Hello Flight Report community and thanks for stopping by this review.
This report series is book-ended by flying the two Japanese carriers in the USA-HND market, ANA and JAL. I have always been keen to try the Thai 747 in first so long story short I managed to add ANA HND-PEK in J on the 787-9 (new type for me) and PEK-BKK on TG in the 747 in F. For the return I pulled off a fantastic (for an airline nerd) routing of CX BKK-HKG in F(overnight at HKG), CX HKG-HND in F and JL HND-SFO in F.
The reports will be broken down as follows:
LAX Star Alliance First Class Lounge and ANA LAX-HND (First)http://flight-report.com/en/report-13078.html
ANA Haneda First Class Lounges and ANA HND-PEK (Business)http://flight-report.com/en/report-13099.html
Getting TG'd by Thai Airways PEK-BKK (Business) (This report)
Cathay Pacific Bangkok Lounge and CX BKK-HKG (First) http://flight-report.com/en/report-13173.html
Cathay Pacific The Wing and The Pier and CX HKG-HND (First) http://flight-report.com/en/report-13195.html
JAL Haneda First Class Lounge and JL HND-SFO (First) http://flight-report.com/en/report-13216.html
We pick up the trip at Beijing Capital Airport in the beautiful Terminal 3. I am among the first off hte ANA flight and I proceed to the transit area. There is no one staffing the Thai Airways counter and information is scarce due to my lack of Mandarin speaking. I feared this may happen as I am about 4 hours early to the Thai flight. It seemed my decision was to wait here for a Thai/Star Alliance representative to appear of go ahead and enter China and go downstairs to the check in counter. I am in posession fo a 10 year China visa so I decided to just go through immigration. The wait wasn't too terrible and I was through in about 30 minutes.
I took the train to the terminal head and searched out the Thai Airways check in counter. It seems I was too early for them as well so I killed some time walking the terminal and having a tasty bowl of spicy noodles.
This was some sort of fast food restaurant and thankfully they accepted credit cards so I didn't have to bother with currency exchange.
I strolled past the Thai counter again and noticed a queue so I figured they were close to opening.
When it was my turn I presented my passport to the agent. She typed, paused, and muttered something to herself and went to get the assistance of another agent, this time a male. It was at this point I knew exactly what the issue was. I had been TG'd. It's one of those things you read about but don't actually expect to happen to you. The male agent started right away with he explanation that "the airplane they sent is without First Class." Of course I was crestfallen but I had no recourse. I was told that they would block the seat next to me and I could select any seat. I didn't bother to explain that I had come a long way and taken a strange routing just to be on their 747, it would have fallen on deaf ears. So, I took my boarding pass and went on my way to security and immigration.
I was tired from traveling so I think the disappointment may have weighed a little heavier than normal on me. Looking back it's quite a trivial first world problem but at the time I allowed this change in plans to put me in a sour mood. Maybe because of my sour mood I didn't really document this leg of the trip very well. I stopped briefly at the Air China lounge, did the silly dace to get the wifi, and used the toilet. It's not a great lounge.
I wandered airside for the remainder of time and finally decided to board. After my boarding pass was scanned I was stopped by a well dressed Chinese woman who identified herself as the Thai Airways station manager or CSM for PEK. She went into the apology for the service change but frankly I didn't want to hear it. She mentioned that she will provide me with "compensation but wanted to accompany me to my seat first. OK, we walked together down the jetway and I asked her how many were bumped form First today. Just me. Of course, why send a 747 up here for 1 First Class passenger.
We were greeted at the door of the A330-300 and I was shown to my bulkhead seat, 11A. At this point she produces an envelope that she describes as compensation for the service change. It has about 2,000 Yuan in cash. She apologizes again and asks me to sign a receipt for the Yuan. I signed the receipt and she was on her way. We got a few strange looks exchanging a bulging envelope of cash on the airplane and it all felt a little weird. Why did she want this transaction to take place on the airplane? It would have been far more useful to me to have time to change the money to Thai Bhat (or whatever) while still in China. Oh well, it's Thai Airways and we're in China so it is no surprise that this would be handled in a way that is foreign to me.
After the shady "compensation" exchange I was welcomed by the lovely and charming head flight attendant, who added her apology for the service change. She could not have been nicer and more willing to try to "make it up to me." This started with a glass of champagne, Veuve Clicquot.
Then I looked around at the dated cabin on this A330.
Apparently the staff had been briefed on my lament as two others welcomed me mentioned the "situation." I know it was in good faith but I was beginning to feel self conscious! The door was closed and we left on time. The J cabin was perhaps 65% occupied, from what I could see. Again, feeling a little sorry for myself I didn't take the photos I would normally take.
Service started with beverages served from a cart.
I requested the Veuve and Perrier. These were accompanied by almonds.
After the beverage distribution the table was set and the starter was served. The duck was very salty but tasty and prawn was nicely cooked.
One perk of the empty J seat next to me was having two video systems! I watched Simon Pegg and Lake Bell in Man Up and could also follow our progress on the flight map.
For the main I opted for pork. It was full of tendon and I didn't know if I was to eat that part. It was frankly a sad dish that I barely touched.
The cheese was offered next, from the cart. I stayed with the Veuve Clicquot throughout the flight. The whole while thinking, " this isn't Dom." ;)
A small tart was served for dessert.
We landed on time and I was greeted at the airplane door as a Fist Class passenger would. I was driven by buggy to immigration and taken to a VIP/Diplomat line with no waiting. I very much appreciated this as it was quite crowded otherwise.
Awwwww man, the least they could have done was send a 788! That is a disappointing turn of events, but again, no particular surprise from TG. When I did my short TG F run last year, I'll admit that I was half expecting to find something other than a 747 awaiting me when I showed up at the gate.
A good crew, though, can take a lot of sting out of something like a downgauge, and it certainly seems like this crew did.
Glad to see that your next travels don't include such problems, and we don't have to make getting CXed a thing.
Greetings Hometoyyz and thanks for commiserating. It sounds as if you've been TG'd somewhere along the way?
...the least they could have done was send a 788!
-Yes, this would have softened the letdown a little.
Glad to see that your next travels don't include such problems, and we don't have to make getting CXed a thing.'
-So true. I cannot even fathom CX or SQ making such frequent class of service changes to customers.
Thanks again and happy flying.