Why Fly Thai (Thai International)

Member Name: utero

Product:	Thai International
Date:	27/11/06 (243 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Decent legroom in economy, decent food and drink, good stewards

Disadvantages: Poor entertainment options in economy class

On my last trip to Bangkok I took a seat upon a British Airways flight, the experience wasn’t a good one and I swore I wouldn’t use them again for this kind of long haul flight unless it was absolutely necessary.

This time around I picked Thai Airways, a brief search on the net came back with some favourable opinions on the airline and the price was comparable considering it was a direct flight. Yes I could have saved a few quid by going non-direct but the money you’d save is not worth the hassle of waiting around.

The people of Thailand are a peaceful and courteous bunch that make you wish that we had similar respect for other human beings in this country. This is reflected in their airline. Check in on the flight was smooth and an enquiry about baggage was greeted with an honest reply. 20kg for each passenger but you could get away with up to 30kg – happy days for someone who brings a lot of gear back to sell. Boarding at Heathrow wasn’t exactly plain sailing as people had to be bussed to the aircraft and communication wasn’t great. But then I put this down to the great British way of not being able to organise a piss-up in a brewery.

Once I made it to my seat, my most important concern was tempered. One of the things I found problem with on my previous journey was the real lack of legroom afforded to economy passengers by BA. Thankfully a seat on Thai Airways offers a bit more room to stretch out and you could actually cross your legs without fear of being wedged in!

Now when you’re on a plane for over ten hours you need something to keep you occupied. Sadly this is where you suffer by going with Thai. In comparison to other airlines I’ve been with, the entertainment is poor. You don’t get a personal screen in economy. Instead there is a central projector so everyone is stuck with the same thing. On the flight to Bangkok, the in-flight entertainment was nothing short of appalling. I can only recall being shown one movie the entire flight and that was some guff starring a country singer from the US and Burt Reynolds. It was certainly Direct To Video stuff, other than that I can’t recall anything that was interesting. I could have done without the constant plugging of Thai tourism and the country as well, we’re already on a flight to the country so don’t need to be sold such things. The music selection was also pretty limited and uninspired. So my advice is take an Ipod or at least make some attempt to sleep most of the flight.

The flight back to the UK was a little better with a few more movies shown but again it’s all on one screen so you have to contend with people getting out of their seats and blocking the view. The music selection was also non-existent with several channels being unavailable.

Food wise we got two main meals and both were of decent quality considering lower standards when it comes to food on a plane. Everyone is given a menu during the flight so you can make a choice long in advance. Compared to BA it was like dining at the ritz. Drinks were also in good supply with ample juice, water etc available all throughout the flight and was constantly being offered as well. Sadly on my return flight there was one passenger who had a bit too much to drink and had a long domestic with his girlfriend as a result. This made the flight a bit more uncomfortable than normal and I was dismayed that the steward gave him another alcoholic drink when it was clear that he’s already had enough.

Overall I found the stewards very polite and attentive throughout, doing their best to make everyone’s journey as comfortable as possible. The only thing I’d say is that it sometimes was difficult to understand the pilots communications over the tannoy but I guess you’d have this with any non-european accent.

Overall if you’re looking for a direct flight to say Bangkok then Thai is definitely worth considering, if it came down to choosing between in-flight entertainment and comfort then I’d choose comfort every time. Hopefully in time Thai will update their fleet of aircraft and be able to offer economy passengers better choice.

A return flight will cost you around £400, I’m not sure what BA are charging at the moment but next time I go it will be with Thai Airways as it’s good to experience the good manners of Thai people before you reach the country.

Summary: Taking Thai after a BAd time