Thai Airways – Silky Smooth Service at 38,000ft

April 20, 2016

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Thai Airways – Silky Smooth Service at 38,000ft

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Summary: Nick Walton finds the acclaimed service levels of Thai Airways prevail, despite disappointing hardware on the...	4good

Nick Walton finds the acclaimed service levels of Thai Airways prevail, despite disappointing hardware on the airline’s A380 aircraft.

Check-In/The Lounge

I check-in online before arriving at Hong Kong Station, and catch the Airport Express, before making my way to the Royal Orchid Lounge near gate 40. The lounge is a great space; serene, well maintained, with a comprehensive hot and cold buffet, plenty of seating, and a fully stocked bar. It’s almost empty during my visit. An hour later I board the A380, finding my seat on a similarly empty top deck.

The Plane

The airline offers a three-class configuration on its A380, with 12 Royal First seats at the front of the top deck; 60 Royal Silk Business seats, also on the top deck, in two cabins (48 and 12 seats respectively); and 435 economy class seats across the main deck and rear of the top deck. Each business class seat is 20.9-inches wide and has a pitch of 43-44-inches.

Despite a 1-2-1 configuration, Thai Airways has really packed its lie-flat Solstys business class seats in, and my initial excitement evaporates as I sit down; there’s a narrow gap (30cm) through which passengers must slip to reach their purple and pink seat, complete with its restrictive three-point seatbelt.

For every plus I find there seems to be a negative; while window seats offer the most storage, the windowsill compartment is so close to the armrest and its latch so weak I open it by accident no less than 60 times during the flight. The ample yet ugly tray table bolted to the seat in front, as if an afterthought, has a hinge that juts out where my stretched legs should be in bed mode. Fortunately, when unfolded it does pivot towards the monitor, making it easier to step from the seat. There’s a great shelf for drinks and the headphone and AC jacks are easy to reach, but the two USB ports are under the main monitor, meaning charging devices need to rest perilously at the seat end. I have serious doubts about the comfort of the seat in bed configuration, especially with a tight recess for feet.

The Flight

Pleasant senior staff take care of the 20 business class passengers with finesse and smiles, serving glasses of Veuve Clicquot Yellow Label and hot towels while the captain confirms a flight time of 2 hours and 45 minutes (although we end up delayed 30 minutes due to strong winds). Crew also take lunch orders before we began to taxi. Thai hasn’t caught up with the many carriers who now allow the use of small personal electronic devices during takeoff, and the entertainment system doesn’t start until well after takeoff, which is a shame for such a short flight. When it did, I opted to use my own noise reduction headphones with an adapter as the airline’s set looks very worn.

Dining

Lunch starts with salmon gravlax, which is refreshingly simple but ice cold, plate, garnish and all. This is followed by a choice of braised beef stew with grainy mustard, tarragon brown sauce, mashed potatoes, roast pumpkin and yellow zucchini; stir-fried seafood with shiitake mushrooms, preserved chilli bean curd, egg fried rice and pak choy; deep-fried marinated port with sweet and sour sauce and steamed rice; and chicken curry kiew-wan with rice. The pork is delicious but its plating looks very economyish. I skip the offered raspberry mousse cake and opted for another glass of champagne instead.

Entertainment

The 15.4-inch monitor is built into the seatback in front and seems to pick up glare from any available light source, despite both window shades being lowered. Thai offers a good selection of recent releases and classics and doesn’t restrict the menu due to the short flight time like some carriers. Charming crew ensure we select 20 are well looked after throughout the flight.