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TG: Consistently Inconsistent!

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  • TG: Consistently Inconsistent!

    Full trip report on its way (as always), but just writing down some thoughts from a recent series of TG flights in C and F:

    1. Service
    I experienced the full spectrum of service levels on the three flights. On the ICN-HKG, the two crew serving the C cabin clearly could not care less and I'm surprised they even bothered to finish the meal service. Barely broke a smile even when I was making an effort to warm up and engage with them.

    On the HKG-BKK in F, the female FA was very good - a little more refinement and you'd have an SQ girl. The male FA was a little loud and "brash" but he was smiling and worked very hard. Overall it was pretty good.

    On BKK-OSL in C, one male FA was very chirpy and upbeat (he confused the hell out of me when he was saying "Hey" to everyone walking into the aircraft - later I realised he was actually saying "Hej" as in, Hello in Norwegian ) and borderline a little too flamboyant/casual. One female FA was so-so, but her use of English was really questionable, i.e. "You want milk with coffee?" Imagine a Kebaya-clad girl uttering those very words! The male In-flight Manager was not the best - but then again, I found that the IFS on SQ is also a hit-and-miss so not too surprising.

    2. Food

    Overall a let-down. On the ICN-HKG segment, it was essentially a Y-standard meal with minor differences and a better presentation.

    It was a little better on HKG-BKK in F, but more akin to a good C meal rather than a good F meal. The pre-ordered lamb chops were quite nice, but the starters really weren't impressive at all.

    On BKK-OSL, things were a little better than ICN-HKG but still far from perfect. Veal steak was overdone and the starters were somewhat uninspired. I was actually much happier with the omelette for breakfast - I don't normally have high hopes for egg dishes but it was soft, fluffy and tasted almost freshly-made. Then again, the apparently "premium" sausages had a disconcerting texture of soft plastic/rubber without a hint of actual meat...


    On the whole, the flights were not exactly a disaster, but they were hardly a convincing argument for me to rush back to them. The only highlight was the 1hr massage at Suvarnabhum - in just about every other aspect, I feel that I would have been better off with other airlines.

    Whereas on my LX and OZ flights I didn't miss SQ for one second, I was left very much yearning for some good old Singapore Girls/Boys' service on my TG flights. If my experience is representative of TG generally, they have some way to go until they catch up with the better carriers in Star.

  • #2
    Oh dear, doesn't sound the best.

    Would still look forward to the full report!

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    • #3
      I did warn you to prepare for a fantastic or forgettable experience.

      They have deteriorated over the last few years for sure, which is a real shame as they at least had a bit of consistency until then, and with a few looking for alternatives to SQ in the last few years they have missed an opportunity.

      They are the opposite of SQ in F. Fabulous on the ground in BKK, but it's a lottery once you get onboard. SQ have crap lounges but great service in the air. A combination of the two would be a real winner

      A friend of mine calls them Forrest Gump Airways, cos you never know what you're gonna get.
      Last edited by MAN Flyer; 15 August 2009, 04:01 PM.

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      • #4
        I know - what you wrote kept coming back to my mind as I sat in the mixed bag of flights.

        I could see them being reasonably competitive if the service levels are closer to what I had on the HKG-BKK, but ICN-BKK was truly hideous. Their dislike of their job was palpable. Perhaps I should put myself on UA or KL to re-calibrate my appreciation of service!

        Originally posted by MAN Flyer
        They are the opposite of SQ in F. Fabulous on the ground in BKK, but it's a lottery once you get onboard. SQ have crap lounges but great service in the air. A combination of the two would be a real winner
        Agreed but dare I say SQ is closer to that ideal combination than TG is...

        Without the ground service in BKK, they would be truly forgettable.

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        • #5
          Only my recent 4 flts on TG in economy, 2 provided good service (on par with SQ), 1 with outstanding service (much better than the average SQ flight), and 1 with dismal service. But the one flight with bad service, it was to do with the very cold and curt stewardess serving my aisle.
          My past and future travels

          My Travel Map

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          • #6
            I guess I'll count myself lucky that I haven't experienced pouty service or an equipment swap on TG.

            The main inconsistency on my recent C flights was the amenity kit bag. Outbound, it was some handicraft-y thing that didn't even merit gifting to anyone. Inbound, it was a rather nice Muji-esque hangable bag with understated TG branding. (The food, sadly, was consistently unremarkable.)

            I have to admit, I find it hard to dislike a carrier that is pretty generous when it comes to releasing award seats between LHR and SE Asia.
            ‘Lean into the sharp points’

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            • #7
              More fun on Fridays TG917 from LHR.

              First off there was a very irate pax in 1A who was having a go at the crew for what appeared to be him and his partner being booted out of their reserved seats, 2E & 2F, despite him informing the crew they had been reserved 'months ago'. His partner was sat in 2K, so they had been properly split up, and he refused the offer of a switch from the woman in 2A such was his annoyane. He told the crew not to bother filling in a report (it won't make a blind bit of difference anyway as this sort of behaviour has been going on on TG for years and will continue, I guarantee it...) as he said he will fly with someone else next time.

              On top of this we ran out of Dom before push back due to only one bottle being loaded and they forgot to lock the trolley while doing the caviar service and the trolley went flying down and smashed into the toilet door.

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              • #8
                Can't wait to fly TG later in the week. Who knows what could happen...
                There's only One way to fly.... SINGAPORE AIRLINES!
                If SQ is too expensive, the other way to fly is Qatar Airways

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                • #9
                  Originally posted by MAN Flyer View Post
                  More fun on Fridays TG917 from LHR.

                  First off there was a very irate pax in 1A who was having a go at the crew for what appeared to be him and his partner being booted out of their reserved seats, 2E & 2F, despite him informing the crew they had been reserved 'months ago'. His partner was sat in 2K, so they had been properly split up, and he refused the offer of a switch from the woman in 2A such was his annoyane. He told the crew not to bother filling in a report (it won't make a blind bit of difference anyway as this sort of behaviour has been going on on TG for years and will continue, I guarantee it...) as he said he will fly with someone else next time.

                  On top of this we ran out of Dom before push back due to only one bottle being loaded and they forgot to lock the trolley while doing the caviar service and the trolley went flying down and smashed into the toilet door.
                  But how was your service and food? I have yet to win the "lottery."
                  HUGE AL

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                  • #10
                    Originally posted by MAN Flyer View Post
                    More fun on Fridays TG917 from LHR.
                    My 917 from a 3 weeks ago was much more sedate, and I don't think anyone would have been misbehaving - since there was a Thai Princess in 1A. (this nice situation was ruined by the fact that there was an SQTalk self appointed princess 1K ) but anyway - it's amazing how reverent the crew was.

                    They couldn't serve my dinner properly because they couldn't stand up in her presence. So they approached her from the side and on their knees, with care not to turn their backs to her. Which was a bit more difficult for me because they had to make sure which way their back was pointing.

                    I became also a little conscious on how I sat and all that, but she seemed the pleasant sort.

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                    • #11
                      Originally posted by SQflyergirl View Post
                      My 917 from a 3 weeks ago was much more sedate, and I don't think anyone would have been misbehaving - since there was a Thai Princess in 1A. (this nice situation was ruined by the fact that there was an SQTalk self appointed princess 1K ) but anyway - it's amazing how reverent the crew was.

                      They couldn't serve my dinner properly because they couldn't stand up in her presence. So they approached her from the side and on their knees, with care not to turn their backs to her. Which was a bit more difficult for me because they had to make sure which way their back was pointing.

                      I became also a little conscious on how I sat and all that, but she seemed the pleasant sort.
                      Woww.. that's one heck of an experience!

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                      • #12
                        Originally posted by HUGE AL View Post
                        But how was your service and food? I have yet to win the "lottery."
                        Actually the crew were pretty good, one girl in particular. The male supervisor was a bit away with the fairies, as shown by letting the caviar cart go flying down the cabin, but can't fault the girl who looked after us. Food was so-so, but other than BD longhaul, no food served in an aircraft gets me going much anyway.

                        As I fly them pretty regularly at the moment I find I can set my expectations accordingly having seen first hand over the years what they are capable of. This way it makes them quite bearable, and any super experience is just a bonus. It does make me view the whole experience on the humourous side though.

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                        • #13
                          Just when I thought I'd got away with it.....

                          ...they've done me again.

                          After stupidly thinking to myself yesterday as I flew on an antique config 744 from PVG-BKK yesterday 'I've not been TG'd to one of these for one a long haul for a while now', they've rectified that the next day.

                          TG922 to FRA today has been TG'd to an old config.

                          It's delayed an hour as well, which was what instantly alerted me to a possible equipment swap, so I said straight away 'How many seats in First on the aircraft ?'. She knew, bless her, and said 'Sorry Sir, it's 14, old type'.

                          I pointed out that this is not First Class, as these aircraft fly to CPH and ARN where that is a Business Class cabin, but what can she do.

                          Oh well, I'll have to deaden the pain with a few bottles of Dom ......and remind myself it's my last long haul work flight of the year.

                          Just hope I make my connection in FRA.
                          Last edited by MAN Flyer; 5 December 2009, 02:08 PM.

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                          • #14
                            I have to agree TG is always inconsistent. They messed up my special meal request twice. I booked the low fat meal weeks ahead and once onboard they insisted there wasn't a passenger that ordered a special meal On another flight they delivered the meal to the wrong passenger rows ahead.

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                            • #15
                              MAN Flyer, sorry to hear. At least another one of us has experienced the crap they've serve up.
                              HUGE AL

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