TG F meal suggestions?

[wafliron]

OK, so this isn't about US Airways Dividend Miles specifically, but it is about an airline / class of travel combo I reckon 99.9% of AFFers would only experience via USDM

I've got a USDM redemption coming up in August that involves a couple of TG F sectors - SYD-xBKK-CDG and later xBKK-SYD.

Does anyone have any recommendations for TG's F meal options? Last time I flew TG F (also SYD-xBKK-CDG) I had the Lobster Thermidor (good) and the Sushi (terrible - and I normally love sushi). Currently have Grilled Tournedos, Chinese Roast Duck and Prawn Pa Nang Curry With Rice selected on the three sectors respectively - but would love to hear some recommendations / opinions!

Also, anyone have any insight into why some TG flights have two little "select meal" icons next to them when selecting your meals, each of which brings up a different menu? e.g. for me, SYD-BKK shows one "select meal" icon, but both BKK-CDG and BKK-SYD show two. The logical assumption would be that two icons show up when there are two different meals on the flight which offer pre-selection, but the menus don't bear this out - e.g. SYD-BKK is a 12.05am - ~7am service so you get dinner and breakfast, but the menus shown for both "select meal" icons appear to be two different dinner menus.

 

[samh004]

Also, anyone have any insight into why some TG flights have two little "select meal" icons next to them when selecting your meals, each of which brings up a different menu? e.g. for me, SYD-BKK shows one "select meal" icon, but both BKK-CDG and BKK-SYD show two. The logical assumption would be that two icons show up when there are two different meals on the flight which offer pre-selection, but the menus don't bear this out - e.g. SYD-BKK is a 12.05am - ~7am service so you get dinner and breakfast, but the menus shown for both "select meal" icons appear to be two different dinner menus.

More choice out of the home hub, even if it doesn't match up with flight times? Sort of like the degustation being offered out of SYD for QF F?

 

[*A Flyer]

It appears that ex-BKK there are two buttons because they have added some new options rather than an ability to reorder for each meal. That said, my favourite option for overnight flights is to select the Pad Thai with Lobster and then request the flight attendants to have it served for breakfast and choose from the normal menu for dinner.

I'd be wary of the Tournedos as the steak on TG is horribly cooked. Prawns Panang is a dish they serve in all classes but it is good. The Green Curry (Kiew Wan) is better.

 

[dk4]

If you hover the cursor over the second menu (where available) the alternative text reads as "Special menu of the Month", the first (or only menu) reads as "Standard menu". THAI Services - In Flight : In-flight Cuisine

 

[wafliron]

More choice out of the home hub, even if it doesn't match up with flight times? Sort of like the degustation being offered out of SYD for QF F?

If you hover the cursor over the second menu (where available) the alternative text reads as "Special menu of the Month", the first (or only menu) reads as "Standard menu". THAI Services - In Flight : In-flight Cuisine

Ahah! So it's a special menu, and looks like it's only available ex-BKK. Thanks to you both.

That said, my favourite option for overnight flights is to select the Pad Thai with Lobster and then request the flight attendants to have it served for breakfast and choose from the normal menu for dinner.

That sounds like a great idea - the meal itself sounds tasty, and "dinner" at ~3-4am body-clock time after a day of stuffing myself isn't likely to be one I'm going to enjoy that much anyway. Better to save it for breakfast and enjoy that. Thanks for the tip!

I'd be wary of the Tournedos as the steak on TG is horribly cooked. Prawns Panang is a dish they serve in all classes but it is good. The Green Curry (Kiew Wan) is better.

Thanks for the tips.

Have you found steak on TG to be always be horribly cooked? Or mainly ex-BKK? Just asking as I have the Tournedos selected ex-SYD, and I figure the Australian caterers might cook a better steak than the Thai caterers.

And re the green curry, how hot is it? I like spicy food, but only to a point - a "made for Thai taste buds" green curry is too hot for me to really enjoy whereas a "made for western taste buds" green curry is typically OK.

 

[*A Flyer]

That sounds like a great idea - the meal itself sounds tasty, and "dinner" at ~3-4am body-clock time after a day of stuffing myself isn't likely to be one I'm going to enjoy that much anyway. Better to save it for breakfast and enjoy that. Thanks for the tip!

No worries. I just love the idea of lobster for breakfast and as someone who prefers Asian style breakfasts to our bacon and eggs, the noodles go down a treat too.

Thanks for the tips.

Have you found steak on TG to be always be horribly cooked? Or mainly ex-BKK? Just asking as I have the Tournedos selected ex-SYD, and I figure the Australian caterers might cook a better steak than the Thai caterers.

And re the green curry, how hot is it? I like spicy food, but only to a point - a "made for Thai taste buds" green curry is too hot for me to really enjoy whereas a "made for western taste buds" green curry is typically OK.

I would expect that the steak is better ex-SYD but most of the damage is done in the air. If the cabin crew leave it in the ovens for too long on the high heat the steak will be DOA. That said, I haven't had the Tournedos specifically so maybe they do okay with that one.

I don't recall the green curry being super hot. To be honest, the Panang will be fine but I think the slightly more assertive flavours work better at altitude.

 

[wafliron]

I would expect that the steak is better ex-SYD but most of the damage is done in the air. If the cabin crew leave it in the ovens for too long on the high heat the steak will be DOA. That said, I haven't had the Tournedos specifically so maybe they do okay with that one.

I don't recall the green curry being super hot. To be honest, the Panang will be fine but I think the slightly more assertive flavours work better at altitude.

Thanks for the extra info. Will think on the steak and probably just take your advice on the curry. Even if I get the decisions wrong it's hardly a significant mistake in any context

 

[yohy?!]

OK, so this isn't about US Airways Dividend Miles specifically, but it is about an airline / class of travel combo I reckon 99.9% of AFFers would only experience via USDM

Hate to burst your bubble but TG F is pretty easy to get from any Star Alliance FF program, TG also sells cheap upgrades to F at the airport.

Neverless I am jealous to say the least and hope you thoroughly enjoy the trip.

 

[wafliron]

Hate to burst your bubble but TG F is pretty easy to get from any Star Alliance FF program,

Sorry, that was daft of me - I know that but had a brain fart when posting I've even done it myself - my last TG F trip was via LifeMiles.

Still, a significant proportion of AFFers travelling TG F will be doing it via USDM

TG also sells cheap upgrades to F at the airport.

That's interesting, I didn't know that. Out of interest: J -> F only, or any class -> F? How much is "cheap"?

Neverless I am jealous to say the least and hope you thoroughly enjoy the trip.

Thanks

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Sorry, that was daft of me - I know that but had a brain fart when posting I've even done it myself - my last TG F trip was via LifeMiles.

Still, a significant proportion of AFFers travelling TG F will be doing it via USDM



That's interesting, I didn't know that. Out of interest: J -> F only, or any class -> F? How much is "cheap"?



Thanks

Why would anyone purchase TG other than through USDM or Lifemliles? It has little to do with being able to afford it any other way, the fact is that the going price for a TG F ticket to Europe is around $2500 because that's the going rate to purchase the miles. There is no point trying to buy a normal fare when you can buy it via miles. Same applies to travel on UA or US.

LH and LX however have to be purchased with actual $ because there is no other way to do it.

Upgrade prices used to be published on the TG website but I think the link has gone now. You can call them but upgrades paid J to F on the long haul to Europe are in the region of $1000 or so IIRC. You can even do two class upgrades (for about double).

 

[Aussie_flyer]

Why would anyone purchase TG other than through USDM or Lifemliles? It has little to do with being able to afford it any other way, the fact is that the going price for a TG F ticket to Europe is around $2500 because that's the going rate to purchase the miles. There is no point trying to buy a normal fare when you can buy it via miles. Same applies to travel on UA or US.

LH and LX however have to be purchased with actual $ because there is no other way to do it.

Upgrade prices used to be published on the TG website but I think the link has gone now. You can call them but upgrades paid J to F on the long haul to Europe are in the region of $1000 or so IIRC. You can even do two class upgrades (for about double).

TG F to Europe is much higher than $2500 for a normal paid ticket. It is approx $10,000 return.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

TG F to Europe is much higher than $2500 for a normal paid ticket. It is approx $10,000 return.

That's exactly what I said but I'm not sure you understand my post. The going rate is around $2500 because that is the price to buy the USDM/Lifemiles. Unless you were completely inflexible, there is no need for anyone to pay $10000 normal fare when you can buy the same thing for $2500 through an airline FF program.

In other words, if you know the dates you want to go and you can get the ticket through an FF program (and let's face it TG is wide open on just about every flight every day), there is no point spending $10k for the sake of it when $2500 will suffice. It's not a case of not being able to afford First at any other time, it's just being market aware and taking a good price when you can. If there were no FF seats then TG is not a product I would pay normal fare for, I would travel on LH instead.

 

[Happy Trails]

Upgrade prices used to be published on the TG website but I think the link has gone now. You can call them but upgrades paid J to F on the long haul to Europe are in the region of $1000 or so IIRC. You can even do two class upgrades (for about double).

They're still there but deeply buried:
Thai Airways International - Australia - Special Offers

A one-class upgrade surcharge for travel from AUD 716 per person, one way from Sydney, Melbourne or Brisbane to Bangkok or from AUD 496 per person, one way from Perth to Bangkok. One-way upgrade surcharges for travel from Bangkok to Sydney, Melbourne or Brisbane are available from THB (Thai Baht) 21,645 or from THB 14,985 to Perth.

One-class upgrades are available to a host of popular destinations such as Bangkok to Frankfurt, Madrid, Munich, Paris, Zurich, Moscow, Rome, Milan, Brussels or Johannesburg from THB 25,670 or from Bangkok to London from THB 29,970.

Enquire at check-in for the latest rates and information for contact THAI reservations on 1300 651 960 or email [email protected].

 

[wafliron]

Why would anyone purchase TG other than through USDM or Lifemliles?

I wasn't suggesting that one would?

Upgrade prices used to be published on the TG website but I think the link has gone now. You can call them but upgrades paid J to F on the long haul to Europe are in the region of $1000 or so IIRC. You can even do two class upgrades (for about double).

They're still there but deeply buried:
Thai Airways International - Australia - Special Offers

Thanks for the info - interesting.

 

[Aussie_flyer]

That's exactly what I said but I'm not sure you understand my post. The going rate is around $2500 because that is the price to buy the USDM/Lifemiles. Unless you were completely inflexible, there is no need for anyone to pay $10000 normal fare when you can buy the same thing for $2500 through an airline FF program.

In other words, if you know the dates you want to go and you can get the ticket through an FF program (and let's face it TG is wide open on just about every flight every day), there is no point spending $10k for the sake of it when $2500 will suffice. It's not a case of not being able to afford First at any other time, it's just being market aware and taking a good price when you can. If there were no FF seats then TG is not a product I would pay normal fare for, I would travel on LH instead.

if everyone did this f would cease to exist. believe it or not there are people flying paid f day in day out on TG. but why don't you tell everyone on board where they are going wrong. once word spreads Tg can just ditch the f product altogether.

 

[get me outta here]

Bumping this older thread re pre flight meal selection. It is known that if you log into TG and change yr seat allocation that any previous meal selection defaults to vege Hindu. Today, after checking a detail w' Eva Air in BNE, they emailed my itinerary and now I see my original meal selection AND vege Hindu confirmed, so plenty to eat then :

SPECIAL MEAL CONFIRMED - FCL LOBSTER THERMIDOR VEGETARIAN HINDU MEAL CONFIRMED

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Bumping this older thread re pre flight meal selection. It is known that if you log into TG and change yr seat allocation that any previous meal selection defaults to vege Hindu. Today, after checking a detail w' Eva Air in BNE, they emailed my itinerary and now I see my original meal selection AND vege Hindu confirmed, so plenty to eat then :

SPECIAL MEAL CONFIRMED - FCL LOBSTER THERMIDOR VEGETARIAN HINDU MEAL CONFIRMED

clearly a market for mock lobster!

 

[MEL_Traveller]

if everyone did this f would cease to exist. believe it or not there are people flying paid f day in day out on TG. but why don't you tell everyone on board where they are going wrong. once word spreads Tg can just ditch the f product altogether.

oh! I just saw this post.

sure i guess TG F exists because some people pay for it, but also for the prestige for the Thai Royal family and officials when flying. Thai will probably always keep the F cabin for those reasons alone.

Thai doesn't appear to always sell that many F seats - they often seem to have 4/8 F seats as awards. Pretty much the same as some UA flights... I was on a 777 and out of the 8 seats, 2 were designated awards, 2 were for sky marshals, 1 was for pilot rest. That left three seats which filled up pretty close to departure - with potentially some or all of those going for upgrades or staff.

Unless you require total flexibility, it would seem prudent to pay only the asking rate for a miles redemption to fly TG F.

 

[get me outta here]

Yes, mock but not rock lobster. What does "FCL" ( FCL LOBSTER THERMIDOR) stand for?

clearly a market for mock lobster!