I will do one of my patented BR full trip reports after I get home, but a couple of notes from flying SFO(!)-TPE-BKK on 29/30Jan.
The SEA-TPE flight was not operational on the day that I needed, so SFO on BR 17 it was. This flight was Diamond heavy. I only booked three days out and tried to upgrade from Elite to PL but did not clear. There were four other Diamond members in Elite, I'm not sure of the numbers in PL or coach, but the Diamond part of the SFO lounge was packed. The flight went out at 100%+ capacity including infants.
Yes, as previously reported menu cards are back in Elite (that will make it easier when I write the full TR). I noticed a slight improvement in food quality as well.
My TPE-BKK BR 67 flight had only one open seat in Elite, but PL was packed with deadheading crew; 10 of the 12 seats in the second PL section were crew as well as quite a few in the forward section as well. Menu cards were also handed out on this short segment. For the first time, I was given a priority card to get through Thai immigration, and it saved me at least an hour. Baggage delivery though was the worst I have seen it. Crew bags came out before Priority, and my Priority tagged bags came out almost last. I wouldn't have noticed if I didn't get through immigration as fast as I did.
One interesting note, the flight deck no longer say "cabin attendants, service check" at 10,000 feet on either the ascent or the decent of the aircraft. It made timing a bathroom run awkward.
