Review of Bangkok Airways flight Bangkok Chiang Mai in Economy

Airline Bangkok Airways
Flight PG 906
Class Economy
Seat --
Aircraft Airbus A319
Flight time 01:15
Take-off 18 Dec 16, 14:35
Arrival at 18 Dec 16, 15:50
PG   #28 out of 96 Airlines A minimum of 10 flight-reports within the past two years is required to appear in the rankings. 122 reviews
MrMax
By 1158
Published on 5th May 2017
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 http://flight-report.com/en/report/24111/China-Airlines-CI-823-Taipei-TPE-Bangkok-BKK%3Fv=53&edit=_edit_report
BKK-CNX — Y — PG 906 — 12/18/16 YOU ARE HERE

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:

photo screen shot 2017-03-19 at 4.34.29 pm

And the domestic ones:

photo screen shot 2017-03-19 at 4.35.17 pm

CNX – Chiang Mai
CEI – Chiang Rai
USM – Koh Samui



Anyways…. lets get flying!



After getting off my flight from TPE, I connected (separate reservation) to this PG flight to Chiang Mai.

BKK departures hall artwork before security, like the ones a Wat Pho:

photo img_2142photo img_2143


Architecture is really nice in this area of BKK:

photo img_2144

After the really easy and convenient security check, we head down an escalator to the boarding area. It is kind of uncommon that the gates are below the departures hall.


Security took less than 1 min to clear. Security at all Thai airports was really easy and dignified. The USA (and TPE for that matter) has a lot to learn.


Down we go!

photo img_2145


Really nice interior atrium. It makes BKK so much more inviting as an airport – again teaching the US airports a lesson.

photo img_2146


Part of what makes PG a very nice airline is that they have a lounge for all their passengers – even those in Y w/o a ff# – at BKK, and they have free snacks/drinks at their gates at outstations. It makes the airline a lot more friendly and makes it clear that they care about you (more than you can say for the US carriers).

photo img_2147

That was the entrance. The lounge isn't that nice. Its way too crowded and there are lots of stains on the sofas, etc. I like the concept, but it needs tweaking. Maybe they could charge a few baht for entry and probably lots of people wouldn't come?


There were TV screens celebration the accomplishments of the late King Rama IX. His death is a time of great sadness for Thailand, and these monitors were at every gate at BKK.

photo img_2149


My plane for today. Conveniently called "Chiang Mai" (HS-PPC):

photo img_2148


Watching the CI 747 that brought me to BKK takeoff again for TPE:

photo img_2153


There was a gate change but PG staff handled it well. Boarding:

photo img_2158photo img_2159photo img_2161


Our row of 3 seats:

image


Legroom is good for a short hop. But I wouldn't enjoy this plane on a longer flight:

photo img_2163

The flight time is announced to be 55 mins.

In-flight literature w/ this months magazine being dedicated to the late King Rama IX:

Taxi to runway:




Lining up to runway:

photo img_2179


We takeoff with a 10 min delay bc of high traffic:




View of Bangkok's surroundings:




Shortly after takeoff, the FA comes on the loudspeaker and says that lunch will be turmeric chicken stew w/ rice and vegetables. A hot meal on a 55 minute flight is great, and demonstrates PG's dedication to customer service!!!

My meal:

photo img_2189

The dessert is a small cake with raspberry filling.


The main course minus the foil:

photo img_2190

The meal is quite tasty – actually even better than CI's TPAC Y+ product ( Read about it here). The main is well flavored, even if the chicken is a little overcooked, and the dessert is really tasty!!


The crew go through the aisle after the meal offering tea and orange juice:


Orange juice (not so good, but never mind):

photo img_2191


The tea is nice though:

photo img_2192

…and if you needed evidence that I enjoyed the meal….


Shortly after trays are collected, we start our descent to CNX:




And… landing!!!



CONCLUSION



I think that PG has an excellent product for these domestic flights in Thailand. The service is great, and the price is right.

The cabin was a little old and the window was scratched. The legroom was also suboptimal for a long flight. But there weren't any issues on this short flight.

The crew are efficient and do their jobs well without being hasty, but other than that, are unremarkable.

The in-flight literature is acceptable. But for this flight, I read my own books.

The catering couldn't have been better. Not only did PG provide a meal on such a short flight, but the food was very tasty, and the portion was generous. 10/10

BKK is an all around good airport that I was delighted to return to 3 separate times during my trip.

CNX is an old airport that is showing it's age, and is a little decrepit. But the arrivals were very efficient and it is close enough to the city center.

Thanks for reading and keep posted for section II in this series of FRs, in which I travel from Chiang Rai to Koh Samui, with a stop in BKK .

Also, please drop me a line in the comments section, and, if you enjoyed reading this FR, "like" it!

See more

Verdict

Bangkok Airways

8.5/10
Cabin7.0
Cabin crew8.5
Entertainment/wifi8.5
Meal/catering10.0

Bangkok Airways Boutique Lounge - Domestic

5.0/10
Comfort3.0
Meal/catering6.5
Entertainment/wifi5.0
Services5.5

Bangkok - BKK

7.6/10
Efficiency8.5
Access8.0
Services7.0
Cleanliness7.0

Chiang Mai - CNX

7.6/10
Efficiency9.5
Access9.0
Services7.5
Cleanliness4.5

Conclusion

I think that PG has an excellent product for these domestic flights in Thailand. The service is great, and the price is right.

The cabin was a little old and the window was scratched. The legroom was also suboptimal for a long flight. But there weren't any issues on this short flight.

The crew are efficient and do their jobs well without being hasty, but other than that, are unremarkable.

The in-flight literature is acceptable. But for this flight, I read my own books.

The catering couldn't have been better. Not only did PG provide a meal on such a short flight, but the food was very tasty, and the portion was generous. 10/10

BKK is an all around good airport that I was delighted to return to 3 separate times during my trip.

CNX is an old airport that is showing it's age, and is a little decrepit. But the arrivals were very efficient and it is close enough to the city center.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Thanks for reading and keep posted for section II in this series of FRs, in which I travel from Chiang Rai to Koh Samui, with a stop in BKK .

Also, please drop me a line in the comments section, and, if you enjoyed reading this FR, "like" it!

Information on the route Bangkok (BKK) Chiang Mai (CNX)

Les contributeurs de Flight-Report ont posté 17 avis concernant 4 compagnies sur la ligne Bangkok (BKK) → Chiang Mai (CNX).


Useful

La compagnie qui obtient la meilleure moyenne est Thai Airways avec 8.1/10.

La durée moyenne des vols est de 1 heures et 14 minutes.

  More information

2 Comments

If you liked this review or if you have any questions, don’t hesitate to post a comment below !
  • Comment 396304 by
    MRTY 61 Comments
    Nice service on Bangkok Airways. I never knew that PG is not purely an LCC and they still serve a hot meal even for this very short hop.
    Great report and great insight for their service.
    • Comment 396417 by
      MrMax AUTHOR 142 Comments
      Thanks for your feedback! I agree that PG is the best option for domestic flights in Thailand (Full disclosure: This is the only Thai domestic carrier I have ever flown, but I've read FRs for many others.) Their meals on other flights weren't as nice as on this flight. But on flights that are only about 1 hr, its the thought that counts.

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