- Michael
- Dec 22, 2019
- 2 min read
Updated: May 29, 2020
Short flight
3*
We took a short flight from Bangkok to Chiang Mai as we decided late on that we did not want to get the 10/12 hour bus, and found that Thai Airways had reasonably priced tickets (ours were around £50 per person including luggage) for a far more convenient journey.
Surprisingly, the plane used was a Boeing 747-400 which I can only assume was needed at Chiang Mai for a longer onward journey.
The flight was delayed 40 minutes despite the plane having been sat at the gate for most of the day (we got there 3 hours early so can confirm this) so there can not be any excuse of a late incoming flight or problems with refuelling etc. There was also no safety briefing which I'm not sure is even legal, the classic safety video played but the cabin crew were in discussion about something in the galley so did not do the usual pointing and life vest demonstrations, not to concerning for frequent flyers but obviously I can not imagine it was very helpful or reassuring for any new flyers. Also the cabin announcement system was on volume 1 so any notification they made was useless (I am sure they explained the delay but I never heard anything). The seats were a bit worn but this is understandable for the longer serving 747-400 planes. Additionally, their website was temporarily unavailable for sometime the day before the flight when I was trying to do online check in (and no this was not a fault of my internet connection as they themselves confirmed it was a website error), it eventually resumed working however.
The positives were that decent food, free of charge, was served on board, even for this extremely short flight. The leg room was better than many other flights I have been on. Boarding was efficient despite the delay, and checking in bags was quick as they had many desks available at Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport. Despite not having a chance to use any in flight entertainment, from what I saw the selection looked very good so long haul flights would probably be enjoyable.
If it wasn't for the delay and most importantly the lack of proper safety procedures then I would probably give Thai Airways 4 stars.
Would I recommend them? - possibly. Would I fly with them again? - only if necessary.
