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It seems like an eternity since I last wrote an entry to this report but never the less here I am again your intrepid travel reporter signing on for another instalment.

It seems this is to be another report of a flying visit to Oz. Work issues meant I was unable to take the two weeks I was planning in February to complete this RTW. Instead I have been forced to make a 2 day flying visit home due to a non-changeable outbound on my ticket to Oz.

I decided to slot in the next flight on the RTW, the SYD-HKG sector and use an award redemption to get me back to London from Hong Kong.

As to how I finish the remaining sectors of the RTW that is still questionable and entirely dependant on my current search for employment over the coming weeks.

Anyway on with the task at hand now. As noted above I had purchased a ‘fixed outbound but flexible inbound’ flight on TG to get me back to OZ.

This report has this OW explorer exploring a new world of Thai Business Class.

It all starts with the usual two tube and the HEX to LHR. This was the usual painless affair with no delays on the tube or the express train.

At T3 I found the Thai business class desks and enquired about changing my seat to the window seat exit row upstairs which had been shown as blocked but unoccupied on EF. However the agent said it was not possible.

With instructions on which lounge to use and my BP in hand I proceeded to the Fast Track security to find the line queuing out into the main concourse.

I opted for slow track which was slow but after waiting 10 minutes they opened another scanner and I was third in the queue for this new machine.
No beeps or farts and I was through in no time and walked straight past the unmanned passport check desks towards the shopping mall.

After strolling around aimlessly for a bit I headed into the SAS lounge and upstairs to find some food. The lounge is over two levels with a lot of seating and food on offer on both levels. Upstairs they had cereal, fruit, yoghurt, juices, coffee and tea, pastries soft drinks and beer on tap.

I grabbed some fruit and yoghurt and a juice and sat down to read the paper for a while. After I had finished eating I fired up my laptop and attempted to check mail etc. I needed a password for the SAS lounge free wifi that could be obtained at the front desk. I opted for the lazy option and used the BA lounge wifi from downstairs which didn’t need a password.

Around the time my flight was due to board I headed out and went down to the gate. At the gate there was a passport and BP check before the queue to get the BP swiped. The agent noticed my J BP and opened a gate for me to let me bypass the queue and head straight to a desk. Once my BP was swiped I was checked out by the secondary security guy who let me by without wanting to check my bag.

After waiting in the lounge for about 10 minutes they announced boarding of those needing assistance. A few minutes later first and business class were invited to board. I wandered on down the ramp and went on upstairs as there was no crew member at the door.

Flight TG911 LHR-BKK Seat 84A
Aircraft: 747-400
Departure time: 11:50

I was greeted at the top of the stairs with the traditional Thai greeting and shown my seat which was the first row along on the port side. I was able to stow my bag in the window storage unit. This old 747 had very small overhead bins. There was a blanket, pillow and amenity kit on my seat.

Drinks and hot towels were handed out prior to take off and opted for a wee bit of the bubbly. The menus were handed out and the food orders were taken whilst we were still on the ground.

Push back was at 11:53 and a flying time of 10 hours and 15 minutes was announced by the captain. We taxied and queued for an age before finally taking off at 12:25. The flight was quite full upstairs with a couple that had been split being shifted around which left one of two vacant seats upstairs being the one next to me.

After the seat belt sign was extinguished peanuts in their cellophane wrapper were handed out along with drinks from the cart. I broke from tradition and opted for a dry martini which was very nice indeed. The crew member upon delivering it said ‘I put three olives in it for you’.

On the menu for lunch today was:

London – Bangkok

First Serving

Thai Hot Savoury
Deep-fried Shrimp Cake with Corn, Cucumber Relish Sauce

First Course
Sweet and Spicy Salmon Brochette
Thai Chicken Fillets with Pandan Leaves

Salad
Mixed Green Salad, Balsamic Vinegar Dressing

Main Course
Lamb Rack with Port Wine Jus Sauce
Roasted Oven Vegetables, Roasted Potatoes
Or
Baked Sea Trout
Olive Oil and Lemon Dressing Sauce
Roasted Potatoes, Vegetables
Or
Beef Stroganoff
Butter Tagliatelles
Carrots and Snap Peas
Or
Chicken Curry Pa-naeng (with Peanuts)
Steamed Thai Hom Mali Rice, Stir-fried Mixed Vegetables

Assorted Breads / Butter
Assorted Cheese / Fresh Fruits


Dessert
Cherry Clafoutis
Vanilla Sauce

Tea, Coffee, Espresso, Cappuccino

Throughout the flight:
Sandwiches available on request

Tea, Coffee

Wine List

Premium Champagne
Wasn't listed but was Charles Heidsieck Brut Reserve

Red Wine
Bourgogne Rouge Pinot Noir Vieilles Vignes 2007
There is some cherry fruit on the nose here, with a very slight furry edge. The palate is cleaner though, lean, firm, and structured. The fruit is lean, there is grip and a pretty, punchy character.

Chateau Poujeaux 2005
Real “pleasure wine” with silky ripe tannins, fruity and floral notes. It is massive, chewy with low acidity. Beyond those easy sensations, hides the real complexity and depth of this wine.

White Wine
Bourgogne Chardonnay Vieilles Vignes 2007
It has lovely fresh nose, bright but vinous and nutty. It has good, broad presence on the palate, appealing with good grip, lots of fine texture, and not a hint of leanness. A nice, peppery grip and good firm finish.

Krug’scher Hof Chardonnay Spatlese trocken 2007
A deliciously complex wine. The focus of this wine is the pure, clear outstanding character of chardonnay grape. A range of exotic fruit, citrus, vineyard pear, apricots, figs, etc.

Aperitifs
Campari
Gin Martini
Screwdriver
Bloody Mary
Black Russian
Vodka Martini
Warre’s Warrior Port

Spirits
Rum
Gin
Bourbon Whisky
Whisky
Vodka

Cognac & Liqueurs
Remy Martin X.O.
Kahlua
Drambuie
Grand Marnier Cordon Rouge

Beers
Heineken
Chang Beer
Singha Beer

Soft Drinks
Fruit Juices
Diet Soft Drinks
A Range of Soft Drinks

Beverages
Espresso
Cappuccino
Instant Coffee
Decaffeinated Coffee
Special Blend Coffee
Oolong Tea
Ceylon High Tea
Japanese Green Tea
Chocolate Malt 3 in 1

The shrimp cakes were delivered just after the drinks were handed out and were quite nice and it appears this is the Thai airlines equivalent of the signature Satay appetiser served on SQ.

After the drinks were drunk the table was made up for the lunch service. The tray was delivered to my table with the starter and salad. The salmon and chicken of the starter dish were quite over cooked and tough.
Bread was offered with the meal several times. The garlic bread was delicious. I chose to drink the Chateau Poujeaux with the meal and it was lovely and smooth but with great body and flavour.
I decided to try Thai and went with the curry for my main and was glad I did. It was very nice with just the right amount of kick to it.
I decided to go with some cheese after lunch along with a glass of the very tasty port.

After the cheese I paid a visit to the loo and discovered the very nice Thann body lotion inside. On return to my seat the ‘3 olives’ crew member said ‘I left you some dessert.’ Hmm think I have a fan.

I wasn’t going to partake but since it was there I decided I had better eat it.

After the lunch was over I decided to see what was on offer on the IFE. The system mostly works well and I like the fact that you can view the moving map whilst still listening to an audio on demand CD. The choice available for both movies and music was somewhat limited when compared to the likes of SQ, QF and CX but I managed to find a few items to watch and listen to that took my fancy. There seemed to be a problem with the looped music programmes as every channel I chose played the same music.

After a movie or two I decided to hunker down for some kip. The seat is a lie flat at an angle variety and was not too bad to sleep in. There was a problem with the seat controls on my seat and the finite adjustment buttons were not working so I couldn’t change the seat apart from putting it up and down from sleep mode to seat mode.

Around 1 hour and 50 minutes out of BKK the lights were turned on and the cabin prepared for breakfast. A round of hot towels were then delivered.

Second Serving

Fresh Fruits and Yoghurt

Main Course
Spinach and Ricotta Pinwheel
Sauteed Button Mushroom
Chicken Sausage
Sauteed Potatoes
Grilled Tomato
Or
Scrambled Egg and Chive Omelet
Pork Sausages
Mushrooms, Herb Crust Tomato
Roesti Potatoes
Or
Yellow Noodle Soup with Chinese Roast Pork
Assorted Breads, Jam, Butter
Tea, Coffee, Hot Chocolate

Juice was delivered to my seat prior to the table being set for breakfast.
The tray was delivered with the fruit plate and yoghurt onboard. I opted for tea with lemon as my beverage of choice for this morning service.

After I had devoured those the main omelette was handed out which was OK but nothing brilliant. It was quite a strange concoction with scrambled egg inside an omelette.

After the meal was cleared away it was time to make ready for our landing into Bangkok.

We landed at 05:40 at the complete opposite end of the airport to the gate assigned for my flight to Melbourne. This was probably a good thing as it gave me a good chance to stretch my legs and do some power walking for a while.

Upon reaching the E gates area I made my way through the security checkpoint before heading upstairs to the departures area.

There were two business class lounges in the E gate area but one was closed at this early hour of the morning. I entered the open lounge and enquired about a shower but was told they were all full and I would have to wait. The agent said she would come to get me when one was ready. I then went inside and attempted to find a seat in the very busy lounge.

The agent came to collect me but when we got to the showers area was told that someone else had just taken it and they would come and get me when one was ready.
This happened around 5 minutes later and I was eventually able to have a lovely warm shower and got to try some more of the Thann products. After the shower I wandered the lounge in search of a seat but gave up and went outside.
I then noticed the lounge across the way was open. I went inside to find a much less crowded lounge in which to wait out the rest of my time in BKK.

Nearing the time for boarding of my MEL flight I headed down to the gate where I underwent a secondary screening looking for liquids. It appears Australia is not permitting any liquids on flights that are over 100ml. The Aussie duty free stores must love that ruling.

I waited in the gate lounge for a while before boarding was finally announced. There was a scrum at the entrance to the bridge but the staff were good at sending back the civilians when boarding for Business class was announced. I made my way forward and down the bridge to the plane.

Flight TG461 BKK-MEL Seat 12A
Aircraft: 777-300
Departure time: 08:10

On board I placed my bag in the overhead and sat at my seat which had a blanket, pillow and kit waiting for me on it. The seat is a slightly newer version of the 747 seat which seemed to be a little roomier and all the controls worked too!

Drinks were offered prior to take off along with hot towels as on the previous flight. Again the bubbles was my choice of bevvie. An announcement was made that the flight was being delayed whilst we waited for some connecting passengers from a delayed inbound from FRA. However we were assured that with a short flight time of 8 hours and 39 minutes we would still make Melbourne on time.

Eventually a few more people piled onto our plane and on the close of doors the J cabin was all but full.

We pushed back at 08:35 and taxied forever to the far end of the airport perimeter. We took off eventually at 09:00.

After the belt sign was switched off a juice round was made that preceded the breakfast offering.

Bangkok – Melbourne

First Serving

First Course
Fresh Fruits
Yoghurt

Main Course
Spanish Omelet, Premium Chicken Sausage
Vegetable Nugget
Baked Half Tomato with Olive Oil and Oregano
Or
Cold Cuts Platter
Wild Boar with Pistachio
Black Forrest Pepper Salami, Butcher Ham, Emmenthal Cheese#

Assorted Breads, Butter, Jam
Tea, Coffee, Hot Chocolate

During the flight (Available on request)
Instant Noodle Soup with Garnitures (Fish Balls and Shrimp Balls)

The table was set and tray with fruit starter with yoghurt and pastries was presented.
I decided to go with the cold cuts instead of the omelette.
After breakfast the crew closed all the blinds. I settled in and watched another movie before getting a little more shut eye. After I woke up I read for a while until around 2 and half hours out the lights came on and the dinner service was prepared.

A drinks round was made along with the signature shrimp cakes and some rice nibbles. Again in a break from tradition I opted for a G&T.

The wine and beverage selection was the same as the previous flight. The menu for dinner consisted of:

Second Serving

Hot Savoury
Deep-fried Fish Cake with Cucumber Salad Thai Style

First Course
Marinated Salmon, Tossed Brown Soba Noodles
Smoked French Ham with Melon Balls
Mirin Dressing in Tomato

Salad
Mixed Green Salad with Italian Tiziano Dressing

Main Course
Lamb Noisette with Fresh Peppercorn
Pan-fried Spatzle, Carrot, Zucchini and Pumpkin
Or
Stir-fried Pork Neck with Leek in Sichuan Style
Oriental Fried Rice, Stir-fried Vegetables in Oyster Sauce
Or
Tub-tim Fish with Sundried Tomato Butter
Mixed Vegetables
Or
Chicken thigh in Green Curry “Kiew-wan”
Steamed Thai Hom Mali Rice, Stir-fried Pickled Cabbage with Egg

Assorted Bread, Butter
Assorted Cheese, Fresh Fruits

Dessert
Pandan Sago Seed / Water Chestnut with Coconut Cream

Tea, Coffee, Espresso, Cappuccino

The table was set and the tray with the starters and salad was delivered to my seat.
The starter was better cooked this time and was an interesting mix of cuisines all on one plate.

Again I decided to go with the Thai food which was quite spicy but full of flavour. I drank the Chateau Poujeaux again with this meal.
There were plenty of offers to re-fill my glass and the bread plate during the meal.

I decided to forgo any further food after the main course as I was quite sated.

After the meal was cleared away people started to open their blinds and the setting sun could be seen out of the windows on the opposite side of the cabin. Out my window I could see a huge moon sitting atop the last remnants of light in the Eastern sky.

We landed at 21:23 only a few minutes late but took our time getting to the gate as we had to wait to cross the active runway. At the gate the agent could not get the air-bridge to work so we had to all turn around and go back to door two. The crew were excellent at stopping the econ people from jumping the gun and let us off first.

I made my way quickly through the biometric entry system and was waiting in the baggage claim area within 10 minutes of pulling up at the gate. I caught the eye of a roving customs officer and got the green stamp on my card. My bag appeared within the first dozen about 5 minutes later. I then was directed straight outside by customs officials without the need to have my bag scanned.

I greeted my parents outside and we walked out into the balmy 27 C night in Melbourne. A big change from the near zero temperatures I had been enduring in London in the preceding weeks.