Jet Set Go!

Every airline wants to do something special in the air, but few seem to care about the customer experience on the ground.

Thai is certainly the exception to the rule.

I recently travelled HKG-BKK-HKG. Economy was coming in at around $400, Business was $600 and First just $100 more. Having heard about how good Thai is supposed to be at Suvarnabhumi, I opted for First – resolute that I would enjoy my $300 dollar’s worth of extras to the fullest extent possible.

It’s only a 3 hr flight, but Thai operates a full international grade 747-400 on at least one of the daily scheduled flights, which offers a three class service, identical what you’d experience on long-haul. You can view the plane types when you book to ensure you’ll get the full three-class service. If you want to experience (proper) First Class, this is one of the cheapest ways to do it – at only $300 more than economy.

The Thai First cabin is very roomy, with just 10 flat-bed seats. It’s not very private, but the upside is a very calm and relaxed space, with plenty of room to walk around and socialise – excellent for those travelling in a group.

I chose seat 1A, probably the most private (along with 1K), as it faces forward in a 1-1 configuration, with only the closet in front of you. It’s an excellent First seat, which reclines to a full 180° and a generous 78″ of pitch.

The service and catering for such a short-haul flight were outstanding. I must have had a whole bottle of Dom Perignon and a delicious 4 course lunch followed by cheese and port.

As excellent as the experience had been in the air, nothing prepared me for what I was about to encounter on the ground.

Suvarnabhumi is Bangkok’s new airport and Thai have obviously set out to make the on-ground experience something to be remembered. As I left the plane, I was greeted by a young man in a suit, holding a white board with my name on it. He ushered me, and two other First passengers, into an electric cart and sped off through the airport.

Beeping and swerving past unsuspecting travellers, we drove beyond the huge queues at immigration into a private zone, reserved for First Class passengers. Two desks were opened for us and we cleared immigration in less than a minute.

Once beyond immigration I was greeted by my own personal porter, who guided me to the baggage carousel. The First passenger’s bags were (for once) first off and my porter whipped it onto the trolly and escorted me through immigration and into a taxi. Amazing.

Needless to say, I was quite excited about my return leg. 6 days later I again returned to Suvarnabhumi for my flight back to Hong Kong.

The First Class check in is a private area, sectioned off from the rest of the departure hall. I was encouraged to take a seat in a leather armchair as they pulled up the flight details and checked my luggage. Once checked in I was again invited into the good old electric cart and driven at high speed to the Royal Orchid Lounge. It took less than 5 minutes between arriving at the airport and entering the lounge (which, however, is not airside).

Unlike any lounge I’ve been in before, the Thai’s First Class offering has private rooms, where you can relax, watch TV or socialise in relative privacy – a real novelty.

Again, as seems to be standard for Thai, the service was excellent – I enjoyed several glasses of champagne and some Pad Thai, which was made fresh for me and delivered to my little private cabana.

The rest of the lounge is rather understated but nevertheless very comfortable and relaxed. When my flight was called, I hopped, yet again, into our trusty little cart and was wizzed through security and onto the plane.

Having been extremely impressed with both Virgin Atlantic and Cathay’s lounge and check-in experiences Thai certainly had to deliver something exceptional to stand out. Virgin’s Heathrow ‘Clubhouse’ – essentially an amazing private member’s club is a great place to hang out, whilst Cathay’s ‘Wing’ and ‘Pier’ lounges are minimalist luxury personified (both designed by John Pawson), but neither can reach the celeb-status-inducing buzz of Thai’s amazing service. From chauffeur-driven carts, to personal immigration queues – every touch reinforces your imaginary rockstar status, which is what First Class should be all about. Well done Thai.