Trip Report: BKK-USM-BKK-CNX
Flying Bangkok Airways was a bit of an unintended pleasure. Usually I like to stick with Star Alliance carriers like Thai Air for the frequent flyer benefits, but for some reason I didn't realize that Thai now flies to Koh Samui (USM). For a while, Bangkok Airways was the only airline that flew there, building and operating their own private airport. But I guess now it's opened up to other airlines.
But what an experience! Even on domestic flights, for economy class passengers, Bangkok Airways, "Asia's Boutique Airline" has a "Boutique Lounge" on offer in Bangkok (BKK). It's even nicer than a lot of US airlines' domestic lounges, with free computer terminals to access the internet, and free wifi to use your own laptop.
Plus they offer a small but nice selection of food. Tea sandwiches, cookies, brownies, popcorn, and a very nice regional treat, sticky rice with red bean and banana, steamed in a banana leaf.
Their lounge in USM is actually the boarding gate itself, since I guess when you build your own private airport you can make the gates as nice as you want! There was a nice array of furniture, a little snack station with pastries and beverages, and newspapers. The ground staff checked our IDs and boarding passes while we were still seated; very civilized.
On board, on the 50 minute flight between BKK and USM they serve a sandwich, and on the 55 minute BKK to Chiang Mai (CNX) sector they add in a cookie. The sandwiches were not bad: I got the chicken burger twice, and the rice-patty/fish(?) burger once. While the former was tasty, the latter was a bit bland and bitter. I'm wondering if my other two segments on Bangkok Airways will have an expanded repertoire of food, or if I'll encounter the same burgers again!
