TRIED & TESTED FLIGHT
Thai Airways B777-300ER Royal Silk (business class) BANGKOK-LONDON
B A C K G R O U N D We flew on the 0015 night flight service from Bangkok Suvarnabhumi airport to London Heathrow Terminal 2 – a 13-hour flight to London arriving at 0620. 60
F I R S T I M P R E S S I O N S I arrived at Bangkok airport at 2207, following a very smooth domestic flight from Chiang Rai with the airline’s subsidiary Thai Smile. It was not a connecting flight, so I had to go through customs, collect my luggage and check-in again at the Thai Airways desks on the fourth floor at international departures. I reached the desks at approximately 2230 and the queue for business class was speedy. I had to show a negative PCR test result taken within two days of departure (a requirement at the time to enter the UK) along with proof of vaccination and my passenger locator form. I used the fast-track security area, which lived up to its name, but the same could not be said of the priority immigration queue which went quite slowly. T H E L O U N G E I briefly visited The Royal
Orchid Prestige Lounge, which is in the concourse D area on level 3; open 05000200 daily to business class customers, Royal Orchid Plus Platinum and Gold members, and Star Alliance Gold members. The expansive lounge spans the length of the D gates, with floor-to-ceiling glass windows. Staff are friendly and give you a wifi code on a piece of paper at check-in. It’s a great facility covering 2,089 sqm, with a range of seating areas able to accommodate
JUNE 2022
463 passengers. The colour scheme fits the airline’s branding, with purple and beige-hued seats, and lush green walls. The buffet area features hot individually packaged items, such as bite-sized spinach quiches and green curry chicken pie, and cold sweet pastries. There is a hot buffet which included stir-fried cabbage with sesame seeds, chicken panang, dumplings and western dishes, such as spaghetti with tomato sauce. Gloves are provided for guests to use when handling the food. The bar area offers hot drinks and a fridge with soft drinks and beers. It’s a great lounge for working and relaxing.
B O A R D I N G Aware that Gate C was a
ten-minute walk from the lounge, I allowed time to get there. Boarding was scheduled for 2335, but it was still not announced at 2340. My ticket was scanned upon entry to the departure room, which was already
The B777-300ER features 42 business class seats configured in a 1-2-1 layout very full. At 2352 there was a pre-boarding announcement for priority passengers, business class passengers or those holding Royal Orchid membership. Boarding began at midnight. I was at my seat by 0010 and immediately offered a sanitiser wipe and a drink. Unlike my outbound journey (which you can read at businesstraveller.com/tried-and-tested), the service was great from the start of the flight.
T H E S E A T The B777-300 features 306
seats in economy and 42 in business class (Royal Silk) configured in a 1-2-1 layout. Business is set across two cabins, one to the left of the entrance (with 24 seats in rows 11-17) and another to the right (with 18 seats in rows 18-22). A bathroom is located on either aisle between the two business class cabins,
and these were cleaned throughout the flight and featured soap, moisturiser and air freshener spray. All business class seats extend into fully lie-flat beds, with a width of 20 inches. I was in the cabin to the left of entrance, which feels a little more private and exclusive than the latter. My seat was 14J, a window seat about halfway down the right-hand side of the cabin. The seat has a footrest under the IFE screen, with a compartment below that too. There’s a table with a cupholder by the window, meaning you are closer to the aisle than the window, and the tray table folds out from the back of the seat in front. The seat had a blanket, cushion, slippers and an amenity kit by Italian luggagemaker Mandarina Duck, which included a hairbrush, toothbrush with toothpaste and mouthwash, lip balm and moisturiser. The IFE remote and seat controls are located to the right of the seat and are easy to use with pre-set buttons including ‘relax’, ‘upright’, ‘bed’ and ‘massage’. There is a plug socket on the lower right-hand side by your feet, and a reading light to the top right. There’s not much storage space, other than a slim section for magazines by the table, a small pocket to the right of the seat, and the well in front which you’re not allowed to use during take-off or landing. For this reason, I had to keep my belongings on my lap or in the overhead locker.
B E S T S E A T While I enjoyed my seat, I
would have preferred a window seat with the table beside the aisle as it provides a bit more privacy. These are seats A and K on rows 12, 15, 17, 19, and 21. In the first cabin, I would avoid row 17 as it is very close to the galley and toilets. Row
