Thai Airways

✅ Trip Verified | Nagoya to Bangkok. I feel that the way an airline could be judged well is the way they handle a situation which is out of their control. Typhoon Jebi had struck Osaka three days into a five day holiday, which left Osaka Kansai airport flooded and all flights there were cancelled. We were scheduled to leave Osaka on the 6th of September. The night before, I asked my parents to call Thai Airways (as they were in Bangkok) at an odd hour, and the agent on the phone re-booked us through Nagoya without any additional charge. We did, however, have to pay for the high-speed rail tickets for the journey to Nagoya. Thai Airways had also upsized the aircraft from a Boeing 787-8 to a Boeing 777-300 High-Density configuration. This meant that we did not get the brand new B787, but we understood the situation. Despite being rebooked on that flight last-minute, at check in we were given exit row seats, and we even had an empty seat between us. Due to a meeting my friend was supposed to attend the day after we were originally supposed to arrive, we chose a very odd flight time. Leaving at Half past midnight and arriving at half past four am in the morning. Nagoya Airport is extremely desolate at this time of night, and no duty-free chocolates were being sold, a huge disappointment as that is a must whenever leaving Japan. The flight was boarded extremely quickly, even though the plane was almost full, and we took off 30 minutes before the scheduled departure time. After takeoff, the crew literally ran through the cabin with cold sandwiches and drinks. I did not mind this at all. The service was rushed so everyone could get some much-needed sleep. I fell asleep shortly after and then was woken up by the crew wheeling the breakfast cart near my seat. I noticed they just looked around and served passengers when they woke up. I saw that everyone was definitely fed. The seat on this 19-year-old Boeing 777-300 was comfortable, an old plush seat that was slightly worn, but still had TVs at every seat but I can't comment on legroom as I had an exit row. If you're flying the newer B777-300ER, there is no bulging slide at the exit doors, but this older plane still had a slide. I did not mind it. We arrived an entire hour early, at which point Suvarnabhumi airport is as deserted as can be. In the end, this was a crisis made a lot better. They did the right thing as this was an act of god yet they still took as much responsibility as they could. The only thing I am slightly disappointed about was the fact that we weren't compensated for the high-speed rail tickets. I am a regular user of Thai Airways, and would absolutely not worry about anything at all as they deal with crises as smooth as silk.

✅ Trip Verified | Milan to Bangkok was a joyful experience after having flown in to Europe via Finnair that was the direct opposite. The Thai Airways meal service was good, snacks and drinks - including alcholol that you had to pay for in Premium economy on the other airline was free. Staff were fabulous. In economy they still care about you.

✅ Trip Verified | I flew from Guangzhou to Heathrow with a brief layover in Bangkok Suvarnabhumi. Thai Airways was excellent overall with the food being possibly the best airline food I have tasted, generous legroom, reliable and high quality entertainment, a pleasant interior and ambiance and friendly and professional staff. Also the flight attendants were generous with free drinks including alcohol plus the snack boxes at each galley provided a pleasant touch. The only negatives were the wifi was hard to long into and queues in Suvarnabhumi Airport's transit area being too long due to checkpoints being too small, although the latter is the fault of the Thai Airports' Authority not Thai Airways. I therefore strongly recommend Thai Airways to all fliers.

✅ Trip Verified | Stockholm to Bangkok. The table was dirty and I had to wipe it clean. The western breakfast was good, but only one option for breakfast (I miss an asian option). The cutlery was of disposal materials and not metal like before. They have also dropped real glass, salt and pepper on your meal tray. The female flight attendant at my row, was grumpy and never smiled. She did her work but no more than that. I miss Thai Airways from the past, but I guess that the nice service has gone for good due to savings.

✅ Trip Verified | Bangkok to Hong Kong. This flight got off to a bad start. Not having flown TG business class for almost a decade, I got out of my taxi at Gate 1 on the east side of the terminal as advised by the airport sign. Searching for business class bag drop, I could only see domestic counters. I noticed a signboard saying international was actually at counters H/J. Once I got there, another sign said only economy, not business. So back I trooped to discover biz class is rather hidden to the left of the domestic counters! Bag drop, security and fast track Immigration were speedy, but with the departure gate being at the opposite west end of the airport, there was then the ghastly long hike through one massively long shopping mall with no people movers to make it easier. The TG lounge had no croissants, sandwiches with only white bread and a sickly sweet ersatz orange juice. At least the espresso was enjoyable. Boarding at Gate E1 is a bus gate. Although the bus I took was clearly marked “Business and First Class Passengers”, I later discovered only two other biz passengers were on it. All the seats and most of the standing room were taken by economy passengers. There then followed a 10-minute bus ride back all the way along the airport and round to the domestic section which was exactly where I had started before the hike. Why it is not possible for passengers to board from a gate on the East side seems incomprehensible and just makes flying TG short haul so frustrating. After hauling bags up ramp steps I finally made it on board. Service on the A330 was attentive, but having chosen the western lunch, the salmon, although it looked nice enough, was utterly tasteless. I have had more tasty meals in economy on some other Asian carriers. My other issue with is the appalling IFE listing. No explanation or timings for the video offerings. The music listing is bizarre. Want some classical music? How about something by Schumann? Well that listing is “Robert Schumann” as the composer and then “Robert Schumann” again as the work. No detail of what Schumann work one might hear. The flight departed and arrived on time. On the return trip, the aircraft was parked at a bus gate. Half way to the terminal, the bus stopped allegedly to let an aircraft pass. Only there was no aircraft. So we stood there packed like sardines for more than 5 minutes for no reason. Unlikely I will be on TG again soon.

✅ Trip Verified | London to Denpasar via Bangkok. It's only when you travel long distances in Economy in spacious aeroplanes like the A380 and Boeing 747-400 that I realise how poky and cramped the A350/787 is. The LHR-BKK sectors were in the A380 and we secured window seats on the top deck (well worth the slight price premium). BKK to DPS was in the Boeing 747, and we got the sought-after two seaters near the back of the plane. Seats were pretty comfy in all cases with acres of space, and the provision of food and drink was quite generous in all sectors. All flights were on time and boarding/exiting was efficient. I see the other LHR-BKK flight is in a 777, and it cannot be long before THAI retire the 744's, so the days of doing Europe to Bali in such style are no doubt numbered, so my advice is to choose Thai and do it while you still can.

✅ Trip Verified | Bangkok to Osaka . There was an aircraft change from an A350 to a B777-300ER, so I was slightly disappointed. Check in at 4:45 am meant only one star gold counter was open, and a line soon formed. The royal silk lounge at concourse E was adequate but felt slightly crammed. Priority boarding was honoured and I chose an exit row for this flight, however there was no window! Avoid row 40 on the 777. The seat is good, although it is a slimline design the padding is very supportive and there is even an option to adjust the lumbar support. After takeoff, meals were served, and on flights to Japan, the Japanese breakfast is much preferable to the omelette and sausage option. Before landing a chinese takeaway box style snack is served. Inside was some rice with stir-fried chicken on top. This is much more creative than a hot sandwich or wrap! Entertainment in the month of April was not the best, however I think this has changed from month to month. Arrival at Kansai Airport is efficient and fast, we were on a train to Osaka within 15 minutes, including picking up our luggage. Our return flight was slightly disappointing. Normally we always choose the upper deck on the A380, but there weren't any window seats left, so we chose the bulkhead row on the lower deck. Check in was quite a disaster. We stood behind a long queue, puzzled if it's the business class queue or the economy class queue. The staff quickly came and gave us an answer, but within 10 minutes we were attended to at the check in desk. They did not check through my bag to my final destination, Trat as that was on a codeshare flight with Bangkok Airways. The flight was delayed, so by the time I got to the Bangkok Airways check in counters the flight was a minute away from closing. By the time I had gotten to the ANA lounge, I had realised that I had forgotten my bag at security. I walked to the gate, and they confirmed that my bag had been pulled over for a search and I had forgotten it there. 50 minutes before the flight was going to close for boarding, the assistant station manager took me through immigration again, up to security and retrieved my bag, and then we were back to the gate, at which point the priority line was empty. Thai Airways also took a little bit of inspiration from their Japanese competition by asking each aisle to board through different doors. The service on this flight was slow.

✅ Trip Verified | Perth to Kathmandu via Bangkok. I was traveling with an extra 20kg of luggage. Thai Airways charged me $55 / kg of extra baggage on my way to Nepal. How is this legal? I was stuck at the checkout counter, trying to figure out if it was cheaper to book a new flight on Singapore Air 2 hours before departure. I asked if I could buy another ticket, which was ~$300 USD, and they explained that it didn't work that way because their database can't handle duplicate name entries. Then I had to contemplate which pieces of luggage I could keep and which to throw away. So the cost of my trip tripled due to this baggage policy. When I got back to the US, I was unable to get anyone from customer service on the phone, and email responses were unhelpful and unsympathetic.

✅ Trip Verified | Manila to Oslo via Bangkok. was stuck on the tarmac in Manila for 2.5 hours without information from the captain. Finally get to Bangkok to see my connecting flight to Oslo has left. Thai schedules me on a new flight 24 hours later. I'm told to go to an hotel paid by Thai. I decide I want to take an earlyer flight the same morning. Finnair had a flight going out, but first I have to pick up my luggage. I wait for the luggage by the belt. But it doesn't arrive. I stand in line for the luggage desk. They can't find it and sends me to an Thai luggage service office at the same floor. They can't find my luggage but they can help me with a new ticket. They book me on a finnair to Oslo via Helsinki 08:55 same day and they will have my luggage. I'm good with that so I'm told to go down to 2nd floor, 5th exit, and someone from Thai will meet me there. There is no 5th exit on the 2nd floor. 1st floor has one so I go there. No one from Thai there. I go up to 4th floor to the ticket office. Wait 30 more minutes and they get a guy that follows me back down to 1st floor, 5th exit, and in to a minivan, off to the hotell. I sleep for 2 hours take a shower and head back to the airport to catch the finnair flight. I stand in the check-in line for over an hour. When I get to the desk there is a problem. They can't find my ticket. They say Thai has made a mistake and tells me to take this with Thai. I run to the Thai ticket office and they say the problem lies with finnair and that they have booked the ticket. I run back to  finnair check-in and they say Thai has made a mistake and that the flight is full. I go back to Thai ticket office, they don't know what to do so they call for someone in management. I wait in the ticket office for 55 min. A guy from a hotel shows up and sais everything is fine, come with me. This is where I get agitated. Absolutely nothing about this is fine. They tell me to go with the man and call a number they gave me. I get to the hotel and call the number. The man answering the phone cuts me off as I try to speak to him, he tells me that I have to go down to the reception and tell the them to call him up. When I ask why, he just repeats himself. So I go down to the reception and tell them to call the number. No one is answering. Turns out the Thai clerk had written down the wrong number. Hopefully things will get better when I wake up from this Thai Air Nightmare. Have tried to get in touch with customer care for one month now. They are not responding.

✅ Trip Verified | Delhi to Sydney via Bangkok. I liked Thai Airways and it took less time to go to Bangkok and Sydney. Entertainment section was good as well.