TG's use of aerobridges at BKK Suvarnabhumi

[ozbeachbabe]

Everytime I've been to the 'new' BKK Airport, which admittedly is only twice in the last 12 months we've arrived on a remote stand and had to disembark via the stairs then take a bus to the terminal entrance.

The first time was a TG A330 flight from PEK arriving about 2100 & the second time was the TG BNE/BKK B777 flight which was scheduled to arrived 2020 however we touched down some 40 mins early.

The most recent time there appeared to be heaps of av available aerobridges.

Is there any rhyme or reason to when your flight will arrive at an aerobridge vs stairs?

Are stand-off bays primarily used for arrivals rather than departures. Both times I've departed BKK on TG473 to BNE on a 773 & QR833 to DOH on a 388 have been from the E & C gates respectively.

Just interested in others' experiences.

 

[Sprucegoose]

We've always had airbridges. Bloody long airport though to get from one end to another

 

[tuapekastar]

Have had 4 arrivals and 4 departures to/from BKK in the last year or so, mixture of JQ, MH, CX, SQ and TG, and all have been with bridges. Some daytime, some night time, so no obvious pattern.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Never... in dozens of flights to BKK in the last few years... have I had a remote gate (touch wood!!). That includes multiple arrivals and departures from Australia, Europe and Asia on TG and other carriers (SQ, CX, RJ, CI, QF, JQ)

I think you have been unlucky

 

[Alanslegal]

We had to take the bus once to the plane for our BKK-SYD flight. TG managed to gather the F passengers together and we jumped on a private F bus to the plane

 

[Foreigner]

In my experience there have been more bus transfers to terminal on arrival. I have dreaded myself or anyone else falling, especially down stairs. Particularly difficult for elderly and those with hand luggage.

 

[AviatorPJ]

Consistent, persistent problem and discomfort with TG flights to/from PNH and the " buses" at "Swampy".

I also experienced "the bus" and remote stand on a TG flight from BNE. These remote TG stands can be inordinately far away from the Immigration doors.

"Sawhanaphum" is really poor IMHO for a "newish" national airport. Thailand missed the boat.

I consider the airport just typifies the "marching on the spot" by Thailand for the past decade or so.
The underlying - but suppressed, unaddressed and persisting social inequities - kept out of sight- will otherwise explode, and sooner than later

Current Thai dictatorship (aka: junta) ,... just another supporting data point.

 

[RB]

We were on BNE-BKK last Mon on 777 & didn't use remote gate

 

[RooFlyer]

Three out of four TG flights in past 18 months at BKK Suv... landed to a remote stand, incl flights from Oz. Bloody ridiculous. Once we taxied I think the length of the terminal to a VERY remote stand, then the bus took us the length of the terminal back, turned around and we went 1/4 back again!!

coughpy terminal building; horrible inside; never again if I can help it.

 

[Sprucegoose]

In my experience there have been more bus transfers to terminal on arrival. I have dreaded myself or anyone else falling, especially down stairs. Particularly difficult for elderly and those with hand luggage.

Reminds me of an embarrassing incident involving my 6'5 boss at the time de planing from 747 (CX) stairs at JKT. The copious alcohol prior to the incident was determined to be totally unrelated.

 

[Cynicor]

Don't remember using a bus over last 24 months. About 12 trips through the place I estimate.

 

[ozbeachbabe]

I thought the airport was meant to be completed. Last month there were areas boarded up near the entry to Customs so it resembled a rabbit warren. No clear signage so I really had no idea where I was heading but an employee pointed me in the direction of priority processing which I wasn't entitled to use but headed there anyway where it didn't take long to be processed by the unsmiling customs official that didn't so much utter a word to me. Kind of like my previous arrival experience where the young punk was too busy changing tracks on his ipod & listening to music to be bothered asking me anything.

It doesn't seem to matter which gate you're departing from but the time from customs to when you arrive at the departure gate is approximately 20 mins which is without any browsing at shops along the way. There are no travelators so it would be adviseable for anyone with mobility issues to arrange a buggy or wheelchair assistance as you'll struggle otherwise.

One thing I noted that was for my departure on the QR flight to DOH was the lounge invite (QF WP travelling whY) was for the TG Royal Silk Lounge at terminal C which may be somewhat of an acknowledgement that the OW Lounges would be too far away from the gate.

 

[Foreigner]

Are foreign operators subject to remote disembarking? I've only ever noticed TG.

 

[vitagen]

I had to do the same from BKK-MEL was flying J and was pretty ordinary, their planes really need retiring, from the clunker 747 from MXP then the 777 to MEL.... I would be pissed off if I paid revenue for the flight

 

[ozbeachbabe]

I had to do the same from BKK-MEL was flying J and was pretty ordinary, their planes really need retiring, from the clunker 747 from MXP then the 777 to MEL.... I would be pissed off if I paid revenue for the flight

Shades of the movie 'Flying High'....."a revenue fare what is it"? "It's when people pay thousands of dollars more than they should for premium travel, but that's not important right now!"

 

[ermen]

funny enough i am typing this in BKK as we speak

arrived in from HKG on CX so that was fine. Customs was always slow... but suppose it was some asian holiday thus many tour groups coming in

last time i flew tg hkg -xbkk-per. arrived into a normal gate but the departure was a remote gate with a bus to take us to the a330 plane to PER..
tg J lounges are really very ordinary... even the priority pass lounge has more food than tg's...

 

[smit0847]

Ive had prob 20 flights in and out of BKK over the past few years and have had an aerobridge prob 70% of the time

 

[drron]

Flew SYD-BKK last October.Remote stand and no private bus for F pax.As well put the stairs to the second door first so those from the F cabin were the last onto the first bus.Needed the JR pushers.

 

[Foreigner]

Flew SYD-BKK last October.Remote stand and no private bus for F pax.As well put the stairs to the second door first so those from the F cabin were the last onto the first bus.Needed the JR pushers.

That's a bit of an anticlimax after F experience.

 

[dk4]

We had to take the bus once to the plane for our BKK-SYD flight. TG managed to gather the F passengers together and we jumped on a private F bus to the plane

My exact experience as well - once only so far, departing TG going to SYD, waited in the lounge until the usual "F-round-up" and we were all delivered to a luxe-F-bus for the trip across the tarmac to the B747, including our own private stairs to use to enter the front left door (there was a second set of stairs at the next other door down, where the other buses were arriving.)