Review of Thai Airways flight Hong Kong Bangkok in First

Airline Thai Airways
Flight TG601
Class First
Seat 2A
Aircraft Airbus A380-800
Flight time 02:40
Take-off 01 Jan 16, 13:25
Arrival at 01 Jan 16, 15:05
TG   #43 out of 95 Airlines A minimum of 10 flight-reports within the past two years is required to appear in the rankings. 398 reviews
dw55
By 4066
Published on 24th January 2016
This is the seventh flight of the series:
1. American Airlines, AA5941, LAX-SFO, First Class - http://flight-report.com/en/report-12916.html
2. Japan Airlines, JL1, SFO-HND, Business Class - http://flight-report.com/en/report-12932.html
3. Japan Airlines, JL25, HND-PEK, Business Class - http://flight-report.com/en/report-12939.html
4. Dragonair, KA997, PEK-HKG, Business Class - http://flight-report.com/en/report-12953.html
5. Cathay Pacific, CX474, HKG-TPE, Business Class - http://flight-report.com/en/report-12978.html
6. Hong Kong Airlines, HX253, TPE-HKG, Business Class - http://flight-report.com/en/report-12991.html
7. Thai Airways, TG601, HKG-BKK, First Class [This report]
8. Thai Airways, TG614, BKK-PEK, First Class - http://flight-report.com/en/report-13015.html
9. Air China, CA887, PEK-LAX, First Class - http://flight-report.com/en/report-13022.html

It was time to go back from Asia to the US… not quite yet. I had two more overnight stopovers - Bangkok and Beijing. The routing was created to stretch my miles as much as possible and to maximize my flying experience. The itinerary was booked with Avianca Lifemiles and took me several hours on the phone speaking with some of the most incompetent agents in the world (one of them didn't know what Bangkok is), but the reward was worth the effort.

Thai Airways check-in counter is located at Terminal 2 at HKG. There is a designated line for first class on the left.
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There were only a handful of people checking in. It was about one hour before departure. Most passengers must have checked in already.
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First time ever on first class! On an A380! I was super excited.
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This was my first time departing from Terminal 2. It looks more like a shopping mall than an airport!
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I thought Terminal 2 was mostly utilized by budget airlines - no idea why Thai is located there. The terminal itself doesn't have gates - just check-in counters, shops and restaurants, and immigration and security. The line for security check was quite long. While Hong Kong people are super efficient, I start to wonder why there isn't a designated line for premium cabin passengers, as many bloggers have complained. I guess it's another first world problem. After security, I had to take the APM back to Terminal 1 east, and then another one to the west side.

The Royal Orchid Lounge is located near Gate 40. It was 15 minutes from boarding - another rushed stay at the lounge. The first class section is located on the right side of the lounge and features a mini bar and some couches. It was used by only four passengers and was pretty quiet. Lounge attendant offered me a lunch menu, but I declined due to lack of time for a meal.
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Nice tarmac view from the lounge
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Lounge agent informed me of a slight delay. I was full from breakfast, but was craving for some sweets. Soup, salad and a few hot dishes were also available at the buffet.
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Ready for boarding
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Both J and Y lines were long. There's a designated line for F. No rush to board.
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I'm not boarding without taking some pictures of the aircraft first. My second ride on A380. Still in awe.
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The ascend to the upper deck
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I was warmly greeted and guided to my suite - 2A.
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There are three rows of seats in 1-2-1 configuration. Cabin and seats are very new. I like the color theme - calm and elegant.
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Newspaper, menu, blanket and pillow were waiting for me in the suite.
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Dom Pérignon and Oshibori
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After hopping around in excitement and taking many pictures of the cabin and the seat, I settled down in my seat.
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Another glass of Dom. I'm not an alcohol person, but man, this tastes so good!
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Taking off from 07R
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Dom and sparkling water
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Amuse-bouche. I was offered a second one. Why not.
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The screen
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Appetizer, along with bread basket and garlic bread. I'm usually happy with garlic bread and find the bread basket quite wasteful.
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Lobster thermidor for entree, which I pre-ordered online. It tastes very good!
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Entree with bread and more Dom
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Cheese and fruits. Not particularly fond of cheese, but I finished it anyway.
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Dessert and tea, perfect way to end the meal.
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A little lounge area
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First class lavatory is huge
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I was offered a free 10MB Wi-Fi access card.
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I took a nap after a filling lunch. The bed was very comfortable.
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Approaching BKK
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Another TG A380 parked on the tarmac
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Vietnam Airlines @ BKK
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Golf-cart ride to immigration or connecting flight. This is just the beginning of the over-the-top ground service offered by Thai Airways.
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After reaching immigration, I got off the cart and walked to immigration myself, but was called back by a TG employee, who was going to escort me through immigration, take me to baggage claim, retrieve my bag from the belt, and walk me to the Airport Rail Link station on the lower level. This was my first time receiving this kind of VVIP treatment and I was totally blown away. I almost felt too embarrassed because I redeemed miles for this.
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Verdict

Thai Airways

9.1/10
Cabin9.5
Cabin crew9.0
Entertainment/wifi8.5
Meal/catering9.5

Thai Royal Orchid

7.8/10
Comfort8.0
Meal/catering8.0
Entertainment/wifi7.0
Services8.0

Hong Kong - HKG

9.1/10
Efficiency8.0
Access9.5
Services9.0
Cleanliness10.0

Bangkok - BKK

9.0/10
Efficiency9.0
Access9.0
Services8.0
Cleanliness10.0

Conclusion

Very impressive experience on my first TG and first class flight! Cabin and seats were very new and comfortable. First class cabin was served by a male and a female crew member, both very professional, and the female particularly warm. Food was really good, especially the lobster thermidor that I pre-ordered online. It was also the choice of my other two seatmates. It was the most popular dish according to the purser. Ground service was over-the-top and made me feel like a dignitary. However, if this is over-the-top, departure ground service would be heavenly. More on that in the next report.

Information on the route Hong Kong (HKG) Bangkok (BKK)

Les contributeurs de Flight-Report ont posté 49 avis concernant 8 compagnies sur la ligne Hong Kong (HKG) → Bangkok (BKK).


Useful

La compagnie qui obtient la meilleure moyenne est Emirates avec 8.4/10.

La durée moyenne des vols est de 2 heures et 51 minutes.

  More information

3 Comments

If you liked this review or if you have any questions, don’t hesitate to post a comment below !
  • Comment 155963 by
    KévinDC TEAM SILVER 6668 Comments
    It was time to go back from Asia to the US
    - That was short! granted, I've done weekends to HKG and SIN from the US East Coast, lol, so this is a bit longer.

    First time ever on first class! On an A380! I was super excited.
    - That is exciting!! One of the major reasons I switched from DL Skymiles to AA Advantage was the ability to be able to redeem for International First class.

    I thought Terminal 2 was mostly utilized by budget airlines - no idea why Thai is located there.
    - Same here. The only times I've been to Terminal 2 is to check in for a TG flight same as you.

    While Hong Kong people are super efficient, I start to wonder why there isn't a designated line for premium cabin passengers, as many bloggers have complained.
    - That annoys me as well, but security and immigration go so fast that I usually don't care once I'm through.

    Cabin and seats are very new. I like the color theme - calm and elegant.
    - TG always does a good job with color schemes and interiors (on newer planes anyway).

    The catering looks great and Dom Perignon on a 4 hour flight makes this a truly First class experience!







    • Comment 333352 by
      dw55 AUTHOR 45 Comments
      Unfortunately AA miles will devalue soon. First class awards are getting harder to redeem.
      I have nothing to compare to, but this flight certainly sets a high standard!
    • Comment 333354 by
      KévinDC TEAM SILVER 6668 Comments
      Yeah, it's a shame that AA miles are being devalued, but the redemption levels will still be about the same as DL and UA's, which are currently higher than AA. The biggest shame is the mileage accruals going to a revenue-based system, which is again copying DL and UA.

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