Vintage Review: Thai Airways 747-400 First Class Bangkok To Beijing

This week we are taking a walk down memory lane with a vintage first class trip report. I’m sharing photos and brief commentary from a trip I took in the final days of 2010 and first days of 2011 that included many first class flights from five Star Alliance carriers. As we enter a new decade, the goal of this trip report is to examine how airlines have changed over the last one. Although this trip report has never been published, I will not be publishing a detailed, word-heavy review as I do for current trip reports. Instead, commentary will be limited and the focus will be on photos. For the final post, I will summarize, as generally as I can, how premium products have changed over the last decade.

• Prior Segments
  • United Airlines 757-200 First Class Los Angeles to Chicago
  • Lufthansa A340-300 First Class Chicago To Munich
  • Turkish Airlines 737-700 Business Class Munich To Istanbul
  • Turkish Airlines 777-300 First Class Istanbul to Bangkok
  • Fifth Freedom Flashback: Bangkok To Ho Chi Minh City On Qatar Airways + Lufthansa

Flight #6: Thai Airways 747-400 First Class Bangkok To Beijing

• Before our flight, we spent the morning relaxing in the first class lounge.
• This included a one-hour full body massage in Thai’s Royal Orchid Spa, a benefit reserved for departing Thai first class passengers from Bangkok.
• The lounge staff are wonderful.
• But the onboard staff of our flight to Beijing turned out to be even more wonderful.
• Check out the vintage livery of our 747-400. 
• The first class cabin was truly “vintage” in terms of old-school seating.
• You can see read a detailed recent review of the new 747-400 first class cabin here.
• We had the first class cabin to ourselves and were treated like kings.
• Before takeoff, Rimowa amenity kits and noise-canceling headphones were offered along with chocolates in a silk-covered box.
• Macadamia nuts and menus were also distributed prior to takeoff.
• The amuse bouche was a prawn patty.
• I’m not a foie gras fan in any way — I detest the taste and feel sorry for the poor ducks — so I skipped that and just ate the scallops for my appetizer course.
• Garlic bread…I ate too many slices.
• Pumpkin cream soup was even better than the scallops.
• My brother ordered salted chicken thigh with ginger onion soy sauce and steamed vegetables.
• I ordered pan-fried, grass-fed veal loin.
• Unfortunately, my veal was not very tasty.
• But Jintana, the wonderful female flight attendant pictured below, noticed I did not like it and instead I try the Thai dish. It included:
  • Lobster Curry “Chu-Chee”
  • Steamed Thai Hom Mali Rice
  • Taiwanese Cabbage, Carrot
• This was tremendous and a reminder to always order Thai food on Thai Airways
• Next up, a fruit and cheese course.
• Finally, I wrapped up lunch with chocolate and mascarpone tarts and black tea.
• Check out the classic flight map, projected onto a pull-down screen in the front of the cabin.
• Jintana saw we were thrilled to be onboard and brought us each a 747 model prior to landing.
• We landed in Beijing on-time, my first time in Mainland China.
• I’d rate the service on this flight as the best of the entire trip.
  • 10 years later, Thai still impresses in that respect.