BKK Suvarnabhumi Airport Update

[Dave Noble]

Re: Pathetic

Not only will the lounge be delayed until 2007, there won't be any interim lounge when the airport opens for anyone.

Yes there will; there will be lounge access for 1st and Business passengers

Dave

 

[mileagemax]

Re: Pathetic

Yes there will; there will be lounge access for 1st and Business passengers

Dave

Mmm I read this latest announcement differently...

Unfortunately, due to delayed building works at the airport there are currently no interim lounge facilities available for Qantas and British Airways passengers. We can assure you that we are working hard to remedy this. When these interim facilities become available, due to space limitations, access will be restricted to customers flying in Qantas First and Business on the day of travel.

 

[simongr]

Ahh well its just one flight for me - I will have to make do - might be interested if anyone gets lucky with the Cathay lounge to give it a go... mind you I have an evening flight (about 5PM) so the lounge might be a little full...

 

[Dave Noble]

Re: Pathetic

Mmm I read this latest announcement differently...

Unfortunately, due to delayed building works at the airport there are currently no interim lounge facilities available for Qantas and British Airways passengers. We can assure you that we are working hard to remedy this. When these interim facilities become available, due to space limitations, access will be restricted to customers flying in Qantas First and Business on the day of travel.

Ahh,,, I misread it. Ah well, I expect that this is beyond BA and QFs control.

Dave

 

[Kiwi Flyer]

I'm glad my upcoming OW flights are via SIN, and all flights via BKK for the next several months will be *A. No delays reported for the TG lounge.

 

[mileagemax]

I'm glad my upcoming OW flights are via SIN, and all flights via BKK for the next several months will be *A. No delays reported for the TG lounge.

Agree, the new TG First/Business Checkin looks great. Haven't seen the lounges yet but I have high expectations. I really think flying TG into and out of BKK will be something special compared to other airlines.

 

[JohnK]

Hmm.... I was due to visit Thailand in December/January and also doing some status runs while I am there but since there is no lounge access I should change my plans.

 

[Kiwi Flyer]

Hmm.... I was due to visit Thailand in December/January and also doing some status runs while I am there but since there is no lounge access I should change my plans.

Why change? If the SR (status run) is that marginal in value to you that no lounge access ruins a run then why bother in the first place.

 

[Mal]

Glitches cause Bangkok delays | Aviation | The Australian
"Glitches cause Bangkok delays"

"PASSENGERS at Bangkok's new international airport faced delays in collecting their bags and checking in today on the first full day of operations because of computer and mechanical glitches.

Thousands of passengers arriving on the first flights had to wait one hour to collect their bags as equipment was slow in arriving from the old airport, which closed during the night. "
<snip>

"But at Thai Airways check-in counters, computers crashed before the first flights out of the new Suvarnabhumi Airport, causing delays as airline workers had to issue handwritten boarding passes and baggage claim tags.
"

 

[oz_mark]

Qantas steals show at last minute

[SIZE=-1]Bangkok Post : General news[/SIZE]
[SIZE=-1][/SIZE]
[SIZE=-1][/SIZE]
[SIZE=-1]

[SIZE=-1]Kuwait Airways flight was due to be the last[/SIZE]

[SIZE=-1]ANJIRA ASSAVANONDA[/SIZE]
Captain Meshal Alqattan was all smiles when he was approached by an army of reporters before he was to fly out KU414 _ designated the last flight to leave Don Muang airport _ in the early hours of yesterday. ''It's a nice feeling to be the last one to depart this airport,'' said the pilot, who has been with Kuwait Airways for 27 years.

And he should have been the pilot who flew the last flight out of Don Muang had a Qantas Airways flight bound for Sydney not stolen the show at the very last minute

[/SIZE]

 

[serfty]

... There was no clear explanation from airport staff. QF302 was not even on the official list of the last 10 departure flights from Don Muang. The incident also left airport executives baffled, but they had no time to check as all attention turned to Suvarnabhumi airport.

An airport officer said only that the QF302 flight had been delayed for an unclear reason. ...

I believe QF302 is a codeshare on BA9?

Did a BA flight go out on QF Metal???

Here's info from the QF web site:

BA9     Sydney  18:15 (Tue)  02:55 (Thu) Departed 	 

QF302   Sydney  18:15 (Tue)  02:55 (Thu) Departed QF= Qantas Airways 
                                                  operated by  
                                                  British Airways

 

[Alan in CBR]

Qantas website shows QF 302/BA 9 scheduled to arrive at 06:05, but actually arriving at 14:57.

ACARS shows QF 302 arriving at 14:10 (not sure why the discrepency) operated by VH-OJB. So, very late and operated by QF metal.

Strange.

Edited to add: Actually QF website shows it due to arrive at 06:05 on Wednesday but actually arriving at 14:57 on Thursday. Even stranger.

 

[meloz]

Hmm.... I was due to visit Thailand in December/January and also doing some status runs while I am there but since there is no lounge access I should change my plans.

You changed man!

JohnK3rd November 2005 01:13 AMQuote:
Originally Posted by NM
And the down side is no lounge access on AA domestic flights unless same-day connection to/from an international flight. People will put different values on the pros and cons.

I am glad that a lot of the people here place a huge emphasis on lounge access. You are all very used to it and love it. But is not the end all and be all of airline travel.

I couldn't give squat whether I am in a lounge or not. I can just as easily sit on the floor for 8 hours waiting for flight, and BTW I have done this many times. When I used to smoke this was easy but I gave up 2 years ago and it still just as easy to wait. I am not alone there either :!: :roll: Many people have done it with me. People like my parents and most friends would not even know what a lounge looks like and do not even care.

I am just happy if I can find McDonalds/Pizza Hut/KFC/ Burger King, any junkfood place, if I am hungry and if I can buy a beer somewhere for under $10 I am also happy. In SYD and BNE I can have 2-3 beers for around $10-$15 which is still a little more cheaper than QC membership. In BKK it is around $10 for 3 beers outside of lounge, in SIN a little more but still not expensive.

Personally, and most people I know, could not give squat if they had access to showers or not in between flights. In case anyone cares it is a very small percentage of people who want to have to showers between flights and most frequent this site. My biggest worry is how I get there, not whether I have had shower or not. Ever heard of European showers? They work quite well. My shaving kit and all essentials are in checked luggage and this is where they reside. Could not be bothered keeping a change of clothes annd essentials on board plane. Also I use razor blades, not electric/battery shaver as I have a real beard not bum fluff, so these can't even be carried on board on plane.

If I was able to use lounge access 22 times per year to recover $330/year membership it may be worth it. Other wise I will have to wait until the day get QFF Gold or QFF Platinum to even worry about lounge access unlees someone invites me.

This is just my whinge. Again. :roll: Free society we all have our beliefs. Please in no way am I demeaning anyone that disagrees with what I have mentioned. Just think that majority of people flying are people that fly once a year or every 2-3 years. QF WP and QF SG are a very very small part of society. Your beliefs are a very small percentage of the population. I cknow I can sit/stand in an airport for hours on end without any hassles. I don't think you can. :!: And that is all about being spoilt.

As mentioned earlier please do not take any offence to what I have said. This is a site for all flyers not just WP and SG. It is here for people that also fly once in a blue moon. Right or wrong? Who cares. Just my opinion.

Alcohol wearing off and I have run out of things to write. Again sorry if my view does not agree with anyone else's views. I sense that most people on this site do not like me but who cares!. I am entitled to my opinion and if you don't like it then don't read it. Have fun.

 

[Kiwi Flyer]

Again sorry if my view does not agree with anyone else's views. I sense that most people on this site do not like me but who cares!. I am entitled to my opinion and if you don't like it then don't read it. Have fun.

Not at all. In your situation it doesn't make sense to pay for lounge access (either club membership or status runs).

For me, as a very frequent flyer, lounge access is important (I use them more than 100 times a year). Not only as a place to refresh but also for the access to staff to sort out hassles when things go pear shaped (which when flying this much is bound to happen every so often).

 

[JohnK]

You changed man!

Very observant of you! That was almost a year ago. Changed? Hmm.... For me lounge access is nice but not the reason I fly. If no lounge facilities available or I lose lounge access by dropping from QF Gold then there is still food and alcohol available in airport terminals. Showers in the lounge! Don't need it, most hotel rooms come equiped with at least one. Internet access! Can do without it for a few hours.

Hmm.... I was due to visit Thailand in December/January and also doing some status runs while I am there but since there is no lounge access I should change my plans.

Total wind up. I had a chuckle when i posted it as I was reading many people were considering re-routing through SIN or HKG instead of BKK since they would not have lounge access in BKK if flying in economy class.

 

[infoworks]

This thread may also be helpful:
SQ Guide to New BKK Airport

 

[tallboy]

I flew into the new "Soo-wanna-poom" airport on Monday morning and out again on Tuesday evening, and this was my experience, FWIW:

Flew in on CX J class. Long walk to immigration but very small lines (between 0 and 3 pax) at the many immigration desks, most of which were operating. I have an APEC card but did not even look for the line as no need. Baggage collection is right behind the immigration desks. First bags came out within 10 mins, but then everything stopped, and my second bag did not come out until about 30 mins after arrival (at least it made it...). On exiting to the arrivals hall there are many people offering taxis, etc to the city. Everything a bit confusing and so I settled for an 'official' airport taxi for 800 baht. Was told I could take a metered public taxi for "about 550 baht", but had flown overnight from Paris via HKG and decided to take the easy option. Once at the taxi (new, clean, air con, good driver) told that the expressway was another 65 baht, which I would have to pay for.

Flew out on QF2 in J class. Took a metered taxi from the hotel to the airport, which worked out at 260 baht, plus the 65 for the expressway (This taxi was also fine, if a bit less spacious, so guess that next time I will take that option on arrival also...). Trip to the airport from Silom mid-afternoon took only 35 mins. Departures hall was spacious and sparkling new, a bit reminiscent of HKG / KUL / SIN. Check-in for J class was no prob, although economy lines looked long and slow-moving. To my surprise, given what I had heard, I was given a pass to temporary lounge facilities at a "CIP lounge" on the airside. Was told to follow the map on the reverse side. Paid my 500 baht departure fee at one of several small booths, and walked through to immigration. Lines there were not too bad, but saw the APEC card sign with no queue and so headed for that (card was not pre-cleared for Thailand when printed but this was not checked).

First impressions when through the the departure concourses: New and clean, unfinished, large, but not "spacious" in feel. Air-con was struggling to cope, so a little too warm. The map on the lounge invitation was next to useless, and no "helper" I asked seemed able to interpret it either. Eventaully found my way to the small CIP lounge down on level 3, not too far from the QF2 departure gate on concourse E. Lounge was small and without many facilities, but was cooler than the rest of the terminal and comfortable, and certainly more than I had expected. When I arrived a couple of hours before departure there were portable signs outside marking it as a NWA lounge, but nothing to do with any other carriers. By the time I left there were banners for QF, BA, Emirates, United, and a range of others crowding around the doors...

Summary: Better than the old BKK airport, but still a lot of rough edges to smooth out. Will obviously improve in many areas, including lounge access eventually, but I still think that the departure concourses, while large (long), lack the spacious feel that they could have achieved with a bit more effort. You also seem to need to do a lot of walking to get anywhere...

I also used KUL during its first days, and was more impressed there. FWIW, I passed through the new Madrid airport a few weeks ago and that, by comparison is a real work of art: beautiful internal architecture and a real feeling of space and light. Best looking airport in Europe, I believe.

Hope the above is of some use.

Travel well.

tb

 

[Mal]

The following is apparently in this month's "The Australian Way" magazine:

"Stop gaps
Construction on the new Bangkok Airport First and Business Class lounges is due to be completed by December. And it will be worth the wait. The lounges will be 40 per cent larger than the current lounges, with improved business facilities, a variety of seating and entertainment zones, better shower facilities and a new menu offering complimentary beverages and refreshments. In the meantime, First and Business Class customers and Frequent Flyer members with access to the Qantas Club can use the Airport of Thailand Lounge operated by the Miracle Grand Hotel."

Oops. Doesn't look anything like what's on the Qantas webpages!

 

[simongr]

The following is apparently in this month's "The Australian Way" magazine:

"Stop gaps In the meantime, First and Business Class customers and Frequent Flyer members with access to the Qantas Club can use the Airport of Thailand Lounge operated by the Miracle Grand Hotel."

Oops. Doesn't look anything like what's on the Qantas webpages!

So what do we believe - the magazine or the website? I am flying to thailand in a couple of weeks in WT+ (I am QF SG which is iroinc as that's my initials) so will be relying on my SG status to get into the lounge on the outbound flight.

 

[infoworks]

I don't think lounge access is an issue if you are entitled, and hopefully you can pull the article from the magazine on the flight to BKK to wave at the entry desk on your way out if the "couple of weeks" is before the end of this month.

From my recent, limited, experience, none of the lounges for any airlines are really "up to speed" yet, and/or are innundated with pax to accommodate those from "yet to open" lounges.