London to Bangkok, British Airways, Coach - bad?

[toast1]

Flew BA to BKK 5 years ago, was not impressed, decided never to fly them again.

 

Since then I've used Thai, which was quite good, Eva, excellent, and Emirates, superb.

I notice some flights on BA that are convenient for me, have things improved with them?

Thank you

 

[richard_smith237]

If someone is looking for a direct flight from Bangkok to the UK, the only three options are BA, Eva and Thai...  None of them are great and sitting in an Economy seat for that length of time is going to become rather trying. 

 

I suspect the level of tolerance for the flights would come down to the individual journey and how full the flight is - other aspects of the travel come down to personal preference - I believe the seat size is the same, the service on all of them is pretty standard, nothing special, nothing bad.

 

Thus: Ultimately, I guess it comes down to price.

 

If you are not pressed for time, other alternatives would be to take a day flight and stop off overnight at one of the 'Air-side' terminal Hotels in the Middle East (i.e. Emirates or Etihad) which breaks up the flight into 6/7 hour legs and seats into the jet-lag a little. 

This also works well if you need to fly into somewhere other than London, although prices for flying into some of the regional airports in the UK are more expensive than flying in the LHR and LGW.

[daveAustin]

Also flew about five yeas ago and a bit naff, though next year was good. I'd only use them again, however, if price right and needed direct. Flown all of them bar EVA, which I hear is good. BA cattle seems to draw in the ruffians more so than the others. Get a window seat and knock yourself out with something. ????

[seasia]

Flown with all of them.

 

BA generally OK, although last flight with them which was BKK to LON did not impress.

Delayed departure and they were a cabin crew member short.

Full flight. Service sub par. Other flights have been OK/good.

 

Then flew inter inter Europe, far better,

Both flights within the last 10 days.

 

EVA, never had a bad flight, just have not been able to get a decent price quote for the last few times I have tried.

 

Thai, my last flight with them was my last flight with them.

 

BA or EVA if you want direct.

[Oliver Holzerfilled]

BA markets their economy product as "World Traveller."

They should rename it to Third World Traveller.

If you are not pressed for time the suggestion above about breaking up the flight with a stop in UAE or Qatar is an option.

 

[KneeDeep]

No improvement. Still using the same old aeroplane.

Though they claim to be working on the interior;

 

 

https://www.britishairways.com/en-gb/information/travel-classes/economy/world-traveller

 

 

[Wiggy]

BA use a Boeing 777-200ER aircraft on the BKK-LHR route, which are often 19-20 years old. I've heard that the cabin is very tired looking inside as well. I always try to use EVA, but have on occasion got a good deal with Singapore Airlines, who are superb. Thai economy too expensive. Qatar are reasonable if you don't mind a stop in the Middle East.

[animalmagic]

I flew BA direct to LHR on 1st January 2018 and it was the worst flight of my life.  The seat pan was broken and down one side but the flight was full and had no other option.  Told cabin crew after take off and they agreed it was broken and gave me a pillow to sit on; severe back pain started an hour later.  I eventually had to stand for over half of the 12 hour flight, the crew and captain were apologetic but nothing they could do apart from filling in the report form for Customer Services.  Biggest concern for me was that I had to sit in the seat for landing which could have been very dangerous.

Customer Services (I use the term very loosely) replied before my BA flight back here and acknowledged the seat was broken and that it was a very important PART (seriously?) of their service; so they apologized and promised to fix the seat!  Several return emails from me eventually got them to offer a 25 stg voucher, which I ignored.  Approx a couple of months before the one year voucher was due to expire Customer Services contacted me to ask why I hadn't used it.  I told them the paltry offer in no way made up for the pain, discomfort and danger and expected a better offer.  Again many emails and they offered me enough AVIOS miles to fly one way BKK-LHR provided that I paid the joining fee and associated admin costs.  

I have not taken them up on the offer and will fly any other airline but BA in future.

It is also interesting to note that Heathrow Terminal 5, BA's main operations place, does not have a Customer Service office.  On reflection that is probably a good idea!

Customer Services are only contactable by email which, I presume, allows them sufficient info to check your online presence and decide how much damage you can do on Facebook and Twitter (I do neither) before doing nothing.

I am originally from UK and am disgusted by their level of service before during and after the flight.  I travel extensively on business and have found Qatar and Emirates Airlines to be a very good option; CX via HKG is also good.

Excellent service = full refund and replacement.

Good service = full refund or replacement.

Average service = Upgrade on next long haul.

BA service = We're sorry, and you can bu##er off!

[roquefort]

I don't think BA run a coach service from London to Bangkok.

 

Seriously, EVA is by far the best direct flight. Prices similar when booking from UK.

[Essex Reject]

Funny to see this as I have been looking at BA flights just the last few days and they are showing up as only Bt21,985 (Eva is Bt 27k) Also, the BA flight times are very appealing.

 

But, I also flew the same route about 5 years ago, and it really wasn't good. Plane bit old, grub not great etc, plane packed, but the one thing that I really didn't like is the plane was blacked out for the whole journey, even though the entire flight was in daytime, You was NOT allowed to pull the window shades up, I complained about this as didn't want to sit in the dark for 12 hours, plus I don't sleep on planes, especially day flights, I was abruptly told that it was done as some people wanted to sleep, I asked what about the ones that don't want to sleep, this is after all a day time flight, but they weren't having any of it. A disgrace in my book.

 

So, if you're on a budget go for it, if not pay the extra 5k for Eva which is still a good price.

 

Also, BA use Heathrow T5 which can be awkward to get to and a bit soulless.

 

PS: Do you really have to use the word 'coach' I take it you are American?

[mwbrown]

I flew the BA BKK-LHR flight on June 1 and returned June 24, in coach.  The plane is a tired old 777 with a tiny blurry seatback screen.  The available space was tiny, as with any large long-range jet. 

 

The biggest issue however, was the airspace over Pakistan was closed (as is now Iran) so we had to fly around it.  We left BKK 1.5 hours late due to the delay on the incoming flight, then 1.5 additional hours in the air, so we missed our last-flight-of-the-day connecting flight to Marseilles, along with most other people on the flight with connections.  The hotel process and getting back to the airport for the 7am flight the next morning was a nightmare.  I'll never do that again.

[CharlieH]

Bloody awful! Cramped, old out of date, abused facilities and poor service. But cheap, as the saying goes"you get what you pay for" .

 

Much better alternatives around for not a lot more and well worth the extra.(IMHO)

[Orton Rd]

42 minutes ago, roquefort said:

I don't think BA run a coach service from London to Bangkok.

 

Seriously, EVA is by far the best direct flight. Prices similar when booking from UK.

Price is good as well, just paid 23, 225 baht, seats are probably the most uncomfortable out of the three though

[brewsterbudgen]

BA tend to offer the cheapest direct BKK-LHR flights with the best timings. They are generally mediocre but worth it for the saving and convenience. BA are again threatening summer strikes and EVA flights are currently being cancelled due to a strike.

All in all, not a great situation.

Sent from my SM-G930F using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

[mercman24]

for me personally, i love the half way halt option, no rush, get time to chill out for a few hours, have a walk, explore, 13 hours on a bloody plane is too long for anyone been there, done that,  and yes not much to choose between them all. OH i liked the heading *COACH* didnt know there was a bus service running to the uk (sorry)

[joe999]

I travel frequently from Bkk to Lisbon, unfortunately no direct flights. From a price/quality perspective, my 1st choice is always KLM. Having said that, due to scheduling and usually better prices (15% in average), I've flow BA quite a number of times. Agree on most of the comments, service/sympathy below average, old planes and ridiculously tiny backseat screens... anyway, if you have an iPad and your own headphones, the savings I usually get make up for the their shortcomings. Seat space is about the same on all airlines, I always try to get a seat on the emergency exit row. Luckily I almost always get one without having to pay any additional fee. What I really do like about BA is that they have the cheapest fees and/or penalties if you need to change or cancel your ticket, and for extra baggage, they are also the ones with the lowest fees. 

[Hotrats]

For direct flight to London, I wouldn't even consider British Airways. Awful service, old planes. Used to fly with them, but not any more. For a small extra cost, if you need a direct flight, I would choose Eva Air. Thai Airways not even an option, far too expensive. Nowadays, I always break up my journey in the middle east, usually in Dubai with Emirates. They may be a bit more expensive, but you get a far better service in much newer planes (especially in the A380). As always "you get what you pay for" , although not with Thai Airways who have priced themselves out of the market.

[sammieuk1]

I always go for BA for a couple of good reasons 1 direct 2 extra bag £60 total 46kg and up to 23kg in hand luggage Thai are coming out cheaper right now but 20kg 7kg hand and £567 for an extra bag making it cheaper to buy 2 seats the 20% off sale they are advertising right now for economy is unobtainable all greyed out so your forced to choose the full flex ticket that is 20% dearer or a scam to you and me????    

[Oxx]

Probably worth remembering that the BA pilots are voting on strike action at the moment.  Maybe one airline to avoid for now.

[The Old Bull]

When my dad died I needed a quick trip to the UK. BA hosed me without mercy so I will never fly with them again. However I had a pile of points to use up so went from LHR to YVR premium economy.

Nice seat for a daytime flight.

[Andrew Dwyer]

Flew BA from BKK to LHR a few months ago, felt like a time warp, BA seriously need an upgrade.

 

If you take the “ taking a break midway “ option then it opens up another set of flights, last flight I took was Qatar and from BKK to Doha was excellent in coach/economy/cattle class, then direct to Manchester.

 

[Grusa]

I thought it was called "Cattle Class"!

[keithcresswell]

Take a hat and coat with you. I flew last year and was freezing. I think someone had left a window open. EVA is far better, except on punctuality.

[capin]

I go back a long way with BA, I worked for them between 1999 and 2008 as a systems engineer and it's really because of staff travel that I ever first went to Thailand.

 

Business class on BA9/10 is shockingly bad, Truly, truly an awful experience. Qatar's business class is magnificent, best in the world. BA's premium economy product again is terrible - Go with Eva instead.

 

BA's economy product on BA9/10 is nowhere near as bad as people say for one simple reason - They are still flying a 3-3-3 777 and haven't converted it to 3-4-3 as Eva, Cathay, Emirates, Qatar and Etihad have all done. In economy, I'd take a BA 3-4-3 777 anyday before a 3-4-3 777 on any other airline. My choice for an economy trip LHR-BKK would be the Thai A380.

[maxcorrigan]

If you have long legs like me forget BA i'm not overly tall 6ft which is not exceptional these days, 10 or 12 hour flight is murder, even with an aisle seat you cant really stretch out for fear of tripping people up, EVA first then THAI if you really need direct flights,then you get more leg room 3" i think which does'nt sound a lot but makes the world of difference for us lanky blokes! 

[Scouse123]

I have flown more or less every airline mentioned in this thread. I agree with nearly all the bad comments regards BA. I do not like them as an airline or their planes. However, if it came to ' stick and lift ' I would, as I did before, take their World traveller plus at approximately 1,000-1100 GBP return. A bigger seat, great for me at 6' 2", smaller cabin and a bit better food than cattle class.

 

Because I travel Manchester, these days I go with Qatar airways, (I am a Silver card member with Qatar airways), and I like all the perks I get with them. I have also flown business with them plenty of times, but find it hard to justify the costs when there are two of us, on a two week trip from Thailand!. My other half is a small bodied, typical Thai, and prefers to sit in economy and then ask me for the cash balance between economy and business as extra spending money by reckoning that she has saved me money!!

 

Last few times with Qatar, I have witnessed one or two problems with self entitled ARABS, not wanting to sit in allocated seats, Arab women with no prebooked seats refusing to sit in allocated seats, especially when it is not with their husbands and trying to 'press-gang ' other passengers to move to suit them! AND then there is the issue with their badly behaved kids, who are not chastised by their parents. The Arab males never seem to want to listen to the cabin crew, especially females.

 

I seem to get this a lot as I request row 10, which is usually where they sit when they have children and small infants with them.

 

From London, I would fly EVA direct if possible at a decent price. They also used to have an Economy deluxe which was good! I don't know about now. Air France also do an economy deluxe, but there is an obvious stop off at Charles de Galle airport.

 

 

[natway09]

When you are flying cattle class it is always going to get a bit nasty after 8 hours

in particular if you are obese

[Burma Bill]

2 hours ago, mercman24 said:

for me personally, i love the half way halt option, no rush, get time to chill out for a few hours, have a walk, explore, 13 hours on a bloody plane is too long for anyone been there, done that,  and yes not much to choose between them all. OH i liked the heading *COACH* didnt know there was a bus service running to the uk (sorry)

maybe the "coach" means AirBUS!

[Bangkok Barry]

My experience of BA is that they are okay, nothing more. Certainly, they are a second class airline now. I used to fly THAI as I was a gold member, and their seat pitch was bigger than BA, But I found with THAI that the crew were either very good or very bad, rarely anything inbetween. On my next trip I would probably use BA again as the timings are good. Emirates is tempting at the same price, but once on the plane I want to get there and then rest at the other end, not rest halfway. I have no experience of Eva.

 

By the way, it's interesting that some posters here have complained about BA but also said the flights were full. So I guess BA must be doing something right.

[wgdanson]

2 hours ago, sammieuk1 said:

I always go for BA for a couple of good reasons 1 direct 2 extra bag £60 total 46kg and up to 23kg in hand luggage Thai are coming out cheaper right now but 20kg 7kg hand and £567 for an extra bag making it cheaper to buy 2 seats the 20% off sale they are advertising right now for economy is unobtainable all greyed out so your forced to choose the full flex ticket that is 20% dearer or a scam to you and me????    

Have you ever tried to get a 23kg hand baggage into the overhead locker?   LOL