge and no garnish whatsoever. The salad was ok as was the duck breast in a nice gravy-style sauce. I guess the menu must read more something like “pan seared breast of duck with vegetable brunoise and red wine reduction with a hint of mustard”! Next was cheese or dessert – the latter was a rich chocolate and pecan nut tart with whipped cream and mint leaf. It was tasty but I could only eat half of it, along with a mug of camomile tea.
Starter
Main
Dessert
I like the new Club World seat. BA solved two main complaints with the old seat: the lack of shoulder room and the flimsy dividers. The new dividers are kept down for the safety video only, thus provide privacy during the entire flight. Also, there is now a drawer at the bottom of the seat large enough to hold a laptop, shoes and other small items. It is very handy for aisle seats on the upper deck which lack access to the side storage bins. It was a very comfortable seat to sleep in, but alas there was heavy tubulence for most of the flight so I was awoken quite a few times by the sound of the fasten seat belt sign being switched on.
About 3 hours out of London I woke up, and found that most of the cabin was awake. I went to the new Club kitchen on the main deck – I helped myself to a fruit salad from the fridge. There were many other choices but I wasn’t that hungry. It was 9am in Singapore, but 2am in London. I watched some short features on my personal TV – the system is now touch-screen AVOD and is rather intuitive to navigate. Big improvement here too although none of the films in the rather extensive list inspired me.
One hour and 25 minutes out of London lights were switched on and hot towels distributed. A few minutes later breakfast trays were given out, with a choice of smoothie or orange juice, fruit or muesli and a packaged yogurt. There was an offer of bread or croissants from a basket, and a choice of danish from another basket. Again there were no second helpings of bread or bakeries, but much-welcome piping hot tea and coffee were offered immediately. The main course was offered once fruit had been cleared, I guess there was a choice but can’t remember the options. I had the eggs with bacon – the scrambled eggs tasted rather artificial. It was cleared very quickly and we soon started descent into London.
Starter
Main
The two crew who served in the upper deck were extremely corteous and efficient, and much better than on the way to Singapore. Passengers were well looked after and there were regular drink patrols during the night.
We landed at 5.10am and, being the first aircraft arriving in LHR, there was no queue at immigration. Then the inevitable wait in the baggage hall. A total of around 8 bags came out and paraded on the belt for about 15 minutes, then the first load of bags, including my two suitcases, appeared. After customs I went straight to the Arrivals lounge to freshen up. I was asked to show my boarding card ex-Singapore and the two attendants quickly explained the facilities and offered amenities I might need. The shower room I was assigned was very small but adequate for the purpose. I hung my creased shirt by the door and pressed the service button. It was returned pressed by the time I had finished showering. Then I moved upstairs for breakfast. There was a lovely buffet here – freshly made eggs which unsurprisingly tasted much better than the ones I’d had on board.
Later more passengers, including families, joined the buffet room and the peace and quiet was shattered by kids screaming and running around. I went to the business room next door for tranquility and after a few minutes one of the two computer stations was free and I checked my emails. After that I left the lounge and moved downstairs to the Heathrow express for the short trip to Terminal 1 and went to the baggage storage facilities to drop my bags – an area which is rather shabby and not easy to locate. Then I was off to central London where I had an appointment at 9am on the Heathrow Express .
BA556, London Heathrow-Rome FCO, Club Europe
Precisely three hours later I was back to Terminal 1. Check-in was painless in the dedicated Premium area: the two-step process (self check-in and baggage drop) took less than 5 minutes. The queue at security was relatively short even though we were asked to take our shoes off.
The Terraces lounge was busy, as usual. As a transit passenger, I could use the Molton Brown Spa and booked a back and shoulder massage. Again it was done professionally and helped to relieve some of the jet lag fatigue. I had a quick bite in the lounge then proceeded to the gate where boarding had already started.
This flight to Rome was operated by an older 757, and business class was 2/3 full. There were only British papers available, and the crew quickly distributed hot towels. A slight delay upon departure was due to no-shows, whose bags had to be offloaded. Once in the air, afternoon tea was served, although some may expect some kind of lunch at this time of the day (departure time 14.15). Food was ok, a warm quiche plus two finger sandwiches, warm scone with jam and clotted cream, and a very sweet pastry dessert and chocolates. Service was again very friendly and efficient. Not much else to say about this flight, landing was 7 minutes late and my bags were among the very last to appear on the belt.
Afternoon tea
VERDICT Excellent flights and hotels. While my favourite longhaul business seat remains the SAA Premium Class seat, I have to say the new Club World seat is not far behind. BA ground services in London are hard to beat (Arrivals lounge, Molton Brown spa etc...). Swiss First Class was also nice, I was particularly impressed by the personalized service offered at Bangkok airport. The lounge LX contracts in Singapore however is definetely sub-par. The Mandarin Oriental in Chiang Mai is a charming resort hotel with excellent facilities and attentive service. The Valley Wing is so far the best hotel I’ve been to in Singapore.
A quick check on ba.com revealed that while no emergency exit seats had become available, the layout changed from J38 to J52 – a clear indication that we would most likely travel on one of the newly refitted 747s.
I got into a cab at around 8pm for my 22.50 departure to London, and roads were surprisingly busy. The driver was getting worried so I reassured him that there was plenty of time before my flight. BA First and Club World passengers have access to a separate Premium lounge check-in area, somewhat similar to the facility Singapore Airlines offers for First Class (minus the curbside porter) in its own terminal next door. Before being allowed in staff check if you qualify for the facility on a computer, then escorts you to one of the desks. I sat down for no more than one minute and my boarding card to London was issued. This time I specifically asked to place priority tags.
After passport control I was off to the Qantas/BA business lounge upstairs. It is one of the largest lounges I’ve seen outside an airline’s hub. I guess Singapore is a very large station for Qantas flights. Plenty of seats, quite a number of computers for surfing the net, and a rather uninspiring buffet with some hot food (pizza or soup), cheese, fruit, crackers etc... The modern design was very pleasant although being so large the atmosphere was not much different compared to the main departure lounge downstairs.
This time the gate was the furthest from the lounge area and a good 10 minute walk away. There was a strict security check – I was surprised that lots of crew members were still queuing for security (some of them had obviously paid an extensive visit to the duty-free shop) at 22.30 while I had assumed they would be busy on board cheking supplies and preparing for boarding. It was no surprise then that nothing happened until departure time, apart from the early boarding of wheelchair passengers. At 23.00 finally ground staff announced a delay due to problems with the lighting system – a maintenance team was onboard to fix the problem. Boarding started at 2320 and there was a priority call for First and Club World. Upon boarding I moved to the upper deck and indeed all seats were last generation.
The cabin quickly filled up completely. Two seats were empty in row 61 but when I asked if I could move to the window seat I was told they were “reserved for pilots”. They remained empty during the whole time I was awake. Staff offered drinks, hot towels and newspapers. They had copies of a day-old newspapers supplied from London or same-day Times printed in Singapore. I had the latter, printed on thick white paper.
Once airborne, about one hour late, the captain anticipated an on-time arrival in London due to strong tailwinds. Despite the late hour the crew offered aperitifs with nuts and wine lists. This flight was on May 30 and the stewardess explained that being the end of a meal cycle they had supplied the wrong menus. She explained the choices for tonight: either a salmon or porcini mushrooms starter, and four mains (beef, duck, cheese ravioli or prawn salad). Dinner service was quite fast. The salmon starter was a bit disappointing – two slices of dill salmon with a lemon wedge and no garnish whatsoever. The salad was ok as was the duck breast in a nice gravy-style sauce. I guess the menu must read more something like “pan seared breast of duck with vegetable brunoise and red wine reduction with a hint of mustard”! Next was cheese or dessert – the latter was a rich chocolate and pecan nut tart with whipped cream and mint leaf. It was tasty but I could only eat half of it, along with a mug of camomile tea.
Starter
Main
Dessert
I like the new Club World seat. BA solved two main complaints with the old seat: the lack of shoulder room and the flimsy dividers. The new dividers are kept down for the safety video only, thus provide privacy during the entire flight. Also, there is now a drawer at the bottom of the seat large enough to hold a laptop, shoes and other small items. It is very handy for aisle seats on the upper deck which lack access to the side storage bins. It was a very comfortable seat to sleep in, but alas there was heavy tubulence for most of the flight so I was awoken quite a few times by the sound of the fasten seat belt sign being switched on.
About 3 hours out of London I woke up, and found that most of the cabin was awake. I went to the new Club kitchen on the main deck – I helped myself to a fruit salad from the fridge. There were many other choices but I wasn’t that hungry. It was 9am in Singapore, but 2am in London. I watched some short features on my personal TV – the system is now touch-screen AVOD and is rather intuitive to navigate. Big improvement here too although none of the films in the rather extensive list inspired me.
One hour and 25 minutes out of London lights were switched on and hot towels distributed. A few minutes later breakfast trays were given out, with a choice of smoothie or orange juice, fruit or muesli and a packaged yogurt. There was an offer of bread or croissants from a basket, and a choice of danish from another basket. Again there were no second helpings of bread or bakeries, but much-welcome piping hot tea and coffee were offered immediately. The main course was offered once fruit had been cleared, I guess there was a choice but can’t remember the options. I had the eggs with bacon – the scrambled eggs tasted rather artificial. It was cleared very quickly and we soon started descent into London.
Starter
Main
The two crew who served in the upper deck were extremely corteous and efficient, and much better than on the way to Singapore. Passengers were well looked after and there were regular drink patrols during the night.
We landed at 5.10am and, being the first aircraft arriving in LHR, there was no queue at immigration. Then the inevitable wait in the baggage hall. A total of around 8 bags came out and paraded on the belt for about 15 minutes, then the first load of bags, including my two suitcases, appeared. After customs I went straight to the Arrivals lounge to freshen up. I was asked to show my boarding card ex-Singapore and the two attendants quickly explained the facilities and offered amenities I might need. The shower room I was assigned was very small but adequate for the purpose. I hung my creased shirt by the door and pressed the service button. It was returned pressed by the time I had finished showering. Then I moved upstairs for breakfast. There was a lovely buffet here – freshly made eggs which unsurprisingly tasted much better than the ones I’d had on board.
Later more passengers, including families, joined the buffet room and the peace and quiet was shattered by kids screaming and running around. I went to the business room next door for tranquility and after a few minutes one of the two computer stations was free and I checked my emails. After that I left the lounge and moved downstairs to the Heathrow express for the short trip to Terminal 1 and went to the baggage storage facilities to drop my bags – an area which is rather shabby and not easy to locate. Then I was off to central London where I had an appointment at 9am on the Heathrow Express .
BA556, London Heathrow-Rome FCO, Club Europe
Precisely three hours later I was back to Terminal 1. Check-in was painless in the dedicated Premium area: the two-step process (self check-in and baggage drop) took less than 5 minutes. The queue at security was relatively short even though we were asked to take our shoes off.
The Terraces lounge was busy, as usual. As a transit passenger, I could use the Molton Brown Spa and booked a back and shoulder massage. Again it was done professionally and helped to relieve some of the jet lag fatigue. I had a quick bite in the lounge then proceeded to the gate where boarding had already started.
This flight to Rome was operated by an older 757, and business class was 2/3 full. There were only British papers available, and the crew quickly distributed hot towels. A slight delay upon departure was due to no-shows, whose bags had to be offloaded. Once in the air, afternoon tea was served, although some may expect some kind of lunch at this time of the day (departure time 14.15). Food was ok, a warm quiche plus two finger sandwiches, warm scone with jam and clotted cream, and a very sweet pastry dessert and chocolates. Service was again very friendly and efficient. Not much else to say about this flight, landing was 7 minutes late and my bags were among the very last to appear on the belt.
Afternoon tea
VERDICT Excellent flights and hotels. While my favourite longhaul business seat remains the SAA Premium Class seat, I have to say the new Club World seat is not far behind. BA ground services in London are hard to beat (Arrivals lounge, Molton Brown spa etc...). Swiss First Class was also nice, I was particularly impressed by the personalized service offered at Bangkok airport. The lounge LX contracts in Singapore however is definetely sub-par. The Mandarin Oriental in Chiang Mai is a charming resort hotel with excellent facilities and attentive service. The Valley Wing is so far the best hotel I’ve been to in Singapore.
Last edited by hilltopper; Jun 14, 2007 at 3:28 am
Jun 13, 2007, 4:12 am
#5
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Dec 2004
Posts: 23,999
Thanks for a fantastic report!^ I especially enjoyed the LX flights SIN-BKK-SIN, since I am taking LX F from BKK-SIN next month. I am a little bummed to hear that there are no spa services for non-Thai passengers in BKK... does that mean you can't even pay for services there? Also, were you able to reserve a seat in advance for the flight? I called a few times and they said it is airport only, but I figured I would try again soon. Thanks again for the great report!
Aug 6, 2007, 12:43 am
#10
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Dec 2004
Posts: 23,999
Aug 10, 2007, 11:05 am
#12
Moderator: GLBT travelers, India-based Airlines and India; FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: Asia
Programs: Yes!
Posts: 15,512
Excellent trip report! Thanks. ^
Quick clarification: Were amenity bags handed out by LX during the BKK-SIN and SIN-BKK segments?
Quick clarification: Were amenity bags handed out by LX during the BKK-SIN and SIN-BKK segments?