A relaxed Thai Airways Business Class flight from Bangkok to Frankfurt with solid service, delicious food and comfortable seats – even if taller passengers might be somewhat restricted when sleeping. The service seemed a little hectic at first, but after the first service the famous Thai friendliness returned. Overall, a pleasant flight experience with minor flaws, but definitely worth a recommendation!
Review #59
| Departure – plannend (actual) | 24.11.2024 – 12:40 (13:12) |
| Arrival – planned (actual) | 24.11.2024 – 19:05 (19:02) |
| Flugzeit – planned (actual) | 12:20 (11:50) |
| Delay | 32 min when Pushback 3 min earlier as actual |
| Aircraft (Type) | Boeing 777 -300 ER (HS – TKX) |
| Class | Business |
| Seats | 22 D & 22 G |
Table of contents
Arrival
During this stay, we arrived at Bangkok Suvanabhumi Airport from the Grand Hyatt Erawan Bangkok by grab in just under half an hour. After our short weekend in the Thai capital, it was already bye-bye for us again – or rather: goodbye. We will definitely be back!
We always use a grab for the route, but of course a Bolt or a cab will also work. In our opinion, this is the most pleasant way to travel. Of course, you can also take the ARL – Airport Rail Link from the city center to BKK Airport by train. There is also the option of traveling by bus. However, you will need to bring a little time with you.
Departure airport
Suvarnabhumi Airport is Thailand’s largest and most important airport – one of Bangkok’s two aviation hubs in the capital. Every day, over 500 flights take off from here to destinations all over the world, while more than 100 airlines connect the airport to destinations around the globe.
Check-in
At Thai Airways’ home airport, Suvanabhumi Airport in Bangkok, the counters for First and Business Class are located at Entrance 1. In contrast to most other airlines, Business Class guests are also checked in seated in an area specially set up for this purpose. There was no queue in front of us, so we went straight through, we didn’t check our bags. We had our boarding passes in our hands in just a few minutes.
Security check
After check-in, we took our hand luggage straight to the fast track for premium travelers located directly behind it. This can also be used by various other groups of people, such as senior citizens over 70 and traveling monks.
In our case, there wasn’t a single person in front of us, so we were through security and the passport control directly behind it very quickly.
Waiting Area / Lounge
We were a little late on this flight and unfortunately didn’t have time for the lounge. Of course, Thai Airways has its own lounges at Bangkok Suvanabhumi Airport – the admission guidelines depend on the travel class and your status with Thai Airways or Star Alliance, if applicable. Of course, there is also the option of going to various other lounges that grant access via the Priority Pass.
Thanks to our American Express Platinum card, we received two Priority Passes Prestige as one of the additional benefits, giving us access to all of the company’s partner lounges and even allowing us to take another person with us. These are the lounges at Suvanabhumi Airport in Bangkok.
If you don’t have the opportunity to visit a lounge, there are still plenty of ways to distract yourself or relax while shopping, dining or strolling. The airside area of Bangkok Suvanabhumi Airport is fantastic. Everything is somehow still new (even though the airport opened in 2006!), totally clean, shiny, well equipped and well signposted. Just bear in mind that you may have to walk long distances and wait a long time to get to your gate.
Boarding
We walked from check-in directly to Gate S106 in the new satellite of Suvanabhumi Airport Bangkok. And to get there you have to take one of the escalators down directly opposite the exit of the regular passport control and just behind the large statue. On the intermediate landing you will be checked again to see if your gate is really in the satellite and then it’s down another floor, where the Shuttle Express will take you underground to the other building. Once you’re over there, you’ll have to go back up and then stand in the middle of the satellite building.
Our gate S106 was quite far down the corridor and it took us a few minutes to get there. Preboarding for families with small children and people who need help boarding started right on time. There was a separate queue for Business Class guests – boarding group 1 – and as soon as preboarding was complete we were able to board.
After the gate, there is an escalator down and then the front of the two boarding bridges is reserved for Business Class guests.
Welcome
We were greeted friendly at the front door by the purser and another flight attendant and directed to our seats in the correct aisles.
As soon as we had settled into our seats, we were offered a drink. There was a choice of juices, water or champagne. Fabi and I naturally chose the champagne to celebrate our great weekend. Immediately afterwards, we were given a hot towel to refresh ourselves. We were each greeted again personally and by name by our flight attendant. My flight attendant also introduced herself by name, informed us about the flight time and the toilets available, before handing out the menu and asking for our meal requests for the flight.
Start & Routing
We took off from Bangkok Suvanabhumi Airport about 15 minutes late – we still had to load some cargo. Then we set off via the southern tip of Myanmar and the Bay of Bengal, onwards via India, Pakistan, Afghanistan and Turkmenistan, but past Iran and across the Caspian Sea. Then on via Azerbaijan and Georgia, as well as along the Black Sea, across southern Europe to Germany, where we landed in Frankfurt shortly before the originally planned arrival time despite the delayed departure.
Source: flightradar24
Cabin & Seat
The Thai Airways cabin in the 777-300 ER without First Class offers two travel classes. Business Class is divided into two cabins. The front cabin is located between the first and second doors and offers 6 rows, the smaller rear cabin offers another 4 and a half rows – only the middle seats of row 18 are available. In the smaller cabin, the rows of seats between the window and the middle are offset by half a row. This results in a total of 42 seats in Business Class. Economy Class is divided into three cabins and with 41 rows of mostly 9 seats in a 3 – 3 – 3 configuration, the total number of seats is 306.
In this Thai Airways aircraft model, the Business Class seats are installed in a 1 – 2 – 1 configuration. The seats alternate along the cabin walls and are either directly next to the window or next to the aisle. In the middle, there are always two seats either directly next to each other or separated by two center consoles.
Source: aeroLOPA
Once again, we were unable to get seats together in the middle of the cabin, but at least we were able to sit next to each other in seats further apart. Funnily enough, we were allocated exactly the same seats – i.e. 22 D & 22 G. In the last row of the rear cabin. In other words, in the last row of the rear cabin. In this review, I will only describe my seat.
Of course, you are also welcome to watch our YouTube review of this flight. Fabi describes his seat there and you can see everything a bit better in moving pictures.
When we arrived at the seat, a mattress topper, a pillow, a blanket, slippers, the Ameity kit and the packed headphones were already waiting for us. The seat is equipped with a three-point harness, which you also have to wear for take-off and landing; for the time at cruising altitude, you can release the shoulder harness and only keep the lap belt fastened.
The two armrests are fixed and unfortunately cannot be folded or pushed down. Below the backrest to the side of the center console, there is another storage option for headphones and small items. In addition, there are only two small seat pockets in which you can store magazines or newspapers. Unfortunately, a laptop cannot be stowed here.
The seat functions can be controlled individually via the control panel in the center console, or the seat can be moved to a pre-set position. The sleep light and reading lamp can also be controlled via this panel. There is even a massage function, but only the lumbar support extends and retracts at regular intervals. There is also a practical jacket hook on the rear wall of the front seat. Charging options are also available in the form of a socket in the center console and USB-A ports under the monitor.
The table for working and eating is also built into the front seat and only needs to be folded out and turned downwards. It can then be pushed even further towards the footwell to make it possible to stand up even when the table is set. However, it cannot be pushed forwards and backwards in parallel. The monitor is installed directly opposite the seat in the rear wall of the front seat.
The disadvantage of the aisle seats is that when the flight attendants serve something that is not placed on the table but on the center console, they have to reach over the guest, so that the armpit of the person serving is virtually in your face. This is somehow unpleasant for everyone involved and so I have always tried to simply take everything off and place it on the tray myself.
Of course, the seat can also be easily reclined into a flat bed at the touch of a button. The footwell for stretching out is built into the console of the front seat below the monitor. The feet are therefore in a kind of small box. I think this is really sufficient. With shoe size 46, I have really quite big feet and the space was okay for me.
BUT: The total length of the lying surface should be a good 1.90. Considering that normal people don’t sleep with their feet pointing vertically upwards or downwards, the sleeping area is too short for people who are at least 1.80 or taller. And I know that. That’s complaining on a very high level, but it’s surprisingly uncomfortable to sleep if your feet are always bumping into something and you don’t know where to put them. Not to mention for people over 1.90 who can’t stretch out at all.
To prepare your bed, take the mattress pad and put the purple part around and over the headrest of your seat. This ensures that the mattress base is securely fastened and does not slip while you sleep. If you now move your seat to the fully reclined position, all you have to do is place the footrest on the tray, unpack the blanket and add the pillow. And voilá. The bed is ready! If you don’t feel like it or don’t have the time, the flight attendants will be happy to do it for you.
After the meal service, most of the passengers changed their clothes to sleep comfortably, made their beds (or had them made) and pulled down their window blinds, so it was dark in the cabin 30 minutes after lunch at the latest. I did a little more work, but then went to bed and slept very well for almost 3 hours.
And to show you the other types of seats, take a look at the following pictures. This is what the seats together in the middle and the individual seats on the side look like.
Entertainment
As with virtually all airlines, entertainment on Thai Airways is also focused on the monitor installed in the seat in front. You can watch films and series and listen to music, while the program also includes suitable series, films and games for the little ones. In addition, there are various settings for flight maps for flight tracking and some information about Thailand. I think the Sky Chat is a really nice gimmick where you can chat with any fellow passenger via the IFE (inflight entertainment).
Amenities
Thai Airways offers a great little amenity kit in Business Class, which is already waiting for you at your seat when you board. The small bag contains toothpaste and toothbrush, moisturizer, eye mask, earplugs, shoehorn, lip balm, moisturizer, aroma oil roll-on and socks.
Food, drinks & snacks
On this flight, the service was a little uncoordinated at the beginning. For me, the nuts came first, then nothing at all for a long time. Then came the amuse bouche and only 5 minutes later the first drinks service. Not a bad thing, but also a bit strange – I would have preferred to have my drink first. In between there was also another hot towel.
For the first service, the table is set with a small tablecloth, wrapped cutlery, a plate of bread and butter. The starter is then served on a ready-prepared plate.
It is the same for all passengers and is very exquisite with duck breast and tiger prawns. I thought it was great – unfortunately Fabi didn’t like it. However, the menu said that the duck breast was a salad and so there was a separate dressing on the table. Unfortunately, I didn’t really understand where this was supposed to come from. But it was still delicious. Along with the starter, a selection of breads, rolls and the famous garlic baguette is also offered.
Thai Airways offers 3 choices for the main course. I opted for the curry, Fabi for the lamb and after the first course was cleared, the main course arrived. I was quite surprised when I saw my three prawns on the plate – I had expected more of a curry in a sauce.
Unfortunately, as on the outward flight, the dishes – including Fabi’s – were only very subtly warm. Just barely cold and definitely not hot. Why is that? I have no idea. Either there were complaints about the food being too hot, or – and this is what we suspect – the airline wants to be through with the service as quickly as possible and offer passengers a meal straight after take-off.
After the main course, there were also two dessert options to choose from. I chose the Thai version and Fabi the cake. Both were delicious, although my dessert was certainly a little special in terms of taste and consistency.
Drinks continued to be offered and served between and after the courses. After the entire meal service, there was a third round of hot towels.
Thai Airways also offers snacks that can be ordered at any time during the flight and later a flight attendant walks through the cabin and hands out Thai chocolate. Fabi tried the noodle soup and we both thought it was really delicious.
Just under 4 hours before landing, the lights in the cabin came on again and the second meal service began with another hot cloth. As with the first, the tables were set and a round of drinks was served, followed by the starter for everyone. This time there was a smaller selection of bread rolls – unfortunately the famous garlic bread was no longer available.
After the starter was cleared, the main course was served. I had ordered my choice – the beef short ribs – without the mushroom sauce, but unfortunately it really wasn’t tasty at all. Fabi’s chicken, however, was very good. To finish, there was another choice of two desserts and there was even additional ice cream for anyone who wanted it.
The menu with all the food and drinks on offer was exactly the same as on our outward flight, apart from the other food options.
Lavatories
As you can see, the washrooms are no different from those in other flight classes. There is everything you need.
There is only a small difference in the facilities, as there is also an eau de toilette in the Business Class lavatory and additional dental hygiene products are provided after lunch. And there is a napkin rose in every washroom. The washrooms were exceptionally clean at all times and were checked and cleaned very regularly by the crew.
Service on Thai Airways
On our way to Bangkok, I was quite irritated by the lack of Thai friendliness. On the way back, I have to say that I noticed once again that the crew had to do an incredible amount in a very short space of time and that everyone was just completely stressed until after the meal service had finished. It was correspondingly hectic and uncoordinated. The friendliness we had missed so much at the beginning returned to our faces as soon as everything had been cleared away. The entire crew was simply highly concentrated.
Arrival
A good 30 minutes before arrival, there was an announcement from the cockpit with the usual announcements about the remaining flight time, time, weather and a thank you, as well as the information that the descent was now beginning and that all passengers should prepare for landing. The connecting flights can also be viewed by all passengers via the IFE.
Destination airport
Frankfurt Airport is the largest airport in Germany and the 16th largest airport in the world in terms of passenger volume. Here you have the opportunity to travel all over the world with countless airlines. A total of 175 destinations are served directly from here and of course – the airport is the home of Lufthansa, Germany’s largest airline.
You can travel to and from here by ICE train directly from the adjacent long-distance train station or via a short 20-minute journey to Frankfurt Central Station, from where you have great connections in all directions.
Of course, you can also park your car on site or in the surrounding area, or continue your journey by long-distance bus.
Points
We give this flight with Thai Airways from Bangkok Suvanabhumi to Frankfurt 8 out of 10 possible points.
Basically, everything was good and we were satisfied. But I simply can’t award more than the given points for rather narrow-lipped service, lukewarm food and a bed that tended to be too short.
Recommendation
We can recommend Thai Airways in Business Class to all travel groups. However, single travelers and business travelers in particular can travel very well on this aircraft. If couples want to sit together, they should get a pair of seats in the middle – then it will also be a great flight. Families who don’t mind sitting scattered around are also in good hands here. However, if you want to sit closer together with your loved ones, I would recommend a different airline.
Conclusion
Basically, I really like Thai Airways. Our vacation started directly in Germany and is extended by the time flown. Thai hospitality is legendary, but it is somehow strangely down-regulated here. I think that’s a shame.
Nevertheless. The service is great and the food is delicious – but unfortunately not really hot. So we are both left with somewhat mixed feelings.
Airline Homepage
Our crazy Bangkok weekend
We had a birthday to celebrate and wanted to try something crazy, so we decided to fly to Bangkok for a weekend!
We were going to Bangkok on the Thai Airways Flight TG 921 and during our weekend we were staying at Sofitel Bangkok Sukhumvit and Grand Hyatt Erawan before flying back home on this Thai Airways flight.
YouTube Review
As always, take a look at our great YouTube review. Here you can relive the flight from Fabi’s point of view and in moving pictures. Have fun and see you next week!
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