First Time At New Airport

[borracho]

Arriving by taxi yesterday morning at 10:30 was fairly painless and smooth.

I just walked up to One Two Go ticket counter and quickly bought a ticket to Phuket, 1750 baht net. Can't beat that. Though I had to wait for the 14:34 flight, which was ok with me as I wanted to take some time to get a feel and layout of the new place.

I went up to the restaurant for a bite of breakfast. A tiny cup of coffee a tiny danish and a bottle of water. 220 baht net including 10% service and 7% vat. Though there wasn't any service. You purchase a card 500-1000 baht then walk around and find what you want. The staff seems to still have trouble with the system.

I found my dinning experience singularly unmemorable amidst the delightfully drab battleship grey decor. Maybe they will get around to decorating after they finish installing the fire sprinkler system!

I then went walking around the terminal while I waited for check in time.

The place is big. But I noted the same checking congestion as the old airport.

At least the air conditioning was working...I could have used a sweater but what self respecting denizen of Phuket travels with a sweater. (If we travel to CM we just suffer stoically).

I manage to find a seat after my long walk around.(someone had already cut the cheap vinyl).

Painless check-in with One Two Go and off to visit the domestic gate area.

Nice moving walkways...the central gate area is dominated by expensive electronics and jewelry peddlers.

The area has all the charm of a dark concrete tunnel. (oh yea it was a dark concrete tunnel!)

Another restaurant appears for lunch time. This time the area is a little more attractive. The entryway had an interesting air con system where the cold air was coming from nifty circular vent in the walkway floor.

Baguette salami sandwich and plain bottle of water 270 baht. This time I had a nice view over a garden area with flying dragons and flower and trees. I couldn't help wonder why they used ugly concrete planters when so much attractive pottery is widely available. All attempt at art and style seemed overwhelmed by concrete. And why the battleship grey? Did they steal the paint from the US navy?

Now on to gate B1D.

They made an attempt to make it airy and bright with some white sail cloth stretched over the ceiling.

The gate area was still under construction. I admired the grey wire mesh ceiling while I listened to the melody of deafening jack hammers working in the adjoining area. The area was packed with a 747 load of people traveling to the fresh air of Phuket. Everyone was covering their ears or noses. (dust from the jackhammers)

Getting out of there and jammed into a bus for the rough ride to the old 747-300 was a relief. (clever strategy)

Ok It's not finished yet. I hope they make suitable improvements in the near future!

[britmaveric]

might be last time at new airport

[manjara]

I'm sitting in a coffee shop in suvarnabhumi, on my first visit here, using free wifi (aotwifi).

So, at least something works.

I'm flying BA Club and for some reason BA/Qantas don't seem to have fully 'committed' to Suvarnabhumi yet. I was to pick up my ticket at the airport, so the travel agent in the UK said (Portman). When I got here it seems that BA and Qantas don't have a ticketing desk! Hmmmm, I wonder what would have happened if I had been economy!?

They managed to bypass the 'system' and get me a boarding pass, then said 'Oh, BA don't have a lounge here yet, so were sticking you in the Louis Tavern's one!'

Then it took about 30 mins to get through immigration (to get out!).

A coffee was 80 baht, not too bad, and the restaurants looked better than Don Muang.

All in all, I was highly sceptical but I'd say they improved the experience over DM. Looking at the wear and tear and general shoddy finishing though, it will look like crap in a year or so, unless they refloor it.

I'm off to the UK for the first time in 15 months, so I'll compare the arrival at Heathrow.

[backflip]

Thanks for the restaurant reviews.

[jumnien]

I remember as a young lad in California in 1980 going to live in France for a year, many memorable experiences - don't recall which airport I landed at or anything about it. Remember backpacking the next year in Hawaii on Maui, again, remember the pakalolo and the primo beer and the snorkelling, not any memories about the airport. Again, Costa Rica in the 1990's, remember the Key Largo and Quepos, no memories of the airport. What's all this farang obsession with the new airport. It seems so irrelevant. Here we are amidst this fantastic country and wonderful people having time of our lives and some of us just see the whole experience of Thailand as just an excuse to experience an airport and criticize it. My God, grab your bag, hail a cab and get on with your life - it's not as long as you think!

[PanzerJohn]

I used the Louis Tavern last month and thought it was great value, 1000 bht for a couple of hours. Includes full bar, soft drinks and beverages,food, icecream,tv,newspapers, internet,restrooms,showers.Shame its so badly sign posted and hidden away at the far end of the airport, near to the A gates, of course mine was the other end, bloody long walk.

[maccaroni man]

I remember as a young lad in California in 1980 going to live in France for a year, many memorable experiences - don't recall which airport I landed at or anything about it. Remember backpacking the next year in Hawaii on Maui, again, remember the pakalolo and the primo beer and the snorkelling, not any memories about the airport. Again, Costa Rica in the 1990's, remember the Key Largo and Quepos, no memories of the airport. What's all this farang obsession with the new airport. It seems so irrelevant. Here we are amidst this fantastic country and wonderful people having time of our lives and some of us just see the whole experience of Thailand as just an excuse to experience an airport and criticize it. My God, grab your bag, hail a cab and get on with your life - it's not as long as you think!

arriving in switzerland i was shocked by all the armed gaurds and military roaming the walk ways in a "neutral country" cyprus felt like entering a war zone. so yes first impressions do set the tone for ones arrival in new places.

[doninusa]

First trip to the new airport in Jan. I went to Phuket domestic and returned then out on Feb 4. Luggage was lost in L.A. not the airports fault. I must admit that getting the lost luggage people to answer the phone the following 2 days was impossible. One would think that someone would answer the darn phone. Anyway, my luggage showed up at the hotel 3 days later. Just golf clubs anyway. The airport itself was painless. I had someone pick me up upon international arrival and so I dont know about the daytime taxi line. When I arrived back in bkk from phuket, there was no taxi line at all and my bags were loaded on a saturday evening promptly. arrived 5:00 pm. Took the toll and no problems getting to ratchadapisek in 25 minutes. cab fair with the toll and 50 baht surcharge was less than 300 bt. I found the airport on international and domestic to be very good. Bags were offloaded faster than L.A. for sure. Moving walkways worked and they were certainly better than the elevator nightmare at Don Muang. International to Domestic did not involve the long walk down the tunnel and was merely upstairs. Fast food was not near the gate as before, but just eat early before going to the gate. I must admit that I still wax poetic for the old Don Muang. Perhaps it is just nostalgia. Anyway, I might just be getting my wish.

[Khutan]

The new airport is like a huge disorganized barn.

What startles me is that its possible to mix inbound and outbound passengers. As an example, the smoking rooms for outbound passengers is the same for inbound.

[lomatopo]

Lot's of decent, reasonably priced food on level 3, landside.

[ovenman]

What startles me is that its possible to mix inbound and outbound passengers. As an example, the smoking rooms for outbound passengers is the same for inbound.

What is so odd about that? Have you ever flown in to Singapore-Changi or Amsterdam-Schiphol (to name two other airports using a similar system)? An arriving passenger at many an international airport can be a transit passenger, which also makes them an outbound passenger.

[manjara]

I used the Louis Tavern last month and thought it was great value, 1000 bht for a couple of hours. Includes full bar, soft drinks and beverages,food, icecream,tv,newspapers, internet,restrooms,showers.Shame its so badly sign posted and hidden away at the far end of the airport, near to the A gates, of course mine was the other end, bloody long walk.

Yes, incidentally, if you have Priority Pass you can bring a friend in to the lounge for some additional fee, I think I worked it out that it was cheaper to pay the lounge direct! I haven't checked lounge costs in other airports, but it wouldn't surprise me if it was the same in many places.

[Soju]

I used the Louis Tavern last month and thought it was great value, 1000 bht for a couple of hours. Includes full bar, soft drinks and beverages,food, icecream,tv,newspapers, internet,restrooms,showers.Shame its so badly sign posted and hidden away at the far end of the airport, near to the A gates, of course mine was the other end, bloody long walk.

Yes, incidentally, if you have Priority Pass you can bring a friend in to the lounge for some additional fee, I think I worked it out that it was cheaper to pay the lounge direct! I haven't checked lounge costs in other airports, but it wouldn't surprise me if it was the same in many places.

I was just at BKK yesterday and there's a new Louis Tavern CIP lounge that recently opened. It's on Concourse C, just past the intersection with Councourse A,B & D. I just glanced at it briefly as I walked by, but it looked nice. Definitely in a much better position than their lounge on Concourse A. I don't know if this is a replacement for the lounge on Concourse A or in addition, though I don't see why anyone would use the one on Concourse A now. It's simply way out of the way and without any international gates on Concourse A doesn't make any sense.

[Kimera]

I remember as a young lad in California in 1980 going to live in France for a year, many memorable experiences - don't recall which airport I landed at or anything about it. Remember backpacking the next year in Hawaii on Maui, again, remember the pakalolo and the primo beer and the snorkelling, not any memories about the airport. Again, Costa Rica in the 1990's, remember the Key Largo and Quepos, no memories of the airport. What's all this farang obsession with the new airport. It seems so irrelevant. Here we are amidst this fantastic country and wonderful people having time of our lives and some of us just see the whole experience of Thailand as just an excuse to experience an airport and criticize it. My God, grab your bag, hail a cab and get on with your life - it's not as long as you think!

I think this says it all