Airline Reviews

[Airline Review] – Singapore Airlines (SQ972) / (SQ979) – Economy Class, SIN-BKK, (21 Jul 17) / BKK-SIN (23 Jul 17)

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Singapore Airlines deployed the B777-200 for SIN-BKK

Singapore Airlines A330-300 is used from BKK-SIN

On The Ground

SIN-BKK

Check-in

Singapore Airlines uses Terminal 2 in Singapore Changi Airport for flights departing to Bangkok. Check-in counters for SQ are located in rows 3 and 4, with row 4 catering for passengers who opt for self-check-in and baggage drop-offs. We used the counters in row 3 to check-in due to our bulky luggage. There was no queue at the check-in counter probably due to SQ encouraging their passengers to use the self-check-in counters, as there is ground staff deployed at the check-in rows to direct passengers to the self-check-in machines. We were greeted by a friendly ground staff who processed our check-in with haste and reminded us of the boarding gate and the time to be at the gate. Singapore Changi Airport is a shopping haven with lots of activities for passengers to spend their timing waiting for their flight. Other than numerous luxury brand boutiques, duty-free cosmetics, and liquors, there are activities such as gardens, movie theatres, snooze areas for passengers to kill their time.

Singapore Airlines SIN-BKK departs from Terminal 2 in Singapore Changi Airport

Passengers traveling on Singapore Airlines checks in from Row 3 in the terminal building

The empty queue at the check-in counters

Artwork in Singapore Changi Airport Terminal 2

Singapore Airlines departs from Gate E4 in Singapore Changi Airport

Walking down the aerobridge towards my Singapore Airlines  flight

BKK-SIN

Check-in

Check-in rows for Singapore Airlines are located in Row K in the centre of Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport. 3 queues are set up for passengers flying with Singapore Airlines in the airport, one each catering for Business Class passengers, Economy Class passengers, and passengers who have completed online check-in. As we were early for our flight, all three queues were relatively short. I have the habit of completing online check-in whenever I fly as the queue is usually much shorter than the other queues. There was no one waiting in line at the time we were at the airport. We were served promptly by the ground staff, who processed our check-in and took our luggage swiftly. The friendly ground staff briefed us on the gate for our flight as well as the time of boarding. Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport is always bustling with life, there are huge crowds in the airport. We spent a considerable amount of time clearing immigration. There is no lack of shopping in this airport, particularly souvenirs, however, the souvenirs are much pricier than those found in downtown Bangkok.

Singapore Airlines check-in counters are located in Row K in Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport

Check-in rows for Economy Class passengers and passengers who have completed internet check-in traveling on Singapore Airlines in Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport

Singapore Airlines internet check-in counters in Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport

Economy Class Check-in counters

Singapore Airlines departs from Gate D7 in Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport

The waiting area in Gate D7 in Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport

The Cabin

SIN-BKK

Singapore Airlines uses B777-200 for this leg of the flight. The Economy Class cabin look aged as I entered the aircraft, which signals the airlines would either replace the aircraft or refurbish it. Despite the aged look, the cabin is still bright, thanks to the white lighting used in this aircraft. The seats are arranged in a 3-3-3 configuration, draped in hues of blue and purple. Comparing to the newer aircraft, the seats onboard Singapore Airlines B777-200 looks more comfortable with thicker cushioning. A stark difference from my previous experience with Singapore Airlines (some 7 months back), no pillows or blankets were placed on the seats. It seems that Singapore Airlines is cutting back the budget. Pillows and blankets are available upon request.

Singapore Airlines B777-200 Economy Class cabin is decked  out with blue and purple seats

Seat onboard Singapore Airlines B777-200 Economy Class cabin

Economy Class cabin ambiance onboard Singapore Airlines B777-200

Front gallery and peeking into Business Class cabin onboard Singapore Airlines B777-200

The lavatory is of a decent size, almost the same as its newer counterparts. The use of mirrors in the lavatory made it look bigger than it actually is. Despite the aged look, the lavatory is very well maintained. Singapore Airlines places additional amenities such as toothbrush, comb in their lavatory which is getting rare for Economy Class onboard other airlines. On top of these amenities, the standard amenities such as mouth wash, hand moisturiser, and hand soap are also available.

Mirrors in the lavatory onboard Singapore Airlines B777-200

Mirrors in the lavatory onboard Singapore Airlines B777-200

Coat hangar found on the door to the lavatory

Sink in the lavatory onboard Singapore Airlines B777-200

Toilet inside the lavatory

Amenities found in the lavatory onboard Singapore Airlines B777-200

Additional amenities provided by Singapore Airlines. Not all airlines provide these amenities these days

Amenities in the lavatory onboard Singapore Airlines

BKK-SIN

For this sector of the flight, Singapore Airlines uses the A330-300. There are 2 different colour tones in the forward and aft Economy Class cabin. The forward Economy Class cabin has a lighter and more “skyish” colour scheme. Decked out in light blue and light brown, the forward cabin feels livelier in the choice of colour. The aft Economy Class cabin is decked in hues of brown, giving it a more earthy feel. Coupled with the use of mood lighting in the cabin, the Economy Class section feels very comfortable. Seats are arranged in 2-4-2 configuration in Singapore Airlines A330-300.  As with the previous flight, no pillows and blankets are placed on the seat. However, they are available only upon request from the flight attendants.

Singapore Airlines A330-300 livery

Flight attendants welcoming passengers during boarding

Peeking into Business Class cabin onboard Singapore Airlines A330-300

Forward Economy Class cabin onboard Singapore Airlines A330-300 is decked with blue and brown seats

The aft Economy Class cabin onboard Singapore Airlines A330-300 is decked with different shades of brown

Similar to the previous sector, the lavatory is of a decent size and was very well lighted. Unlike the lavatory in the B777-200 which uses mainly white lighting, the A330-300 lavatory uses yellowish lighting, which makes it feel comfortable. There are Hollywood style lighting in the mirrors of the lavatory onboard this aircraft. Again the clever use mirrors make the lavatory feel bigger than it is. The standard amenities such as hand soap, mouth wash, and hand moisturiser are found in the lavatory. On top of these, additional amenities such as toothbrush and combs are also found in the lavatory.

Sink in the lavatory onboard Singapore Airlines A330-300

Toilet in the lavatory onboard Singapore Airlines A330-300

I like this pedal onboard Singapore Airlines A330-300 lavatory for activating the trash bin lid

Hollywood style lighting on the mirrors in the lavatory

Amenities in the lavatory onboard Singapore Airlines A330-300

Amenities in the lavatory onboard Singapore Airlines A330-300

Coat hangar on the door in the lavatory onboard Singapore Airlines A330-300

Mirrors in the lavatory onboard Singapore Airlines A330-300

The Seats

SIN-BKK

Despite its aged look, the seats onboard Singapore Airlines B777-200 are comfortable and well maintained. Thanks to the thicker cushioning for the seats, it feels as though the seats hug around my body. Seats in Economy Class cabin are 32″ in pitch and 17.5″ wide. The legroom is good on the Economy Class cabin. Tray tables are the standard single piece, which is different from the bi-fold design in their A330-300. The placement of a small cup holder on the back of the tray table is a good design that allows passengers to stow their drinks when the tray table is folded up. The seat recline button is found on one of the armrests, while the IFE controller is stored on the other armrest on each seat. Unlike its more modern counterparts, there are no USB or power sockets onboard Singapore Airlines B777-200 aircraft.

Economy Class seats onboard Singapore Airlines B777-200

Legroom is decent in the Economy Class onboard Singapore Airlines B777-200

Cup holder on the back of the tray table

Seat recline buttons in the Economy Class seats onboard Singapore Airlines B777-200

2-tier seat pocket onboard Singapore Airlines B777-200

Tray table in the Economy Class cabin onboard Singapore Airlines B777-200

Singapore Airlines B777-200 flight safety card

Seat pocket contents onboard Singapore Airlines B777-200

Cabin lighting onboard Singapore Airlines B777-200

Cabin ambiance in Economy Class cabin onboard Singapore Airlines B777-200

BKK-SIN

The seats onboard Singapore Airlines A330-300 are very comfortable despite appearing to be thinner in the cushioning compared to their B777-200 counterpart. It has a pitch of 32″ and width of 19″. Legroom seems slightly better than the B777-200 in the Economy Class section. The multiple pocket seat pockets are a welcomed addition in the Economy Class section as it allowed me to store various small items that I carried onboard. A coat hanger can be found in every seat as well as the audio input and USB connector, which allows passengers to charge their mobile devices inflight. Tray tables are bi-fold, allowing passengers to use the tray table and still allow passengers sitting in the window seat to gain access to the aisle without having to put away the tray table. A small mirror on the back of the tray table is a nice touch to the design of Singapore Airlines Economy Class onboard the A330-300. On the top left corner, next to the IFE screen is a small pocket that allows passengers to store small item, a cup holder is also found in this area, which means passengers can put away the tray table and not have to hold their drinks on their hands. The seat recline button ad headphone jack is found on the armrest of each Economy Class seat.

Singapore Airlines Economy Class seats onboard A330-300

Legroom is excellent in Economy Class onboard Singapore Airlines A330-300

Cup holder found on the left of the IFE screen along with a coat hangar

I like the design of the seat pocket with a lot of small compartments to store small items  in Economy Class onboard Singapore Airlines A330-300

Singapore Airlines A330-300 flight safety card

Seat pocket reading materials onboard Singapore Airlines A330-300

Bi-fold tray table with mirror in Economy Class onboard Singapore Airlines A330-300

Tray table fully extended in Economy Class onboard Singapore Airlines A330-300

IFE in Economy Class onboard Singapore Airlines A330-300

Seat recline button in Economy Class onboard Singapore Airlines A330-300

The headphone jack is found on the armrest in Economy Class seat onboard Singapore Airlines A330-300

In-Flight Entertainment

SIN-BKK

Singapore Airlines B777-200 has a smaller 6.5″ screen for their IFE compared to their A330-300 aircraft. IFE onboard Singapore Airlines B777-200 features video-on-demand, which allows passengers to watch the shows available as and when they like. The IFE does not have a touch screen function and lagged a fair bit when used with the controller stowed on the armrest. Despite the aging equipment, the IFE still packs a wide selection of movies, TV shows, games that kept me entertained throughout the flight. The IFE on my seat malfunctioned halfway through the flight, showing the age of the equipment. My screen resets itself halfway through the flight and I was faced with a blank screen. I highlighted this issue to the flight attendant and she reset the system for my seat. However, after the reset, the IFE lost its on-demand function and I was only able to watch movies through the schedule timing. The IFE controller is aging as well, it did not respond well to the button pressing and lagged a fair bit. One would have to have patience when operating the IFE on board this aircraft.

6.5″ IFE screen in Economy Class cabin onboard Singapore Airlines B777-200

There are no lack of entertainment options onboard Singapore Airlines

IFE controller is stored on the armrest in Economy Class onboard Singapore Airlines B777-200

Aging IFE controller in Economy Class onboard Singapore Airlines B777-200

The backside of the IFE controller

Headphone jacks on the armrest in Economy Class onboard Singapore Airlines B777-200

My IFE reset by itself halfway through the flight

BKK-SIN

The IFE onboard Singapore Airlines A330-300 has a large 10.5″ screen compared to the B777-200 aircraft. As with all aircraft on Singapore Airlines, passengers are treated to video-on-demand allowing them the flexibility to watch the shows they wanted onboard. The controller for each seat is stored below the IFE screen. As with most of Singapore Airlines aircraft, there is no touch screen function for the IFE, however, the system is rather responsive with the controller. Singapore Airlines has a good library of entertainment options, ranging from the latest Hollywood blockbusters to TV shows, that is sure to keep its passengers entertained throughout the flight.

10.5″ IFE screen in Economy Class onboard Singapore Airlines A330-300

IFE menu in Economy Class onboard Singapore Airlines A330-300

Audio and video inputs as well as a USB port in Economy Class onboard Singapore Airlines A330-300

IFE controller in Economy Class onboard Singapore Airlines A330-300 is stored below the IFE screen

IFE controller and headphones onboard Singapore Airlines A330-300

The backside of the IFE controller in Economy Class onboard Singapore Airlines A330-300

Meal Service

SIN-BKK

As the SIN-BKK leg lasts around 2 hours, flight attendants sprung into action preparing the meals soon after the seat belt sign is turned off. On this leg of the flight, passengers are given the meal options of Chicken Sausage with Egg or Fish with Rice and Omelette for breakfast. Passengers are also treated with standard drink options such as soft drinks, beer, and various juices. I opted for the Sausage option, which is tasty and well seasoned. The fried eggs are done perfectly and the mash potatoes are moist. Despite portion looking small, it is enough to fill my stomach. Each meal comes with fresh fruits and chocolate mouse cake, which are tasty as well. My friend opted for the Fish and Rice, which is well flavoured and tasty. The omelet is full of flavours as well.

Flight attendants doing their meal runs shortly after the seat belt sign is turned off

I took the Chicken Sausage and Egg option

My friend had the fish with rice and omelet

BKK-SIN

For this leg of the flight, passengers are given the option of Chicken with Rice or Beef with potato option. I took the Chicken with Rice option which comes with apple and prawns as appetiser and coconut cake as dessert. The chicken is well marinated and is very tasty. The prawn is well poached but the apple is a little to sour for my liking. Standard drinks such as soft drinks, juices, and beer are available for passengers.

Flight attendants doing meal run service

I took the Chicken and Rice option for this leg of the flight

Service

Service onboard Singapore Airlines is impeccable on both legs. For the SIN-BKK leg, the excellent service started at the time of boarding. Flight attendants are seen helping passengers with the carry-on luggage and helping passengers settling into the seat before taking off. Service is always done with a smile. As my sister is traveling with my young nephew, flight attendants are seen checking on them constantly to ensure they are comfortable and well-taken care of.

Flight attendant distribution hot towel before taking off

Flight attendants attending to the needs of passengers during meal service runs

The service on the BKK-SIN leg is nothing short of excellent as well. The team of flight attendants were friendly and did not feel imposed upon when requesting for items such as additional bread or drinks or even blankets. During the fight, Eunice Tan made us feel comfortable and ensured that all our requests are being attended to. Usually, flight attendants would forget about requests for drinks during meal service. This is not the case for Eunice. Despite the drink I wanted was not in her cart, Eunice offered alternatives and promised to get back to me after servicing the section she was responsible for. Eunice was seen rushing back to the galley after doing her job and emerge with the drinks I wanted. Eunice was also attentive when she noticed that my drink was finished, she took the initiative and asked if I need more drinks. This is the first time I encountered such attentive service onboard Singapore Airlines. Eunice was attentive to my sister as well. During mealtime, she was seen suggesting to my sister to be served meal first, so that my brother-in-law can “entertain” my nephew. Eunice took note of the meal option for my brother-in-law and returned later to check if my sister has finished her meal. After clearing the meal tray from my sister, Eunice promptly returned with my brother-in-law’s meal.

The other crew onboard that truly stands for what the Singapore Girl means is Ploypom. When I requested a blanket from Ploypom, she responded to my call for an attendant promptly and took the initiative of bringing 2 blankets, with the other 1 for my friend as well. Such a thoughtful gesture surprised me, Ploypom did not only do what was requested, but she also went above and beyond that.

Flight attendant distributing hot towels before taking off

Afterthought

I had a comfortable flight with Singapore Airlines for this Bangkok trip. Despite its B777-200 being aged and a small hiccup on the IFE, the aging aircraft is comfortable to fly in. The A330-300 that Singapore Airlines deployed is comfortable and the IFE system kept me entertained throughout the flight. The service is impeccable onboard both legs of the flight. Flight attendants are seen serving the passengers well and ensured that our needs are being taken care of. Nothing seems to be too troublesome for these industrious flight crew who strived hard to keep the standard of service that Singapore Airlines is well known for consistent. Despite traveling with an infant, Singapore Airlines does not offer priority boarding for passengers with young children, boarding is done sequentially by rows organised in groups. Singapore Airlines no longer provide pillows and blankets on their seats during boarding, these amenities have to be requested should passengers need them.

Singapore Airlines ready to depart Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport

Flying above the clouds

Sun setting in the sky

[Airline Review] – Qantas A330-200 (QF6) / (QF81) – Economy Class, SIN-SYD (17 May 17) /SYD-SIN (23 May 17)

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Qantas uses A330-200 to ply between Singapore and Sydney. We got 2 different variations of the aircraft on both legs of the flight

On The Ground

Check-in

SIN-SYD

The check-in counter for Qantas is located at Row 5 in Terminal 1 of Singapore Changi Airport. For passengers who arrived earlier than the check-in timing, they can proceed to the early check-in counters just behind row 5. Despite being 6 hours early, we were able to check-in at the Qantas counters without the need to use the early check-in facilities in the airport. There was no queue at the time of our check-in, perhaps due to the early timing we have arrived at the airport. Checking-in was a breeze with the agent handling our check-in fast and swift. After handling taking our luggage, the agent handed our boarding pass and reminded us of the departure gate and the time we need to be there. Clearing Singapore Customs is a breeze as well. As citizens of Singapore and citizens of selected countries, we can use the electronic lanes. The airside of Singapore Changi Airport is always lively regardless of the time of the day. There is no lack of duty-free shoppings from luxury brands to perfumes and cosmetics to electronics. We boarded first before Business Class passengers as we have a baby flying together with us.

 

Qantas check-in counters are located in row 5 in Singapore Airport Terminal 1
There are no queues as we arrived at the check-in counters very early
Singapore Airport is a shopping haven at the airside
Our boarding gate was changed last minute to C25, which is located at the far end of the terminal
Aerobridge towards QF6
Qantas A330-200

SYD-SIN

Qantas has a dedicated counter in Terminal 1 of Sydney Airport. The counters are located in Row C of the Terminal. Qantas has separate counters for Economy, Business and First Class passengers. The queue in Economy Class is rather long before we reach the queue, a ground staff was around to direct human traffic. Upon seeing that we have a stroller in tow, she diverted us to the Business Class check-in queue, which was a lot shorter. We were next in line to be served. The agent at the Business Class check-in counter is not exactly the friendliest person around. There were no smiles, no greetings, as though we owed her a living. Despite that, she was rather efficient. We were given our boarding passes after she has checked-in our luggage. Clearing the custom was fast as well due to the electronic clearance gates that we were able to use. We were at airside within minutes of clearing security and custom. Sydney Airport has a lot of shopping options, mostly selling Australian made products. There are also cafes and eateries around in the airside as well as opposite the departure gates. As with outbound flight, we were also boarded before Business Class passengers.
QF81 departs from Sydney Airport Terminal 1
Qantas occupies Row C for checking-in
The queue was very long for Economy Class at the check-in counter
We were diverted to check-in at Business Class counters as we have a pram in tow. There are no queues at the Business Class check-in counters
Passing this departure wall is the security and custom clearance
There are no lack of shopping options in Sydney Airport airside
Other than the standard spirits and tobacco, the airside has several shops selling Australian made products
There is quite a crowd at departure gate 32, where we board our flight to Singapore
Passengers with infants are boarded before Business Class passengers

The Cabin

Qantas uses A330-200 to ply between Singapore and Sydney, however, we got 2 different variations of the aircraft. Both aircraft has 2 different cabins, Business Class and Economy Class. Despite the different seats, both aircraft has a white cabin with red seats. The choice of white colour makes the Economy Class cabin look fresh and big. The Economy Class cabin is organised in 2-4-2 for both variations of the aircraft.
Qantas Economy Class cabin for the older A330-200 variant. The entire seat is red from the headrest to the seats
A newer Qantas A330-200 variation with black headrest and seat. The seatback still retains the “Qantas” red

Lavatory onboard both variations of aircraft are the same. They are of a decent size but has very limited amenities. There is only hand soap and tissues in the lavatory. No other amenities are present in the lavatory despite flying out on an overnight flight, no dental kits were offered or found in the lavatories.

Sink area in the lavatory
Tissues in the lavatory
Toilet
Mirrors
A coat hanger is found on the door of the lavatory
Amenities are limited in the lavatory, even for overnight flights, there are no dental kits
Handsoap is the only amenities provided in the lavatory

The Seat

SIN-SYD

The A330-200 that we flew from Singapore to Sydney seems to be the older version. There are signs of the aircraft being ageing. The seats on this variation of Qantas A330-200 has a pitch of 31″ and width of 17.2″. The seats at the bulkhead are far more generous measuring about 60″. As we were seated in the bulkhead seats, there are pockets on the bulkhead to store inflight magazines and reading materials. However, these pockets are unable to store items such as cameras. The Economy Class seats are rather simple and do not come with USB or power plugs. The recline button is found on the side of the armrest together with the headphone jacks. As with most Bulkhead seats, the tray tables are stored in the armrest of the seat. The seats are rather uncomfortable and I did not manage to get a good night rest.

The entire seat is red. These seats are not very comfortable especially for long flights
The legroom is generous for bulkhead seats
Aircraft safety card, reading materials and headphones are made available in the pocket on the bulkhead
Aircraft safety card
Magazines found in the seat pocket

 

Air-con ducts and lightings on the ceiling
Pillows and blankets are already placed on the seats when we board the aircraft
Tray tables are stored in the armrest of the seat
Business Class seats in this variation of Qantas A330-200. These seats do not offer 180° flatbed, rather they are angled flatbeds

SYD-SIN

The A330-200 that we flew from Sydney to Singapore looks like it has been refurbished. The seats on this variation of Qantas A330-200 has a pitch of 31″ and is slightly wider at 17.5″. Unlike the previous variation, this version of A330-200 has a USB port located to the right of the IFE screen. The legroom feels a little cramp, especially so when the passenger in front reclines his/her seat. The IFE controller is fixed on the right armrest, which the placement is a tad counter-intuitive. Many a time, I accidentally pressed on the IFE controller of my friend who is sitting next to me. The single-layer seat pocket on the back of the front seat is rather standard and cannot store bulkier items such as a camera. As with the previous variation, the seat recline button and headphone jacks are located on the armrest. As with the previous flight, seats are rather uncomfortable and gave me a backache after the 8-hour flight.

 

Seats are decked out in red and black colour for this newer variation of the Qantas A330-200
There is a USB port on the side of the IFE screen
Seat pocket
Aircraft safety card
Reading materials founding the seat pocket
Legroom is a tad cramp in the Economy Class
Tray table
IFE controller is fixed on the armrest and the recline button on the armrest
Air-con ducts and lightings on the ceiling
Headphone Jacks
The new Business Class seats on this variation of Qantas A330-200 which offers passengers 180° flatbed

In-Flight Entertainment

SIN-SYD

As mentioned earlier, this is an old aircraft. The In-Flight Entertainment system has a mere 8″ screen. As we were sitting at the bulkhead, the IFE screen is stowed below the seat and cannot be used during take-offs and landings. The controller for the IFE seems dated and is stored on the inner side panel of the seat. The screen on these seats are not touch screen, control of the movies to watch have to be made via the controller. The IFE system on this variation of the A330-200 seems to lag. Nonetheless, Qantas does offer a huge selection of entertainment options on their IFE system. There are the latest Hollywood Blockbuster as well as tons of movies and TV shows to keep passengers entertained. The Headphone quality is a tad bad,  I had to adjust the headphones a few times to get sound on both sides of the headphone.

8″ IFE screen that is stored under the seat during take-off and landing
IFE controller store in the inner armrest of the seat
Bad quality Headphones provided onboard

SYD-SIN

As this variation of the Qantas A330-200 is newer, it has a 10.5″ IFE screen. The controller is fixed on the armrest of the seat and does not control the channels to be watched on the IFE screen except for the volume. Control for the shows is done directly on the touch screen IFE, which is quite sensitive. The brightness of the screen, as well as on/off switch, are found under the IFE screen itself. However, as with the previous variation, the headphones provided suffer from constant poor connection issues.

10.5″ touch screen IFE screen on the newer variation of Qantas A330-200
IFE controller is fixed on the armrest and only controls the volume.  The placement is so bad that I keep on hitting the IFE controller of my friend’s seat

Meal Service

SIN-SYD

2 meals are being served onboard this leg of the flight. Shortly after the seat belt signs are turned off, the flight attendants went around passing passengers menus. Night snack is served shortly after the menus were distributed. No options are given for the night snack, however, when we got the night snack, it is different from that stated in the menu. However, I thought it is a good idea to serve wraps as a night snack, which will not make one feel too full, and yet not allow one to go to sleep hungry in the night. Options were given for breakfast, we were offered either the omelette or fruits for breakfast together with coffee or tea. The food served is decent and does the purpose of filling one’s stomach. Qantas already placed a bottle of water in the seat pocket at the time we board the aircraft, which is not done on most other airlines.

Menus were distributed shortly after taking off
We had roasted chicken wrap for a night snack
Omelette was distributed for breakfast

SYD-SIN

As with the previous leg, 2 meals are also served on this leg of the flight. As the flight was delayed, flight attendants went around distributing menus before take-off. Lunch was served shortly after taking-off and we were given 3 options to choose from. I opted for the Peri-Peri chicken, which is rather dry and the portion served was a tad too small. The wedges are not fried but boiled and the sauce is bland. Another meal is served 1 hour before arrival. There are no options for this meal. We were given vegetarian Chinese stir-fried noodles. The noodles itself taste decent, the sauce that is given is delicious.

Menu for the SYD-SIN leg
We were served “leftover” orange juices from Business Class cabin before take-off
The Chicken tasted dry and the sauce is a blend
The stir-fried noodle is decent but the sauce that was given makes it taste delicious

Service

Service was a mix onboard Qantas and feels pretty much personality-driven. While most of the flight attendants are friendly, some seem not too willing to serve. On the SIN-SYD flight, we asked for help from one of the attendants from Business Class. He came over unwillingly and chilled us off for asking for help. Guess he thinks helping Economy Class passengers is an insult to him. Other than him, the rest of the crew on Economy Class is a lot friendlier. They were seen patrolling the cabin to check on passengers and were very responsive to call buttons. As the flight was relatively empty, one of the attendants, while conducting her night patrol of the cabin, approached me and notified me that I am free to occupy the 2 empty seats by the window to make myself more comfortable. Crews are certainly more friendly on the SYD-SIN flight. Attendants are always ready to help and constantly patrol the cabin to ensure passengers are well taken care of. Attendants voluntarily offered me drinks upon seeing my cup is empty and quickly return with a can of coke. As I felt hungry in the middle of the flight, I asked one of the attendants if there are buns left. Despite having no buns left, the flight attendants offered alternatives and brought me some nuts instead of just saying no. Attendants are seen smiling and helping passengers during boarding with storing their hand-carries on the overhead compartment.

Qantas flight attendants conducting safety demonstration, which is rare these days with most of the airlines showing safety demonstrations through their IFE

Afterthought

Qantas feels like they are operating on a budget concept. Despite including the meals and check-in baggage, other things such as choosing seats are chargeable, unlike most other airlines. Qantas does not provide any amenities in the lavatory, and not even dental kits or eye shades for overnight flights. They even charge A$10 for a deck of poker cards, which many other airlines would give out complimentary. The seats are rather uncomfortable, given me backaches after the 8-hour flight from Singapore to Sydney and back. The food portion is small and tasted mediocre. Service is a mix but with more flight attendants who are friendly, which makes up from the mediocre food and the bad seating. The IFE does the job of keeping passengers occupied with loads of entertainment options. Overall Qantas does the job of bringing passengers from one point to another, but the Economy Class seats are rather uncomfortable to travel in.
There was a delay in Sydney Airport and we were kept updated by the Captain of the flight
Soaring above Australia
Flying above the clouds onboard Qantas

[Airline Review] – Thai Airways B777-300 (TG670) / (TG671) – Business Class, BKK-CTS (13 Feb 17) / CTS-BKK (27 Feb 17)

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Thai Airways uses the 777-300 for both BKK-CTS and CTS-BKK legs

On The Ground

BKK-CTS

Transiting in Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport

As this is a transit flight from Singapore, I did not perform any check-in for this leg of the flight. We were checked through from Singapore, hence when we reached Bangkok we referred to the flight information for the gate that our flight will be departing. Thai Airways seem to have the practice of putting the arrival and departure flights far apart. As Suvarnabhumi Airport is a big airport, we catered sufficient time to walk to our departure gate.

Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport is a big airport. Do cater sufficient time to walk to the departure gate when transiting

Thai Airways Lounge

There are 4 Thai Airways Lounges for Business Class passengers and 1 Royal Orchid Spa Lounge in Suvarnabhumi Airport. Business Class passengers flying out or transiting Bangkok are treated to 30 mins head and shoulder or foot massage in Royal Orchid Spa. However, due to the time constraint, we did not go for the massage. We visited the Lounge in Concourse C, which has shower facilities and nearer to our departure gate. Both lounges at Concourse C (they are opposite each other) has shower facilities, however, Concourse C East Lounge has lesser people waiting for a shower at the time of our visit. The lounge is a fairly small lounge, decked in brown and purple colours. There are limited seatings in this lounge. On top of the shower facilities, this lounge as an internet area. There are some finger food and drinks for passengers to enjoy while waiting for their flight. As with the lounge in Changi Airport, there are some reading materials like local newspaper and magazines for passengers to read. One thing to note is that Thai Airways lounges do not announce which Thai Airways flight is departing, the onus is on passengers to note their departure timing and make their way to the departure gate in good time.

 

We used the Concourse C East Lounge as the queue for the shower is shorter and is the closest to our boarding gate
TG670 departed from Gate C6
Looks like a full flight tonight

CTS-BKK

Check-in

Thai Airways uses check-in counters B10 to B15 in New Chitose Airport is located on the right side of the International Terminal Building. There are 2 counters dedicated for Business Class Check-in and 4 counters for Economy Class passengers. The queue is short at the Business Class counters, we did not have to wait for too long to get ourselves checked in. Checking-in is fast and the ground staff were very courteous and friendly. They briefed us on the standard stuff like where the boarding gate is and what time we have to be at the boarding gate. We were also given directions on where the airline’s lounge is located before the ground staff wished us a pleasant flight. There are no priority lanes for Business Class passengers in New Chitose Airport. There is a long queue forming at the security clearance, it is a good thing to arrive at the airport ahead of time so that one can enjoy the lounge.
Thai Airways uses the counters in section B in New Chitose Airport for check-in
The business Class queue is separated from Economy Class
2 counters dedicated to Business Class passengers
Do arrive at New Chitose Airport early as the queue to clear security was very long at the time of my checking-in

Airlines Lounge

There is only one lounge in the International Terminals in New Chitose Airport. All Business Class passengers departing New Chitose Airport uses the Royal Lounge, which is located on the 4th floor of the terminal building. It is right up the escalator on the right after immigration clearance. There are 2 sections to the lounge, one for Business Class passengers of all airlines departing New Chitose Airport and a smaller section (payable) for certain credit cardholders. The lounge is decked out in comfortable and cosy earthy tones with 125 seats in the general area and 12 seats in the smoking room. There is a small counter serving limited food and drinks for guests to enjoy before their flight. There is also a snooze area at the far most end of the lounge. As this is a silent lounge, no flight announcements were made and passengers are to note their departure time and arrive at their boarding gate in good time.
Thai Airways uses Royal Lounge in New Chitose Airport. This is the only airline’s lounge in the airport
Entrance to Royal Lounge in New Chitose Airport
Reception in Royal Lounge
Seatings in the airline’s section of Royal Lounge
More seatings and a mini buffet with finger food
Rest area in Royal Lounge
Smoking room in Royal Lounge
Relax area in Royal lounge
Buffet area in Royal Lounge
I had some onigiris in Royal Lounge
There is limited shopping in the airside of New Chitose Airport
TG671 departs from Gate 67 in New Chitose Airport

In-Flight

Cabin

Thai Airways uses B777-300 for both BKK-CTS and CTS-BKK legs of the flight. The Business Class section mainly uses the signature Thai Airways purple colour theme in this cabin. There are 34 Business Class seats arranged in 2-3-2 configuration, less first row which has a configuration of 2-2-2. There are 330 seats in the Economy Class section. I find the open concept in the Business Class section of the B777-300 to be spacious, despite lacking privacy. The colour theme of the Business Class section makes one feel comfortable. Amenity kits were already placed on each seat when I boarded the aircraft. Thai Airways uses Naraya pouch for the BKK-CTS leg and Furla pouch for the CTS-BKK leg. I noticed Thai Airways alternates the pouch for outbound and inbound flights. The contents inside the pouch remain the same with the standard slippers, dental kit, lip balm, moisturiser, earplugs and eye mask.
Boarding the Thai Airways B777-300
Thai Airways B777-300 Business Class Cabin
The Business Class cabin is decked out in purple
Thai Airways Business Class cabin
Legroom is excellent on Thai Airways B777-300 Business Class cabin
Overhead light and seat belt signs
Amenities kit in Naraya pouch was given on BKK-CTS leg
Me holding Furla bag containing amenities kits distributed on the CTS-BKK leg

There are 2 Business Class lavatories up front behind the cockpit onboard. As with most Business Class onboard Thai Airways, the lavatory is a tad small and offers very minimum amenities. Other than the hand soap, other additional amenities are a more upscale eau-de-cologne (as compared to Economy Class) and body lotion. These are also present in Economy Class lavatories. Perhaps the differentiating factor in the Business Class lavatory is the presence of orchid flowers and handkerchiefs on top of the tissues provided. Otherwise, I thought it is no difference (and perhaps even worse) than Economy Class lavatories.

The only amenities in the lavatory in Thai Airways Business Class lavatory
I like the sensor-activated tap in the lavatory
Large mirrors in the lavatory in Business Class cabin
Toilet bowl
There is a hook for coats on the door of the lavatory
There is another full-length mirror in the lavatory
Airsick bag and sanitary napkins in the lavatory

Seats

The Business Class seats onboard the B777-300 has a pitch of 66″ and width of 20″. It is not true 180° flatbed, but a 163° angled flatbed. Passengers who are used to the 180° flatbed might find the seat when converted into bed mode to be a tad sloppy. The controls to the seat mode are found on the armrest of the chair. The Business Class cabin seats have 3 modes, the upright mode for takeoff and landings, lounge mode and bed mode. I find the lounge mode most comfortable when watching movies on the IFE. The legroom in the Business Class seats is excellent. I have plenty of space to stretch out, thanks to the open concept of the cabin. The seat even comes with a functioning massage function. The seat controls are located on the left armrest on the seat. There is a small “coffee” table between 2 seats, which creates space to put drinks or other nicknacks. The headphone jack and power outlet are located in a small space under the centre armrest. The seat even has a cup holder and generous space where in-flight reading materials are stow behind in front.

 

Seat in Business Class onboard Thai Airways B777-300 in take-off/landing mode
Seat in lounge mode onboard Thai Airways B777-300.  I find this mode to be most comfortable when watching movies on the IFE
Seat onboard Thai Airways Business Class cabin in bed mode. The maximum recline in this mode is 163°
The seat pocket in front can hold a lot of things and there are 2 cup holders
Seat control on the armrest of each seat onboard Thai Airways Business Class cabin
This small button does not do anything. Wonder why was it there in the first place
Additional in-seat reading light
The small ledge that can hold a camera. Headphone jacks and a power outlet is also found here
Thai Airways B777-300 aircraft safety card
Contents of the seat pocket

In-Flight Entertainment

Thai Airways B777-300 has a large IFE display screen on the back of the seat in front of my seat. Thai Airways has a 15″ TV screen with touchscreen functions in its Business Class cabin. Despite being an ageing aircraft, the IFE is not laggy and the touch screen function is still rather responsive. There are plenty of options for entertainment in the IFE, including the latest movies, selected TV shows and games. The controls for IFE is stow under the armrest of the seat.

The 15″ TV screen found onboard Thai Airways B777-300 Business Class cabin 
IFE controller stowed in the armrest
Noise-cancelling headphones found only in Business Class cabin onboard Thai Airways B777-300

Meal Service

Thai Airways used to have the option to pre-order meals from a menu online for their Business Class passengers. They still had that last year when I flew with them to Seoul. However this year, this service seems to have ceased and is only available to their passengers flying on First Class.

BKK-CTS

Before taking off, Business Class passengers are served welcome drinks with hot towels. I always asked for the signature Thai Airways drink, Violet Bliss, which is not part of the drinks on the tray that the pursuers go around serving. Meal orders were taken after the welcome drinks are being served. As this is a night flight, no meals were being served after taking off, there are no snacks made available for passengers. However, passengers can request for Ramen Soup with Simmered Pork or Tuna Onigiri served with Miso Soup should one gets hungry in the night. Breakfast was served 2 hours before landing. I opted for the Western Set which comprises of French Toast with Capsicum served with assorted bread and Fresh Fruits as well as yoghurt. The food was served together instead of by courses, feels a little like Economy Class but in fanciful china. I find the French Toast to be blend and a little dry, there isn’t much flavouring to the food served. I thought the assorted bread tasted better. I did go for the fruits as I don’t eat strawberry and kiwi fruits. The meal wasn’t that satisfying.

Welcome drink and hot towels were distributed before taking off. This purple drink is Thai Airways signature drink, Violet Bliss 
Menu for this leg of the flight
Menu for this leg of the flight
Western Breakfast served onboard Thai Airways. It all came together instead of course by course

CTS-BKK

As with the outbound leg, passengers were served welcome drinks and hot towels before taking off. However, when I asked for their signature Violet Bliss, we were told it is not available as the drinks had been stored overnight, hence they are not serving that. This was not the case when I flew with Thai Airways the year before, we were served Violet Bliss when we flew out of Seoul. Since the pursuers claim they are not serving overnight Violet Bliss, I asked for a glass of Apple Juice. A bowl of nuts was served shortly after taking off when the pursuers went around serving drinks.

The menu was distributed at the same time when the welcome drink was served before take-off
Welcome drinks
Snacks and drinks were served shortly after taking off

I ordered the Japanese Bento Set for lunch. The Bento Set comprises of Teriyaki Salmon served with vegetables and mushroom with Japanese Rice. Part of the Bento Set also includes sashimi, and grilled pork belly and fresh fruits. Miso Soup and cold soba also form part of the Bento Set. While the bento set is rather sumptuous, the miso soup tasted like a lot of MSG has been put into it and the salmon tasted blend. The Sashimi did not last fresh, but edible. The best tasting of all was the soba noodles. Mango pudding was served as dessert which I find it tasty and not too sour.

I opted for the Japanese Bento Set
Japanese Bento Set that I have ordered
Dessert was served later. This mango pudding was delicious

Before landing, as we were still a little hungry, we ordered the all-day meal of Tomato Rice with Scrambled Eggs. The Tomato Rice tasted blend and the scrambled eggs could do with a little pepper.

Midflight Snack

Service

BKK-CTS

The service onboard Thai Airways Business Class was disappointing and mediocre at best. It is not a service standard that one would expect in the Business Class section. We requested for additional pillows from one of the pursuers, but she did not come back with any, despite walking past us a few times. The seat my friend was occupying did not recline, not even an inch. We brought up the issue to one of the pursuers, who literally stripped the whole chair in an attempt to fix it. After failing to do so for 10 mins, the pursuer gave up and consulted another pursuer (whom we believe should be the in-flight manager). The other pursuer came and also tried to fix the seat, but gave up and declared the seat defective after another 10 mins of trying. She later told us to wait and see if she can swap seats for us. After another 5 mins passed, she came back and told us to move to another seat occupied by a cabin crew. No help was offered to shift our carry-on luggage and the pillows and quilt. The said pursuer stood by watching as we were shifting our stuff in the middle of the night. When I brought up the issue of our request for extra pillows and no one gives a damn about it, the pursuer turned defensive and claimed that they need time to look for pillows. She finally gave us the extra pillows we asked for reluctantly. Unsatisfied with her attitude, I spoke to another pursuer about her who was passing by. The pursuer in question walked by and overheard our conversation and told me if there are any problems just speak to her directly and don’t need to talk to anyone else. That got to be the rudest and most defensive response I have heard, especially in Business Class where I thought passengers will be treated better. Most of the time pursuers were seen crowding in the pantry talking amongst themselves rather than going around to see if any passengers needed anything. To make matters worse, I found my luggage damaged with a 30cm crack despite the fragile tag being tagged onto my luggage. Makes me wonder if these fragile tags are for show.

Pursuers serving welcome drinks after passengers were settled into their seat. This is the only time when service was good
There is a 30cm crack on my Samsonite luggage when I collected it at the belt

CTS-BKK

The service on the CTS-BKK leg was slightly better than the BKK-CTS leg. Upon boarding, one of the pursuers noted that my friend cannot take beef and notified us of the diet restriction. When the meal was served (despite all 3 options not having any beef), my friend was served the vegetarian meal. My friend asked if he can choose the bento option (there is no beef in that option), the pursuer who brought him the meal told my friend that his meal is a special order, hence he cannot order anything else from the menu. When questioned that all 3 options do not contain beef, the pursuer than offered to bring my friend something else if there are any leftovers. I was rather puzzled by this remark. She later came back with more food for my friend, which looked like something she pulled together from Economy Class Section in a sloppy presentation. While it is a nice gesture that the pursuers took note of my friend’s diet restriction, however, it is rather disheartening to learn that my friend cannot order anything from the menu when all 3 options had no beef. I am not too sure why the inflexibility attitude displayed by the pursuer in a Business Class cabin.

The only time friendly service was rendered is during boarding

Afterthought

Although Thai Airways B777-300 is an ageing aircraft,  I find the seats to be spacious and most comfortable in the lounge mode. The angled flatbed may turn some off but still provided good rest especially for a night flight. The lavatory is cramp and has not much amenities than the Economy Class lavatory less some orchids and handkerchiefs and more upscale Eau-de-cologne. What shocked me the most is the service in the Premium Business Class cabin. Pursuers were defensive and did not render help whatsoever. I find Thai Airways Business Class not worthy to spend that extra penny over with such lousy service attitude. This is the last time I will be flying Thai Airways, especially in their Business Class.
Day breaking on the BKK-CTS leg
Arriving into Hokkaido
New Chitose Airport viewed from above
Japan coastline

[Airline Review] – Thai Airways A350-900 (TG410) / (TG409) – Business Class, SIN-BKK (13 Feb 17) /BKK-SIN (1 Mar 17)

/ kktong76 / 1 Comment
Thai Airways uses its new A350-900 for both SIN-BKK-SIN leg

On the Ground

SIN-BKK

Premier Check-in Lounge

Thai Airways depart from Terminal 1 in Changi International Airport. The airline counter is located in row 4, near to the Skytrain in Terminal 1. Premium passengers are treated to check-in at the Dnata Premier Check-in Lounge at the end of Row 4. Checking in at the lounge makes one feel like a VIP, in the classy and earthy designed lounge. The check-in is very fast and the check-in staff briefed us on the standard items like where the gate is and what time is boarding. On top of that, we were also invited to the Thai Airways Lounge before boarding.
Thai Airways Business Class passengers can check-in at the Dnata Premier Check-in Lounge in Changi Airport Terminal 1

 

Inside the Premier Check-in Lounge
Thai Airways Check-in Counter inside Dnata Premier Check-in Lounge
The check-in experience is very good in the Dnata Premier Check-in Lounge

Thai Airways Lounge

The Thai Airways Lounge is located one floor above the departure hall in the transit area. The earthy lounge is very comfortable and cosy and has a large seating area decked out with mostly armchairs. There are some simple finger food and drinks available for Business Class passengers to enjoy. Reading materials such as local and Thai newspapers, magazines are also available for passengers to read.
Entrance to Thai Airways Lounge in Changi Airport
The lounge is decked out in purple and earthy colour schemes
Reading material for passengers
There are plenty of seats for passengers
Mostly finger food is being served in the Thai Airways Lounge in Changi Airport
Drinks for all passengers
TG410 departs from gate C13 in Changi Airport
Boarding gate at C13

BKK-SIN

Check-in

Thai Airways dedicates Row A, located at the left side of Suvarnabhumi Airport, for its premium passengers. Passengers are treated to sit-down check-in at that row and dedicated immigration clearance, which is empty at the time of my checking-in. The ground staff at Suvarnabhumi wasn’t as friendly as I thought. There were no smiles and conversations were non-existent. She just passed us our boarding pass and did not even mention which lounge is nearer to our gate nor where our gate was at.

Dedicated check-in row for First and Business Class passengers
The check-in rows for premium passengers are located in Row A in Suvarnabhumi Airport
At check-in counter in row A
Check-in counters at Row A. We were escorted to a counter that is available instead of hunting for one

Thai Airways Lounge

There are 4 Thai Airways Lounges for Business Class passengers and 1 Royal Orchid Spa Lounge in Suvarnabhumi Airport. Business Class passengers flying out or transiting Bangkok are treated to 30 mins head and shoulder or foot massage in Royal Orchid Spa. However, due to the time constraint, we did not have to go for the massage. We visited the Lounge in Concourse E, which is a fairly large lounge. There are more food options here as compared to that in Changi Airport, food was seen topped up regularly to ensure there are sufficient to go around. There is also a wide range of drinks available in the lounge. As with the lounge in Changi Airport, there are some reading materials like local newspaper and magazines for passengers to read.
Royal Silk Lounge at Concourse E
There are several seating for passengers
Some of the food that passengers can chow before the flight
Some of the food I grabbed before our flight
Phad Thai and Thai Style Hainanese Chicken Rice. Both are tasty and flavourful
TG409 departs from Gate E5

In-Flight

Cabin

Thai Airways uses its new A350-900 for both legs of the flight. The new aircraft cabin still screams of the signature Thai Airways purple theme, and the seats look classy with the timber finishing. There are 32 seats in Business Class and 289 seats in Economy Class Section. The seats in Thai Airways A350 are arranged in 1-2-1 configuration, which means all Business Class passengers onboard having direct aisle access.
Flight attendants greeting passengers on board the Thai Airways A350-900. This is the only time they are friendly
Business Class onboard Thai Airways A350-900, decked in the signature Thai Airways purple
Even the lightings are in purple onboard in the Business Class cabin
Electronic displays on the ceiling of A350-900
The lavatory onboard the A350-900 is a tad small. There is one at the forward of the cabin and 2 more at the aft of the Business Class cabin. There isn’t much amenities in the lavatory, feels pretty much like an Economy Class lavatory. What I like about the lavatory is the sensor tap and the sensor activated trash bin covers.
The sink in the A350-900 looks modern
Cabinet where tissues and handkerchiefs are stowed in the lavatory
Mirror in the lavatory is large
Ea u-de-cologne and hand lotions are the only other amenities found in the lavatory in the Business Class lavatory
I like the sensor activated trash bin cover in the lavatory
Toilet bowl
There are some coat hangers on the doors of the lavatory

 

Very basic lavatory onboard the Business Class
The only difference between Economy and Business Class lavatory are the orchids

Seats

The seats onboard Thai Airways A350-900 has a pitch of 73.5″ and width of 20″. The seats can be converted into a 180° truly flatbed. The seats have several modes other than being capable of converting into a flatbed, there is also a lounge mode, which I find it very comfortable to sit on while watching movies. Despite having a massage function, the massage function on my seat is not working. I find the seats a little cramp, especially in lounge mode when leaving and entering the seat is rather difficult. Seat controls are situated at the side of the seat at the side of the small table. There are 2 lightings, including a reading light placed at the side of the seat. Inflight reading materials are placed in the pocket above the side table of the seat. There are several storage spaces at the lower side of the seat, however, these impractical storage spaces can only hold magazines, they are too narrow to put my camera, and are too deep to place my passport into (it is rather dirty inside as well). International plug power sockets and headphone jackets are located at the side table, there is a USB outlet beneath the IFE TV.

 

Business Class seats on board the Thai Airways A350-900
Business Class seats in upright mode on Thai Airways A350-900
Business Class seats in lounge mode on Thai Airways A350-900
Business Class seats in fully flatbed mode on Thai Airways A350-900

 

Reading light and reading materials in the seat
Aircraft safety card
Power plug and the headphone jack is found on the side of the seat
Seat and light control buttons are found by the side table
Tray table folded up
Impractical storage space which does not hold anything other than books. It is too deep to put my mobile phone in
Footrest in the Business Class seats onboard Thai Airways A350-900
The legroom is good onboard Thai Airways A350-900
Aircraft safety card  and airsick bags are stores in the small seat pocket at the entrance of the seat

In-Flight Entertainment

The new Thai Airways A350-900 has a 16″ flat-screen TV in front of every seat. These touch screen TVs can also be controlled by the new generation, smartphone-like controller at the side of the seat. The system is not at all laggy, which is very much welcomed. The IFE has a large library of movies, including the latest movies to keep me entertained throughout the flight.
The 16″ touch screen TV in Business Class
IFE controller is a touch screen as well
USB ports beneath the TV

Meal Service

SIN-BKK

Meal orders were taken before taking off, at the same time as the welcome drink is being served. However, I wasn’t volunteered welcome drink onboard and had to ask for one. What a bad start to the flight. After taking off. soon after the seatbelt sign was turned off, pursuers sprung into action serving the food that we have ordered. Food was not served by courses but was given all in one tray, much like Economy Class except that they are placed in more fanciful plates. I had the Seared Prawn with Sweet Chili Sauce, which I find the prawns to be rubberish. Pandan Sago Seed with Water Chestnut is being served as dessert, which I find tastier than the main dish. It is not too sweet and has a nice texture to it.

Menu for the flight
Almond is served after take-off
Table laid out for meal service
Snack before dinner
Sear Prawn in Sweet Chili Sauce

BKK-SIN

As with the outbound leg, welcome drinks were being served on board before taking off. This time around I did not have to ask for it, it was volunteered. However, the male flight attendant did not know the name of their signature drink. We had to ask for it from another flight attendant. Meal orders were taken. No nuts were served before taking off. After taking off, we were promptly served the food that we ordered, which again was served all at one go instead of by courses. I had to Fried Prawn inLychee Sauce. The fried prawn wasn’t crispy but tasted great with the lychee sauce. I particularly like the Fried Rice that comes with the prawn dish, which tasted good and not too oily. We were served salmon and chicken breast as the appetiser, which I find them to be tasty. I did not take the dessert as I was full.

Meals being served on this flight
The table is laid for dinner. There is no pre-dinner snack
The Fried Prawn in Lychee sauce is rather tasty

Service

Service was lacking onboard both legs of the flight, not befitting of Business Class. I felt no different than flying in Economy Class. Flight attendants were seen just doing their job, instead of making passengers feel welcomed. No help was rendered to any passengers in storing their carry-on luggage in the overhead compartment.

Pursers were hiding in the pantry most of the time on both legs of the flight. The male flight attendant on the right is outright rude and clueless about service

SIN-BKK

Service is bad on this leg. The pursuers were not smiling and not making passengers feel welcome onboard. This makes me think that the signature Thai smile I have seen in Thai Airways advertisements is just for advertisements. I was conveniently skipped when serving the welcome drink. The tray tables were set up very sloppily, with the attendant holding onto the food in one hand and trying to set up the table with the other. I helped the flight attendant to lower the tray table and layout the tablecloth, she did not even utter a word of thanks.

BKK-SIN

The worst service got to be rendered from this leg of my flight. A male attendant serving us was constantly in a foul mood. No smiles came from him. When asked for their signature welcome drink, he did not even know what that was and wanted to give us coke. I had to ask another flight attendant for the Thai Airways Signature drink. The same foul mood male attendant did not seem to understand the difference in service between Business and Economy Class. I was handed food over my friend, who was about to have his dinner. The male flight attendant simply did not care if my friend was eating. Instead of putting the food down onto my table, I was made to take over the food from him and placed them onto my table. There is another incident involving the same male flight attendant. After the seat belts signs went off, I went to the lavatory. The light outside the toilet suggested that no one was inside the lavatory. I was trying to open the lavatory door, and the male flight attendant saw it. He just ignored what I was doing, but after some time, he must had felt irritated and told me “Someone inside” and ask me to wait. A female passenger came waiting for the same toilet and he actually told her there is 2 more behind. He could have told me the same information instead of making me wait for the toilet. I overheard him telling the passenger in the toilet before me to lock the toilet door properly the next time he uses it.

Afterthought

While the only A350-900 recently joined the Thai Airways fleet, I thought the use of space for the seats a little lacking. There is not much practical storage space for some gadgets like mobile phones and cameras. The side pocket is too deep and too dirty to be useful. The seats feel cramp and were difficult to enter and exit when in lounge mode. The massage function did not work on both legs of my flight onboard the A350-900. The amenities in the lavatory is lacking.
What irritates me the most is the service onboard. The attendants made me feel as though I was flying in Economy Class. Not much smiles from anyone and certainly no help was rendered. The worst is the male attendant who did not even know the name of Thai Airways Signature drink. Food was passed over my friend’s head by the male attendant. After this experience, I will not take another Thai Airways, especially in their Business Class. They are not worth paying a premium for.

[Airline Review] – All Nippon Airways DHC8-Q400 (ANA4862) – Economy Class, MMB-CTS, (20 Feb 17)

/ kktong76 / Leave a comment
ANA uses the Bombardier DHC8-Q400 for MMB to CTS

On The Ground

Check-in

There are only 2 airlines that fly from Memanbetsu Airport – ANA and JAL. The check-in for ANA in Memanbetsu Airport is located on the 1st floor of the terminal building, on the leftmost side of the airport. There are 3 ANA check-in counters in Memanbetsu, with counter 3 being the counter that takes check-in luggage. We did not have to wait for our turn to check-in as there is no one in the queue. ANA has a straight to gate service for passengers without check-in luggage, which could be the reason for no one at the queue for check-in. Checking-in was very fast, after the staff at the counter verified our names on the system, she handed over our boarding passes to us. We were also briefed on which gate to go to and the boarding time for the short 50 min flight to New Chitose Airport. As we have luggage to be checked in, the staff at the ANA counter invited us to the x-ray machine in front of counter 3. After our luggage has been scanned by airport security, the ANA staff at counter 3 took over our luggage for checking-in.
ANA sign outside MMB Airport
ANA check-in counter is located on level 1 to the left of MMB Airport. There are 3 counters for ANA, counter 3 is used to receive check-in luggage
JAL Check-in counters beside ANA counter
There are limited shops in MMB airport

Boarding Gate

Departure halls in Memanbetsu Airport are located on the 2nd floor of the terminal building, where security checks are being done before we are allowed into the airside of the terminal building. Memanbetsu Airport is a very small domestic airport, there are not many shops around in the airside. Our flight departs from Gate 4, where the announcement for boarding was done soon after we arrived at the airside. Boarding was done fairly fast at Gate 4. As there are no aerobridges to the aircraft, we headed down to level 1 and out onto the tarmac to board ANA4862 bound for New Chitose Airport.
More shops are located on the departure level 2 in MMB Airport
Security clearance before entering the airside of the airport

 

There is only one shop at the airside of MMB Airport
Flight information at airside of MMB Airport
Waiting areas are open concept. Most of the time the airport is empty as there is only one flight departing at any one time

 

ANA uses Gate 4 for this MMB-CTS flight

 

ANA4862 sitting on the tarmac waiting for passengers to board
Luggage collection in CTS Domestic Terminal

In-Flight

The Cabin

ANA uses the twin-propeller engine Bombardier DHC8-Q400 for the flight to New Chitose. The aircraft only has one class, with a total of 74 Economy Class seats arranged in 2-2 configuration. The cabin is decked out in the iconic ANA shades of blue seats and white cabin.
Blue seats onboard ANA4962
Seats are arranged in 2-2 configuration onboard

Lavatory

There are only one lavatory onboard ANA4862, located in front of the aircraft, behind the cockpit. Despite being small, the lavatory has all the basic necessities. The amenities in the lavatory is limited to handsoap and tissues.
Sink in the lavatory

 

Large mirrors onboard ANA DHC8-Q400
Tissues and seat covers are found on the bulkhead of the lavatory
Toilet bowl inside the lavatory

 

Handle besides the toilet bowl is a nice touch

 

Airflow duct and return to seat signal inside the lavatory

 

The toilet flush is located beneath the sink

 

Amenity kit drawer and little bin

 

Limited amenities in the lavatory

The Seats

All the 74 seats onboard have a pitch of 31″ and width of 17″. The legroom is very good considering it is a single class aircraft. As this is a domestic flight, there are no IFEs onboard. The seats onboard are very basic but comfortable for the 50 min flight time to New Chitose Airport. There is only a button on the armrest for passengers to reclining the seats. The control for lighting is located on the ceiling above our seats. The reading materials are stowed in the single compartment large seat pocket. The single-piece tray table is large enough for one to put a 13″ laptop on comfortably.
The seats onboard ANA DHC8-Q400 is very basic but does the job for a short domestic flight
Legroom is very good onboard the ANA DHC8-Q400
Seat pocket and tray table folded

 

The tray table is large enough to put a 13″ laptop

 

There is only one recline button on the armrest of the seat

 

Aircon duct and light controls are located on the ceiling above the seats
Aircraft safety card
Seat pocket contents
Taking off from MMB Airport. The ANA DHC8-Q400 uses twin-propeller jet

 

Flying over Hokkaido, the flight is very smooth and comfortable

Beverage Service

Due to the short flight time, no food or snacks are served on board. Soon after the seat belts, signs are off, both pursuers quickly jumped into action to serve passengers either coffee or tea. Pursuers went around the cabin 2nd time to check if passengers need more drinks.

 

I opted for coffee during this short flight from MMB to CTS

Service

The service on the ground and onboard are fantastic. On the ground, the staffs are very welcoming and did not allow us to wait for too long. After checking-in, the ground ANA staffs thanked us for flying with ANA. Instructions for checking-in of luggage and departure information were given very clearly in the excellent Japanese style service. Despite only having 2 pursuers onboard, service is by no means lacking. Pursuers were seen bowing to passengers during boarding and would go around helping passengers stowing their carry-ons in the overhead compartment. The pursuers would bow and thank passengers for flying with ANA when taxiing for taking off. They are also seen smiling to passengers throughout the 50min flight to CTS. When serving drinks. the pursuers kept their smiles on. I noticed that the pursuers would always check the cleanliness of the lavatory whenever passengers used the toilet. These friendly pursuers made me feel welcome and wanted to try their product on International Sectors. At no time I witness pursuers not smiling throughout the flight. During disembarking, these friendly pursuers were seen bowing to passengers and thanking them for flying with ANA.
One of the only two pursuers on board this flight to CTS
As there are no IFEs, safety demonstrations are done manually by the pursuers

Afterthought

My experience with ANA flying on their Bombardier DHC8-Q400 is a very pleasant one. The aircraft is very well maintained and the flight was very smooth. Despite in Economy Class, the legroom is superb. The service is top-notch from check-in to onboard services. Despite having only 2 pursuers onboard, the service is by no means lacking. Pursuers are seen smiling all the time and helping passengers, displaying pride in their work despite being a domestic route. Such service is far better than some renowned international airlines and definitely better than the Business Class I flew into Hokkaido onboard Thai Airways. This short experience with ANA made me want to fly on their international routes.
ANA4862 flying over Hokkaido
Flying over Hokkaido
Approaching for landing in CTS
Touch down at CTS

[Airline Review] – Thai Lion Air B737-800 (SL104) Economy Class, DMK-SIN (11 Dec 16)

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Thai Lion Air B737-800 that flew me on DMK-SIN leg

On the Ground

Thai Lion Air flies from Don Muang Airport in Bangkok. The check-in counter is located at row 8, towards the end of the terminal. All check-in baggage are subjected to be scanned through the x-ray machine before passengers are allowed into the check-in counters which are being cordoned off with metal barriers. At the point I was at the airport, there is a huge crowd, with most travellers from China leaving Bangkok, at most of the x-ray machines. I would advise passengers travelling out of Don Muang Airport to arrive at the airport well ahead of time in order not to be delayed by the long queue at the compulsory x-ray machines. Checking-in was a simple affair however the staff at the counter took awhile to check-in my baggage, despite having completed check-in on the internet. It took the staff around 15 mins to complete my check-in process before handing me the boarding pass and briefing me the gate and the time to arrive at the gate.

Thai Lion Air checks in at row 8
This counter checks-in passengers going to Singapore
Don Muang Airport
Don Muang Airport was the former International Airport in Bangkok before Suvarnabhumi Airport was in operation. Don Muang looks rather run-down and old, with limited (and pricey) food options before immigration. Several shops are selling the standard duty-free tobacco and liquor as well as souvenirs at the airside. There are also more food options at the airside.
Shopping at Airside
We are departing from gate 23

The Cabin

Thai Lion Air is operating on a hybrid business model, it is priced comparatively to budget airlines, however, Thai Lion Air throws in 30kg baggage check-in, seat selection (when checking-in online), as well as simple snacks onboard into the price, making it a value for money airlines to fly with. I wasn’t expecting great service or product offering onboard initially, however, my experience onboard Thai Lion Air greatly surprises me.
Thai Lion Air uses the 737-800 for the DMK-SIN route and boasts that all aircraft they used are brand new. The single class narrow-body aircraft comprises of 189 seats in total. The cabin is bright and the aircraft looks clean when I boarded it. The aircraft has excellent mood lighting that allows the cabin crew to switch to colours that suit the external environment, helping passengers to adjust to the time of the day.
Boarding Thai Lion Air
The single class cabin is brightly lighted and all the seats are decked out in leather
Aircraft safety card
Mood lighting
Mood lighting at night
The lavatory is a tad small onboard Thai Lion Air, stocking up with the basic amenities such as hand soap and tissue as well as toilet roll. I wouldn’t expect the standard amenities such as that found onboard legacy airlines. Despite that, the toilet is functional and serves its purpose.
Toilet bowl
Basin
Soap dispenser and tissue
Vanity mirror

Seats

Seats onboard Thai Lion Air are configured in 3-3. The seats are decked out in dark blue leather with a seat pitch of 31″ and measures 17″ wide. The legroom is very good and I did not feel cramped up even in a seat with normal legroom. The seats are very comfortable and have good recline. Other than a recline button, there are no other buttons nor a power socket on the seat. Controls such as the light switch and the call attendant buttons are located on the ceiling of the aircraft. The tray table is pretty much standard size as one would find in any other airlines. Other than a seat pocket at the back of the seat in front, there is nothing else. Thai Lion Air is based on budget airlines model, hence no In-Flight Entertainment units are found.
Leather seats
Legroom is surprising superb in “normal” Economy seats
Seat recline button
Tray table
Cabin ambience during boarding
Other controls are located above the seat
Seat pocket contents
Menu for passengers who want to order more food
Seat pocket
Back of the seat, not used to no IFE screen

Snack Service

Included in the price of the ticket is a snack service. As soon as the seat belt lights go off, crews readied themselves for snack service. Thai Lion Air distributes crackers and a small cup of mineral water to all passengers onboard efficiently. Passengers can also purchase additional meals from the cabin crew at a reasonable price should they feel hungry, pretty much like the budget airlines model.
Cabin crews distributing snacks shortly after the seat belts sign were turned off
Each passenger was given cheese crackers and a cup of mineral water (sorry for the blurry shot)

Service

The service on board is excellent, despite the limited interaction with cabin crews. Crews stood by the entrance of the aircraft welcoming passengers on board with a smile and did the same when passengers disembarked the aircraft. Cabin crew also went around twice (in the short 2-hour flight time) with big trash bags to collect any trash that passengers would like to dispose of. There are also smiles on the faces of the cabin crews throughout the flight.
Cabin Crew conducting safety brief
Boarding process

Afterthought

For this price point, Thai Lion Air is much more than your usual budget airlines. Included in the tickets are 30kg check-in luggage allowance on top of a 10kg carry on allowance, snacks (ok I gotta admit the snack provided isn’t that fantastic, but better than your usual budget airlines which provides nothing), as well as seat selection. With the price point similar to that of budget airlines but with additional perks, I thought Thai Lion Air is value for money. The seats are very comfortable with a great recline angle and excellent legroom. Cabin crews seem to be warm and welcoming despite the limited contact time. I would highly recommend one to try out when flying to DMK.

Looking out on the tarmac
Thai Lion Air was surprising good

 

[Airline Review] – Scoot B787-900 (TZ298) Economy Class, SIN-DMK (9 Dec 16)

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Boeing B787-900 that I took for the SIN-DMK leg

On the Ground

Scoot departs from Terminal 2 of the Singapore Changi Airport. Singapore Changi Airport Terminal 2 looks a little dull and dark. It seemed like the Terminal needs a make-over, unlike Terminals 1 and 3, which makes use of natural light to make the terminal building look brighter. Check-in counters that Scoot uses are located toward the end of the terminal. When I checked the Terminal Flipboard, it was indicated that checking-in will be done at row 11 for this flight. However, when I tried to check-in at the Internet check-in counter at row 11, a staff with an unhappy expression pointed to the row behind the counter. I walked around the counter and saw another Internet check-in queue at row 12. The queue for Internet check-in was comparatively shorter than that for passengers who did not perform Internet check-in. I always advise my friends to check-in on airlines website wherever possible as the “regular” queues tend to be longer.
Flipboard like this has been gradually replaced with LED TVs worldwide
The queue for passengers who did not check-in online is always long. I recommend to always perform online check-in
The queue for web check-in is relatively shorter, in fact, a lot shorter
Counters for passengers who have done web check-in at row 12
The staff at the check-in counter did the standard procedures for check-in, as I do not have any baggage to check-in, merely collect my boarding pass, the process was done rather swiftly. The staff did not forget to remind me of the departure gate and the time that I need to be at the gate. As with the other terminals, Terminal 2 is also shopping heaven at the airside. There is no lack of shops ranging from luxury brands to cafes to bookshops, one can easily find shopping around the airside a great way to spend time after immigration.
Shopping at airside in Terminal 2

The Cabin

Scoot boasts itself to be the only airline that uses the only B787 in its fleet. The aircraft that is plying being Singapore and Bangkok is the B787-900, which has a total of 375 seats, organised in three-class, ScootBiz, Scoot-in-Silence and Economy Class. The Economy Class cabin is decked out with bright blue seats, with the bright LED lights and the large windows, the twin-aisle cabin looked very clean and refreshing. One feature of the window shades on the B787-900 is the electronically controlled dimming of the shades, which worked very well during my flight to DMK onboard Scoot. I noticed at takeoffs and landings, these shades seemed to be centrally disabled to ensure that passengers keep the window shades “up”.
Boarding Scoot B787-900
Aircraft safety card found in the seat pocket
Control to dim the window, a feature onboard B787-900
Lights above the seat
Mood lighting while boarding
Cabin onboard Scoot Economy Class
Cabin ambience onboard Scoot Economy Class
Colourful lighting onboard Scoot B787-900 aircraft
The lavatory on board the Economy Class is of a decent size and is comparable with most legacy airlines. The amenities are very basic and limited to only hand soap, tissue and toilet rolls. Scoot is operating on a budget mode, hence only the basics are provided in the lavatories.
Toilet bowl
Very basic amenities in the lavatory
Large mirrors used to add to a sense of spaciousness
Coat hangers found on the back of the door

The Seat

I booked in the Economy Class seats for this short 2-hour flight from Singapore to Don Muang (Bangkok). The seat pitch in the standard Economy Class seats on Scoot is 31″ and measures 18″ wide. The seats in Economy Class onboard Scoot is 3-3-3 configured. I find the legroom to be very good and I had ample legroom space (I can even cross my legs on my seat).
Bright cabin configured in 3-3-3 arrangement

The seats are very basic, with only a reclining button and three buttons (Call attendant, cancel call for attendant and light control buttons) on the armrest. As Scoot is operating on a budget mode, there are no In-Flight Entertainment Systems nor seat to seat phones. Headphone jacks are not present, neither are any socket-outlets for passengers to charge their phones. Behind the seats, one can find the seat pocket with the Scoot Inflight Magazine, the menu for ScootCafe, the menu for inflight entertainment (to be purchased separately and streamed onto one’s mobile phone or tablet via the Scoot wifi onboard), as well as the safety card for the aircraft.

Excellent legroom onboard Scoot Economy Class
Very basic controls on the armrest. However, the placement of these buttons are bad as I kept accidentally hitting the light button
Seat recline button on the side of the armrest
A very basic seat back with only tray table and pockets. Scoot uses streaming into passenger’s mobile phone or tablet to keep costs low
Seat pocket contents
Even the seat pocket is very basic

Service

Scoot being a budget carrier, one would naturally expect minimum service from the airlines. I would rate the service a mix. The inflight service exceeds my expectation. The service started with the pursuers greeting passengers boarding the aircraft with sincerity and warmth. The pursuers were seen wearing a smile when they were patrolling the cabin, be it for safety checks or to sell food and drinks. I purchased a bottle of mineral water from one of the pursuers and she returned promptly with a smile and the product that I purchased. When disembarking the plane, pursuers are seen thanking passengers during disembarkation. While the contact time with the pursuers is minimum, I can still see the friendly and cheerful image that the airlines has pride themselves with.

Due to the lack of IFE, safety demonstration is done “live” by flight attendants

However, the ground services are horrendous, especially the call centre. I saw a Facebook post by Scoot on the delay in the timing of my flight to Bangkok the day before my scheduled flight. However, this notice was taken down minutes later on Scoot’s Facebook page as well as their website. Despite their website stated that all affected passengers will be notified by email and/or SMS, I did not receive any notification via the stated means by Scoot. When I completed check-in on Scoot’s website, the timing I got was the original departure timing. I called the call centre to verify if the flight has been delayed due to confusing communications. The service agent insisted to get my booking reference to check, despite questioning him the need since I have the flight number and the departure date. After all I am only confirming the timing of the departure. The staff kept insisting on obtaining the booking reference. Sensing that the conversation will go nowhere, I asked to speak to his supervisor or the manager. The staff replied that there are no supervisors nor managers on duty, any sane person would have rejected this claim by him. When questioned the truthfulness of his claim, the staff then reluctantly provided me with the timing of the flight without asking for my booking reference. I find the Scoot has failed in their promised (as stated in their Facebook page) that affected passengers will be notified (which they have not) and having someone manning the service hotline that treats customers as uninformed.

Afterthought

For a short 2-hour flight, I find Economy Class in Scoot to be comfortable. The legroom in the most basic seat is sufficient. For a longer haul flight, I would think twice about flying Scoot as the lack of IFE makes flying a chore. The service onboard exceeds my expectations, however not so for the ground staffs from the hotline agents to the staffs processing my check-in. Will I fly Scoot again? Probably not.

 

The flight was very smooth and comfortable

 

[Airline Review] – Singapore Airlines A330-300 (SQ255) / (SQ236) – Economy Class, SIN-BNE, (30 Jun 16) / BNE-SIN (6 Jul 16)

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SQ uses A330-300 for its SIN-BNE-SIN service

On The Ground

SIN-BNE

The flight from Singapore to Brisbane departs from Singapore Changi Airport Terminal 3. SQ has several check-in counters in Terminal 3, including the self check-in and baggage drop off. For this trip, I used the self check-in kiosks located in row 3. The kiosk is easy to use and prints out my boarding pass swiftly. As I had bags to check-in, I proceeded to the check-in counter behind the kiosks to drop off my luggage. There are ground staffs stationed at the kiosks ready to render help to passengers should they face any problem. Having gotten my boarding pass, I realised the boarding gate was not printed on it. I had to constantly check the flight information screens, scattered around the air side of the terminal for my boarding gate.
Terminal 3 departure hall in Changi Airport 
Passengers who have done online check-in are given the option to print their boarding pass on one of these kiosks or have their boarding pass collected from the counter
SQ self-service boarding pass printing kiosk
After printing the boarding pass, passengers with check-in luggage have to deposit their luggage in one of these counters behind the kiosks
Luggage drop queue for passengers who have opted for the self-service boarding pass kiosks
SQ255 departs from Gate A5. Passing the security checks for this boarding gate, the waiting area for the flight comprises of several gates which were rather chaotic especially there are two SQ flights with similar flight number leaving for Australia at around the same timing. Ground staffs seem to compete with each other for the attention of the passengers when processing for boarding. Boarding for Economy Class passengers is done in groups, which are separated by the rows on the aircraft. I thought this arrangement has hugely reduced the long queues for passengers waiting to board on Economy Class.
The departure lounge that SQ255 departs from comprises of five departure gates. This has made the area look chaotic 
There are two flights outbound to Australia at a timing that are very close to each other. The ground staffs at both gates are competing with each other for the attention of the passengers in the departure lounge
SQ255 departs from Gate A5
Aerobridge towards the aircraft
Boarding gates for Economy passengers
Queuing to board SQ255

BNE-SIN

Check-in for SQ flights is located at Row 7 on the departure level of Brisbane International Airport. There are three queues for passengers travelling on SQ in this airport for Business Class, Economy Class and passengers who have done online check-in. As I had done my check-in via SQ’s mobile app, I headed for the online check-in queue. There are hardly any passengers in this queue and my check-in was promptly completed.
Check-in for SQ flights are done in row 7 in the departure hall of Brisbane International Airport
Row 7 in the departure hall
There are three queues at row 7
The dedicated queue for passengers who have done their check-in online. This queue is a lot shorter than the other queues
SQ236 leaves from Gate 78, located at the other side of the airside of the terminal after the immigration area. Gate 78 has a dedicated area for passengers to wait around for their flight. However there are limited sitting available at this gate, several passengers are seen standing around the boarding gate waiting for boarding. As with my outbound flight, boarding was also done by groups with passengers sitting at the rearmost section being boarded first. There is a separate queue for Business Class passengers.
Airside in Brisbane International Airport
SQ236 leaves from Gate 78 through this walkway
Departure lounge at Gate 78
There are two queues for SQ here, one for Business Class and one for Economy Class passengers

The Cabin

SQ uses the A330-300 for both legs of the flight. There are a total of 255 Seats in Economy Class arranged in a 2-4-2 configuration divided into two sections. The cabin ambience feels comfortable with the use of grey and turquoise coloured seats in the front section of the cabin and two different shades of brown in the rear section of Economy Class sections.
Peeking into Business Class Cabin 
The front section of Economy Class. This section is decked in grey and turquoise seats
The front section in Economy Class
Rear section in Economy Class. Seats in this section is decked in two shades of brown
Pillows and blankets are already placed on the seats awaiting for passengers when I boarded the aircraft
There are several lavatories located across the Economy cabins in the aircraft. The lavatory is a tad small, and are well stocked with amenities such as toothbrushes and combs. Other than the standard hand soap which is common across most of the airlines, the lavatory is also stocked with mouth wash, hand moisturising lotion and eau-de-toilette. The large mirrors in the lavatory give one a sense of spaciousness. What I like about the toilet onboard SQ is that the trash bin cover is activated by a step pedal located at the bottom of the bin, which means passengers do not have to dirty their hands while trying to throw rubbish in it.
Large Hollywood style mirrors are found in the lavatory
Moisturising hand lotion and Eau de Toilette are found in the lavatory
Additional amenities in the lavatory
Toilet bowl in the lavatory
I like the step pedal for the trash bin, which means passengers do not have to soil their hands trying to dump rubbish into the bin
Sink area in the lavatory

The Seat

Legroom for the seats on this aircraft is rather generous measuring 32″ pitch and 19″ wide and reclines at 115 deg. The seats are comfortable and capable of providing me with a good rest for the red-eye flight. There is ample storage space in the seat pocket behind the seat in front of mine. There is a small compartment in the seat pocket, large enough to put a mobile phone and passport. The seat has a bi-fold tray table with a vanity mirror on the backside of it, great for passengers who want to look good before deplaning. The recline button is located on the right armrest along with the jacks for the earplugs for the in-flight entertainment system. A multi-pin power socket is also located on the armrest or underneath the seat, depending on which seat one is seated at.

The legroom is great onboard SQ Economy Class
There is a hook for hanging clothes and a cup holder next to the TV screen
Seat pocket
Aircraft safety card
Contents of the seat pocket
Additional outlets next to the TV screen
Earphone jack and multi-pin power socket located on the right armrest 
Bi-fold tray table
There is a mirror on the tray table
Tray table fully extended
Seat recline button
On some seats, only earphone jacks are found on the right armrest
The multi-pin power socket is located underneath the seats

The seats are not without its flaws. For the SIN-BNE leg, I was seated on row 34. When I was doing my check-in on my mobile app, there was no indication if that seat was “unique”. Upon arriving at my seat, I was shocked that the seat was without a window. The condition of the seats onboard both flights was rather dirty with spots and dust everywhere. There are also stains on the bulkhead of the seat where there was supposed to have a window. The seat I took on the BNE-SIN leg could not recline. A stewardess had to give it a hard push for it for recline.

In-Flight Entertainment

All seats in Economy Class has a 10.6″ personal TV, however they are not touch screens. The controller to the PTV is stowed onto the ledge underneath the TV screen. There is no lack of movies and shows in the IFE, which kept me well entertainment throughout the 8-hour flight to Brisbane. However, when I was watching movies on the IFE, there are pauses on the IFE every 20 mins, which is quite irritating.
A 10.6″ TV screen for Economy Class is pretty generous
The front side of the IFE controller
The backside of the IFE controller
The IFE controller is stowed under the TV screen
Earphones were placed in the cup holder next to the TV screen

Meal Service

There are two meal services for each leg of the flight. For the SIN-BNE leg, pursuers jumped into action to serve refreshments to the passengers about 30 mins into the flight. Supper was served about 30 mins further into the flight for passengers to catch maximum rest for the overnight flight to Brisbane. Chicken and fish are on the menu for passengers to choose from. I opted for the fish which is tasty and the fish was well seasoned. Breakfast, comprising of bread and a muffin served with coffee or tea, was served about two hours before landing.
The menu was distributed as soon as the seat belt signs were turned off
Fish with rice for supper
Breakfast

For the BNE-SIN leg, peanut and drinks were served around 45 mins into the flight, followed by lunch about 30 mins later. For lunch, passengers are given a choice of chicken with rice or beef with mash potato. I opted for the beef, which is tender and well marinated. The mash potato is well seasoned as well. Perhaps due to my hunger, I found the portion a tad small. Pursuers distributed ice-cream to passengers 30 mins after distributing lunch. Fried rice with chicken was the only option for the pre-arrival meal, which was served about two hours before arrival. The fried rice is delicious and the chicken was rather tender.

Food options for lunch
Food offering for pre-arrival meal
Peanuts and drinks were distributed
I had beef and mash potato for lunch
Chicken with rice is also available for lunch
Ice cream as a desert
Fried Rice with chicken for pre-arrival meal

Service

SQ255

As soon as the seat belt light went off shortly after the aircraft got airborne, the pursuers sprung into action distributing hot towels to passengers in Economy cabin. Another staff came distributing amenity kits to all passengers. The amenity kits in Economy Class, though not as elaborate as that in Business Class, comprises of socks and toothbrush which is a nice touch to the service onboard. However, the good service seems to stop there. During meal service, I requested a can of coke from the pursuer and was declined by the pursuer, stating that there might not be enough coke to go around for the 8-hour flight. The pursuer gave me half a cup of coke and promised to return to me if there are leftover cokes to go around. No alternatives, such as giving me another cup of coke or offering of alternative drinks were given. The same pursuer walked by a few times during the flight, but refused any eye contact nor did she got back to me about drinks. However, the same pursuer was seen serving a Caucasian passenger seated across me three cups of soft drinks (one can of coke pours roughly two cups). The same pursuer was also seen topping up the cups of the said Caucasian passenger’s cup. At no point (other than landing), did I see the Caucasian passenger’s cup was empty.

I raised my displeasure with the in-flight manager but was met with a series of defensive excuses. The in-flight manager also resorts to playing with words during my conversation with him. I also raised my displeasure for allocated a windowless seat (what’s the point of selecting a window seat without windows?) not once but three times to the in-flight manager, but was brushed aside by the manager. The manager did not even bother to address my displeasure with the windowless seat. I was deeply disappointed to have received discriminatory service and an in-flight manager who is defensive and brushed aside my concerns, which was not the SQ that many of us have came to know.

Pursuers distributing hot towels once airborne
A small amenity kit comprising of socks and toothbrush was distributed to all passengers during the flight

SQ236

As with the outbound flight, pursuers went around distributing hot towels and amenity kits for a day flight. The pursuers were much better in offering service and ensuring passengers feel welcome and are comfortable during the flight. My request for drinks was well met and was offered another round when the pursuers saw my cup is empty. One of the meal options consists beef, as my friend is unable to take beef due to religious reasons, I highlighted my friend’s meal preference and the reason to two pursuers on two occasions to two different pursuers. I was happy that my friend’s meal preference was taken note by both pursuers. However, when meal service came, the same pursuers asked my friend if he wanted chicken or beef. I was shocked to have found out that my friend’s meal preference was not taken into account despite having raised to them twice. Luckily there are sufficient chicken meals to go around and my friend was able to have his meal. Other than this little hiccup, the service onboard is generally good with pursuers frequently seen patrolling the cabin and responded to passengers’ requests swiftly. Meal service was completed efficiently and passengers were given ample time to finish their meals. Trays were collected swiftly as well. Compared to SQ255, service onboard SQ236 were much better, befitting of the service that SQ has come to known.

Pursuers (this is not the pursuer who took note of my friend’s preference of meal) distributing hot towel once the aircraft was airborne

Overall

Both legs of the flight were comfortable, despite the outbound flight seem aged. Legroom was superb in Economy Class and the lavatories are well stocked with amenities. The IFE is great in keeping passengers entertained throughout the 8-hour flight time. Service was a mix, where I experienced discriminatory service and pursuers as well as the in-flight manager who couldn’t care less about providing equal service to their Asian passengers as compared to the Caucasian passengers. The service for the inbound flight was way better than that of the outbound flight, which is the warm and attentive service that SQ has came to know. My outbound flight experience of discrimination was not the first time that I had experienced onboard SQ. I also experienced similar discrimination during my flight to Bali onboard SQ some five months ago on Jan 16. These have enough to put me off flying onboard SQ. If not for my paid booking for a trip to Taipei later part of the year, I would NOT have chosen SQ again. My Nov flight with SQ will be my last time with SQ!

Flying over Brisbane River

 

[Airline Review] – Singapore Airlines A330-300 (SQ948) / (SQ949) – Economy Class, SIN-DPS, (29 Jan 16) / DPS-SIN (1 Feb 16)

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SQ uses A330-300 on their SIN-DPS route

On The Ground

SIN-DPS

SQ uses both terminal 2 and 3 in Singapore Changi Airport for its outbound flights to anywhere else in the world. SQ uses Terminal 2 for regional flights and Terminal for outbound flights to anywhere else in the world. The flight bound for Bali departs from Terminal 2. There are several dedicated rows for SQ in the terminal, mainly rows 1 – 4. Row 3 is dedicated to passengers who have checked in online flying to anywhere in the region. As we had done our check-in online, this row is where we drop our luggage. There are 2 sections to this section, one for drop off of luggage for passengers who prefers to print their boarding pass and tag their luggage at the machines outside the queue in the row. The other section is for passengers who prefer to have a ground staff checking their luggage in. We opted for assistance in checking in. As the queue was pretty short, we got checked in pretty swiftly by the ground staff.
Curbside at Changi Airport Terminal 2
Passengers checked in online will need to approach Row 3 to drop off their baggage
Self-service kiosk for the printing of boarding pass before dropping off baggage at the counters behind
Pretty empty check-in counters for passengers who checked in online

Changi Airport airside is like a shopping mall. There is no lack of shopping from luxury brands to the more affordable range brands. There are several gardens around the airport spread across 3 terminals as well as cinemas and rest areas. Most of the rest areas are facing the tarmac for passengers to rest and do some plane watch while waiting for their flights.

Shopping in Changi Airport
Duty-free shopping
SQ departs from gate F54
Entrance to the waiting room

DPS-SIN

The new Denpasar International Airport was opened in 2013. The terminal building still looks new despite being about 3 years old. To gain access into the terminal building, security personnel matched the tickets of passengers with their passport. SQ uses half of Row C (C5 to C12) for their passengers flying out of DPS. 3 counters are dedicated to Business Class passengers and 2 counter are dedicated to passengers who have done their check-in online. As we were early for our flight, there is no one in the queue and we did not have to wait for our turn. The ground staff at the counter acknowledges our online check-in and process our check-in very quickly and briefed us on our boarding time and gate number.

Denpasar Airport new terminal
Curtsied of Denpasar Airport
Denpasar Airport
Denpasar Airport
Inside Denpasar Airport terminal
Flight information
Very empty check-in counter at row C
Internet check-in counter
Once cleared immigration, passengers are made to walk through duty free shop before arriving at a part of the airside where one can find duty free shopping. There are some luxury brand shops and mostly shops selling overpriced Balinese souvenirs. There are limited eateries around in the airside of the terminal. I particularly liked the queue system of Economy Class at DPS airport. Passengers are grouped by row numbers and there are lanes for passengers to queue up according to the group they are assigned to. This makes boarding very efficient and boarding queue seems shorter.
Passengers will have to go through this duty-free shop before reaching airside of the terminal
Walking through the duty-free shop
More shopping when one exits the duty-free shop
Lounge for premium passengers
More shops. Compared to the old Denpasar airport, which is dark and poorly lighted, the new airport is bright and clean
More shopping at the airside
There is a Hard Rock Cafe near the boarding gates
I like the way SQ organise the queues in Denpasar Airport, making boarding feels faster
Economy Class passengers are organised in groups for more efficient boarding
The bird that is going to fly us home
Heading to the aircraft
Through the aerobridge
Pursuers waiting to welcome passengers onboard

The Cabin

SQ uses A330-300 for both legs of the flight plying between SIN and DPS. The aircraft is configured to take up 30 passengers in Business Class and 255 in Economy Class. The Economy class is further divided into 2 sections, each with its colour theme. The forward section of Economy Class has a brighter theme, attributed to the use of turquoise colour in the seat with light brown. The aft section of Economy Class is decked in beige and dark orange seats.  The forward gives passengers a lighter and brighter feel, while the aft section gives passengers a more warm and cosy feel. Economy Class is configured with the 2-4-2 seating arrangement.
Forward Economy Class cabin
Aft Economy Class cabin
Cabin ambience lighting
Seat belt sign and overhead reading light
Peeking into Business Class
Aircraft safety card
The lavatory in Economy Class is rather standard. As with most airlines, the lavatory in Economy Class tends to be a tad cramp. The lavatory onboard both SQ948 and SQ949 have the standard fixtures. I particularly like the step level which opens the trash bin cover by the sink. I thought this is a nice touch. The lavatory is well lighted with what the airline terms as “Hollywood-style” mirror. SQ provides more standard amenities in its Economy Class lavatory. Amenities such as hand soap, mouth wash, hand moisturiser and eau de toilette are available onboard SQ Economy Class lavatories. These amenities are more than what most airlines offer in their lavatories. On top of these amenities, sanitary pads, combs, toothbrushes are also available in the Economy Class lavatories. Most airlines these days do not provide toothbrushes on board, I am glad SQ still provides these additional amenities.
Toilet Bowl
Hand cream and Eau de toilette
Mouthwash
Basin
Step pedal to open the trash bin cover
Well stocked toilet paper
Additional amenities which is not seen in most airlines these days
Lavatory compartment
“Hollywood-styled” mirrors
Hook on the door of the lavatory

The Seat

The seat in Economy Class is comfortable,  with a generous seat pitch of 32″ and a width of 19″. There are a total of 255 seats in the Economy Class split into 2 sections. A small cup holder and a compartment are found behind each seat, providing more storage space for its passengers. The seat also has an AV jack, a USB port and an outlet for one to plug in their iPod to enjoy music from their lifestyle device. The seat pocket is rather generous, with 2 large pockets and 1 small pocket providing ample space for passengers to store their stuff. The legroom is great for Economy Class, and I have sufficient legroom for stretching. The seat also has a sliding bi-fold tray table which provided space for passengers sitting in the window to gain access to the aisle without disturbing passenger sitting at the aisle too much. There is also a vanity mirror on the tray table. The headphone jack is located on the armrest, above a power socket for passengers to charge their lifestyle gadget.
Comfortable Economy Class seats. Large size pillow and Givenchy fleece blankets are already placed on the seats
AV input and iPod, as well as USB outlets, are found on the right of the TV screen
Cup holder and a small hook as coat hanger found on the left side of the TV

 

Bi-fold tray table gives passengers a sense of space
Tray table fully extended
Vanity mirror on the back of the bi-fold table
Seat recline button found on the armrest of the seat
Headphone jack and power socket are found on the armrest of each seat
Excellent legroom in Economy Class
3 tier seat pockets with sufficient room to store items. I particularly like the small pocket which can be used to store smaller items like passports, mobile phones
Seat pocket with inflight reading materials
Contents in the seat pocket

In-Flight Entertainment

Passengers are treated with a 10.6″ Personal TV screen in every seat in the Economy Class, however, these TVs do not have touchscreen function, which is not a problem as the AVOD controller is rather responsive. KrisWorld is SQ’s entertainment system, which has tons of options to keep passengers entertained, ranging from the latest release of movies to TV shows to games. There is also a row of LED reading lights under each personal TV screen, which can be tilted to expose the reading lights. The AVOD controller is stowed underneath the personal TV screen. One side of the controller controls the menu for KrisWorld allowing passengers to select their preferred entertainment. The call button and reading light switches are also located on this side of the controller. On the backside of the controller, one can find a keyboard, directional joystick as well as 4 buttons which is used for playing games on KrisWorld. SQ distributes earplugs which passengers are free to bring them back. The quality of the earplugs are rather bad, nonetheless, it is good enough to be used onboard.

LED reading light under the PTV
10.6″ Personal TV, which is one of the largest in the industry
IFE controller is stowed under the PTV
The backside of the IFE controller
Earplugs

Meal

As with most other airlines that have relatively short flight time, time is critical for the pursuers, especially on a nearly full flight. The pursuers sprung into action as soon as the seat belt sign has been turned off. They went around preparing for food like clockwork, hoping to beat the time and get the food to all the passengers within the short flight time.

SIN-DPS

I guess the safest meat to serve in this region has got to be chicken and fish. The options for this flight we had panned seared fish or curry chicken. I had the curry chicken. The chicken tasted tender and the spice in the curry wasn’t too overpowering. When eaten with rice, the curry is very delicious. My only qualm is there is too little of the delicious curry for the bed of rice. My friend opted for the fish. I was told the fish tasted fresh and the seasoning on the fish is just perfect. Also on the menu was a salad for starter (nothing fantastic, the dressing was “normal”) and chocolate mousse for dessert. I find the chocolate mousse to be a tad too sweet for my liking. The pursuer went around serving coffee and tea after all the passengers got their food. Pursuers also went around serving drinks.

Dinner is served
Curry chicken with brinjal
Fish with potato

DPS-SIN

The options for this leg of the flight is again restricted to chicken and fish. Both my friend and I opted for the chicken. The chicken was dressed in spicy rendang sauce served with rice over a bed of long beans, carrots and cauliflower. The rendang chicken is a little dry, but the level of the spicy is just nice, perfect for passengers who are not used to taking spicy food. Both starters and desert are the same as the previous flight.

I was given 2 buns and 2 desserts by the friendly pursuers
Chicken Rendang for dinner

Service

SIN-DPS

The service onboard this flight feels very standard of SQ. The standard warm towels are being passed to passengers shortly after takeoff. Somehow the pursuer working at our aisle felt a little fake in her service. Her smile is rather plastic and she somehow gave me the impression that she is not sincere in her service. I requested playing cards and a can of coke from her during the flight, but these requests were not being taken note. At first, I thought she might be having a bad day, however, I did witness her warmth when dealing with a Caucasian passenger. Not once, but 3 times I saw her going up to the Caucasian passenger initiating conversation and checked if he was comfortable during the flight and if he needed anything like a drink during the flight. I was taken aback by such discriminating service by her. Having said that, the pursuers serving the other aisle seem friendlier and warmer. I saw they going around asking passengers if they needed anything with a very warm and sincere smile.

The pursuer on the right was serving our aisle
These pursuers on the other aisle seem friendlier in their service
Going around doing their job

DPS-SIN

The service onboard this leg is much much better than my outbound flight. From the moment we stepped onboard the flight, the pursuers asked if we needed help with our carry-ons, to the dinner service when the pursuers asked if the food was alright and if we needed to top up our drinks. The pursuers tried their very best to accommodate our request. We requested to change seat before taking off and were assisted by the pursuers in securing our new seats. The pursuers have a warm personality and occasionally popping by to ask if we needed more drinks. They were seen joking with my friends and other passengers during their free time. We were also given extra desserts by the pursuers as my friends complimented that they liked the dessert. The pursuers felt sincere in their service onboard SQ949.

Overall

SQ provided very comfortable flight on their seats even in Economy Class. The cabin decor felt warm and cosy and the amenities found in the lavatories are a notch above their competitors. The pillow found on the seat is large for Economy Class and the fleece blanket gives Economy Class passengers a feeling of premium. Passengers will be spoilt for choices in the entertainment system, especially on a large screen (larger than most other airlines of the same class). The food is great on board and very delicious. However, the service was mixed, giving me a feeling that luck plays a huge part in determining if we got good service, depending on who served our aisle.
Sunset onboard SQ

[Airline Review] – Thai Airways B777-300 (TG409) BKK-SIN – Business Class (9 Jan 16)

/ kktong76 / Leave a comment
Thai Airways B777-300 used for this BKK-SIN route

On The Ground

Check-in

Thai Airways has a dedicated check-in area for its premium passengers. Passengers flying in First Class or Business Class check-in at row A. Unlike a proper check-in lounge that some airlines operate at their country of origin, the premium check-in area is essentially a whole row of check-in counters with chairs for premium passengers to sit while the ground staff process their check-in. First Class passengers have a separate check-in area in this row. Checking-in is swift as I have already completed online check-in via the Thai Airways mobile app. What I like about the check-in at Suvarnabhumi Airport is the Fast Track immigration, which is located at the end of the check-in row. At the time of my checking-in, there were no queues and we made it through the immigration in under 5 mins. After the immigration area, access to the lounge is just down the escalator located behind the immigration counter.
Dedicated check-in row for Thai Airways premium passengers, located at row A through door 1 in Suvarnabhumi Airport
Signage for row 1 at the entrance of the airport terminal
Signage for row 1 inside the airport terminal
Row A for Thai Airways Premium passengers
Row A check-in area
There are seats for premium passengers at row A
There are hardly any queue at Row A
Relatively empty row
Row A counters
This way leads to fast track immigration clearance, where there is hardly any queue. Premium passengers are treated to swift custom clearance

Lounge

Suvarnabhumi Airport is the home to Thai Airways and there are a few lounges that passengers can gain access to. Passengers can visit any of the lounges and choose the lounge that is closest to their departure gate. The lounge that is linked to the immigration area at the premium check-in counter is the largest lounge at concourse D. Royal Silk Lounge at Concourse D is spread across a total floor area of 1400 sq, decked in earthy tones, the lounge has ample rest space for their premium passengers. The food offering at the lounge is limited to finger food and the standard beverages. Despite the large size, due to the decor of the lounge, it felt rather cosy. We did not stay at this lounge long as we headed for the Royal Orchard Spa for our massages, which is located right across the lounge at Concourse D.
Direct access to Royal Silk Lounge after fast track immigration clearance
Food area in Royal Silk Lounge
Hot beverages
Cosy Royal Silk Lounge
Buffet area serving finger food in Royal Silk Lounge
This lounge is the biggest of 4 lounges spread across airside in Suvarnabhumi. There are ample armchairs in this lounge for passengers
Towards the entrance of the lounge

Business Class passengers are treated to a 30 mins foot massage or a head and shoulder massage at the Royal Orchard Spa. The spa lounge is decorated with mainly a wooden theme that gives its visitors a sense of zen when entering. Upon entering, the friendly ground staff asks for our boarding pass and arranged masseuses promptly, who will take us to the treatment area and began the massages session. I opted for the foot massage, which the skilful masseuse did her magic on my weary legs. The skills of the masseuse are comparable or even better than some of the massage parlours one can find in Bangkok. The massage took away the tiredness on my legs and my legs felt refresh after the 30 massage session. As we did not have time to shop around, we headed back to the lounge we had entered from immigration (it is the nearest to our gate) and enjoyed some finger food.

Entrance to Royal Orchid Spa
Spa Treatment for First Class passengers, who are treated to a 1-hour spa
Decor in the Royal Orchid Spa
Passengers can rest here while waiting for their flight after the massages
Massage treatment area
A very skilful and professional masseuse working her magic on my tired legs
Finger food for passengers back at the lounge in Concourse D
Finger food in Royal Silk Lounge
Cosy rest area in Royal Silk Lounge

The waiting area was rather crowded, signalling a full flight on this BKK-SIN leg. At the gate, Thai Airways ground staffs checked our boarding pass and invited us to wait at the waiting area. As with most airlines practice, Thai Airways boarded their premium passengers as well as passengers who needed assistance.

The bird that will fly us from BKK to SIN
Heading towards the waiting area for our flight
TG409 departs from Gate D7, which is quite a distance from the entrance of the lounge at Concourse D
Looks like a full flight today. Passengers are already waiting at the waiting area for our flight back to SIN
Aerobridge to the aircraft
View of the aircraft from the aerobridge
The Cabin

Entering the Business Class cabin, we were welcomed by the familiar Thai Airways purple coloured cabin. Thai Airways uses the Boeing B777-300 aircraft for this leg of the flight. The aircraft is fitted with 34 seats in Business Class and 330 seats in Economy Class.

Pursuers standing by to welcome passengers onboard
Royal Silk Class
Contents in the seat pocket and noise-cancelling headphones which were placed on the seats when we boarded
Aircraft safety card

As with most of the Thai Airways aircraft, the 2 lavatories are located in front of the Business Class cabins, just before the cockpit door. The lavatories are a tad small for Business Class cabin but fitted with the necessary hardware such as the toilet bowl and the sink. I particularly like the tap which is operated by a sensor. There are also amenities such as handkerchiefs, tissue, Eau-de-toiletry, hand moisturiser and hand wash in the lavatory. However, unlike some airlines, there is no presence of mouth wash on board the Thai Airways Business Class lavatory.

Sensor tap sink in the lavatory
Mirror in the lavatory
Toilet paper
Handkerchief
Small paper cup
Hand moisturiser and Eau-de-toiletry in Business Class cabin

The Seat

Thai Airways uses the shell designed seats on its B777-300, arranged in a 2-3-2 configuration. The seats in Business Class has a pitch of 70″ and measures 20″ wide. They are capable of reclining to almost flat, angled at 163°. The legroom on its Business Class seats is superb, with sufficient space for the passenger seating away from the aisle to gain access to the aisle. Amenities such as pillows and blankets as well as the noise-cancelling headphones are already made available on the seats when I boarded the aircraft. All Business Class seats come with a massaging function for the lower back, deployable via the seat control panel on the armrest of the seat. The headphone jack is located under the armrest between 2 seats and a power socket is located across the headphone jack. In addition to the overhead reading light, there is also another reading light located on the top left corner (depending on which seat one takes) of the seat.
Business Class seats
Seat control on the armrest of the seat
Headphone jacks under the armrest of the seat
Power socket with international plugs
Overhead compartment and bulkhead reading lights
Another reading light on the top of the seat
Business Class passengers get 3 windows
Ample legroom in Business Class
Coat hanger on the backside of the seat in front of us
Seat pocket and cup holder
Extra compartment for storage of small items between the seats
Business Class seats in lounging mode
Business Class mode fully reclined

In-Flight Entertainment

Thai Airways has fantastic AVOD system onboard, with a wide variety of choices from movies to radio stations to music to games. The aircraft is fitted with 15″ LCD TV on the back of the seat in front of us. The AVOD is well organised in menus for ease in selection of entertainment. I particularly like the new movie menu, which immediately channelled me to the movies that I wanted to watch, especially useful for this short 2-hour flight from BKK to SIN. The controller for the AVOD is hidden under the cover of the armrest of the seat. The AVOD controller is an older model with easy to use and functional buttons. However, it is not as responsive as I would like it to be. The AVOD felt lag, perhaps due to the age of the controller system.

15″ LCD TV in Business Class
AVOD control stowed under the armrest of each seat
The AVOD controller is in a rather bad shape

Meal Service

As with most Business Class services, the pursuers approached us with welcome drinks and wet towels as soon as we were settled into our seats. We enquired about the “Violet Bliss” and was gladly given by the pursuers. We were told this drink is the Thai Airways signature drink and limited quality were brought onboard on every flight. The pursuers went around the cabin distributing menus and returned a little later to take our orders for meal. At the same time, pursuers came around distributing quilts for passengers in Business Class. As soon as the seat belt signs were switched off, the pursuers sprung into action doing their rounds serving warm almond nuts and doing another drink round. We opted for the “Violet Bliss” once again. About 45 mins into the flight, dinner was served. As this is a short flight, all courses of the meal were served at one go. I opted for the sea bass meal, which was delicious. The perfectly seasoned sea bass was thick and tasted fresh. The starter, salmon with duck, was served together with the meal course. I did not like the salmon as it tasted a tad salty for my liking. Neither did I like the Mango Passion Fruit dessert as it tasted a tad too sour for my liking. After serving all the passengers meal, the pursuers came around serving coffee and tea. I opted for a cup of cappuccino, which the pursuers gladly served to me.
Meal and Drinks Menus were distributed once we settled into our seats
The drinks selection was rather limited compared with other airlines
Food menu
“Violet Bliss”, a must-try onboard Thai Airways
Warm nuts and another round of “Violet Breeze” with Pierre carbonated water was served as soon as the seat belt sign was turned off
Starters, Main Course and Dessert were served all at one go due to the short flight time. I opted for the sea bass.

Service

The good service from Thai Airways was felt at the moment of checking-in at the airport. The friendly and warmth ground staff struck conversation voluntarily and checked how was my stay in Bangkok. She patiently and efficiently processed my check-in and tagged my luggage professionally.

I can’t say enough how I loved the service rendered by the professional staff at the Royal Orchid Spa. The staff was very professional and skilful and the massage rendered was as good if not better than that one can find in some of the massage parlours in downtown Bangkok.

The service I received onboard TG409 was impeccable. The pursuers felt warmth and sincere and did not make me feel they are going through motion. The pursuers took note of my preference for “Violet Bliss” and even suggested how the drink can be best consumed. She suggested adding Pierre water to bring out the taste of the drink better. And she was right. A fresh glass of “Violet Bliss” always appear on my table whenever the pursuers saw my glass empty, without me having to ask. The pursuers truly portray the friendliness and warmth of the Thais that many came to know. They went around serving passengers with a smile and their attention to details is superb. Despite being busy for this short 2-hour flight, the pursuers did not show signs of frustration and rush. They went around doing their best to satisfy all passengers in the Business Class Cabin.

Friendly pursuers going around service warm nuts and drinks after the seat belt sign was turned off
Pursuers going around serving meals to hungry passengers
Pursuers going around serving drinks after the meal was served
The attentive pursuer in action in the Business Class cabin

Overall

My experience with Thai Airways is more positive. Despite the ageing hardware on the B777-300 aircraft, as seen in the degrading AVOD controller, however, the service I received more than makeup for it. Despite being ageing, the seats are still comfortable, but the cabin can be a little stuffy as the air conditioning does not seem to be functioning well. Thai Airways has wonderful service, which made me felt welcome from check-in to onboard services. The ground staff, as well as the pursuers onboard, felt warm and sincere. They even took note of small details that makes flying with Thai Airways a pleasant experience.
Shot from my seat
View of the evening sky
Somewhere up in the sky between BKK and SIN