From Khao Yai to business class
The line at the check-in counter at Suvarnabhumi in Bangkok is huge and when it's finally our turn something goes wrong in the computer system. We're pretty much the last one there, but whoever laughs last...
That morning we spent in Khao Yai and on our dead field we drove the long way to the south exit, stopping here and there for beautiful pictures and whoewhoewhhhhhooping gibbons. A few kilometers outside the park we stop to eat and find out that our plane does not leave at 12 o'clock tonight, but at 2 o'clock. Instead of taking it easy, we decide to drive on as quickly as possible and rent a room at the airport for a few more hours.
The car is now gray instead of white. However, the lady of Thai Rent believes me on my brown eyes that there really has been no damage in the past 3 weeks. At the airport we can arrange a nearby hotel, including a shuttle, and so we lie in bed at about 5 o'clock, eating a lunch of tea and chips. The shuttle back has been ordered for 12:XNUMX am. I wake up just before the alarm clock is to go off and we are delivered to the right terminal, well rested, at the scheduled time.
There is nothing to do at most desks, but at one company there is a gigantic queue. So we can join that. I regret that I did not try to check in online at the hotel, because then we could have walked on almost immediately. Now it takes almost an hour and a half before it's our turn and it's only 10 minutes before the baggage check-in was closed.
The desk clerk stares tensely at her screen. The luggage tag won't come out of the printer and it doesn't seem to work with the boarding passes either. She kindly says that there is a 'problem with the computer' and if we would like some patience. We don't have much choice, so we have patience. Then there will be a luggage tag. That goes on the suitcase, but it then just remains on the belt. We still need some patience and no, there is certainly no problem with the tickets.
There is some clicking on the keyboard and some ringing, and then another luggage tag appears, which also goes on the suitcase. At that time, however, the baggage check-in is closed and we have to deliver the suitcase to some counter. After another 5 minutes we still have no boarding passes and the desk lady gets nervous. If I still want to take my suitcase away. Of course I want that. When I come back it will take a few more minutes, but then there are the coveted tickets. With the pleasant surprise that we are in business class for the first part of the journey. Apparently our seats are already taken.
It gets a bit stressful at security and passport control, the final call for our flight is announced, we are the last to slip into the plane and a little later we give an insight into our origins when Mieke is sipping champagne and I am sipping fresh orange juice. 'orange. The chairs can be completely flat in an ingenious way, the table is large enough to put your tray of food on, the cutlery is heavier, the coffee cup is a real coffee cup, you can continue to grab the croissants and sandwiches, you get a tablecloth and a linen napkin and the stewardess personally introduces herself. We almost regret that hotel. Well, without it we would have been at the airport much sooner and others would now have stretched out and drank champagne. I think we'll be at the back of the queue from now on.
In the end, with all those extra bells and whistles, we are not a minute earlier in Dubai. In that respect, the business class is of course a great wash. In the connecting flight to Amsterdam we can just touch each other again. Because the 3rd seat in our row remains empty, it still feels a bit like business class. With thin cutlery, a small table and a paper napkin, that is. Nice to experience once.
I experienced the opposite on March 30, 2015 at SURVARNABHUMI at THAI air, I experienced the worst experience at the counter by such a ladyboy who thought he had invented hot water. came home to show my dissatisfaction to THAI air in Belgium, but this has not worked either, they keep themselves rude and do not answer the questions asked. congratulations on your update, i'm sure it wasn't with thai air because you shouldn't be on it as you were too late
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It not infrequently happens that the economy class BKK – AMS with div. airlines become “overbooked”.
Tip…!! Make sure you look neatly dressed when checking in, ladies: skirt/gown, men, jacket.
If the groundsstaff has to make a choice for a "free" upgrade, then enjoy the above
passengers, usually preferred to travelers who look like they just came from “PATONG ” beach……!!!
PS also from Amsterdam you can of course look well-groomed…
Good trip,
carl.
Certainly flew with Emirates, which has often upgraded in itself, I've had it myself.
Unfortunately, the connecting flight was not my aisle seat and the return trip was not my requested seat twice, so it is random if you book well in advance with seat no.
Found this disappointing just like being “dropped” at the airport where you will then be transported further by bus.
Working on it Pete. Competition D is under construction. Then the 'foreign' airlines go to D and then Emirates gets building C. At Schiphol, you currently also have to take a good look at where to go due to the renovations.
The Emirates has been a real disaster lately when it comes to delays. They have not been on time for more than a month. And not just a little delay, but up to 2 hours. Just look at the afternoon flights from Amsterdam.
I got an upgrade to business class with my children at China airlines because we couldn't sit next to each other in economy (while I had indicated that this was no problem). We only received the upgraded boarding pass at the gate: “we have new seats for you”. When we were sent up on the plane, we only realized that these were good “New seats”. (Bkk-Ams)
Here I come again…. Worked at Lufthansa for 30 years, flew to Bangkok and back dozens of times. Almost always full planes. Often the last free seats (ie the empty seats next to a crew member during take-off and landing) were and still are used for flying personnel who want or need to go somewhere in their free time.
We have had "upgrades" many times. Fortunately more than “downgrades”…. And indeed, if you know well in advance that the economy will become overcrowded due to too many bookings, it is possible to look at whether you are neatly dressed. Forecasts apply to every flight, whereby in recent years it has been determined fairly accurately whether the number of booked passengers will indeed arrive. Rather book a few places more than too few. The excess of passengers will then flow over to a business class, insofar as there is room there.
Because I worked almost exclusively in business class in recent years, I soon noticed, without looking at our passenger list, whether someone was there for the first time or just on a business trip. You noticed that some sucked up this flight and enjoyed what was offered. That had a double effect for us. Business class guests who regularly flew with us knew what to expect and were actually quite easy to operate. The upgrades, however, were sometimes completely perplexed and required extra attention, which of course we also gave. Sometimes you had colleagues who would say, "But those are just upgrades". However (good boy as I was) always came up with the opposite and said that we should spoil these people extra. That has always been my opinion, to treat each guest as an individual as much as possible.
I enjoyed giving this extra attention. You also got a lot in return. The friendliness and sometimes the conversations that could arise, as it used to be, about 32 years ago. No rush. A warm humanity sometimes arose because of this. Something you can hardly have nowadays. Shortage of staff, more passengers in economy, shorter layovers, are often the reason that you have to rush through the service in economy and you hardly have time for the people who have to pay a lot for such a flight.
These experiences, which are always exceptions, must then be moments that will not be forgotten. Or those, as posted here in the blog.
I'm glad you were able to experience this. No one can take that away!
Quote: 'Those are the empty seats next to a crew member during take-off and landing'.
I've never experienced that. I always see cabin crew sitting on folding seats, often facing the opposite direction to the passengers, and I've also never seen any empty seats for passengers to sit on.
Maybe it was different with the Germans 30 years ago, I don't know.
Better read: no normal passengers, normally only people who belong to the flying crew. If there is such a seat available. Do you think I'm talking nonsense? Just because you've never seen it on your flights doesn't mean it doesn't exist. It's unbelievable that I'm more or less accused of lies. It has happened for the second time on this blog that people have doubts about what I write, which I experienced every day as a former steward and where I know what I am talking about.
In professional jargon, these seats are called jump seats and are only given away if there is no more room and only to flying personnel or related people. They sit there during take-off and landing and are taken to other jump seats during the flight, where they are not in the way. Why only flying crew? Because, in the event of an emergency, they can help with a possible evacuation.
Normal passengers are never allowed to sit (an exception during the flight, with the permission of the crew and with a valid reason. I myself have also come along at the last minute several times during a private flight.
Wash nose? yes of course you are not faster but much more comfortable. I myself work in the oil industry
fly 4/5 times a year to Australia and back Thailand or the Netherlands now while my house in Banphai is under construction and always Emirates Business Class even though I sometimes have to pay extra for me so much better than Economy. Legroom, food, and being able to sleep normally are the benefits that I am happy to pay more for.
The comfort is also a reason for me to fly business class and to allocate extra money for this. So I don't think it's a big deal at longer distances........
Incidentally, airlines naturally try to fill the seats as much as possible. On my most recent flight to Dubai with Emirates, some business class passengers were 'transferred' to first class and the vacant seats were filled with economy passengers again.
Dear Cornelis, that happens often. Usually it concerns guests who have a certain status (depending on the number of kilometers flown), who are then selected to sit in First Class. And that is only done when more economy guests arrive than expected.
There can also be a hierarchy with the economy guests. There are also plenty of guests there, who have almost paid the business class rate. And there are people who have a certain pilot status, who therefore prefer to be able to sit in business class.
In the case of François, this was probably too late to do, or simply no one of higher status was traveling, which of course meant luck for François.
We are going to Bangkok next Wednesday with Emirates. I keep the tip of neatly dressed (we are always travelling) in mind, so who knows. We have already been with Eva, KLM, Singapore Airlines and will compare each time.
Sjaak, I agree with Fransamsterdam, I have never seen passengers ("free"?) sitting next to the crew, he probably means the "folding chair". At KLM this is against the "Flight safety rules", but maybe this is arranged differently at Lufthansa...?
You also wrote in a previous article that you can drink delicious coffee in Market Village Hua Hin for 20 baht, could you perhaps tell me where?
Good day,
carl.
Sjaak S, a normal passenger cannot judge whether a passenger sitting next to a crew member on the jump seat is a crew member on holiday, they are not recognizable as such... It is the case at KLM that "staff" are on holiday, if they already take a seat on the folding chair, well… they must have completed their Flight Safety exams…. , and there are countless retired “staff” members who fly around the world for their holidays, no longer take these exams... and these are also not recognizable..!!
I don't think anyone is accusing you of lies...!!
Good day,
carl.