Welcome to my new series of FR's on my trip to Thailand this December!
BACKGROUND
This December, I went with my Dad and Brother to Thailand. My dad used to live here so it is a very special place for him. I've never been before, so we saw this opportunity. We settled on flying Y+ on CI for $1800 roundtrip SFO-TPE-BKK rt. The plus for CI Y+, is that on regional flights (without Y+), you are put in J! For the domestic flights, we flew on PG (Bangkok Airlines).
The itinerary is as follows:
PART I:
SFO-TPE — Y+ — CI 003 — 12/17/16 http://flight-report.com/en/report/21926/China-Airlines-CI-003-San-Francisco-SFO-Taipei-TPE
TPE-BKK — J — CI 823 — 12/18/16 YOU ARE HERE
BKK-CNX — Y — PG 906 — 12/18/16 [COMING SOON]
PART II:
CEI-BKK — Y — PG232 — 12/27/16 [COMING SOON]
BKK-USM— Y — PG135 — 12/27/16 [COMING SOON]
Part III:
USM-BKK — Y — PG148 — 12/31/16 [COMING SOON]
Part IV:
BKK-TPE — J — CI836 — 1/2/17 [COMING SOON]
TPE-SFO — Y+ — CI004 — 1/2/17 [COMING SOON]
Here is my routing for my international flights:
And the domestic ones:
CNX – Chiang Mai
CEI – Chiang Rai
USM – Koh Samui
Anyways…. lets get flying!
After arriving at TPE from my flight from SFO (http://flight-report.com/en/report/21926/China-Airlines-CI-003-San-Francisco-SFO-Taipei-TPE), I found out that the connection infrastructure there is pretty bad. They make you go through security again and the line is very long (30-45 mins) for the one lane that is operational and there is not a priority lane. Well, that needs work, hence the 2/10 efficiency rating. After that, we grab a quick breakfast in the CI lounge, sorry no pics. But if you're wondering, it is very crowded with hardly enough seating but the food is okay-ish, even though there is a lack of western options rendering most of the options relatively foreign for someone who has never set foot in Asia before (like me, except for the MidEast).
TPE Airport:
I had checked flightawere before boarding my plane in SFO, and it said that CI 823 was to be operated by a 737. However… when I arrived at the gate I had a surprise waiting for me…
The beautiful "Queen of the Skies" was waiting for me!!!!! Just glorious in the sunrise!!!!
My ride to BKK:
Priorities were respected at the boarding gate, and I went from lounge to seat in probably less than 10 mins. Boarding was equally painless in SFO with SkyPriority. CI is very good with their priority boarding.
Empty J-Class section of the gate:
And with much excitement, I enter the belly of the beat!!!!!!!
Some pics of CI J-class on the 747:
My seat w/ pillow:
Very nice selection of PDBs and snack mix / nuts (both were offered):
An apple juice for me:
This was the most delicious apple juice I've ever had, everything tastes better in J-class I guess!! :)
Taxiing at TPE:
Lining up to the runway:
And the mighty empress of the skies lifts off: (I'm playing of CI's callsign: "dynasty"):
After takeoff and before landing, a weird smell filled the cabin, witch is worth noting. Its probably not CI's fault, but it caused me to deduct 1 pt from the "cabin" rating.
Oshibori:
IFE folds out from armrest. Its called "fantasy sky". I think the slightly older system on the 747 is better than the new system (777 and A350). The interface makes more sense and the hardware is more intuitive.
The selection is also quite good, enough to keep me entertained.
Today's menu:
The choices for breakfast today is frittata w/ broccoli, ratatouille, and bacon or a minced chicken dish
The table is set and I have an Ovaltine to drink (Australian warm chocolate drink fondly remembered from my time growing up partially in Sydney):
My breakfast served all at once (w/ bacon removed by my Dad because he likes it and I don't eat it)
The entree was passable but not memorable. The fruit was nice enough but could have been more ripe. I enjoyed the yoghurt and bread.
After the meal I ask to sample the other dish, the FA hands me another entree with a big smile!
This dish is definitely better. I should have had it first time around. Never mind…
I finish with a jasmine tea (which I end up smelling but not drinking because I love the smell, but this cup of tea was way too strong for me):
I ramble around the cabin to find an almost completely empty Y section:
The galley is barely stocked for this shortish flight:
I head upstairs to check on the other J section:
The stairway to heaven:
They have a water dispenser which would be great on longer flights. EK has them on their A380s:
I talk with the FAs a bit. I found all of the CI FAs on all 4 of my flights to be very friendly and efficient at their jobs. They were all great, no exceptions!
The WC decoration was quite extravagant:
The seat is great for a 3-4 hour flight like this, which is mostly the kind of assignment that CI 747s do these days. However, they still do the YVR flight on the 747, and a long haul flight without a flat-bed is meh at best.
The full recline:
The privacy dividers:
As mentioned previously, the IFE on the 747 is very nice. Here are some hardware pics:
Noise cancelling headphones:
After watching a movie, I look at the moving map and realize that we are almost in Thai airspace!!!
Who's excited!!!!!!!????????????
Meeeeee!!!!!!!!!!
I ask for an apple juice before landing:
Some cool pics on approach and arrival:
BKK terminal:
CONCLUSION
I think that J class on intra-Asia connecting flights is a great added benefit of CI Y+ .
Their hard product is very good for anything under 8 hours I'd say. But on a long-haul route, not having a lie flat seat or better privacy dividers, say, might be problematic.
The catering for breakfast could use some work but it was generally okay. Dinner on BKK-TPE was very good though.
The IFE has a good selection and the hardware and interface are intuitive and easy to use. I prefer the older system to the new one, as previously mentioned.
The FAs were all great! They were friendly, happy to be there, and efficient!
TPE still needs to improve their infrastructure for connecting flights. The increasing volume of passengers can't fit into just one slow-moving security lane!! I'd also consider expanding the CI lounge so that there is enough seating for everyone. Although, to be fair, this was the morning rush.
BKK is a great airport. I think air travel would be much better and more comfortable if all airports were like BKK.
