Autumn trip to South Korea - Japan - Taiwan - Thailand with OZ,UA,TG(F) & LH,BR,SK(C)
Nov 5, 2013, 1:49 pm
#31
Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 2009
Posts: 600
Novotel Taipei Taoyuan Airport
+
Modern
Location at the airport
Pleasant staff
Great facilities (Spa, pool, lounge etc...)
-
Badly build (a lot of stuff hangs out wrong), so I'm afraid the modernity won't last.
Location. Despite being at the airport, one cannot walk there. Shuttle bus is compulsory and it goes only every half hour which proved not to be often enough.
Price: 3200NT$ with breakfast, booked on accorhotels.com during a sale.
After taking the Express bus between Songshan and Taoyuan we took the shuttle bus to the Novotel. Contrarily to the Novotel in BKK, you cannot walk to this hotel. It's not that it's far (most likely 15 minutes walk), it's just their no path to it.
The shuttle bus runs every 30 minutes, which combined with the fact that you can't walk to the hotel if you miss the shuttle by a few minutes, makes this a too low frequency. During our stay we took the shuttle 4 times and twice we had to wait 28 minutes...
Upon check in I could not help but notice that the Le Club counter was unmanned. That is not the first time I've seen this in an Accor property. Accor really needs to get their act together with LeClub by stoping to give away the Platinum status to everyone and start taking care of their Elites. But I digress... Ironically enough, despite only having Gold status we were upgraded to a room on the Executive level (top floor) with access to the Executive lounge.
Hotel lobby
Unmanned LeClub counter
The room itself was very cosy, and my GF of course fell in love with the giant stuffed Panda. The bed was very comfortable (hard but I like this kind of madras). There was free bottled water on the bed sides. The pantry was large and roomy. Above the minibar, was a Nespresso machine.
Bed and giant Panda
Desk area
Nespresso machine
There was a small working area, on which, to prevent me for spreading false rumors about their LeClub program, there was a welcome gift (fruit platter) and 2 vouchers worth 500NT$ at the hotel Spa. I must say that this gesture was very much appreciated coming from a Accor hotel in general but especially from a Novotel which usually does not offer this to LeClub elites.
Fruit platter
Spa voucher
The bathroom was elegant and modern. Amenities were the classic cosmetics offered in any Novotel but in more than sufficient quantity.
Bathroom
Shower
All in all the room was very nice indeed. Standard Novotel but nice and modern A few words though about building quality. Quite a few items in the room were misaligned or improperly mounted making me fear that modernity in the rooms won't last unfortunately.
We did not go to the Executive lounge as we spent the whole afternoon and evening in the city. When we got back at around 10pm my GF went for a Spa treatment which she had booked earlier that day using one of the coupons. She enjoyed the treatment.
We slept like babies and woke up early to catch our next flight to HKG. Breakfast was short but long enough to realize it was very well furnished indeed. There was plenty of choices from western to Taiwanese and finally Japanese alternatives.
Warm asian section
Pastries
Japanese
The staff was nice and spoke good English all of them. Clearly they won't go out of their way to make your stay a fantastic stay but they did what was expected of them and it was enough.
At check out, the LeClub was manned.
Conclusion: Good address, good hotel. Perfect for a stopover/layover in Taoyuan. I would come back.
P.S.: If you think I was done with Hello Kitty, look how E.V.A. Air luggage tag looked like after our previous flight:
+
Modern
Location at the airport
Pleasant staff
Great facilities (Spa, pool, lounge etc...)
-
Badly build (a lot of stuff hangs out wrong), so I'm afraid the modernity won't last.
Location. Despite being at the airport, one cannot walk there. Shuttle bus is compulsory and it goes only every half hour which proved not to be often enough.
Price: 3200NT$ with breakfast, booked on accorhotels.com during a sale.
After taking the Express bus between Songshan and Taoyuan we took the shuttle bus to the Novotel. Contrarily to the Novotel in BKK, you cannot walk to this hotel. It's not that it's far (most likely 15 minutes walk), it's just their no path to it.
The shuttle bus runs every 30 minutes, which combined with the fact that you can't walk to the hotel if you miss the shuttle by a few minutes, makes this a too low frequency. During our stay we took the shuttle 4 times and twice we had to wait 28 minutes...
Upon check in I could not help but notice that the Le Club counter was unmanned. That is not the first time I've seen this in an Accor property. Accor really needs to get their act together with LeClub by stoping to give away the Platinum status to everyone and start taking care of their Elites. But I digress... Ironically enough, despite only having Gold status we were upgraded to a room on the Executive level (top floor) with access to the Executive lounge.
Hotel lobby
Unmanned LeClub counter
The room itself was very cosy, and my GF of course fell in love with the giant stuffed Panda. The bed was very comfortable (hard but I like this kind of madras). There was free bottled water on the bed sides. The pantry was large and roomy. Above the minibar, was a Nespresso machine.
Bed and giant Panda
Desk area
Nespresso machine
There was a small working area, on which, to prevent me for spreading false rumors about their LeClub program, there was a welcome gift (fruit platter) and 2 vouchers worth 500NT$ at the hotel Spa. I must say that this gesture was very much appreciated coming from a Accor hotel in general but especially from a Novotel which usually does not offer this to LeClub elites.
Fruit platter
Spa voucher
The bathroom was elegant and modern. Amenities were the classic cosmetics offered in any Novotel but in more than sufficient quantity.
Bathroom
Shower
All in all the room was very nice indeed. Standard Novotel but nice and modern A few words though about building quality. Quite a few items in the room were misaligned or improperly mounted making me fear that modernity in the rooms won't last unfortunately.
We did not go to the Executive lounge as we spent the whole afternoon and evening in the city. When we got back at around 10pm my GF went for a Spa treatment which she had booked earlier that day using one of the coupons. She enjoyed the treatment.
We slept like babies and woke up early to catch our next flight to HKG. Breakfast was short but long enough to realize it was very well furnished indeed. There was plenty of choices from western to Taiwanese and finally Japanese alternatives.
Warm asian section
Pastries
Japanese
The staff was nice and spoke good English all of them. Clearly they won't go out of their way to make your stay a fantastic stay but they did what was expected of them and it was enough.
At check out, the LeClub was manned.
Conclusion: Good address, good hotel. Perfect for a stopover/layover in Taoyuan. I would come back.
P.S.: If you think I was done with Hello Kitty, look how E.V.A. Air luggage tag looked like after our previous flight:
Nov 5, 2013, 5:35 pm
#33
Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: PHX
Programs: AA EP
Posts: 273
Hat off to you JamesBond_ppk. This is one of few trip reports that I really like - thank you for sharing it. I really like it because of its objectivity (as opposed to most that have some personal 'exaggerations' interjected)!
BTW, I have done quite a few trips in F/J in the SE Asia region and it appears to me that the eye shades, earplugs are usually provided outside of the amenity kit bag. I will try to keep note of it on my upcoming trips, thanks again.
BTW, I have done quite a few trips in F/J in the SE Asia region and it appears to me that the eye shades, earplugs are usually provided outside of the amenity kit bag. I will try to keep note of it on my upcoming trips, thanks again.
Nov 5, 2013, 10:57 pm
#35
Join Date: Oct 2013
Location: NYC
Programs: A3 Gold, SPG Gold, HH Gold, Accor Platinum, IHG Platinum, GHA Platinum
Posts: 4
BR189
HND-TSA
After a long climb, the seat belt was finally switched off. Announcements were made in 4 languages (Mandarin, English, Japanese and Cantonese...), they really were more lengthy than necessary. The worst part is that every time they were turbulence, which were plenty as mentioned, the same announcement were made again, in 4 languages. Too many announcements really beats the point so that also was quite annoying.
HND-TSA
After a long climb, the seat belt was finally switched off. Announcements were made in 4 languages (Mandarin, English, Japanese and Cantonese...), they really were more lengthy than necessary. The worst part is that every time they were turbulence, which were plenty as mentioned, the same announcement were made again, in 4 languages. Too many announcements really beats the point so that also was quite annoying.
Nov 6, 2013, 9:12 am
#37
Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 2009
Posts: 600
Hat off to you JamesBond_ppk. This is one of few trip reports that I really like - thank you for sharing it. I really like it because of its objectivity (as opposed to most that have some personal 'exaggerations' interjected)!
BTW, I have done quite a few trips in F/J in the SE Asia region and it appears to me that the eye shades, earplugs are usually provided outside of the amenity kit bag. I will try to keep note of it on my upcoming trips, thanks again.
BTW, I have done quite a few trips in F/J in the SE Asia region and it appears to me that the eye shades, earplugs are usually provided outside of the amenity kit bag. I will try to keep note of it on my upcoming trips, thanks again.
However, trust me, one doesn't necessarily go with another. Scandinavia, Sweden in particular, has also had a very good record in terms of Internet speed (compared to other European countries). Yet, the WiFi in SAS lounge was slow and worst unstable (one was thrown out of the network every few minutes). Finally speed and stability are two different things
Nov 6, 2013, 9:23 am
#38
Join Date: Oct 2011
Location: Texas
Programs: AA Lifetime Gold
Posts: 279
I am enjoying this report. Taipei is an under-reported destination. Maybe I'm not fully indoctrinated by FT but I'd actually I'd prefer more destination photos. Only 4 teaser pics, compared to 10 of the airport hotel?!
Nov 24, 2013, 5:18 am
#39
Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 2009
Posts: 600
I am back from a very intense work period so I'll be posting more installments today.
Nov 24, 2013, 5:33 am
#40
Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 2009
Posts: 600
Evergreen Infitinity Lounge TPE
Evergreen Infitinity Lounge TPE
Early that morning we took the shuttle bus from the Novotel, and headed to the Royal Laurel check in counter in TPE Terminal 2 where we were before 7 am. Check in was processed very efficiently and our luggages tagged to their destination: BKK. However we would need to pick up our boarding cards for our last segment of the day in HKG.
Security control was as fast as we did not have to take anything off our bags. Strange but in some countries they really don't care about taking out cosmetics and computers... Then we were off to immigration which took about 5 minutes. All in all, at this time of day, it took us about 20 minutes to be airside, which really isn't bad. TPE airport Terminal 2 is a modern and nicely appointed facility. Fair enough, there was nearly no queues anywhere so it helped enhanced our experience. On a final note, E.V.A. Air has dedicated... "Hello Kitty" check in counter in TPE which can be used for nay flights. We of course did not bother.
In TPE, E.V.A. Air has several lounges, "the Infinity" and "the Star" are located together; one floor up from the immigration hall. Inf ront of these two, "the Garden", is an open air lounge. Across the void over the departure hall, they have a fourth lounge, "the Club".
The Club Lounge over the immigration hall
Entrance to the Star to the left and the Infinity to the right
For today's flight we choose to try the Infinity which definitely is the most futuristic lounge of the 4. In a few months we'll be sure to try the Club, which is the *G lounge.
Floor signage for the Infinity lounge entrance
The Infinity is in fact the most futuristic lounge I've ever visited, some have called it the "Love Boat" lounge! It is indeed quite flashy there, so you've been warned! Still the lounge is a comfortable place and offers of course numerous seating areas. We sat nearby the light fountain, I must admit I did feel the Love Boat vibe, but more a Casino one!
Light fountain
Wide seating area
The food spread that morning was very decent with plenty of choices, from fresh vegetables, fruits, cookies, toasts, Mövenpick ice cream, a selection of warn dishes and dim sums. The drinks selection was equally well furnished with all sorts of sodas and juices.
Buffet and food spread
Warm dishes
Dim sums and pooridges
Drink collection
Coffee machines / I must admit that on that morning I missed the lounge Baristas from Australia & New Zealand!
Internet was fast and stable. The lounge offers a selection of newspaper and magazines, with a few english alternatives.
Newspaper and magazines
The restroom are clean and modern. The lounges boosts 4 shower rooms with each their dedicated name. We did not try, but the names do not help lowering one's expectations.
Shower names
Shower entrance
Business center
Conclusion: The Infinity lounge is a very nice waiting room with excellent facilities. However, because of its design and lightning it might be more appropriate as an evening lounge than as a morning lounge. The Star more classicaly decorated would be a lighter choice for an early morning.
Early that morning we took the shuttle bus from the Novotel, and headed to the Royal Laurel check in counter in TPE Terminal 2 where we were before 7 am. Check in was processed very efficiently and our luggages tagged to their destination: BKK. However we would need to pick up our boarding cards for our last segment of the day in HKG.
Security control was as fast as we did not have to take anything off our bags. Strange but in some countries they really don't care about taking out cosmetics and computers... Then we were off to immigration which took about 5 minutes. All in all, at this time of day, it took us about 20 minutes to be airside, which really isn't bad. TPE airport Terminal 2 is a modern and nicely appointed facility. Fair enough, there was nearly no queues anywhere so it helped enhanced our experience. On a final note, E.V.A. Air has dedicated... "Hello Kitty" check in counter in TPE which can be used for nay flights. We of course did not bother.
In TPE, E.V.A. Air has several lounges, "the Infinity" and "the Star" are located together; one floor up from the immigration hall. Inf ront of these two, "the Garden", is an open air lounge. Across the void over the departure hall, they have a fourth lounge, "the Club".
The Club Lounge over the immigration hall
Entrance to the Star to the left and the Infinity to the right
For today's flight we choose to try the Infinity which definitely is the most futuristic lounge of the 4. In a few months we'll be sure to try the Club, which is the *G lounge.
Floor signage for the Infinity lounge entrance
The Infinity is in fact the most futuristic lounge I've ever visited, some have called it the "Love Boat" lounge! It is indeed quite flashy there, so you've been warned! Still the lounge is a comfortable place and offers of course numerous seating areas. We sat nearby the light fountain, I must admit I did feel the Love Boat vibe, but more a Casino one!
Light fountain
Wide seating area
The food spread that morning was very decent with plenty of choices, from fresh vegetables, fruits, cookies, toasts, Mövenpick ice cream, a selection of warn dishes and dim sums. The drinks selection was equally well furnished with all sorts of sodas and juices.
Buffet and food spread
Warm dishes
Dim sums and pooridges
Drink collection
Coffee machines / I must admit that on that morning I missed the lounge Baristas from Australia & New Zealand!
Internet was fast and stable. The lounge offers a selection of newspaper and magazines, with a few english alternatives.
Newspaper and magazines
The restroom are clean and modern. The lounges boosts 4 shower rooms with each their dedicated name. We did not try, but the names do not help lowering one's expectations.
Shower names
Shower entrance
Business center
Conclusion: The Infinity lounge is a very nice waiting room with excellent facilities. However, because of its design and lightning it might be more appropriate as an evening lounge than as a morning lounge. The Star more classicaly decorated would be a lighter choice for an early morning.
Last edited by JamesBond_ppk; Nov 24, 2013 at 6:33 am
Nov 24, 2013, 6:28 am
#41
Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 2009
Posts: 600
BR851
TPE-HKG
Duration: 01:40 (1:18)
77N: B-16713
Royal Laurel Class
Seats 5A & 6A
At booking time I was very happy to have scored the new Royal Laurel Cabin on this 77N. This Business class product is the latest generation and normally should only be available on long haul routes. However E.V.A. operates a few short haul with these babies in between their long haul schedule.
Our 77N
Boarding card
Boarding was almost completed when we arrived at the gate, and there was therefore no queue. There was a priority line which we used and lead to the front door of the aircraft. A man in front of us was refused entrance as he was flying economy, he was sent back to find the economy bridge. Pretty strict...
Upon entering the cabin we were welcomed onboard by smiling attendants. One of us escorted us to our seats and requested we contact her for anything we might need. That was definitely a plus note, as I've never has such a warm greeting in C.
The cabin is well appointed, despite the saddish green tone. The seats organized in an herringbone configuration allowing everyone direct aisle access while window seats faces directly towards the exterior. This configuration is actually very pleasant and offers to my taste the best compromise of any C cabins, with a tight aisle and an angled seating position as only drawbacks.
We were seated in row 5 and 6, by the window. Note, the C cabin is divided in two parts. The larger one at the front of the aircraft while a smaller one behind it. I am not sure how I feel about the second part; it might be more intimate but most likely noisier because of the galley and the procimity of the economy cabin and the engines. A question of taste I guess.
Front C class cabin
Our row
Front cabin seen from the back
Magazines at the end of the cabin
The seat itself was very comfortable indeed despite beeing a little on the narrow side in sleep mode.
My seat
Seat details and connectivity
Before departure I was offered a selection of drinks to choose from. I went for a juice.
Pre departure drink: orange juice
Our neighbouring plane
Part 2 coming up
TPE-HKG
Duration: 01:40 (1:18)
77N: B-16713
Royal Laurel Class
Seats 5A & 6A
At booking time I was very happy to have scored the new Royal Laurel Cabin on this 77N. This Business class product is the latest generation and normally should only be available on long haul routes. However E.V.A. operates a few short haul with these babies in between their long haul schedule.
Our 77N
Boarding card
Boarding was almost completed when we arrived at the gate, and there was therefore no queue. There was a priority line which we used and lead to the front door of the aircraft. A man in front of us was refused entrance as he was flying economy, he was sent back to find the economy bridge. Pretty strict...
Upon entering the cabin we were welcomed onboard by smiling attendants. One of us escorted us to our seats and requested we contact her for anything we might need. That was definitely a plus note, as I've never has such a warm greeting in C.
The cabin is well appointed, despite the saddish green tone. The seats organized in an herringbone configuration allowing everyone direct aisle access while window seats faces directly towards the exterior. This configuration is actually very pleasant and offers to my taste the best compromise of any C cabins, with a tight aisle and an angled seating position as only drawbacks.
We were seated in row 5 and 6, by the window. Note, the C cabin is divided in two parts. The larger one at the front of the aircraft while a smaller one behind it. I am not sure how I feel about the second part; it might be more intimate but most likely noisier because of the galley and the procimity of the economy cabin and the engines. A question of taste I guess.
Front C class cabin
Our row
Front cabin seen from the back
Magazines at the end of the cabin
The seat itself was very comfortable indeed despite beeing a little on the narrow side in sleep mode.
My seat
Seat details and connectivity
Before departure I was offered a selection of drinks to choose from. I went for a juice.
Pre departure drink: orange juice
Our neighbouring plane
Part 2 coming up
Nov 24, 2013, 6:29 am
#42
Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 2009
Posts: 600
BR851
TPE-HKG
Part 2
After push back, the now famous safety video was played. I could not hold a few smiles! It's so inappropriate, it's funny!
Safety video screenshot
Before take off, the FAs came to each seat to take meal orders. As we had pre-ordered foods, this was confirmed to us and we were simply requested what we wanted to drink. Not that during this phase we were both adressed by our surnames. Cudoes to E.V.A for their excellent manners.
A little later, the FA was very thorough going through the cabin and checked everything twice, including seat positions, armrest etc... If something was not in place she was very strict into making it right!
Our meal was served right after we were at cruising altitude. It was excellent and above our expectations based on our previous flight!
Our pre-ordered food: Din Tai Fung Stewed Beef Noodle Soup.
While onboard I did not use the IFE very much, even though they had some interesting movie choices. Instead I took a nap. It was a very short flight, so there was no point into startingwatching something I would not be able to finish.
IFE choices
Seat in bed mode
No amenity kit were offered but got earplug and eye mask from the attendant. She also offered a blanket. I asked if they had a Rimowa kit on board for my collection
but they didn't... 
HKG coupon
Mints given upon landing
Taxiing view
Conclusion: E.V.A. Air offers an excellent Business class product with a very polished service. Even for this very short flight the crew went all in and raised the level to a point we were really not expecting. The cabin and seat are of the latest generation and meet any Business man's needs. E.V.A. Air is defnitely a safe choice when it comes to long haul Business travelling. Just be sure to be on a 77N.
TPE-HKG
Part 2
After push back, the now famous safety video was played. I could not hold a few smiles! It's so inappropriate, it's funny!
Safety video screenshot
Before take off, the FAs came to each seat to take meal orders. As we had pre-ordered foods, this was confirmed to us and we were simply requested what we wanted to drink. Not that during this phase we were both adressed by our surnames. Cudoes to E.V.A for their excellent manners.
A little later, the FA was very thorough going through the cabin and checked everything twice, including seat positions, armrest etc... If something was not in place she was very strict into making it right!
Our meal was served right after we were at cruising altitude. It was excellent and above our expectations based on our previous flight!
Our pre-ordered food: Din Tai Fung Stewed Beef Noodle Soup.
While onboard I did not use the IFE very much, even though they had some interesting movie choices. Instead I took a nap. It was a very short flight, so there was no point into startingwatching something I would not be able to finish.
IFE choices
Seat in bed mode
No amenity kit were offered but got earplug and eye mask from the attendant. She also offered a blanket. I asked if they had a Rimowa kit on board for my collection
but they didn't... HKG coupon
Mints given upon landing
Taxiing view
Conclusion: E.V.A. Air offers an excellent Business class product with a very polished service. Even for this very short flight the crew went all in and raised the level to a point we were really not expecting. The cabin and seat are of the latest generation and meet any Business man's needs. E.V.A. Air is defnitely a safe choice when it comes to long haul Business travelling. Just be sure to be on a 77N.
Nov 24, 2013, 7:05 am
#43
Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 2009
Posts: 600
Royal First Lounge HKG
After disembarking we proceeded to Thai's transfer counter where we were given boarding cards, lounge invitation and assured our luggages would follow us.
TG transfer desk in HKG
Lounge invitation
Boarding card
Royal First Lounge HKG
With a few hours to kill before our A380 flight to BKK, we headed straight to the Thai lounge. This lounge was the logical choice for this leg, and besides we had already tried the SilverKris lounge last time out. At the entrance we were warmly greeted and pointed to the First class section.
Lounge entrance
Indeed, Thai lounge in HKG is divided in two parts, a large Business section and a smaller First section. Mind you though there isn't much difference between the two. The amenities are pretty much the sames and the only plus for the First Class lounge are the menu with food to order from the chef instead of the buffet and the dedicated massage chair. Sadly though, read below, the food wasn't really a plus...
First class section
First class seating area
Apron view
Large choice of magazines
A380 model... Could'nt wait for that flight!
We settled in and had a small breakfast. There were a few choices in the Business section like toasts and jams.
First class buffet and drink selection
Business class buffet area
Business class drinks selection
At 12:15 the lunch menu was distributed, with several items for order. We thought we'd give a try to the soup of the day, the traditional Thai tom yung goong. Sadly it was disgusting. I really do mean disgusting. It tastes like a bad, unfresh mix a chinese chicken noodle soup with thai lemongrass fragrance. Horrible. We had one sip and got of it.
First class lunch menu
Our soup
Throughout our stay though, service was imply excellent. The lounge attendant apologized the soup was not to our liking and globally we got genuine smiles from the staff, and did the little extra to accomodate us. For example they came to our table asking for what we would like to drink and offered ice cream after the meal. They also found a iPad charger for me. Small attentions which made a big difference.
Part 2 in a few minutes...
TG transfer desk in HKG
Lounge invitation
Boarding card
Royal First Lounge HKG
With a few hours to kill before our A380 flight to BKK, we headed straight to the Thai lounge. This lounge was the logical choice for this leg, and besides we had already tried the SilverKris lounge last time out. At the entrance we were warmly greeted and pointed to the First class section.
Lounge entrance
Indeed, Thai lounge in HKG is divided in two parts, a large Business section and a smaller First section. Mind you though there isn't much difference between the two. The amenities are pretty much the sames and the only plus for the First Class lounge are the menu with food to order from the chef instead of the buffet and the dedicated massage chair. Sadly though, read below, the food wasn't really a plus...
First class section
First class seating area
Apron view
Large choice of magazines
A380 model... Could'nt wait for that flight!
We settled in and had a small breakfast. There were a few choices in the Business section like toasts and jams.
First class buffet and drink selection
Business class buffet area
Business class drinks selection
At 12:15 the lunch menu was distributed, with several items for order. We thought we'd give a try to the soup of the day, the traditional Thai tom yung goong. Sadly it was disgusting. I really do mean disgusting. It tastes like a bad, unfresh mix a chinese chicken noodle soup with thai lemongrass fragrance. Horrible. We had one sip and got of it.
First class lunch menu
Our soup
Throughout our stay though, service was imply excellent. The lounge attendant apologized the soup was not to our liking and globally we got genuine smiles from the staff, and did the little extra to accomodate us. For example they came to our table asking for what we would like to drink and offered ice cream after the meal. They also found a iPad charger for me. Small attentions which made a big difference.
Part 2 in a few minutes...
Nov 24, 2013, 7:06 am
#44
Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 2009
Posts: 600
Royal First Lounge HKG
Part 2
During our stay, I checked out the Business section which is quite nice actually with nice seating spaces a game area and also a massage chair.
Business Class section
Playing area in the Business section
The restrooms were large and clean.
Restrooms
Conclusion: All in all this lounge is not as large and nice as the SilverKris lounge from SQ. Nonetheless the service and the exclusivity made up for it this time.
Part 2
During our stay, I checked out the Business section which is quite nice actually with nice seating spaces a game area and also a massage chair.
Business Class section
Playing area in the Business section
The restrooms were large and clean.
Restrooms
Conclusion: All in all this lounge is not as large and nice as the SilverKris lounge from SQ. Nonetheless the service and the exclusivity made up for it this time.
Nov 25, 2013, 2:07 pm
#45
Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 2009
Posts: 600
TG601
HKG-BKK
Duration: 02:40 (2:10)
A388: HS-TUC
Royal First Class
Seats 1K & 2K
Needless to say we were very excited about this preview flight of the A380 F from Thai. We headed to our gate about 45 minutes before take off where boarding had just started. There was a priority line for First class only with a few people in it. However when we arrived in the cabin; it was empty...
TG A380 in HKG
Priority lane
Anyways, all the better, it was easy to take pictures! The cabin in the A380 is very roomy and even on the upper deck it feels very spacious. The colour mix is a bit strange and quite unusual for Thai. Blue carpets, white plastics, beige upholstery, teak table, yellow headrest and yellow and blue pillows. All in all it's a bit too light and lacks contrast. The revamped 747 cabin colour scheme with its white, purples and teak brown colours is so much nicer in comparison. Of course the A380 has for itself the sheer size of the cabin as well as LED mood lightning to make up for it.
Empty F cabin
Pair of empty seats
Front pair of middle seats
One more cabin shot after landing
Our seat were pre-choosen thanks to a short email to TG a few months before our trip. 1K is the quietest seat onboard as there is a lounge in front of it, no restroom. That might sounds strange but it turns nobody uses the lounge. Why? Because it really isn't that nice. It's uncomfortable and wired, it simply doesn' feel natural. In fact it's a mystery why TG decided not to have a restroom there or even a massage room! Another mystery is why on earth do they not offer a shower in the restrooms!
Seat 1K is a pretty nice place to sit at. The overhead bins are located only on top of the middle seats giving an extra spacious feeling to the side seats.
These F seats are not quite designed like suites, but more like half suites. Indeed they do offer good privacy without the sliding door, definitely not as good as an enclosed suite, but better thatn their old F product.
One of the drawbacks of 1K is the lack of window towards the front of the aircraft. Thus it has less window space than 2K for example. However the good thing about beeing on the side is the extra storage spaces along the hul.
My seat: 1K. Note the lack of window up front
Unused controller
Storage space with the IFE controller and headsets
Storage space in front of the seat
Garderobe
23' inches screen
After only a few months in use, the seats are already showing some signs of wear.
Simple seat controls and signs of wear
Normal seat controls
LED individual lightning
Access to the forward gallery
Lounge
Hanging panel by the lounge
Part 2 in a short while
HKG-BKK
Duration: 02:40 (2:10)
A388: HS-TUC
Royal First Class
Seats 1K & 2K
Needless to say we were very excited about this preview flight of the A380 F from Thai. We headed to our gate about 45 minutes before take off where boarding had just started. There was a priority line for First class only with a few people in it. However when we arrived in the cabin; it was empty...
TG A380 in HKG
Priority lane
Anyways, all the better, it was easy to take pictures! The cabin in the A380 is very roomy and even on the upper deck it feels very spacious. The colour mix is a bit strange and quite unusual for Thai. Blue carpets, white plastics, beige upholstery, teak table, yellow headrest and yellow and blue pillows. All in all it's a bit too light and lacks contrast. The revamped 747 cabin colour scheme with its white, purples and teak brown colours is so much nicer in comparison. Of course the A380 has for itself the sheer size of the cabin as well as LED mood lightning to make up for it.
Empty F cabin
Pair of empty seats
Front pair of middle seats
One more cabin shot after landing
Our seat were pre-choosen thanks to a short email to TG a few months before our trip. 1K is the quietest seat onboard as there is a lounge in front of it, no restroom. That might sounds strange but it turns nobody uses the lounge. Why? Because it really isn't that nice. It's uncomfortable and wired, it simply doesn' feel natural. In fact it's a mystery why TG decided not to have a restroom there or even a massage room! Another mystery is why on earth do they not offer a shower in the restrooms!
Seat 1K is a pretty nice place to sit at. The overhead bins are located only on top of the middle seats giving an extra spacious feeling to the side seats.
These F seats are not quite designed like suites, but more like half suites. Indeed they do offer good privacy without the sliding door, definitely not as good as an enclosed suite, but better thatn their old F product.
One of the drawbacks of 1K is the lack of window towards the front of the aircraft. Thus it has less window space than 2K for example. However the good thing about beeing on the side is the extra storage spaces along the hul.
My seat: 1K. Note the lack of window up front
Unused controller
Storage space with the IFE controller and headsets
Storage space in front of the seat
Garderobe
23' inches screen
After only a few months in use, the seats are already showing some signs of wear.
Simple seat controls and signs of wear
Normal seat controls
LED individual lightning
Access to the forward gallery
Lounge
Hanging panel by the lounge
Part 2 in a short while
Last edited by JamesBond_ppk; Nov 25, 2013 at 3:14 pm