‘These are two of the best airline dishes I’ve ever tasted’
Delicious cuisine, incredibly comfortable seats and a steal of a price make this long haul flight to Europe a thrill – if you get the right plane.
Delicious cuisine, incredibly comfortable seats and a steal of a price make this long haul flight to Europe a thrill – if you get the right plane.
Take a seat
Our aircraft for the Stockholm-Bangkok leg is an Airbus A350-900, a superior new plane cleverly configured so business class travellers fly in privacy and comfort. The business cabin has eight rows arranged in a 1-2-1 configuration; seat pitch is 114cm, seat width 53cm, bed length is 187cm and seat recline is 180 degrees to flat.
The seats are all slightly angled towards the window so you can’t see into anyone else’s capsule. There is bountiful room for storage, an oversized table to lean on plus a ledge for putting personal items such as books, and more legroom than I need (instead I use it to store my handbag). It’s an incredibly comfortable seat.
By contrast, our Bangkok-Sydney leg is on a Boeing 777-300ER, an aircraft that feels dowdy compared to the Airbus. While it also has a 1-2-1 configuration, the front-facing capsules offer less privacy than those of the Airbus and the 50.8cm-wide seats are narrower, the console is old-fashioned and it feels less roomy. Both flights offer a Royal Silk amenities bag that includes socks, earplugs, mask and products from Thai skincare brand H by Erb, such as lip balm, aromatherapy oil and hand cream, plus a tube of Marvis toothpaste to go with the disposable toothbrush.
Tech talk
Thai Sky Connect offers on board wi-fi, but it is not available on either flight; no explanation for this is offered when asked. There are USB-A ports in the seat capsules that don’t fit my Apple products. The noise-cancelling headphones supplied are very good.
That’s entertainment
While the screens on both flights are generous (about 40cm), the range of films and shows on offer is not. For English-speakers, the new-release options are almost laughable. The newest films I can find are the Dune franchise. On the other hand, the back catalogue includes some decent movie franchises including Harry Potter and Hunger Games. I watch the Ethan Hawke biopic, Tesla, to pass the time.
On the menu
After three weeks in Europe I am eager to eat Asian food so I order from the Thai options on the menus, but they also offer European cuisine. Notable highlights include salmon in chu chee curry with jasmine rice (Stockholm-Bangkok) and Tom Klong soup with smoked fish and Thai herbs (Bangkok-Sydney). These are two of the best airline dishes I’ve eaten, spicy and flavoursome, with generous portions and quality ingredients. European dishes include braised beef cheeks and herb-crusted lamb chops. Champagnes offered are Laurent-Perrier and Piper-Heidsieck, and the reds and whites are exclusively French and Italian. With my salmon I have a glass of Domaine Masson-Blondelet Pouilly-Fume 2021, which is floral and fresh.
In the bag
Business passengers are allowed up to 40kg of baggage, including two pieces of cabin baggage, although I have three bags in the cabin and the staff don’t question that.
At your service
The service offered by the Thai staff is kind, gentle and obliging. Every passenger is made to feel like they are the only one on board. I feel some passengers take advantage of the good-natured service, though; on my first leg, a hyperactive toddler disrupts the cabin for the duration of the flight; staff are incredibly passive about this despite the disquiet of passengers. A gentle word to the parents would have gone a long way.
On the ground
In Stockholm, business class passengers are fast-tracked. The airport is extremely well run and we are through security, check-in and immigration in 15 minutes, allowing plenty of time in the duty-free store to buy some delightfully weird Swedish licorice. Business class passengers can access the SAS (Scandinavian Airlines) lounge, which is well run and designed, if compact. The buffet includes dishes such as Swedish potato salad and smoked salmon. Thai’s Royal Orchid Prestige Lounge in Bangkok is not what I would describe as prestige. This dour space has a moribund atmosphere and frankly awful Westernised food during our breakfast visit (mass-produced fried eggs, cold toast, bad bacon). We eat nothing and leave as soon as possible. It is also in the old and charmless part of the airport. If you have to trek there, don’t bother.
Make your points
Thai Airways has its Royal Orchid Plus frequent-flyer program and it is part of the Star Alliance network.
In the know
Thai Airways announced last year it was boosting its international schedule with an extra 51 routes, including increased flights to key ports across Europe. The airline has partnerships with European carriers including SAS, Lufthansa and Austrian Airlines, meaning your European leg may be operated by one of these. With so many flights and access to a wide range of ports, you can snare excellent deals even in high season. My one-way business class flight from Stockholm to Sydney, during July’s peak European summer season, costs $4188. The price is a steal.
The bottom line
Stockholm to Sydney flights from $4600 one way, based on an airline website search departing two months from publication.
The verdict
If you can snare an Airbus on your routes, you have it made. These seats are the best I’ve encountered and the service and food make flying long-haul a thrill, even if the entertainment options are second-rate. Unfortunately the Boeings don’t deliver the same excitement or comfort. These planes feel old-fashioned and clunky; the excellent Thai soup only makes up for so much. So Thai business class is a lucky dip. Just hope you pull out the best prize.
Elizabeth Meryment travelled at her own expense.
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