My Meal of the Week feature examines an airline meal from my travels over the years. This may be a meal from earlier in the week or it may be a meal served over a decade ago.
One thing I love about Asian carriers is that the service standards tend to be much higher than in the USA. I’m continuing “teasers” from my trip to Asia ahead of my full trip report and cannot help but to laud Bangkok Airways for its full-service model even on short flights on turboprop planes.
Bangkok Airways Meal Service – Impressive
After a lovely few days in Siem Reap, Cambodia, I flew to Kathmandu via Bangkok. My first flight was on Bangkok Airways to Suvarnabhumi Airport. Bangkok Airways is the only nonstop operator on this route (Air Asia flies into Don Mueang International Airport) and I lined it up so that we had four hours between flights, since our onward ticket was booked separately.
On an extremely hot and sticky morning, we walked out of the terminal and to the awaiting ATR-72 that would take us to BKK.
Boarding was so efficient it was completed in five minutes. On this plane, you board from the rear. Flight time was announced as 55 minutes and soon we were off.
Just minutes after takeoff, flight attendants burst into action. They had a little time to serve the entire cabin…but in short order had delivered a meal to every passenger: chicken, rice, and a bottle of water.
I loved that there was “real” silverware as well…not paper or plastic.
Full disclosure: I did not eat anything. Not because I did not like it, but because I stuffed from a large breakfast at the Raffles hotel in Siem Reap.
Even so, what a nice gesture for such a short flight.
And for those mainline flights with ovens that are just as short if not shorter, a HOT meal is served in economy class.
That’s impressive. And while it may also be necessary, it is the kind of gesture that makes flying fun.
I greatly appreciated that even on a sub-one-hour flight, Bangkok Airways managed a full-service approach.
American Airlines should not cave into $90/hour flight attendant demands but CUT their pay in half. Not unreasonable because Medicare continually cuts pay to doctors and nurses by cutting payment (reimbursement). Some of these carriers in Asia have lower labor costs.
America is not the Great Satan but American Airlines is the Great SatAAN Airlines.
Derek, this is at least your second post complaining about Medicare cuts to doctors – let us guess, you are a physician. What does Medicare cuts have to do with AA’s FA negotiations, let alone to this post?
No, I am related to someone on Medicare who is having increasing problems finding doctors.
And what does that have to do with what FA’s earn? What does that have to do with Asian airlines being able to offer a hot meal in 55 minutes versus a U.S. airline not offering anything on a 3 hour flight? NOTHING. Go complain on a Medicare chat board. Reddit must have one.
Airlines don’t serve meals simply because of cost. If flight attendants’ wages are not close to $90/hour, there will be more money for food.
@Derek – FA’s wages have nothing to do with whether a meal is served. The big 3 don’t serve meals now – before the big raise you are complaining about. You want to complain about the big 3 not serving meals, go right ahead. But leave Medicare out of it. You can string together a coherent argument here…
Politicians should just be honest and say “We cut Medicare” rather than lying and saying they don’t cut Medicare but actually do. Where is President Biden’s leadership? As a Democrat, he is supposed to help the disadvantaged but is not doing so. No to Medicare cuts.
Seriously Derek, grow up. This was post about a meal being served in Asia on a 55 minute flight – not about Biden’s leadership.
OCTinPHL, stop being racist. The article is NOT about Asian airlines. It is about Bangkok Airways. Grow up.
HUH? Racism?
Trolls can’t help themselves.
Looking forward to the Raffles review.
I am as well. It’s really a beautiful property from the outside. But have to admit that the Park Hyatt is one of the best in the world. My stay there was pure perfection on every level.
Stuart.
I was thinking about asking if you did Raffles. When I visited (20 years ago?) Raffles had a strike. While I got inside , I was moved . Big disappointment for someone who loves historic hotels. I was by myself and there was gunfire at night. And frankly being so miserably hot, I went back to northern Thailand where it felt like Canada 😉
Flown them a number of times and was amazed at the food and service. OTOH next month I am flying UAL for four hours from DCA to ABQ and no hot meal will be served in business.
Ah well….
Unfortunately Thai Smiles is being dissolved and merged into Thai Airways. I’m disappointed I flew them a lot and loved their service.
And FWIW I loved Siam Reap. Bucket list for sure.
We had a similar experience on LH from Munich-Prague a few years back. It is a short flight but they managed to serve a full a320 a meal! Pretty impressive lol. Just had to eat a bit quicker than usual lol. Wish they would do the same here. Or at least improve on snack selection for sub 60min flights.
Flying with Bangkok Airways is like stepping into a food lover’s paradise! A full lunch on a 55-minute turboprop flight is simply impressive. Thank you for elevating the travel experience and making every mile memorable.
The fact that you didn’t eat the meal shows that they should cut it or change it to just a snack. Less waste = good for everyone.
I’m not sure if seasonal or they pulled out, but Bangkok Airways was not the only airline between Siam Reap and BKK as of a few months ago. I used Thai Smile in January and on an A-320. Strange as looking at random dates it seems they have pulled out? Go figure, and the flight was full.
Yup they have been doing this for YEARS. and have (had?) a small lounge in BKK open to ALL passengers (at least the last time I flew them) with seating, water, light snacks.
It is not only on airlines that service standards in Asia are way higher than the US. It is on almost everything.