Suvarnabhumi - things unsurprisingly not going well!

[MAN Flyer]

Article on front page of today's IHT:

http://www.iht.com/articles/2006/11/12/news/airport.php

I must say the lack of signs is staggering. It will be fine for the likes of us who tend to know where we are going around airports and will learn more about Suvarnabhumi as we go through it more. But it's a bit shambolic to be in this state. Not enough toilets, bus gates already ? - I had one for my flight to SGN last week.

[jjpb3]

Still a mess, eh? The arrivals hall and the packed Royal Silk Lounge are experiences I'm not eager to repeat.

[KeithMEL]

Still a mess, eh? The arrivals hall and the packed Royal Silk Lounge are experiences I'm not eager to repeat.

Sounds like I shouldn't even be bothered when I pass through on the 1st? Got a 75 minute connection, half of which I bet will be potentially spent getting to the terminal from a bus gate (not to mention any potential delays), and/or looking for the new gate. TG hinted that I might have to get my LH BP at the transfer desk in BKK.

I have like a 9 hour wait on the way back though.

[MAN Flyer]

To be honest my experience last week up to the bus gate was reasonable. As I was in F I got met on disembarkation and escorted to the F lounge. This was despite TG in London telling me I could only access the J lounges...

The F lounge was excellent, probably being due to it being very quiet. There was never more that 8 people in the entire place. Nice showers and waitress service for food and drinks. If you merely shuffled they were over like a shot.
I did walk through the J lounge and it was very busy.

The beauty of Don Muang was the sheer number of lounge options for *A Gold; 4 x TG lounges, SK lounge, LH lounge (although granted it was grim), RCC (which I never tried) and 2 x SKL's. I really do wonder why there is no SKL there if you consider the number of SQ flights to and from BKK, including KIX and NRT.

The terminal did seem very long, as I seemed to be walking forever, but it seemed to be rather 'compressed' in the main areas. I was told by my TG F escort that another large F lounge and the F Spa lounge open in the next couple of weeks. I hope they have a few more J lounges in the pipeline as well...

[CGK]

Hmm I must have been dreaming last Friday in TG F lounge. Still an unintersting lounge. Snack wise and drink wise is very minimal. Yeah Moet Chandon for the champagne. Well of course L'Occitane kits are still available. And it's coming handy in my budget travel in southern part of India right now.

[MAN Flyer]

Still a mess, eh? The arrivals hall and the packed Royal Silk Lounge are experiences I'm not eager to repeat.

To be fair, my experiences when I returned this week have been fine. It was narrowly missing being involved in a high speed car crash with a lunatic taxi driver that was the only thing that caused me any great concern. If you see the heavy tyre marks just where the road rises before going right on arrival, that was us.

I went up on SQ68 earlier this week. We arrived at the D concourse and within in a few minutes I was at immigration with no queue and a minute later I was throught and out looking for a taxi!. Hand luggage only being the main reason but that was still a Changi-esque airport experience.

For the return on SQ67 the following day I had got my BP at Changi on the way up so no need to queue at check-in. Just sorted out the departure tax and a 5 minute queue to get through immigration.

I then went to the large Royal Silk Lounge on the D Concourse where it took a few minutes to find a seat, and then it was sharing a table with someone else. I saw SQ64 arrive at D2 and realising it would be a while before boarding started I decided to have a wander.

I ambled up the C Concourse and to my surprise found another recently opened and rather empty Royal Silk Lounge on the left a short way up. It has exactly the same food offerings as the one at D but there was much more reding material available (presumably as it hadn't all been nicked yet) but it had large windows with views of the apron.

There is another Royal Silk Lounge exactly opposite this on the right as you walk down and the dragons advised this will be opening in the next couple of weeks, which is the same time as the Royal Silk Spa opposite the F lounge is due to open.

It would appear that SQ will be mainly operating from the low numbered D gates (as we pushed back from D2 a recently arrived SQ 777 went in there), which if it continues should mean only a short walk on arrival and departure. Add to this more lounges opening and it should make for a better experience as time goes on.

All they need to do now is sort out the aircon, as it is definitely too warm in certain parts of the terminal.

[Jubilee777]

The original design of the Terminal building is such that the air con rises from the ground via the ducts in a "soft" and quiet way, so it looks more pleasant than the blowers at HKG CLK.

However, they forgot that the notorious heat of BKK meant that the aircon was on the weak side, coupled with the metal and glass design of NBIA, it was just a recipe for disaster.

The air conditioning was meant only to cover only 3 meters off the ground level, so if you attempt to go up to the viewing galleries, be prepared to start sweating. Due to the curent aircon ducting in place, it may take a while to settle the aircon problem.

[jjpb3]

...they forgot that the notorious heat of BKK meant that the aircon was on the weak side, coupled with the metal and glass design of NBIA, it was just a recipe for disaster.

The air conditioning was meant only to cover only 3 meters off the ground level, so if you attempt to go up to the viewing galleries, be prepared to start sweating.

Of all the things to forget: Bangkok heat.

[MAN Flyer]

The original design of the Terminal building is such that the air con rises from the ground via the ducts in a "soft" and quiet way, so it looks more pleasant than the blowers at HKG CLK.

The air conditioning was meant only to cover only 3 meters off the ground level, so if you attempt to go up to the viewing galleries, be prepared to start sweating. Due to the curent aircon ducting in place, it may take a while to settle the aircon problem.

The aircon seemed to come from these strange metal objects that also have speakers in them as well. I was stood next to one while waiting to board and I could feel the aircon and hear the music from it at the same time.

On a related note, I see T3 at Changi seems to have an awful lot of natural light. They surely wouldn't make the same mistake, would they... ?.

[Jubilee777]

Thats rite...its a combi of aircon vent + speakers. The air coming out of those are not exactly very strong, rite?

[StarG]

On a related note, I see T3 at Changi seems to have an awful lot of natural light. They surely wouldn't make the same mistake, would they... ?.

In SIN T3 case, IIRC, the natural light allowed into the terminal building is adjustable with the movable panels under the roof. Jubilee777, maybe you can confirm?

I really like nice airy looking airports but I airports with cool temperature more.

[jjpb3]

I really like nice airy looking airports but I airports with cool temperature more.

I heartily agree!

[jhm]

So what's the hottest airport anyone has been to ? In my recent travels, I can only think of SGN which was uncomfortable in the immigration hall but otherwise, everywhere else was pleasant enough.

[Lobster]

Sana'a airport in Yemen was my worst for hot. Flight was delayed for 8 hours and it was roasting in the terminal (no aircon). Just to make it even more pleasant they were having a few problems with their drains so it stunk as well.

Another one was at Dushanbe but I'm not sure that it counts as it was actually outside of the airport. They made us wait for the plane outside on the airfield. It was 40c and no shade and we were stuck there for an hour and a half.

[jjpb3]

Lobster, as I've said before, you have the most interesting itineraries. Waaaay too much character for the likes of me, though.

Put me up in something like the Conrad Bali, and I'd be a happy camper.