Introduction: 72 Hours in Bangkok over Chinese New Year 2019

In this series

Introduction: 72 Hours in Bangkok over Chinese New Year 2019

Review: Singapore Airlines SilverKris Lounge T3 SIN
Review: Singapore Airlines Business Class Boeing 787-10 SIN to BKK

Review: The Continent Hotel Bangkok by Compass Hospitality

Review: EVA Air Lounge BKK

Review: Singapore Airlines SilverKris Lounge BKK

Review: Singapore Airlines Business Class Boeing 777-200ER BKK to SIN

Welcome to my next trip report series! I had just arrived in Singapore after a quick holiday in Bangkok and I’m excited to share more about the trip!

As a departure from the usual from of writing, where I cover certain flights sporadically, I have decided to write about entire experiences; and feature extensively all the flights and various lounges and hotels I visited throughout the journey.

This series takes place over the week before and during the Chinese New Year (CNY) season in 2019. While Asian families tend to spend their CNY holidays visiting relatives and friends, my family decided to make a break from tradition by traveling overseas over the season instead. I’m not one to ever reject any opportunity to fly, and I supported the idea almost instantaneously over breakfast one morning.

PLANNING THE TRIP

The idea of the CNY getaway sprouted towards the end of December 2018. For various reasons, we decided to travel over the CNY period in a bid to experience CNY celebrations in other countries and unwind after a hectic season in ministry over the Christmas and New Year period. Destinations shortlisted included Hong Kong, Taipei and Ho Chi Minh City, though we eventually settled on Bangkok.

FLIGHTS

Soon after deciding on the destination, we called the Singapore Airlines (SIA) hotline to enquire on award ticket availability for the family. We received the confirmation over the phone and decided to book the tickets that very day. We spent 40,000 KrisFlyer miles per person per leg, and around S$320 in overall taxes and surcharges.

Flying to Bangkok gave me a chance to review the new 2018 Regional Business Class (nomenclature per MileLion…) product SIA offers in their Boeing 787-10X and regional configurations of their A350-900s. We ended up with the following itinerary to accommodate my request to flying on the Boeing 787-10X.

Outbound Feb 2019: SQ982 SIN-BKK, B78X, STD 1735h STA 1900h, Business Class

I had no preference for the inbound flight, and settled on whichever evening departure carried the greatest availability, in hopes of having a lighter cabin load.

Inbound Feb 2019: SQ979 BKK-SIN, B77E, STD 1830h STA 2200h, Business Class

As mentioned, the outbound flight features SIA’s 2018 Business Class product, which is possibly my personal highlight of the trip. While I have travelled on almost all of the Business Class products in SIA’s fleet, getting on this product was significant to me as:

·       I could write about the newest Business Class seat in SIA’s fleet

·       This seat would most likely be the product you receive when flying on SIA on regional sectors (<6hrs)

·       This would be the first time I fly on a staggered Business Class configuration, allowing me to understand its advantages and disadvantages in as we’d learn from the review

 The inbound flight, on the other hand, features SIA’s 2006 Long-Haul Business Class product – the Grand Old Dame, a product I’ve grown all too familiar with over the last 3-4 years. The 2006 product was an industry disruptor when it was launched, as it featured the widest seat in the sky (coming in at 35”, most economy class seat PITCHES never cross 31”) and guaranteed direct aisle-access for all passengers.

The 2006 product can be found on most A380s and all ER-configured 777-200s. All my flights on this product were on the A380, and I was looking forward to try this out on a different aircraft type this time.

 In Singapore, I reviewed the SilverKris Lounge in Terminal 3, which started this trip as my favourite SIA lounge throughout the network. This changed as soon as I visited the SilverKris in Bangkok.

On the way back from Bangkok, I could visit any of the four Thai Royal Orchid lounges, though I was more inclined to visiting the EVA Air lounge and SilverKris lounge in BKK this time.

HOTELS

Papa often travels throughout Southeast Asia for work, and we decided to stay at one of the hotels he stays at while in Bangkok – The Continent Hotel by Compass Hospitality. Though it’s by no means a top-tier, five-star property, we decided to book two rooms there for three nights for the family as we enjoy preferential booking rates through Papa’s business contacts.

 We paid upwards of $150 per night per room during our stay there.

OFF TO THE REVIEWS

This was a much-needed trip, and I was glad to be able to relax and recharge after a hectic period over the last two months. As an aviation enthusiast, I had a great time experiencing a new product on the 787 and reviewing a slightly different variant of the timeless 2006 long-haul Business Class on the inbound flight. I had a wonderful time in the SilverKris Lounge in BKK too, more about that in the upcoming reviews.

Stay tuned for the rest of the series, including my first-ever, detailed lounge and hotel reviews!