My (First) Thai

i’ve already left a review on routehappy for my flights yesterday on ANA’s international configuration 787 (SJC-NRT) and Thai’s A380 (NRT-BKK), but i needed to continue gushing about how great my first Thai experience was. (which, by the way, makes it my 18th Star Alliance airline.)

i mean sure, who doesn’t love flying on an A380, which i affectionately refer to as the lumbering whale because of how it feels when you take off and land, but the cabin crew made it my first (and possibly only, though i am anxious to see what my Singapore A380 will be like in a week and a half) 10 out of 10 rating. the upper deck economy section was less than 20% full, which may have contributed to the personalized service, but it was better than domestic (United) first class and international Lufthansa business. i’m hoping this is a true indicator of what everyone can expect. if this was their “Royal Orchid Service”, they certainly have a right to give it a name and be proud of it.

some of the things that stood out:

• i knew i was in for something special when everyone (everyone) greeted me with a Thai greeting as i made my way through the plane while boarding.
• food and drink order taking. no carts. no menus handed out on laminated cards. even post-dinner tea and coffee orders.
• fleece blankets in coach! (p.s. i’m sticking my tongue out — my lips are not that luscious.)
  
• smoked salmon in coach!
• constantly coming by to offer tea or juice or water. none of this “i’mma hide out in the galley gossiping and reading my magazine until the flight is over” business for these flight attendants!
• someone cleaned up the lavatory after each use, putting a seat cover on and ruffling up the toilet paper and spraying some cologne
  
• when they handed out landing cards, they handed out pens! no rummaging in your bag, no asking a flight attendant or a neighbor to borrow one only to be watched like a hawk (i learned my lesson long ago to carry a pen with me at all times!)

so yeah, suffice it to say, the bar for economy class is that much higher now. good luck, everyone else.

p.s. i made note in my routehappy review of the very handsome male model in the A380 safety video. here it is: