I am taking a crack at a first Trip Report, so wish me luck.
Many thanks to the entire FlyerTalk community for all their assistance and knowledge sharing over the past year. It has really made my new addiction to international travel much more rewarding. It is in the interest in paying back the help with my own meager contribution.....
While last year I traveled solely to Europe, 2010 has become the year of Thailand for me. Numerous trips to the Land of Smiles and I am still intrigued by the culture, personality, and chaotic thrill of the Kingdom. The fact it is one of the more distant destinations on United Airlines is just gravy (love the miles
)
This trip was a spur-of-the-moment idea, made possible by a combination of other travel plans being canceled and a week of vacation time remaining. A quick call to the 1K desk at UA and I was pleasantly surprised to find a First Class award ticket to BKK for the week before Christmas.
OK...make that incredibly shocked to find a First Class award ticket to BKK for the week before Christmas.
While the routing was far from ideal, I was jazzed to have my first trip with Thai Airways on the books....and sitting up front !
First Class Check In
There was a small issue with checking in for my trip. There was a mechanical delay on the inbound portion of my trip which resulted in itinerary changes. This apparently caused some issue with Thai Airways pulling up my e-ticket. It took about 15 minutes to resolve, but the staff was very gracious and apologetic during the delay.
After sorting out the ticket info, I was escorted to passport control. BKK has priority lanes for this, and it took about 5 minutes to clear. A quick trip through security (again, less than 5 minutes) and I was airside. My escort turned me over to the golf cart / buggy driver with a smile and a wai....
I entered the First Class Lounge at BKK and was blown away. I am sure much has been written about the experience of the lounge, so I will try not to gush like a school girl. To sum up: It Was Awesome.
After scheduling an appointment for a full body massage at the spa, I was escorted to a small, private area of the lounge for my visit. Comfortable seating and my own personal television. An attendant immediately offered breakfast. After a quick perusal of the menu, I opted for a plain omelet, bacon, toast, orange juice, and coffee.
Breakfast at the lounge
Cappuccino with Thai Airways logo on top...cool.
I must next offer an apology for failing the reader of this report with a total lack of photos of the spa experience. I will blame a lack of sleep and succumbing to the total bliss of the spa.
The spa was a real treat. It was a relaxing environment, nicely furnished and decorated. The massage was well done for the purposes of relaxation. It was not a deep-tissue, work out the kinks type of affair. I am fairly certain I dozed off for a brief period. Bliss.
After a shower and a cup of tea, it was back to the lounge for a short wait for my flight. An attendant let me know they were ready for me to board. Myself and another guest were loaded onto a buggy for a ride to the gate.
As it turned out, we were to be the only 2 First Class passengers for this flight....
Boarding was already complete when we arrived. We breezed through the gate area and were welcomed on-board by the cabin crew. The 2 main attendants introduced themselves and took charge of storing my carry on bags. The purser was also on hand and visited with us for a bit. All three addressed me by name and were very welcoming. I really felt they were genuine with wanting to provide me with a very pleasant flight.
For those into the details, it was TG flight 614. BKK to PEK on a 747 (type 7442 in the world of TG). I was in 2K. As I mentioned, only one other passenger was with me in First Class.
Pre-departure Champagne and Mac nuts
There was a mechanical delay for the flight which was announced shortly after I boarded. While I had a tight connection in PEK to navigate, it was somewhat difficult for me to care at the moment. I spent the better part of an hour finishing off my personal bottle of Bollinger, snacking on some nibbles, and simply enjoying the experience.
More nibbles and more champagne
First Class cabin. TG 747 (7442)
I asked about the available choices for scotch whiskey and was informed that Johnie Walker Black was available. I declined.
A minute later I was informed that they had located a bottle of Johnie Walker Blue and asked if I would change my mind and have a taste....I accepted.
Shortly after take off, the food service began. The service was spot-on. Smiling, attentive, well-paced, not smothering. Every menu choice was truly delicious. Wow.
Hot Savoury
Deep-fried Crab Roll
First Course
Half Lobster Salad with Tartar Sauce
Soup
Pumpkin Cream Soup with Orange Peel
Main Course
Pork Curry "Pa-naeng" (with Peanuts)
Steamed Thai Hom Mali Rice
Stuffed Egg with Pork Thai Style
Sauteed Vegetables
or
Stir-fried US Scallop with Yee Heong Sauce
Egg Noodles, Vegetables
or
Roast Turkey stuffed with Apple, Mixed Berries Sauce
Roasted Potatoes, Mixed Vegetables
Assorted Bread, Crackers, Butter
Cheese and Fresh Fruits
Dessert
X'Mas Log Cake with Mixed Berries Sauce
Mixed Fruits Pearl
Nougat Ice Cream
Tea, Coffee
Espresso, Cappuccino
3 quick notes on the menu.
The "Hot Savoury" was listed as a deep-fried crab roll, but I was actually served some sort of sausage pieces with a dipping sauce.
I apologize to any wine enthusiast that has wandered onto this thread. I am not much of a wine drinker, other than the obligatory champagne to start off the flights. I failed to get any wine details for these flights.
The menu noted that during the last half of December, a menu choice is offered in recognition of the holidays. On this flight, it was the roasted turkey option. I have flown on US carriers on actually holidays (Thanksgiving, Christmas) and there was no change in the menu for these holiday flights. Interesting. I can't see how this would be so difficult to implement. It would certainly add some variety to what is becoming rather routine choices on UA.
Back to the flight....
Some sort of sausage with sauce - not my favorite. There was something mildly off-putting about the texture / flavor.
Table set for service
Half Lobster Salad with Tartar Sauce
Pumpkin Cream Soup with Orange Peel
Stuffed Egg with Pork - Thai Style
Steamed Rice, Sauteed Vegetables
Pork Curry "Pa-naeng" (with Peanuts)
Dessert with Cappuccino
With the exception of the sausage dish noted before, the entire meal service was delicious. All items were at the right temperature, everything tasted fresh and was well presented.
First Class Lav amenities
After a short nap (made all the more comfortable by the champagne and scotch), we landed in Beijing. The cabin crew and purser all stopped by to thank me for flying with them and wished me Merry Christmas. They also again apologized for the hour delay in arrival. Honestly, I had kind of forgot about the delay and my subsequent connection impact, but more on that in the next posting.
Orchid presented at flight's end
They also presented an orchid, which was a nice touch. I wasn't sure what to do with it as I was connecting to another flight. I'm not sure I would try to enter any country with a fresh flower anyway, so kinda shrugged my shoulders on that one.....
That about wraps up my first experience with Thai Airways. It was an amazing experience and I am grateful for the opportunity to have flown with them.
Thanks for taking the time to read. Any comments or questions are welcome. I will try to get around to posting about the UA segment shortly. These things take much longer to put together than I ever realized.