Thai Airways A380 in BKK
At The Airport
The previous flight arrived at Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport on time and was parked on the tarmac. Instead of entering the airport terminal from the aerobridge, we were brought to the terminal by the airport bus. It seems that Thai Airways only catered 1 bus to transfer a full load of passengers to the terminal, as such instead of having 1½ hour transit time, I only had 20 mins to rush to the next departing gate. Suvarnabhumi Airport is quite big which means I had to run to the boarding gate. By the time I reached the gate, it is about to close.
Thai Airways A380-800 departs from Gate E4
The Aircraft
The Cabin
The seats in Economy Class Cabin onboard Thai Airways A380 is decked with the familiar vibrant colourful seats with hues of purple, orange and yellow. This colour scheme makes the cabin look cheerful and certainly brightens the mood of holidaymakers. There are a total of 435 seats in the Economy Class Cabin. The main bulk of the Economy Class Cabin onboard Thai Airways A380 occupies the lower deck of the aircraft, with 361 seats split into 3 sections spreading across the entire lower deck. There are 74 seats at the rear of the upper deck, just behind the Business Class seats. The Economy Class seats are reserved for higher paying travellers in this class, passengers travelling on promotional prices are not able to select these upper deck seats until the internet check-in opens up (which is 24 hours prior to departure). As the seats on the upper deck are full at the time I checked-in online, I was only able to get the seats on the lower deck.
A very vibrant colour scheme in the Economy Class Cabin onboard Thai Airways A380
The rear Economy Class section on board Thai Airways A380
Thai Airways A380 Economy Class cabin
There are numerous lavatories spread across the entire lower deck. The lavatories are rather small compared to some other airlines such as Singapore Airlines. However, they sufficiently serve the purpose they are meant for. The lavatories are decked out in white colour, with the signature Thai Airways light purple coloured on the cabinets below the sink. The clever use of white lights makes the lavatory looked clean and bright and does not give one a claustrophobic feel. As with most Thai Airways aircraft, the tap is sensor activated which makes it both convenient and hygienic for passengers. The amenities in the lavatory is limited to hand soap and cologne on top of the tissues and paper cups. Passengers flying on red-eye flights (as with this flight I flew on) have to bring their own toothbrush and toothpaste to freshen up. Unlike some other airlines, Thai Airways do not distribute amenities pack for overnight flights.
The Seat
The seats in the Economy Class Cabin onboard Thai Airways A380 is very comfortable. Each seat has a 32″ pitch and 18″ width. The legroom on these seats are very good, I had ample legroom in the Economy Class seat that enabled me to snooze throughout the flight. The Economy Class seats onboard Thai Airways A380 are arranged in a 4-3-4 configuration on the lower deck, and 2-4-2 on the upper deck. I like the design of the tray tables on the newer Thai Airways aircraft, which features a bi-fold design that is capable of folding away half of the tray table when passengers do not need to use the full table. This allows passengers sitting in the inner seats to gain access to the aisle without the need to put away the table. There is a leg rest on each seat in the Economy Class, however, I do find these leg rests to be a tad too uncomfortable when resting my foot on them. The headphone jack and the seat recline button on these seats are found on the left armrest. Seats can be reclined sufficiently that provided me with a comfortable rest on this red-eye flight. Each Economy Class seat onboard Thai Airways A380 comes with a USB outlet that serves as a charging port located on the bottom left side of the TV screen, and a hook on the bottom right side of the screen. The seat pockets, where in-flight magazines are provided in each seat as well as the aircraft safety card, are rather deep (and capable of storing my camera). I like the idea of including a small seat pocket in front of the main seat pocket which I used to put my mobile phone in.
Thai Airways A380 Economy Class seat
In-Flight Entertainment
Thai Airways has a very good in-flight entertainment system. All Economy Class seats onboard the A380 comes with a 10.6″ touchscreen TV which can be tilted to suit the sitting position and the degree of reclined on these seats. The touchscreen function is very responsive and does not seem to lag when I used it. The In-flight entertainment system can also be controlled via the remote controller located at the bottom of the TV screen. At the time of boarding, headphones are already placed on each seat, though these headphones are not noise cancelling. The in-flight entertainment system is loaded with movies ranging from the latest Hollywood Blockbuster to Thai movies and short TV series that kept me entertained when I was not sleeping on the flight. The entertainment system is arranged in an intuitive manner that makes scrolling through and looking for a movie to watch easy. There are games that are loaded in the in-flight entertainment system, though I find these games to be a tad boring.
In-Flight Entertainment Unit in the Economy Class cabin onboard Thai Airways A380
The IFE Controller is found below the AVOD screen
Headphone used in Economy Class Cabin onboard Thai Airways A380
The Food
2 meals are served on this flight from Bangkok to Kansai. As soon as the seat belt signs are turned off, flight attendants disappear into the galley. Moments later, they were seen going around the cabin distributing a bag with the print “Any Time Treats”. This bag contains a ham and cheese sandwich and a bottle of water. I thought to distribute this bag of treats a very nice gesture on the part of Thai Airways. By doing so, passengers have ensured an undisturbed sleep on this red-eye flight and at the same time, allowing passengers to have something to eat when they wake up or whenever they choose to consume the sandwich. On top of the bag of sandwich, flight attendants were also seen going around the cabin serving drinks to passengers. Flight attendants were also seen patrolling the cabin in the night serving passengers who are not asleep drinks.
A snack pack was distributed to all passengers in Economy Class cabin
About 2 hours before landing, the Economy Class cabin lights were turned on for breakfast service. For breakfast, I opted for the pork with rice that comes with fruit salad, yoghurt and a cup of orange juice. Croissants are also distributed with the breakfast. The flight attendant gladly gave me 2 croissants upon my request. Shortly after the meal service, flight attendants went around the cabin distributing drinks and coffee and tea followed the drinks service. The pork I opted for is very tasty, and flavourful especially the gravy it is soaked in.
Breakfast in Economy Class onboard Thai Airways A380
Service
Service is excellent onboard Thai Airways A380 Economy Class cabin. The service started as soon as I stepped onboard the aircraft to be welcomed by the flight attendants with the traditional Thai hand gesture. Flight attendants were placed throughout the cabin during boarding guiding passengers to their seats. The flight attendants sprung into action as soon as the seatbelt signs were turned off to prepare for meals. The flight attendants were efficient in preparing the meal and in their meal service and which ensured that passengers get their food without having to wait too long. Service is always presented with a smile, that made flying with Thai Airways enjoyable. Flight attendants were seen patrolling the cabin constantly to answer to requests from passengers and to clear away trash. Meal trays were collected efficiently after passengers had their meals and flight attendants would return to passengers to check if they would like any drinks. Throughout the flight time, I was made to feel well-taken care off by the flight attendants.
Afterthought
This is my first time flying A380, the aircraft is very comfortable in the Economy Class. Legroom was fantastic and I did not feel cramp in my seat. The seat is comfortable and I had a good rest on this red-eye flight. The IFE onboard is very well organised, making scrolling through to select movies very easy. The IFE is well stocked with movies and games that kept me entertained when I was not sleeping. Service is very good onboard with flight attendants displaying the warm hospitality that the Thais are renowned for. Meals are very delicious and flavourful and the pork does not taste dry. I like the idea of giving out “Any Time Treats”, which ensured that passengers do not feel hungry despite in the middle of the night. I had an enjoyable time flying on Thai Airways A380 in the Economy Class cabin from Bangkok to Kansai.
Flying over the Sea of Japan