SWISS: The only way to fly is flat

BANGKOK 11 August 2011 – What more can you ask for than a comfortably bed and a peaceful uninterrupted sleep at the close of an exhausting day – on the ground or in the air?

Swiss International Air Lines has gone the extra mile to offer flat seats in its A330 and A340 business class cabin.

All I need to discover  is whether  I  can enjoy a well-earned sleep? It should be possible. I am guest of the airline with some other journalists. Cabin attendants have ruffled our pillows and tucked us up for the overnight flight, as the aircraft climbs to its cruising altitude. Read more

Inflight dining: Clean but not always tasty

BANGKOK 9 June 2011 – Travellers shake their heads and make faces when talking about inflight food. Well whatever airlines like us to believe it is not fine dining.

If you are Thai you will say with great authority that a simple dish of Krapao Kai, Khai Dao from a street stall is tastier than what an airline can serve on board even with all the expensive kitchen set ups.

From my experience, I have had encountered the good and the bad of sky dining. But I am not going on blah blah blah over dishes here.

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Go homestay and feel Japan

TOKYO, 8 December 2010 — “Kon ni chi wa, I am from Homestay in Japan.” I  was  half day-dreaming,  flipping through leaflets and brochures, mostly in  Japanese, wondering what was in store for me at the Sellers Meet Media session during the recent Visit Japan Travel Mart 2010.

Then out of the blue,  a cheerful Mr Chitose Takeshima greets me and hands me a leaflet advertising homestay holidays in bold English type. I am interested. Read more

Sa Pa: Not for all seasons

It was very close to 40 degree Celcius in Thailand during a humid, steamy hot May as I hopped on an aircraft to Vietnam to visit the far northern highland town of Sa Pa.

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Is more violence in Bangkok likely?

TTR Weekly’s, Rapeepat Mantanra, explains what she thinks about the political crisis and tourism.

“So far so good” is probably the best way to describe the Red-Shirt rally that started Friday, 12 March, but viewing the future is difficult with conflicting views and scenarios. Read more

Wireless network at Suvarnabhumi Airport

Airports of Thailand, in cooperation with Milcom Systems, has introduced wireless internet at Suvarnabhumi Airport, but there are hitches and restrictions.

It is just one of various attempts to improve the airport’s chances to gain entry into the world’s top 10 airports ranking. But the authorities leave themselves open to criticism that the desire to offer premier services to customers comes second to an ambition to gain points in ranking scheme.

In this case, AoT can tick “yes” in the box: “Do you offer free internet services for passengers in the airport building”?

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