SG -> BANGKOK -> TEL AVIV
It’s been about almost two weeks since I last write a blog post. I have to say that it was a good break from work and blogging as I was on a Christian Pilgrimage with my church to Israel. It is fun travelling as you get to take a break from your actual life back in your home country. But I have to say that this trip to Israel is somewhat different from my ideal leisure holidays where I have more freedom in planning on my travel itinerary. This trip I had embarked on is the Hope and Grace Tour by Trinity Broadcast Network (TBN), the largest Christian-based broadcast television network based in the States. I will share some of my insights, experiences and tips I gathered from this trip on my next blog post. As for now, I would love to share with my review of a particular airline which took me by surprise.
THAI AIRWAYS
I might have sat Thai Airways before but that was many years ago. Today, I am glad to say that the service standards at Thai Airways are on par with our national airline carrier, Singapore Airlines (SIA). I’ve taken SIA Economy before in the recent years, and so I was able to make a comparison. Of course, SIA planes are newer, and their facilities (e.g. digital entertainment) are more advanced than what Thai Airways could offer. But service and food-wise is comparable or maybe way better than what SIA could offer. I am particularly impressed with their food standard because I didn’t think that aeroplane food could be that delicious.
How is the flight overall in general? It was as smooth as silk. I was on their 777 BOEING 777 JET, flying from Singapore to Bangkok. On our way back from Tel Aviv to Singapore, we also did a transit at Suvarnabhumi Airport, Bangkok before flying back to Singapore via Thai Airways.
They live up to their motto. Read on to find out what I am talking about.
1. Spacious Leg Room
2. Magazines/ Entertainment
To kill time onboard, I would usually read their magazines and prints. Their Sawasdee magazine is quite engaging, and I read almost every article on it.
Besides flipping through a magazine, you could also check out their digital entertainment and watch some of the latest movies. However, their multimedia offerings are quite limited. SIA has a more extensive collection of movies, music, games and TV Shows as compare to Thai Airways.
3. Excellent Food Standards
At first sight, the food tray served may not look as exciting or varied. Each meal usually includes an appetiser, one main, one dessert, a bun and a bottle of mineral water. It is pretty standard. But I was surprised at how the mains tasted.
I had noodles with chicken and spinach along with a slice of tiramisu cake and some pasta salad. It was all excellent and it tasted nothing like those aeroplane meals I had before where it tasted very salty. The food served at Thai Airways tasted quite fresh. On my flight back from Bangkok to Singapore, I had a green curry with rice which was delicious too! It tasted very much like a homecooked meal. These Thais know their food well. It was served warm and have a good spicy kick to it as well.
They served a variety of beverages from juices, tea and wines. I would usually ask for a cup of tomato or orange juice just to increase my vitamin intake to boost my immunity during travels.
4. Impeccable Service
5. Clean Toilets
My Verdict
Overall, I was taken by surprise by how much Thai Airways has improved their service and food standards over the years. It does make me want to fly Thai Airways again as it is a reliable airline. The flight throughout was so smooth that you wouldn’t feel that the plane is ascending or descending. Even if there is turbulence, I felt like the plane was under controlled, and the turbulences were significantly minimised. This could be attributed to the pilot’s excellent plane manoeuvring skills. If you have experienced severe turbulence before, you will understand what I mean.
Hope to fly via Thai Airways again soon!