Thai A380 business class, Tokyo Narita to Bangkok
Flight: TG677
Departure time in Tokyo Narita (NRT): 17:30
Arrival time in Bangkok (BKK): 22:30
Aircraft: Airbus A380-800
Seat: 22B
Duration: 7h
Date of flight: February 20, 2013
*This is an award ticket,
Business Class flight #6
When I booked this itinerary last September, I knew just which flight to choose. Thai Airways announced late last year that their third Airbus A380 would be used on their Bangkok-Tokyo route starting January of 2013. I did not hesitate a bit and after spending almost half an hour in front of my computer, I was finally able to book two seats. And to make my first flight on the "Super Jumbo" unforgettable, I made sure we would be flying in business class 😉
Check-in, Desks B16-B17
Thai Airways had two check in desks for it's Royal Silk (business class) passengers. We had to wait a few minutes until it opened since it was more than 3 hours before the flight when we arrived at the airport. Well, you can't blame me. Who would want to be late on his first "Super Jumbo" experience 😉 A young Japanese lady helped us with the check in process and after a few minutes, we had our luggage checked in with priority tags and got our boarding cards as well.
ANA Lounge
Thai Airways uses ANA's lounge which is much closer to the gate instead of United's Lounge which is located close to the security control. For details and more pictures of this lounge, please check
ANA Lounge, Tokyo Narita Airport.
Business Class Cabin
The business class cabin is located on the upper deck, between the first class cabin in front and a small economy section at the rear. All in all, there is a total of 60 business class seats, 48 on the larger cabin (seats 11-22) and 12 on the smaller cabin (seats 25-27).
Everything in the cabin looked fresh...and smelled fresh. Well, this very same aircraft started flying between Bangkok and Tokyo in January 1, 2013 so this Super Jumbo is just about 50 days old on the day of our flight 😍
Seat 22B
Thai Airways uses a three-point seat belt that looks pretty much like the ones being used in the cars. There are bins under the window for you to keep your personal items.
Personal screen
The remote control is tucked into the armrest while the control for your seat is located just above it.
Headphones come with noise reduction feature which is pretty standard in business class.
Among the latest releases were Argo, Seven Psychopaths, The Sessions and Deadfall. I ended up watching "Argo" which eventually won the Best Picture trophy at the Oscars a few days later. A highly recommended film if you haven't seen it yet.
The legroom which is about 74 inches gives you a lot of space, as you can see on the picture.
The nook under the armrest can be used for items like headphones and pocketbooks.
A coat hook is located on the left side of tray the table to keep your coat handy during a flight.
There is also a reading lamp in case you have your favorite book with you.
Amenity Kit
The amenity kit I got included a brush and comb, slumber shade, earplugs, toothbrush, toothpaste, mouthwash from Fluocaril, lip balm and hand cream from Crabtree & Evelyn, and a pair of comfort socks.
Pre-departure Beverage
Just before take off, I was offered some drinks and I thought a glass of champagne would be a perfect start. The one being served on board was a Piper Heidsieck Brut Champagne. Since I am not a champagne drinker, I had to ask Mike to be the judge and he thought the champagne was "excellent".
Safety Video
The safety video began to play as we pushed back.
Dining
Menu card and wine list
Drinks trolley
Apple juice
The food service started with the Savoury: Chicken Yakitori which tasted very good.
Afterwards, hot towels were given as well as drinks. I thought a glass of water with a slice of lemon would just be perfect.
The First Course: Duck Liver Ballotine, Mango Chutney, Roasted Vegetables 😋
For the main course, the choices were:
- Beef Stew with Japanese Beer, Mashed Potato with Fine Herbs, Chateau Carrot and Broccoli;
- Steamed Sea Beam with Grated Radish Sauce, Tawara Rice, Japanese Vegetables;
- Pork and Eggplant in Red Curry, Steamed Thai Hom Mali Rice, Snap Pea;
- Sautéed Chicken with Teriyaki Sauce
I chose the chicken that came with steamed Japanese rice and egg julienne. We were also offered bread and butter as well as mixed salad with thousand island dressing. Everything was served on a tray tho unlike Qatar Airways Business Class service where everything was served individually without trays. On the other hand, on a business class cabin with 60 seats like this (it was actually at least 80% full) it would really be tough to do that kind of service.
After the main course, I had a plate of assorted cheese and seasonal fresh fruits followed by my dessert: Cassis Mousse Cake.
I ordered a cup of Japanese green tea to end the service. I thought everything tasted phenomenal.
Onboard Bar
Unfortunately, I forgot to take a picture of the bar while it was still in use so the picture above on the left side is the best I could get.
Two smaller bars were also located between the two business class cabins, one of which is above.
Lavatory
The pedal trash bin is just as good since you wouldn't have to squeeze your hand to the lid right after washing your hands. I wonder when this idea would come to economy class toilets since I presume that it's not really that expensive to install one.
Time to Sleep
And since we still had about 4 hours left to our destination, I decided to take a little nap.
Snacks
About an hour and a half prior to landing, Haagen Dazs Ice Creams were served and between strawberry and green tea, I chose the latter.
Arrival in Bangkok
As business class passengers, we were the first ones to leave the aircraft. Everything went smoothly and quick as we passed the Immigration and Customs, again a privilege of flying in business class.
CONCLUSION
So how do I describe my first ever experience flying aboard the Super Jumbo, and nothing less than in business class? Excellent! Perfect! The food tasted great. The service from every flight attendant shone with warmth and hospitality that Thais are known for. Everything in the cabin looked fresh and neat. You could actually smell it. Of course, it was just on its second month of operation. The seat is one of the best in the industry. I couldn't ask for more. So if you haven't tried flying on a Super Jumbo yet, flying on one of Thai Airways is definitely a very good choice 😍
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