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Zurich - On Thai Airways

 
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sri_bom
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Joined: 22 Dec 2006
Posts: 2365
Location: Singapore

PostPosted: Wed Jan 21, 2015 8:45 pm    Post subject: Zurich - On Thai Airways Reply with quote

Trip route:
Singapore – Bangkok – Zurich - Singapore
Airline – Thai Airways
Flight no. TG 402/TG401 Departure: 7:40/19:40
Date: October 14th 2012
Aircraft type – B777-200/A340-600
Flight duration – 2:40 Minutes/13:00 hours

Background Info:

A business meeting in Switzerland (Zurich/Basel) meant I had to do a long haul trip. A quick check and it turns out Thai Airways has the cheapest business class option followed by Finn Air. I have had great experiences with Thai in the recent past, especially when it comes to the meals served on board. So the choice was clear. And from a timing perspective, Thai Airways gave me one free day to explore Zurich.

I reached the airport an hour and half early and the good thing about Thai is that they have a separate lounge for checking in their business/first class passengers. Although this is shared with other carriers it is still a great way to begin a journey and even Singapore Airlines does not have a separate lounge for their business class travelers even though it is their home base. As it was the festive season of Diwali or better known as Deepavali in Singapore, the lounge was appropriately decorated.

General Queue



Special Check In Lounge





After my check in was done I connected directly to the immigration counters, which was another great feature. Post immigration I wandered around the terminal a bit and found the interesting concept of a social tree wherein one can take ones picture and upload. Kudos to Changi Airport for a very innovative concept that kept most travelers engaged.





I reached the gate ahead of time as I had a conference call to attend. Hence, I wanted to clear the gate security. The airplane had already docked.It was a 777-300 and I soon got busy with my call.






Around 20:20 boarding was announced and I made my way to my seat. The 777-300 fleet of Thai has the latest business class seat which is completely flat, a bigger flat screen TV (Non HD though) and more innovative touches that can be typically found on modern flat seats.





The only issue is the window seems to be farther away from the seat so not easy to look out.



Hot towels, a newspaper and a drink were given prior to takeoff.






Menu cards were distributed and post take off drinks and nuts were served.



Note: peanuts were not given in a bowl but distributed in a packet, I was OK with that and did not create a nut rage scene, for which Korean Air has become famous.




Very soon dinner was served. As this was going to be a short flight all the courses were presented in a single tray. Thai Airways once again did a great job in terms of quality and taste of the food. The mango salad was as good as one gets at a high end restaurant, the pulao and cottage cheese (panner) was extremely soft and tasty.





The icing was the sticky rice, although I am not a great fan of it but it was made so well with the right amount of sweetness that I finished all of it.




Tea/Coffee was served post dinner and I settled in to watch the movie “Chef” which was quite an interesting movie. Note the remote indicates the time to destination which again is very helpful as one does not need to switch to the moving map.





At Bangkok airport Thai Airways provides complimentary foot or back massage for all business class travelers at the Royal Orchid Spa which is such a great service specially if you are going to be connecting to a long haul flight. As I had two hours, I availed a foot massage which was very relaxing.






My flight to Zurich was an A340-600 quad engine a rarity now days, but I am quite beginning to like this aircraft type plus the assurance of four engines. Boarding was announced and we were bused to the airplane which I always enjoy. This airplane had the old cradle type angle flat seats, which are comfortable but not as great as what was on the 777-300.










One gripe I had was these seats motor made a “Whining” sound whenever somebody changed their settings. As a result all through the night, I could hear a continuous whining sound which was a bit disturbing. Thai needs to quickly upgrade these old seats especially on long haul flights, but I am suspecting they are probably waiting to get rid of this fuel guzzling A340-600 so change may not come soon.

Hot towels, noise cancelling headphones and amenity kit designed by “Porsche” was given. An





ANA docked next to my airplane just before push back.




Bangkok Night View




Food was served post take off and once again Thai did not disappoint me. The corn salad was excellent and the garlic bread was heated and moist. The steamed rice with cottage cheese and vegetables was excellent with the cottage cheese being very soft in spite of the fact that it was cooked in advance. Fruit platter was served post dinner for vegetarians. Mood lighting was switched on which is a nice gimmick but not sure how much of it plays a part in tuning the body clock.







Before going to the bed I decided to use the restroom and found it spotlessly clean and well stocked with Borghese brand toiletries. I always like toilets with windows and I felt very special attending nature’s call overlooking the view below from 38,000 feet ; some experiences are priceless. Most of the cabin was dark and I tried to get some shut eye as well.





I the morning, the mood lighting was turned on and a drink run was conducted, followed by breakfast.






The fruits and croissant were very nice, this was followed by a rice flake dish (very close to tasting like poha) but it was nice and excellent. The rice flakes were accompanied by a tomato/potato gravy. Tea/Coffee was served and I chose a cappuccino.







The rest of the flight was good and very soon we touched down in Flughafen Zurich on time.



One of the highlights of this trip was going to the viewing gallery at Zurich Airport which is every aviation enthusiast’s dream come true. I shall let the pictures speak for themselves.

My ticket to enter the observation deck which cost me CHF 5.






The observation deck also had a special playground for children with airplanes as the theme.







The other interesting thing is that the deck had complete flight information of the plane that was docked at each of the gates, which made the viewing far more informative.









































My return flight was excellent hence will not go into the finer details.

Zurich Check in Area





Post take off Drinks (Bourbon whiskey with coke - my favorite)



Starter with Salad and warm garlic bread which was excellent



The main course was a bit of a letdown as I thought it was quite bland. I am guessing this is more to do with catering at Zurich airport.



Fruit platter sans the fruit…..I ate the all the fruits and then remembered to take the photo 



Tea and tarts…..



Mood lighting turned on



Prelanding Breakfast





Landed in Bangkok





On board the newer hard product which was again different from my SIN-BKK route







Connecting flight to Singapore - in the queue for take off.



Lift off



Full fledged breakfast was served again, and this was the same rice flakes that I had on my journey to Zurich.







Touchdown Singapore





I have now become a great fan of Thai Airways after having clocked three long haul trips with them. For the price my company pays which is almost 40% cheaper than Singapore Airlines it is value for money. The crew is warm and attentive, the movie selection is good, choice of food and wine is great and the airplane, in spite of being a few years old, was very neat and clean.

The only flaw as I have stated before is that the hard product on the 777’s on SIN-BKK leg were miles ahead as compared to the A340-600 on the long haul. Also given the fact the whining noise when the seat went flat kept me awake, I am hoping TG is either going to phase out these A340s soon (maybe not now the since the price of oil is hovering at USD 40) or change the seats soon. Overall it was a great flight just as Thai advertises “Smooth as Silk”



Hope you all enjoyed reading the report. Comments, as always, are welcome. Some sights and sounds from Zurich.




















Sri_Bom
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sumantra
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PostPosted: Wed Jan 21, 2015 11:51 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

It is always a pleasure to read your trip reports, Srinivas: whether they are on short South/South East Asian trips, or longer ones. Thai has always been known for its food, which excited me just as much as seeing an A346 screaming out fo the beginning of the TR, along with the good food part. I knew I would over-eat at dinner, today, and I would have to rush out in the unearthly hours, to fetch another loaf of bread, which was necessitated by my finishing off a full pound of whole wheat bread (with a copious quantity of milk), post-dinner, mind you.
What was that welcome drink? This looks like pure grape juice, and not the `processed' (read, fermented) ones I like better. I also see the Brut which followed: how do you find it? Your AVML looks as delicious and inviting as you have described it. I am yet to travel on Thai, but one of my friends (Mr. Green in my trip reports), a strict vegetarian, has gone ga-ga over the AVML offerings. He has flown with Thai a good distance, in Economy, though. He is a big fan of their Indian recipes.
Did you not partake of any food at the lounge in Suvarnabhumi?
The meal aboard the A346: the meal again looks extremely inviting, right from the sweet corn salad, to the paneer main course. Why is the fruit platter served only to vegetarians: why do vegetarians have all the fun?
Second is my constant whine, which you have been subjected to often, before. Why does an AVML Hindu Vegetarian Meal offering have to be biased towards North Indian tastes? And mind you, it is not that all South Indian delicacies are not suitable as airline food.
And you got a fruit platter again at breakfast: I really envy you.
And the pohA-like offering: as an ex-Mumbaikar, from what I could comprehend, you did approve of the attempt.
Lovely descriptions of the Zurich observation deck: I guess they make the charge levied, count well in the good experience! An you got a slightly rare B764 as well, as a catch, a wingletted B763, and the Brietling Constellation, amidst a sea of boring Euro-white liveried Swiss planes, left, right and centre.
Before I forget, did you get the A346 and the B773 again, on the return?
Hmm...nuts in packets in Business class again, a la Air India?
The salad looks excellent, but the main course, more than the blandness, does not look very appetising. I am actually a bit surprised at the catering for Thai: this should have been a part of their recipes themselves. Air India catering at different stations across the world is relatively consistent, and consistently good in terms of the quality and the quantity, thanks to adherence to the recipes by the caterer selected.
The dessert looks nice, as does the second fruit platter, before landing.
I wonder why the pictures were a bit blurred: a bit of friendly advice. Do not let cameras get a whiff of the aperitifs you (and I) enjoy Smile
And what was this breakfast exactly: mushrooms, thick tomato paste, Broccoli, and vegetable puffs, or an attempt at mini-dosA(i)s?
Nice pictures from Suvarnabhumi. Both the airport, and the violet-and-golden brocade airline look beautiful.
The same rice flak dish? It is surely a recipe issue we are looking at!
It was a nice idea to have pictures from Zurich at the end, to lift up a reader's sagging spirits, as he/she figures out that a nice report is coming to an end. Thank you for sharing this with us!
Cheers, Sumantra.
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Spiderguy252
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PostPosted: Thu Jan 22, 2015 1:46 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Stunning pictures, thanks for posting.
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sri_bom
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PostPosted: Thu Jan 22, 2015 2:18 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Thanks for your in depth analysis of my trip report and apologies for making you run to the refrigerator to quell your hunger pangs upon seeing those food pictures.

I am sure if your friend Mr. Green raves about TG food I am sure you will end up writing a report just on the food itself 

The welcome drink was non-alcoholic and very refreshing. I wanted to ask the purser what it was but completely forgot but it was not a canned juice for sure.

I did not go to any lounge as in Singapore I typically arrive just in time and that leaves me not much time. In Bangkok since I availed the massage service I did not get time to use the lounge.

I think most airlines play safe by offering fruit platter, as most desserts/ice cream tend to have either eggs or gelatin. Since I don’t mind consuming eggs via cakes/biscuits/ice creams I eventually get not only the fruits but I also ask for the dessert. See I am learning some tricks from Sumantra sir to be a glutton.

Unfortunately when I was at the observation deck all the airplanes were Swiss Air’s. Can you tell me the significance of the “Brietling Constellation” is there any history behind it? I found the plane of vintage significance so took a shot of it.

My return journey was also on the A34-600 and B777-300. The breakfast was a combination of Indian/Western cuisine kind of stuffed wrap with boiled vegetables again since this was airlifted from Zurich it was not authentically Indian.

Thanks for all your feedback and the advice on taking a better picture. 

Sri_Bom
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sri_bom
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PostPosted: Thu Jan 22, 2015 2:19 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Spiderguy252 wrote:
Stunning pictures, thanks for posting.


Thanks for reading.
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sumantra
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PostPosted: Thu Jan 22, 2015 2:55 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

sri_bom wrote:
Since I don’t mind consuming eggs via cakes/biscuits/ice creams I eventually get not only the fruits but I also ask for the dessert. See I am learning some tricks from Sumantra to be a glutton.
Ha ha!
sri_bom wrote:
Can you tell me the significance of the “Brietling Constellation” is there any history behind it? I found the plane of vintage significance so took a shot of it.
Brietling (of he watches fame) help maintain a Lockheed Super Constellation in excellent working condition: in fact, it is one of the best maintained Super Connies around. Thank you for sharing this rare catch with us!
sri_bom wrote:
The breakfast was a combination of Indian/Western cuisine kind of stuffed wrap with boiled vegetables again since this was airlifted from Zurich it was not authentically Indian.
This seems to be an issue with the caterer, and the recipe. I have had some great Indian food on Air India flights from NRT and BKK for instance, where the caterer in question followed Air India's recipes to the hilt. In the early 2000s, I used to drool over the PM-AI's section on AI's recipes.
sri_bom wrote:
...and the advice on taking a better picture.
Very Happy
Cheersss...hic to that!
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ameya
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PostPosted: Fri Jan 23, 2015 11:37 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Some superb pictures - liked the one of Avro of LX !
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star*gold
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PostPosted: Sat Jan 24, 2015 1:49 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Nice report!
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jbalonso777
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PostPosted: Sat Jan 24, 2015 11:24 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Its good to have you back on this part of the forum, Sri sir!

Thank you for such a comprehensive TR replete with some absolutely amazing pictures! Luck you got the A346, no doubt its getting rarer today and are being put out of service. Yes, fuel prices are low, and that'll be an incentive for airlines to further accelerate the retirement process of these fuel guzzlers, and keep the twin jets operating as they will be cheaper any day, but that's what I think!

Food looks awesome on Thai Airways! They do have a superior service for the prices all pax pay - Y is usually quite cheap too! Hmm, I wonder what Finnair would've been like? That would've been interesting.

I loved the pictures of the A346 on the ground, the Red Bull, EY Regional and the high-speed train pic!

Thanks for sharing!

Regards
Jish
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sri_bom
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PostPosted: Sat Jan 24, 2015 1:33 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Spiderguy252 wrote:
Stunning pictures, thanks for posting.


Thanks for taking time to read appreciate it.
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sri_bom
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PostPosted: Sat Jan 24, 2015 1:34 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

star*gold wrote:
Nice report!


Thank you.
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sri_bom
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PostPosted: Sun Jan 25, 2015 8:45 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Thanks Jish for your detailed feedback although I am not sure if I am worthy of the title "Sir" Smile

Agree fuel prices are low, but there are some routes where Airports are capacity constrained and you do need extra large wide bodies like 747-800 or A380's so we will still continue to see four holers at least for another two decades.

I was quite tempted to take the Finnair flight but timing issues and losing out star miles made me change my mind.

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stealthpilot
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PostPosted: Sun Jan 25, 2015 10:27 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

A346!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Cool Cool Cool Cool Super jealous

- Was going to say it's interesting TG has a dedicated J/F checkin at SIN but then noticed it was a combined airlines thing.
- Food looked yum .... surprised they gave you a packet of nuts tho (hmmmmm)?? Are you veggie? Did they not have other vegetarian options or did you just stick to the Indian veggie option?
- Great ideas in that viewing gallery ... flight information?? Wow ... spotters heaven!
- Just added information .... Swiss flies to DAR via NBO. Saw their 333 (?) in DAR .... and was in NBO a few days later and the engineer said Swiss flies twice a day one to DAR and one back home.
- EY regional is one ugly .....
- Great observation deck pictures. I love the LX 330/340s. (Thank the best airport video ever created for that .... Zurich summertime by Ruesch Productions)

Great TR.
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sri_bom
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PostPosted: Mon Jan 26, 2015 7:03 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

stealthpilot wrote:
A346!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Cool Cool Cool Cool Super jealous

- Was going to say it's interesting TG has a dedicated J/F checkin at SIN but then noticed it was a combined airlines thing.
- Food looked yum .... surprised they gave you a packet of nuts tho (hmmmmm)?? Are you veggie? Did they not have other vegetarian options or did you just stick to the Indian veggie option?
- Great ideas in that viewing gallery ... flight information?? Wow ... spotters heaven!
- Just added information .... Swiss flies to DAR via NBO. Saw their 333 (?) in DAR .... and was in NBO a few days later and the engineer said Swiss flies twice a day one to DAR and one back home.
- EY regional is one ugly .....
- Great observation deck pictures. I love the LX 330/340s. (Thank the best airport video ever created for that .... Zurich summertime by Ruesch Productions)

Great TR.


Thanks for taking time out to read the review.

I am a vegetarian and when I travel I tend to stick to Indian Vegetarian on airplanes as I know at the destination country I will be eating local food.

The viewing gallery is one of the best that I have ever seen and highly recommend. They also have airport tours by bus etc so do check out Zurich Airport website which has all the information.

Sri_Bom
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sri_bom
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PostPosted: Mon Feb 02, 2015 1:56 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

sumantra wrote:
sri_bom wrote:
Since I don’t mind consuming eggs via cakes/biscuits/ice creams I eventually get not only the fruits but I also ask for the dessert. See I am learning some tricks from Sumantra to be a glutton.
Ha ha!
sri_bom wrote:
Can you tell me the significance of the “Brietling Constellation” is there any history behind it? I found the plane of vintage significance so took a shot of it.
Brietling (of he watches fame) help maintain a Lockheed Super Constellation in excellent working condition: in fact, it is one of the best maintained Super Connies around. Thank you for sharing this rare catch with us!
sri_bom wrote:
The breakfast was a combination of Indian/Western cuisine kind of stuffed wrap with boiled vegetables again since this was airlifted from Zurich it was not authentically Indian.
This seems to be an issue with the caterer, and the recipe. I have had some great Indian food on Air India flights from NRT and BKK for instance, where the caterer in question followed Air India's recipes to the hilt. In the early 2000s, I used to drool over the PM-AI's section on AI's recipes.
sri_bom wrote:
...and the advice on taking a better picture.
Very Happy
Cheersss...hic to that!


Thanks did not know the airplane was maintained by the Brietling company.
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avbuff
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PostPosted: Mon Feb 23, 2015 11:38 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Excellent TR!

A A340-600 on a long haul is surely fun

The pictures were great and glad you enjoyed your journey.

BTW wasn't SQ A380 to ZRH an option? or LX?
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sri_bom
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PostPosted: Tue Feb 24, 2015 8:45 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

avbuff wrote:
Excellent TR!

A A340-600 on a long haul is surely fun

The pictures were great and glad you enjoyed your journey.

BTW wasn't SQ A380 to ZRH an option? or LX?


Thanks for taking time out to read the trip report appreciate it.

Both SQ and LX fares were almost twice of what I would have paid and keeping with my companies low fare policy I had to choose Thai.

Sri_Bom
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