Kjeksen

Thanks! Im a looking forward to it

Kacee

Just flew F BKK-HKG. Service was great. FA offered me Dom as soon as I sat down. Very attentive throughout the flight. A seemingly genuine personal thank you at my seat right before we landed. Food was good. I get the Penang Curry Prawns and that's always a good choice. Certainly much better than my meals in SQ and CX regional J on this trip.

The one noticeable cut-back (I think I've seen this mentioned already), no more free buggy on arrival at HKG. The driver insisted on collecting 60 HK$ from each F pax. Since we parked way out, I reluctantly forked it over.

BinSabai

For the fact that the FA have to fly back HKG BKK immediately on the same aircraft, just the demanding passengers are changing in HKG, service and attitude is quite good!

Thaikwai

So, its been about 8 months since I last flew First Class on the A380, and that was to CDG. I was delighted that the A380 is now flying the LHR route and I flew TG910 the other day to start my Rugby World Cup tour in style.

Or so I thought!!

I forget which stand the aircraft was at but we walked for miles and then we were bussed to the gate, where we had to walk up the stairs to then use the jetway from the top of the stairs. There were two old Thai ladies and they had a really tough time negotiating the stairs, and the escorts were running up and down the stairs transferring all their luggage. Only two escorts for ten PAX when they, obviously, knew we were being bussed....not a great start.

First thing I noticed was no menus at the seat...strange. Second thing was no newspaper and magazine selection laid out on the table at my seat. Little things and I am not so bothered about the newspapers but I never did get my own menu, so had to choose from the one the cabin crew had while asking for our selection.

Then, no warm nuts, and no canapes....straight into the caviar which, horror of horrors, was awful!! Good caviar should be nicely bound, not sticky, and each individual piece of Sturgeon roe should pop in one's mouth with that delicious salty taste.

I was served a glutinous mass that I actually had to cut with my knife...can you believe it? It was heavy and sticky and I could not discern the individual pieces of roe...quite awful. They are obviously using vastly inferior caviar to the normal product.

I then asked to see the red wine list and I was brought two bottles of French red...that was it! No wine list, no Australian selection like they usually have on the CDG route........

The crew were great, as usual, but I was seriously disappointed with the F & B offerings, seriously disappointed. I am afraid the cutbacks are continuing.....watch this space!!

BinSabai

I guess Thaikwai you were victim of some operational accident of TG (or probably multiple accidents). I have never experienced or seen a A380 leaving from a bus gate at BKK. That there is no individual menu has happened to me maybe once in 3 years, but never in F. Usually there is still a selection of 3 white and 3 red wines in F on flights to Europe...and then of course the spoiled caviar. Too many issues on one flight.
Did you at least get your Dom?

Thaikwai

Apologies BinSabai.....it wasn't a bus gate. Only the F passengers were transferred by bus from D1A to the stairs below the actual gate (I didn't look at the gate number). When we walked up the stairs, we then boarded the aircraft along the jetway....very strange. All the rest of the passengers were loading along the regular jetway.

There are only a limited number of gates equipped to handle A380s in BKK....all of them on pier C I think, but I could well be wrong about this

Thaikwai

I am not a big Champagne drinker, but I did get a nice Bombaytini......

BinSabai

There are also gates at E and G, which can handle A380; there are now more and more airlines with A380 in BKK, beside TG and Emirates also Qatar and Asiana
last time on TG A380 to CDG in F I had to walk to a G gate; so I would have appreciated a bus from DA1...

DirtyDan

Just made a round trip at the front of the plane... F cabin BKK-SYD was wonderful. Service was impeccable, the Dom kept nicely chilled and the food was excellent.

C cabin on the way from BNE to BKK (on a 787), was almost disappointing. The new entertainment console touch screen controls are much too finicky, but the real disappointment was the wine which flowed like glue (seriously: one little taster for the second meal), and there were no slippers. I love being able to kick my shoes off and don some slippers (I travel with a shoe bag just for this very purpose). Maybe I was just spoiled in F. :P

kittiyut

Seriously, you were disappointed just because there were no slippers?

BinSabai

what wine did you have? Wines in TG's J are pretty consistent and predictable. All French, 2 white (usually one Chardonnay and one Sauvignon Blanc), 2 red (always one Bordeaux and one Burgundy). Usually nothing outstanding but also no bad one. I did not have any bad one for years.
did you get a corked wine?

Creole Spirit

and Kitiyut:
"Seriously, you were disappointed just because there were no slippers?"

I can understand DirtyDan very well - I always bring my own "on top" socks with me for that very purpose....
I believe that TG management is simply not aware that also people others than Japanese on the Japan-routes like that kind of stuff...it is a typical example of TG's product inconsistency (that we all have learned to live with....)

kinchai

How is this "TG's product inconsistency" when TG had not been providing slippers for the last 20 years in J other than on Japan routes? It's like saying I am disappointed that sake is not served in F or J to any routes other than Japan.

Declaration: I bring my a pair of flip flops regardless of airline and class of travel. I cannot stand walking into a toilet with wet floor with hotel style slippers.

djjaguar64

But usually the washrooms in the premium cabins do not get that wet, maybe in the Y cabin yes.

BinSabai

I have seen terribly wet and dirty washrooms in F. Probably the entire crew refused to clean up...
there are all kind of creatures flying F...