Thailand reopened to tourists, review Air France business class flight from Paris to Bangkok
On November 1, Thailand, after more than 19 months, reopened its borders to tourists, including Italians. Goodbye to the [...]
Air France
SkyTeam
NCE
Thailand
On Nov. 1, Thailand, after more than 19 months, reopened its borders to tourists, including Italians. Goodbye Phuket Sandbox bureaucracy, now to fly to Thailand you only need to be vaccinated and have a negative swab before you leave.
In this article:
- Specifications
- Aircraft:
- B777/300
- Class:
- Business
- Treat:
- CDG - BKK
- Price:
- 625€
- Book
In fact, this trip of ours began under the old protocol and ended with the Asian nation open almost entirely to tourists from some nations. We noticed the most obvious difference in the Bangkok stopover, when we transited directly to Ko Samui: here the experience is was very similar to what I had experienced in Singapore. On the day of our departure, although traffic was still light, we were beginning to see a faint sign of normalcy.
The journey
The trip started from Nice airport, living in Liguria it is an alternative solution to Genoa, which is poorly connected, and Malpensa/Linate.
The airport has two terminals, but since the Covid change, all traffic is concentrated at T2, which usually hosts AirFrance, KLM, and EasyJet. In the "world before" this was France's second airport, with even intercontinental flights to Dubai, New York and Doha.
Getting to the airport from the A8 highway is easy, convenient and fast. The stopover is at one end of the famous Promenade des Anglais and is connected to the center by the city's new streetcar line.
The purchase
Ours was an almost last-minute trip, we wanted to vacation in Thailand and specifically target Ko Samui instead of Phuket. These were the only two destinations open for tourism before November 1 via the Sandbox protocol.
For Samui, as the airport was much smaller, it was allowed to stop over in BKK and then take one of two Bangkok Airways flights designed only for passengers with COEs. Of course, all this now makes no sense as Thailand is almost completely reopened.
The cost of the 3 business class tickets was just over €1,400 per person, an extremely competitive rate especially since thanks to the Double XP points that are awarded to all Flying Blue loyalty program members, With this round trip, we achieved the silver FB level.
Level that will be recognized by all the SkyTeam companies and especially that it unlocks numerous advantages in the French carrier, first and foremost the possibility of booking tickets for La Premiere with points, or first class made in Air France.
On the ground
This is not the first post covid flight I have taken at this stopover, however, it is the first time I have seen it as crowded as in the old days.
Air France has a dedicated check-in area and a reserved route for SkyPriority passengers, which is the fast track for business customers and elite status holders within the SkyTeam alliance.
The nice thing was the chat with the receptionist as soon as we saw that we were headed to Thailand.
After asking why we were traveling, he candidly admitted that we were his first passengers heading to Thailand post covid. "I need to inquire about the procedures, I ask for your patience for a moment." On the strength of my two previous experiences, I took the liberty of listing the requirements and showing her the documents, in the end I think she trusted what I was telling her since the queue behind us was beginning to lengthen considerably.
Having obtained our boarding passes we headed for security, again it was nice to take advantage of the fast track, but it was even nicer to see the lines at security again, a sign that times are changing.
Lately I have been taking several flights at Linate and I must say that the difference can be seen. In Milan, people no longer take out their PCs or tablets from the bag and not even have to separate liquids or remove shoes. Every once in a while it is nice to be the best at it.
Past the inevitable duty free, we headed to the Infinity Lounge. Here again it was nice to see how, compared to my last visits, it has become alive and full of people again.
Only the service remained pandemic mode, no buffet and little choice of food and drink.
Fortunately, our approach flight to Paris was leaving after a few minutes, so we had just enough time to pop into the bathroom and have an orange juice.
The Nice/Paris Flight
At the gate we boarded last. The flight is operated with an A321, waiting to try out The new A220 entered the fleet a few weeks ago, is the classic model found on these domestic routes.
Business class offers nothing different from an economy seat except for the empty seat in the middle.
There is no longer even a curtain separating the two cabins, so you can't even tell where the business ends and the economy begins.
Legroom is average, the seats thin but comfortable. Each row has four USB outlets available, enough to charge one's devices. The chair is fixed, impossible to tilt it as on low-costs, the small but adequate coffee table. Convenient, however, is the glass holder, which has disappeared from most modern planes.
Although all the seats had the wi-fi symbol, the service was not activated. Too bad.
Air France, unlike ahe other companies such as British and Lufthansa, did not cut in-flight service. It is therefore still possible even in economy to have a drink without paying.
Transit to Paris
Even in Paris, compared to a flight this summer, I saw a lot more people, a sign that slowly passengers are returning to travel.
In choosing the itinerary for our flight to Ko Samui. I opted for a transit over Paris to have a chance to try out the brand new Air France lounge in the 2F terminal.
This summer I had come by when the opening was only a few days away and I had tried one of the old vip rooms, closed today.
The lounge is beautiful; it is an appendage to the terminal made just to accommodate this lounge.
Arranged on two floors Is probably the best lounge for Schengen flights of all European airlines, the only comparison I can think of is with British Airways and its Galleries at T5 of Heathrow, but then the terminal accommodates all flights to both the EU and the rest of the world.
The only thing that partially disappointed me was the quality of the food on offer, which was very basic and not at the level of the lounge.
In any case, if you transit CDG and have a flight departing from Pier K in Terminal 2, it is much better to stop in this lounge than to go to the one in the 2K Which is old, small and not even related to this one.
On board
Boarding procedures for Bangkok took place at gate 53, or the ground floor of the terminal, resulting in a bus ride to 777/300, which was waiting for us on the opposite side of the airport.
After the A380s were grounded., the 777/300 is the largest aircraft in Air France's fleet. There are two types of cabin fittings, and ours, unfortunately, was the worse one.
Business class aboard these Boeings is configured with 7 seats per row, 2-3-2. To get a term of comparison, the defunct Alitalia on its only 777/300 had a 1-2-1 configuration. This meant that 3 out of 7 passengers had no direct aisle access, whereas on AZ all passengers could move freely without disturbing or being disturbed during the flight.
These 777s are the ones that, pending restyling, are used by the French airline on routes called leisure, that is, those where the traffic is mainly tourist, e.g., Caribbean and Southeast Asia, but also for less popular routes in the U.S. and the rest of the world.
I knew from the moment of booking that I would find the one that it is probably the worst business class cabin in not only the AF fleet today, but also in all European airlines. Air France was recently honored as the best european company, credit is certainly not due to this business class cabin.
The density of the configuration gives zero privacy In all respects. Of course, ours was a family trip so the 3 seats allowed us to stay close together, but if you are traveling alone it's a whole different story.
There are two business class cabins: the first is larger and has 5 rows, the second is located after the center door and consists of only 2 rows, so it is smaller and definitely quieter.
Everything on this plane is "agé" as the French would say. The only beautiful thing in my opinion are the colors of the cabin and seats.
We were seated in the middle 3 seats in the first row, a choice I would absolutely not make again, but at the time of choosing seats they were the only 3 bookable seats. The main problem with front row seats is that you don't have room to store your belongings Like the phone, or the computer. There is nothing but the small pouch on the front bulkhead, which is just fine for a tablet.
Not that the other rows have large containers, after all, in such a dense configuration it is logical not to waste space with passenger containers.
The other chairs have a couple of gaps in the front of the seat and nothing else.
As mentioned, there is no divider to lift if we do not know who is traveling next to us, much less are there any "barriers" to hide the aisle-side seated passenger. We are light years behind the business class found on the rest of the AF fleet. and on the 777s that are used on business routes instead.
The easiest way to tell whether the plane has this configuration or the new one is to check whether La Premiere, or first class, is also offered on the route, in which case we will be assured of flying on a plane with a business class cabin worthy of the name in 2021.
Hidden in the bulkhead that divides the two seats is a micro space where there are headphones and a water bottle, in fact this is the only storage space in the entire seat.
The hand control always present on the armrest allows the seat to be operated. Here again one can feel all the years of this model. No massage function, no possibility to choose the stiffness of the seat, and above all, it does not become a real bed by remaining partially inclined.
A personal light is provided at the top of the seat, in addition to the classic light on the cabin ceiling.
The headrest has adjustable shoulders and can also be tilted if desired.
The coffee table comes out of the armrest and is a decent size, but when you raise the screen you also play with that foothold that forces the passenger to do stunts.
The worst thing, more than the lack of privacy and more than the IFE of the last millennium, Is definitely the armchair bed version. First because does not tilt 180°, so it does not become a real bed, secondly because. the part that should support the legs has no support so you remain totally inclined from head to toe. Very bad.
Of course, there were also positive aspects to the setup of this 777. One feature that excites me on an airplane is when I find windowed bathrooms, there are not many planes where you have this little option, and I must say it is always nice to find it. The bathroom is in the back of the business cabin and was very fragrant. Also inside were some Clarins facial and body care products. Granted, the amount of products offered in the business-only bathrooms is not comparable to Singapore Airlines, but it was more than enough.
The service on board
The service provided by the cabin crew makes it possible to forget all the shortcomings of the cabin. I must admit that this is probably the best business class treatment I have ever received.
From the exact moment we set foot on the plane, the cabin crew took great care of us. I couldn't say what in particular stood out to me, I could say all the small and continuous attention. From the welcome champagne, to the pampering of my daughter, to the excellent service for dinner.
All passengers are given a small velvet trousse, available in two shades that are the same as the interiors of this airplane.
I am always curious about what is in it, because each carrier surprises me each time with an item that I do not find on the next flight. In this case the novelty was the shoehorn. Otherwise, the contents are fairly standard: eye mask, earplugs, socks, pen, Clarins hand cream and face cream, toothbrush and toothpaste, and a cloth to clean glasses. An envelope with masks is then also distributed.
My daughter was also given a set of toys and an envelope that contained other small surprises.
This is not a privilege of those traveling in business, but is for all children on board.
Food & Beverage
First, as soon as we were seated, we were offered a glass of Champagne, a few minutes later the menu was brought to us.
This is a real menu, it looks like that of a starred restaurant in size, paper quality, and attention to detail. Starting with the front page which, unlike many other companies, specifically indicates the flight we are on and generically the routes where it is served.
Dinner was served about 90 minutes after takeoff, good choice by the staff since it was an afternoon takeoff.
Service is done via tray, but unlike on many other companies that have changed the in-flight catering due to covid , On Air France, lunch is not served in a single pass.
My chicken, accompanied by side dishes and an excellent mustard, was served once I finished my salmon appetizer.
Same for cheese and dessert. A service practically back to the pre covid model.
The breakfast was also excellent, served about 60 minutes before landing, actually I was not hungry but I had to sacrifice myself in order to review the service later on this article.
Finally, in the small space between the two business class cabins, a small refreshment area was set up throughout the trip with the option of serving oneself fruit, drinks, snacks, and a hot dish that could be heated on demand.
IFE
Here you can see and feel that we are aboard a plane from the last millennium.
Of course, traveling in the front row makes it even less convenient since the screen is hidden in the armrest and cannot be used until you are in the air.
The size is also slightly smaller than the monitors in the other rows, but it is the whole system that is old. The screen is touch, but the user interface is comparable to a site from the early 2000s.
There are 80 pages of movies, very often with the same movie repeated 3 or 4 times, the same goes for all the other sections. Of course, there are no live TV channels and no classic commodore 64-style games either.
Very few adult and children's films were available in Italian, while virtually every second piece of content was available in Chinese, Portuguese, and Spanish. There were more films dubbed in Korean than in Italian.
The headphones are of good quality and are already connected to the system, although you can use your own devices.
Last but not least, there was no wi-fi on board although there was the little service symbol on the nacelle, on a 13-hour flight on a company like Air France wi-fi is the least you can expect.
The only good news is that there are cameras showing what happens in front of the plane, before departure, and under the plane after takeoff and throughout the trip. Of course, you cannot decide to change your view, but when you consider that many airlines even on very modern A350s or 787s do not offer this service, it is worth mentioning.
In conclusion
I was prepared for a trip, less comfortable, than all other business flights made in recent years, direct aisle access with a 1-2-1 cabin configuration is now the minimum standard for this type of class.
What is certain is that I will hardly forget this flight for the level of courtesy and attention from the cabin crew and the quality of the food served.
Also not to be forgotten, thanks to the promotion that gives double XP points, With this one trip I went from basic level in the AF/KLM loyalty program to Silver. Now I can aim for the big prize, becoming gold and booking Air France first class without paying thanks to the points Membership Rewards.
A small note of color regarding this flight. Because of Afghanistan's instability, airlines continue to avoid overflying the nation; this results in a longer flight of almost an hour and a route that passes through Dubai and India before arriving in Thailand.
Pro
- The crew
- The kitchen
Against
- IFE
- Armchair
- Zero Privacy
- No Wi-fi