Review: Thai Airways First Class Tokyo Narita to Bangkok

2-2-2 configuration?

I flew Thai in F on A340 and I agree the service is sub-par... but I did get turn down service... maybe only because I insisted? Ha

I think it is a typo. The cabin looks like 1-2-1.

Its strange .... this thai first class on the A380 seems almost on par with SQ's Business on the A380.... of course.... there is no kit for SQ at all on business...

@ Carlos @ Rami -- Whoops! Fixed now, thanks!

@ Lantean -- Hmm, but was there a mattress pad?

@Lucky

I can't remember for sure but I am 90% certain there was one... maybe because it was an 11 hr flight (ZRH-BKK)?

Of course Thais typically refer to everyone by their first name so it's a cultural thing. I prefer that to overly formal.

Looks like a nice product. I am excited to be heading back to Asia in a couple of months...which reminds me that I really need to get serious about lodging plans. This time around I am skipping TG altogether which is unusual for me. Just CX, BR and SQ...

I flew Thai Airways last week from BKK - HKG on the A380 and the first cabin was completely full. The service was just ok as others have indicated, the breakfast they served at that time was somewhat disappointing.

However on our flight they did come around with the Dom and a glass to see if we wanted any champagne. Perhaps they've heard this criticism from others too?

The ground service in BKK was amazing though and now I see why everyone raves about it.

As RakSiam said, "Mr. Benjamin" is the standard way that Thais refer to each other (unless you are family, in which case you get a family title - grandmother, older cousin, etc. - and then your first name. In Thai it would be Khun Benjamin, never just Benjamin...so "Mr." is the closest way to translate that.

All my wedding planning correspondence was "Khun Marisa and Mr. Evan." Hilarious.

I received turndown service on my fra-bkk a380 flight, with mattress pad.

[It’s worth noting that throughout the flight I was addressed as “Mr. Benjamin.”]

That's true Thai tradition. As Thai family names are usually very long, the most polite way to address someone in Thai is Mr./Ms./Miss/Dr. first-name. In Thai society, "khun" will precede the first name as an honorific for someone you address with higher stature than you or in formal introductions. For a more familiar relationship, "p'first-name" is used, translating to brother- or sister-.

How big was the screen? Was it easy viewing?

@ Dave D -- Don't know how many inches, but it was plenty big, I didn't think it had to be any bigger.

We were also offered turndown with mattress pad on FRA-BKK 380 flight. Maybe not for this flight since it's shorter?

"It’s worth noting that Thai doesn’t actually do turndown service like many other airlines"

Um...Lucky, your memory is horrible! They did offer you a (rather half-assed) turndown service on your last flight with them...

https://onemileatatime.com/chasing-the-sun-thai-airways-first-class-frankfurt-to-bangkok/

@ wwk5d -- You're absolutely right, my memory is fading clearly. Appreciate you keeping me honest!

No problem 😉

On a more serious note, which of these 2 first class seats/suites did u prefer overall as a seat, not taking into account the actual plane itself?

The Mrs. and I had turn down on the A380, BKK-CDG, a couple months back. Went into the bathroom, and they have proactively began without us asking. Found the plane comfortable and colors appealing. Service left a bit to be desired. Largely the same opinions as you.

@ wwk5d -- That's a toughie. The 747 first class is a bit more private, while A380 first class feels a bit more modern and less cheap. I'd probably say I preferred the A380, though I didn't think it's a big difference.

speaking only of the ANA crew at LAX as I haven't flown them from other gateways but if you're in first or the forward business class cabin and wave to them as they (always three or four gathered at the jetbridge opening) wave/retract the jetbridge they go NUTS and cheer. was adorably cute and a great way to start a flight.

Actually I think worrying that the glass your champagne is being served in is 'too business class' probably doesn't rise to the level of a first world observation-- more like a 0th world, or even a -1st world. 🙂

Question about dining in first class. do you order as much as you like? or are you limited to 1 app, one soup, one entree, one dessert, etc? do they serve seconds?

If you want to milk the A380 experience, they fly it as well between BKK and CDG. 11 hours of A380 awesomeness! Flew my wife on the route just last month. They gave out the white Rimowas on that one. 😉

@ bubba -- Generally speaking you're only limited by how much they've catered. So if they have the food they're usually more than happy to serve you as many portions as you'd like. If the cabin is full that may be tough since they might not have extras, but with a less full cabin there's a better chance they'll have more extras.

Ben- After you take the longer set of stairs down, what is that shorter set of stairs?

Why Thai fly A380 to Narita but not Heathrow? Isn't BKK to LHR the real long haul flight and with big money passengers?

@ Shannon -- Probably because you can fly the roundtrip to Narita daily with a single A380, while the Heathrow service would take two A380s. I'm sure it'll happen eventually, but for what it's worth I think Narita to Bangkok is actually a pretty high yield market.

@ John -- The shorter set of stairs are up to the flight deck. 🙂

@Lucky -- Did you get pajamas? I don't see them on photos but your flight was ovet 6 hours so you should've gotten them per Thai's site:

"On intercontinental flights lasting six hours or more, comfort wear and slippers are provided. On flights four hours or more, a beautiful tailored travel kit is offered."

P.S. Based on their site's tour of 1st class seat, the "weird light" is probably a TV screen that has been superseded.

@Ivan Y - last time I took the same Thai plane, there were no PJs provided...

1.) Flight time is actually less than 6 hrs.
2.) Japan and Thailand can be considered on the same continent...

Unless something changes

@Steve -- that's strange. Not that PJs are a big deal but they cost a fraction of FC ticket (revenue tickets are $3K+ RT).

1) Thai quotes 6:30 (->BKK) and 6:10 (BKK->)flight times so that's what I was going by. Do airlines typically use in-air time for those rules?

2) Hmm... Very lawyer-ish 😛 Eurasia is a single continent so Thai's flights to, say, Denmark would not be intercontinental.

@ Ivan Y -- Nope, no PJs sadly. And I guess since they're both in Asia it's not technically an interncontinental flight, as Steve points out. That being said, have definitely received them in first class on this route a few years back.

I flew on thai A380 from Bangkok to Hong Kong this month, and I feel the same way about the services. The in ground services in Bangkok is awesome. In flight Services and foods is pretty disappointing.

Ho humm, flight, not review.

I will be flying this exact route and equipment on Thai Airways in November in Business class. does anyone know if I will receive one of those spiffy amenity kits?

thanks

@Lucky

I'm booked on a return award ticket via UA miles from LHR-BKK. I'm flying out on the 13th of Sept in F on the A380 via Frankfurt. You've hyped up Lufthansa F so much that I'm hoping some seats might open tomorrow, which will be 14 days ahead. Do you think it would be worth switching from Thai F on the A380 to Lufthansa F on the 747-400? If so, crossing my fingers. Looks like 6 seats are currently available, not sure if they will open up to award space though...

@ scott -- Unfortunately they don't have Rimowa kits in business class.

@ Greg -- That's a real toughie. Assuming you can get a sizable layover in Frankfurt and experience the First Class Terminal then I do think it's worth the switch. Conversely, departing Bangkok I'd fly Thai Airways for the ground experience they offer.

@ Lucky

Thanks. I would either have a 2.5 or 1.5 hr layover in Frankfurt. I am flying back on Thai F direct to LHR so I'll get that lounge experience and the new first class on the Thai 747. On board would you say Lufthansa F on the 747-400 is a better product than the Thai F A380? I'm a foodie and you seem to have mixed views on the food in Thai F.

@ Greg -- I don't love the food on either carrier, but I do think you're more likely to be disappointed with the food on Thai, so I'd go with Lufthansa probably.

Hey Lucky,

Would I be permitted into TG's first class lounge in Bangkok with the following itinerary?

KIX-BKK (TG first class)
BKK-SIN (SQ biz class)

I'd like to think they would grant access based on my inbound TG first class ticket, but I can't find anything online to support this.

Thanks much

@ Michael -- My understanding is that if you were continuing in Thai business class you'd have access, but if continuing in Star Alliance business class you wouldn't.

Thank you!

Hey Lucky,

Seems like award availability on this route is pretty tough. Do they only release close in? I'm seeing 9+ F available for Jan 2015 and no award seats at all.

Thanks!

for those of you asking about the PJs, i flew nrt to bkk and bkk to kix in dec 2013. no pjs on the nrt to bkk flight as it was a late afternoon/early evening flight, but i did get pjs and also rimowa kit on the bkk to kix red eye flight even though the flight was blocked for under 5 hrs (and the kix flight was in old F)

@ acs -- Not by policy, necessarily, but on tougher routes they may hold off releasing space until they have a better idea of loads.

If traveling on this plane with someone, can you sit across from each other during the meal service? Looks like there may be room, but I don't think I see a seat belt on the ottoman. Thanks!

2 Broke Girls? Really?