Thai Airways

Not Verified | After reading so many angry review about Thai refusing to honour previously booked flight credits, we were happy just to finally board and take off after two years. We weren't surprised but still disappointed by the poor standard of food served and by the little things such as packaged towelettes instead of real hot or cold towels. It seems a miracle that the airline is still able to operate. The IFE wasn't too bad especially if you're not a regular cinema goer. Dune was a welcome addition but the line hasn't changed much over the last few years. The service by the cabin crew was excellent as always. The BKK to CDG leg had the new seat configuration where everyone is at an angle. The seat is much harder but on this flight a mattress was provided. I think I prefer the other seat type. The business class lounge at BKK was disappointing. Our flight to CDG left at midnight leaving us with a 7 hour transit. No showers were available then or 7 weeks later! The chairs were comfy for a few hours but not for a long stopover. The food options however were far better than the inflight catering. There was no business class lounge available at CDG due to renovations but I suspect it's another cost cutting measure like the soft drinks only policy prior to take off and alcohol served only during meals. Our main complaint was the number of changes made to our original post Covid booking and the terrible customer service from their Sydney office. Numerous unanswered phone calls, messages and emails.

✅ Trip Verified | London to Bangkok. I traveled with my wife who is Thai, I am British. Firstly I made a mistake with my booking and I understand that that was my fault but I was charged heavily. What was more frustrating was that I could not contact the airline personally by email as they did not respond. The telephone number supplied did not work either. To top that off my THAI wife got allocated 30kg of Luggage and me 20kg? We were sat together and checked in together and the check in staff just shrugged their shoulders and said "We have no control over that". I usually fly Korean Air (recommend) but this was my first of many trips to Thailand so I thought I would fly with the National carrier. Never again. No wonder they are going under when they need customers post covid I will say that the onboard staff were great though. The company is letting them down.

✅ Trip Verified | Cannot contact them by phone for rebooking; you have to do it by email (UK) -- I have done this several times and sometimes they reply after 48 hours but sometimes it takes them 5 days. They have a phone number for their Manila operations but you only get a recorded message; their Manila airport number, which the recorded message said you could call on certain days, just kept ringing. I even phoned their Bangkok number from Manila -- and just got an automated message. They blame the pandemic for this but why are some airlines able to provide good customer service despite their staff still working from home? London-Bangkok-London flight used their new Boeing 777 (with first class cabin) but I could not see any difference in economy with their older Boeing 777 (Bangkok-Manila-Bangkok). Toilets were kept clean on all legs, and because it had fewer economy seats (3-3-3), there were hardly any queues for the toilets. Food is horrible. London-Bangkok-London leg: a 12-journey we were served only two meals, ie not a hot sandwich snack in between. We were not given a choice for breakfast: on both outbound and inbound flights, we were served the same thing -- chicken sausage, scrambled eggs and potatoes. For the dinner)I had green chicken curry -- it was not that good by Thailand standards but at least I could eat it. I am not a finicky eater, and I have come to expect airline food to not be delicious. I have flown Thai two years before and had a good experience with them (good food, service), which was why I chose to fly with them again. The flight crew were attentive, but it would be better if they could serve the drinks as they serve the meal. At Thai, by the time the drinks trolley arrives, you have already finished eating your meal. Thank goodness they have bottled water that comes with the meal tray. I am not flying Thai again.

✅ Trip Verified | Not recommended. Thai Airways sells this as a direct flight but it lands in Phuket where you have to disembark, go through security again and wait another 45 min to reboard to Sydney. Add to this poor cabin service and annoyances like in flight entertainment being suspended 30 minutes before landing and I would not choose Thai Airways for future travel.

✅ Trip Verified | Flight was expensive, Thai Airways required Covid Health insurance cost over $50 per person. The plane was outdated, lavatory was very basic, food was poor quality without choice, plastic cutlery. Extremely low on staff, no one attended the request on multiple occasion. No wifi and basic entertainment. In summary Thai Airways service lack the basics.

✅ Trip Verified | It's been a few years since I last flew with Thai Airways. My impression of their business class had been subpar, in terms of food and hardware. In this trip they have redeemed themselves. The 787 business class has a 2x2x2 configuration, a little old school but fine nonetheless. What impressed me was the level of service and the improvement of food and drinks. On this short 2 hour flight, we were well fed (food was delicious and portion generous), and drinks were regularly topped up, it was a full flight too! My confidence with them has been restored.

✅ Trip Verified | I booked a flight to Bangkok spontaneously (the next day) and only learned later that it's impossible to apply for the Thailand pass on such short notice. The person from the Thai airways ticketing center did not mention this. When I arrived at the airport the next day my Thailand pass was still under review and the counter staff did not let me board the flight. She told me to wait and rebook the flight later if the pass is not approved in time. I waited at the counter and when the flight had left, the same person told me to call the ticketing hotline and rebook the flight. When I explained the situation to the ticketing center, they told me I have to pay an additional 220USD "no-show" penalty for "missing" my flight which the counter staff hasn't mentioned to me. The whole trip was very chaotic based on this lack of information and I'll avoid this airline in the future.

✅ Trip Verified | The Boeing 787 looked shabby externally when it landed from Bangkok, with a very faded livery. Internally it was much the same and everything looked rather worn and unkempt, including some sticking tape holding part of the seat edge together on row 41. Washrooms were not what I would call clean. Food was so-so; two meals at start and approx. 3 hours out from London, plus a very odd tasting egg sandwich at about 6 hours in. Crew were friendly but not attentive; crew call button was never responded to on the three attempts I tried at various points throughout the flight. Mask wearing was not enforced despite several PA announcements. Garbage wasn't collected, nor were items such as blankets. In general I dislike the Dreamliner and try and avoid flying it (which is getting harder to do): 9 seats abreast feels a real squeeze in economy and the toilets are tiny and too few. The difference between the Thai 787 and the Emirates A380 and 777 on the outward journey was stark, both in terms of cabin comfort and service levels. Thai used to be great, but an obvious downgrade in service level, combined with operation of the 787 means a poorer travel experience. I'm wondering what their A380 offering is like?

✅ Trip Verified | Thai Airways always had subpar operations but at least they had good food, relatively spacious cabin, and smiling (if not the most efficient) staff. After the pandemic, even the few remaining strengths have now disappeared. From my experience from my last interaction I can safely say that Thai Airways as we remember it is no more. It is now one of the worst airlines in Asia. This is why - my flight got delayed but no one at the check-in counter mentioned that and there was no status change when I checked online. After waiting 3.5 hours, the flight was delayed a further 3 hours. Again, no emails or texts - just the airport screen showing the update. Then the flight suddenly got cancelled. Again no communication from Thai in this regard. No Thai staff to be seen anywhere at the Chennai airport and we could not exit the security area so no way for us to contact Thai. I made three international calls from my mobile just to connect with Thai Airways in Bangkok. The saddest part was that their customer service people said they had no way to contact their staff in Chennai. That's when I knew Thai had hit bottom. Their local phone lines are literally disconnected and the staff "helping" me at the airport were wearing Air India uniforms. Only airline in the world which abruptly cancels their flight but their website even after 48 hours shows the flight took off and landed on time! If I get a refund I will be lucky.

✅ Trip Verified | I booked a flight with Thai Airways in Nov 2021. Shortly after I booked the flight was cancelled by the airlines. I contacted them to request a refund, which was "approved" and I was told it would take 45-90 working days for a refund. It is now April 2022 and I have yet to receive my refund, despite following up multiple times with the airline. I don't understand why it would take over 5 months to refund my credit card.