Thai Airways airplane Airbus A350. Photo / Getty Images
David Libeau flies on Thai Airways flight TG945 from Rome to Bangkok.
The plane: An almost new Airbus A350.
Class: Royal Silk Business Class.
Seat: I was in 15A. These are lie-flat beds in a 1-2-1 configuration. The only thing I did not like is that the overhead lockers are quite low and it was easy to bang your head getting in or out of your seat.
Flight time: About 9hr, 30m, leaving Rome just before 2pm and arriving in Bangkok around 5am.
Food and drink: We flew four sectors on Thai on this holiday and it was consistently good.
Thai Airways have an excellent Business Class wine list with Veuve Cliquot Brut and Carnard-Duchene Leonie Brut Rosé champagnes available on all sectors. They also offer a choice of three white and four red wines, all French vintages. There is also the usual selection of spirits, beers, liqueurs and ports on offer.
Lunch was served soon after take-off and with a nod to our departure point, Rome, the first course was a very tasty prosciutto and lentil salad with grilled zucchini and parmesan cheese. The main course included both Thai and international cuisine options. I chose the Thai roasted duck in red curry, which was delicious and was accompanied by a chicken and straw mushroom soup and jasmine rice. A cheese course followed then a choice of two desserts, again an international and Thai choice. I went for the Thai coconut custard with crispy shallots; sounds weird however it was magnificent.
Breakfast was served prior to arrival into Bangkok and I particularly liked the individual bakery baskets.
Entertainment: I go to the cinema a lot so I often struggle to find movies I haven't seen but I did enjoy Film Stars Don't Die in Liverpool. There was a reasonable selection of movies, TV and music although perhaps not as extensive as some other airlines.
Service: The Thai crew were happy, friendly and helpful throughout the flight and provided attentive service with any extra requests met with warmth.
Toilets: Always clean and well-stocked throughout the flight. The purple orchids added a lovely bright touch.
Airport experience: Rome's Fiumicino Airport is modern and functional. Thai Airways use a shared lounge, which was comfortable and had a surprisingly good selection of food and beverages. This lounge was much better than the Thai-operated Royal Silk Business Class lounges at Bangkok Airport which are well overdue for renovation.
Would I take this flight again? Yes — overall it was a very positive experience on Thai Airways and our 12-hour transit stop in Bangkok coming home included a complimentary day-use room at the excellent Novotel Hotel at Bangkok Airport. A shower and a few hours' sleep and we caught the train into Bangkok before returning to the hotel for a swim in the pool and freshening up for the flight home to Auckland.
The surprising gift is probably worth a significant amount.