Check in at the EVA PL desk was quick with no queue, no weighing of hand baggage and no comment at my slightly overweight hold luggage .A cabin baggage tag was given which strangely had someone’s name and flight number from two months earlier already written on it.
Immigration now has a single queue with someone directing you to the next free desk , the system seemed to work as the whole process took less than ten mins. As usual, no smiles from the officers when departing the LOS. Security was quick with no delay and what appeared to be a total lack of interest from the personnel involved.
After failing to buy cigars on the flight out I went to King Power. No have, maybe next month, was the answer .Somehow, this reply failed to surprise me .

The EVA lounge(which is not the easiest to find without the cardboard ladies pointing the way)was manned by the usual friendly reception staff. Unusually, the lounge was full, .the food on offer was a strange mix ,dim sum next to some rather dried out pizza slices and a small selection of guess the contents sandwiches. a good selection of soft drinks, the usual coffee machine and selection of spirits, .two out of the four computer terminals were not working but the wifi was.

As is usual, the lounge is quite near the gates used by EVA and with the gate security now moved to just after immigration, the walk was less than 5mins from lounge to gate.
The process at the gate was covered in my previous report but with the use of split boarding bridges ,the whole experience was painless, almost totally the opposite of London.
With the flight being on the 11th Sept(9/11)i had a feeling that the flight might be less than full. Boarding found the PL cabin to be full with the only free seat next to lucky me. Water/juice and hot towels were provided prior to take off. Push back was delayed about ten mins then in the pouring rain we taxied and took off. A quick look showed the Elite cabin to be full.
A little while later, I was asked to confirm my internet ordered meal but addressed by the wrong name, when I pointed out the wrong name, I was asked If I had changed seats(which I had not)however the meal was correct so it did not matter.
Pre dinner drinks and nibbles were offered together with UK landing cards and a short while later the meal service began. The prawns in red Thai curry were one of the better meals I have had on EVA followed by fruit, cheese and the offer of port.
One change to previous flights was the salad card was absent with the salad being pre plated. The crew were ,as always , pleasant but seemed a little less pro active than on other flights. Less seemed to be offered, refills etc but if you asked no problem. Always on this same flight previously, hot chocolate and cookies had been offered mid flight ,although it was on the menu and I am sure if I had requested it ,it would have been no problem but this time no cabin run. The AVOD worked fine with the in-flight coffee (espresso)some of the best I have tasted on any airline .A small selection of nibbles were left out together with wine and fruit juice but surprisingly no other soft drinks, cola etc .
A totally uneventful flight landing a few mins early followed by what seemed to be a taxi to Gatwick. The walk to immigration confirmed that we had obviously landed at one of the outermost gates. Immigration for Uk passport holders was queue less and I walked straight through not bothering with the priority pass I had been given on the plane. The non UK passport section was a totally different story. Every single line was full to overflowing and with the rest of the plane behind me, could only get worse. I think that the long walk helped the fact that my case arrived only about five mins after I had reached the baggage hall. Unlike Heathrow normally ,the priority tags seemed to work.
However, for the first time, on collecting my suitcase,I noticed that the two straps around the case had been opened and the combination lock on the suitcase itself was set to the open position. I reported this to the American Airlines handling agents, who were not certain what to do as they had not experienced this before. I insisted on opening the case in front of them,(I was not certain if I would find items missing or even something extra!).Luckily, nothing seemed to be missing, but the agent completed a report and gave me a contact number should something be missing.
I can only think that it was opened by security in Bangkok as a thief would not have gone to the trouble to reattach the straps and I do not think there was time in London.I think in America if security opens a case, they leave a note inside, maybe Thailand could follow suit.
The return to the T3short term car park(where i was being picked up)was a nightmare .fifty people with trolleys of baggage trying to get into three lifts to go up one floor then walk along a skyway to another set of lifts to go the actual floor in the car park you want. A total farce and not what you want after a twelve hour flight !!!.
In short EVA Good . BAA No so good