GTHQ Jaunt Journal – Flight: Thai Airways A340-600 – First

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GTHQ Jaunt Journal – Flight: Thai Airways A340-600 – First Class

Route: Bangkok (BKK) – Frankfurt (FRA) – 11H50M

This was our first flight using Thai’s Royal Orchid First Class service and there’s no better place than flying from their main hub in Bangkok, Thailand. Due to the special nature of the ground service including the check in area, the first class lounge and the included spa facilities I will dedicate a separate post to Thai’s amazing staff and service. This post will focus on the flight in Thai Airways A340-600.

The Experience We were led from Bangkok’s Royal First Class Lounge to our gate where our concierge escorted us to the front of the line and took our boarding passes to scan them and then led us to the entrance of the plane. She was kind and efficient but didn’t speak much to us which I had no issue with. At the plane, we were greeted and led to our seats.

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After settling in the crew came over to introduce themselves and took our coats and provided us our sleepwear and slippers. A few seconds later they came back to offer us hot towels and pre-departure beverages as is the norm in premium cabins. I ordered some champagne and we were handed our lunch menus along with the wine menu. The service from beginning to end of our 11h50m flight was very professional and courteous. Also, Thai’s first class amenity kits are some of my favorite and are designed by Rimowa. They contain toiletries by L’Occitane (eau de toilette, lip balm, body cream), toothbrush, toothpaste, mouthwash, eyeshades, ear plugs, comfort socks and comb & brush. Rimowa Amenity kit contents Rimowa Amenity kit

The Interior The 747-600 has 8 first class seats and on our flight only 4 were filled. We were seated in 2E and 2F and due to the fact that most of Thai’s 747’s are still not retrofitted with the newest first class designed seats we didn’t have the suites. However, it was still a good hard product although a bit dated.

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The seat is almost 7 feet (over 2 meters) long and lies a flat 180 degrees. The seat controls include a massage function plus the normal 3 positions (sleep, relax and upright). The AVOD or IFE system includes a good selection of hundreds of movie and tv channels and series. There are power and usb outlets to charge your electronics. The tray table is quite large and can accommodate a laptop and ipad comfortably. IMG_4666 IMG_4687There is ample space for each person and overall we thoroughly enjoyed the experience. However, the bathroom was actually quite small considering the amount of space each individual has. Being that we were only 4 of us in first, there was more than enough space in the overhead compartments but they are the regular overhead bins found on other A340’s.

The Food and Beverages

When flying in first, you can preorder your meal on Thai’s website from a selection of 39 entrees which we went ahead and did a week before taking the flight. We started out with the pre departure champagne (Dom Pérignon possibly 2002 vintage) which is always a great way to start relaxing. From there the lunch was a magnificent 5 course affair. The initial appetizer was a lemongrass wrapped chicken starter followed by caviar served with the usual accompaniments (egg yolk, diced onions, crème fraiche, toast points) and vodka of course. IMG_4665 IMG_4669This was followed by salmon wrapped something and salmon roe. Next, we were served a Thai style beef dish followed by Lobster Thermidor with duchess potatoes. After the main course we were served a soup with an egg and rice plate combo. Lastly we had a dessert but I can’t remember what it was and I didn’t get a picture. IMG_4671 IMG_4672

IMG_4673IMG_4676After working and enjoying the IFE for about 5 hours it was dinner time. The appetizer was some Italian meat with a shrimp side. Next was a carrot soup followed by a rice and shrimp plate. We then had a sautéed beef platter with asparagus and rice sides. By then I was so full all I took for dessert was a small Thai dessert and a dessert wine. For a nightcap I had a cognac. Throughout the meal there was a nice selection of Italian Cabernet Sauvignon and French Sauvignon wines. Additionally, there were some fine whiskies and other liquors. IMG_4686IMG_4661

The meals were well cooked and the presentation was fine. The service was excellent and attentive but not overly pushy or bothering. We had a very enjoyable flight with Thai!

 

The Good: Excellent service and meals; Normal Cost: ~$6,050 USD – Our Cost:  ~$85 USD + 80K United Miles

The Bad: The seats are still the old first class cabin and are starting to feel a bit dated

The Ugly: None

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  1. This is really interesting, and I like your style of writing. I’ve joined your feed and look forward to seeking more. Keep writing these reviews!

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