After a couple of days in Bangkok, staying at the Le Meridien on points, it was time to fly to Bhutan!
KB127 flies from Bangkok to Dhaka to Paro. Ground operations at BKK are handled through Thai Airways. I was flying business class, which was only about $60 more than economy, but the check-in lines were about the same either way.
No seat assignments are available in advance on Druk Air; you have to ask in person. This means it pays to get to the airport in advance of your flight, because you need to pick the correct side of the plane for the best views. On flights from Bangkok to Paro, the left is where you want to be. Luckily, there was one window seat available in business, on the left. I nabbed it, and went to the lounge. It's a shared Air France contract lounge, and not worth a visit. Sub-Red Carpet Club catering.
I snapped this pic, downloaded some emails, and then went out to the airport in search of some last-minute souvenirs.
Boarding was about 10 minutes late, and I was shuttled to the plane with the rest of four-row business class. We were on an A319, which is the only plane Druk AIr flies internationally, and the only one suitable for the rather extreme landing/takeoff route through the mountains. It was generally in good shape.
Seats are nice, perhaps slightly better than domestic first in the US.
This pic is from my next flight, where I sat on the right.
Legroom is decent:
After a welcome juice and warm towels, menus were distributed:
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Fruit starter:
And my main, which was fine.
But the real fun was outside of the plane - the views were incredible.
Flying over Bangladesh, before our brief stop in Dhaka.
A few "foothills," too short and insigificant to be named.
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A view of Everest (very small on the left side of the pic):
Then we landed, banking left, then right, straight into the valley at the center-right of the pic:
And we were on the ground! Even the airport was scenic:
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