Review: Flying Thai Airways Economy from Kathmandu to Bangkok

Thai Airways Kathmandu to Bangkok

Three weeks ago, I flew home from a trip to India and Nepal. The return flights were part of a multi-city itinerary: Toronto – Delhi (Full Review) on the way there, then Kathmandu – Bangkok – Vancouver on the way back. I’ve already covered the Bangkok to Vancouver leg (read about it here). This review covers the first part of that segment – Kathmandu to Bangkok, on Thai Airways.

I booked Economy Flex directly through Air Canada with my corporate card. This segment was operated by Thai Airways as part of the same itinerary, as they’re a Star Alliance partner, and still ticketed under my Air Canada booking. It was a business trip, so company policy ruled out using my personal TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite Card, unfortunately. The full itinerary came to $3,257.52 CAD.

TG 310
Airbus A320-232
Kathmandu (KTM) to Bangkok (BKK)
Duration: 3h 30m
Seat: 30F (Window)

Airport & Boarding

I’ll say this plainly: Kathmandu is the worst airport experience I’ve ever had.

I arrived just after 9pm for a 12:25am departure to a terminal that was already packed. Both bag-drop lines for Thai Airways were long and barely moving. It took 50 minutes to reach the counter, then another 10 minutes standing there while the agent worked through my bag check with what felt like equal parts confusion and disinterest. There were several Thai Airways agents working the (two) counters, and every one of them seemed thrown by whoever stepped up next. Each check-in dragged on so long that it started to feel like every single passenger had shown up with some rare, complicated problem no one had trained them for.

Thai Airways Check-In Line at KTM

Thai Airways Check-In Counter at KTM

Once my bag finally went on the belt, the agent pointed me to a row of seats about 50 feet away and told me to wait there for 5-6 minutes. If no one came to get me in that time, it meant my bag had cleared screening, and I could head to security. I set a timer for 6 minutes, and no one came, but I wanted confirmation that my bag was all good before I headed to security. When I checked in with an airport staff member, I got a flat “it’s fine, your bag is good” with no obvious way for him to know which bag was mine. It did make the flight, for what it’s worth, but the process gave me no reason to trust that outcome in advance.

Security moved faster than bag drop, but it was heavily disorganized. Tiny bins, no real queue discipline, people pushing forward as they pleased. Once I got through security, I entered the bustling terminal. I couldn’t find a seat that wasn’t stained, dirty, or ringed with garbage, so I gave up looking and paced the terminal instead. Things quieted down as earlier flights cleared out – mine was the last departure of the night – but my gate wasn’t even assigned until midnight, so I spent the entire time walking around to every screen to check if I had missed an update.

KTM Terminal

Boarding was its own chaotic endeavour, and it started late, kicking off sometime after midnight, well past when I expected to be moving. A short, 20-second shuttle ride brought us out to the aircraft on the tarmac, where a staff member stood checking tickets and directing passengers to one of two entrances – front or rear – presumably based on seat number. Since I was seated toward the back, I was pointed to the rear door.

Boarding Flight TG310 at Gate 6 in KTM

Boarding Shuttle for Flight TG310 at KTM

Boarding Flight TG310 from KTM – BKK on Airbus A320-232

Boarding Flight TG310 from KTM – BKK on Airbus A320-232

Whatever the logic behind that system was, it fell apart immediately. Passengers who’d been sent to the front were pushing their way toward the back of the cabin, while people directed to the rear were shoving forward toward the front, both streams colliding and squeezing past each other in the aisle while everyone tried to load overhead bins at the same time. It was actual madness. I couldn’t tell if the system failed or nobody bothered to follow it. I stood there judging everyone hard, especially the people who boarded the front and were seated in the last row.

By 12:15am, tired and out of patience, I just wanted to sit down and be done with it.

Cabin & Seat

The aircraft was a 12-year-old Airbus A320-232, in a 3-3 configuration through Economy. It felt every bit its age – dated and bleak.

I was sat in 30F, a window seat. It was squishy with little legroom; there was no seatback entertainment system, and no power outlet either, so this was a fully unplugged, un-entertained 3.5 hours. None of that was a dealbreaker on a flight this short, but it’s worth knowing going in if you’re relying on your phone to get you through it.

Seat 30F in Economy Cabin on TG310

Seat 30F (Window Seat) on TG310

Meals & Service

One hot meal was served, with a choice between veg and non-veg. I went with non-veg, expecting the usual chicken or beef, but instead, I got fish in a sweet and sour sauce, alongside rice, steamed vegetables, a small side of apple and dragon fruit, and a lemon square for dessert.

The second I opened the tray, I regretted not asking what the non-veg option even was. In my defence, I’d never once seen fish served on a flight before.

Economy Cabin Meal on Thai Airways

The fruit was decent, but everything else went untouched. I don’t eat fish, plus it was past 1am; I was still shaking off the mood from the airport, and I just didn’t have it in me to push through a full tray of food at that hour, appealing or not.

Service-wise, the crew did what they could with a rough boarding situation. They were warm and attentive to everyone on board, checking in without being intrusive, even though they looked just as thrown by the boarding chaos as the rest of us. It was a small bright spot on an otherwise underwhelming flight.

Points Earnings

Unfortunately, this segment earned no Aeroplan points and no SQC.

Takeaway

I’d think twice before booking Thai Airways on a short route again. I haven’t flown them long-haul, so I can’t say whether that’s a different experience, but on this segment, the small cabin, a meal I couldn’t eat, and an airport that soured the mood before I’d even boarded added up to very little payoff. Factor in the zero Aeroplan return, and short-haul Thai Airways is an easy one to skip going forward.