Back to the Motherland: Thai Airways F to Hong Kong

• Introduction
• Sheraton Saigon and Hilton Hanoi Opera
• Overnight Trip to Ha Long Bay
• Hiking Through Sapa
• Sofitel Metropole Hanoi and Park Hyatt Saigon
• Thai Airways F to Hong Kong
• Exploring Hong Kong

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Since we had booked an open jaw ticket to Saigon and returning from Hong Kong, we needed to find a way to get from Saigon to Hong Kong.  I had just been really getting into the points/miles game, and decided to splurge by booking my first ever international first class ticket.  I used 30,000 United miles per person to book SGN-BKK-HKG with the first leg on Thai Airways business class, followed by Thai Airways first class.  Even though the first class leg would only be about two and half hours, I was really looking forward to it, in particular because I'd be able to try the Thai Airways first class ground service while transiting in Bangkok.

The Saigon to Bangkok leg on business class was very uneventful, and I even passed on the meal service (which was a shock to my fiance) since I knew what was to come in Bangkok.  I had actually made the mistake of telling my fiance that I had considered two options for the BKK-HKG leg, the first of which was a 2 hour layover and then a business class flight, and the second of which (which I chose) was a 4 hour layover and then a first class flight.  After being called "stupid" for the better part of the SGN-BKK flight, she was quickly silenced as we experienced the royal treatment even as passengers on a short 2.5 hour first class flight.

After disembarking in BKK, a Thai Airways agent was waiting with a sign with our names on it.  We were whisked into a private shuttle, and taken through a separate transfer security terminal where there was literally nobody waiting in line.  We then were escorted to the first class lounge, and were shown to a private living room area that would be ours for the next four hours.  I requested appointments for our massages, and as the spa happened to be available right away, we headed over for our free 1-hour massage treatment.  The spa rooms are really nice, and feature a huge shower and changing area.  The massage was also really great and enjoyable.

After our massages, we headed back to the lounge and ate like kings.  We ordered a combination of things off of the menu, and also grabbed some other food from the buffet area.  The curry that we ordered was legitimately delicious, one of the best either of us has ever had.  Once our flight was ready for boarding, we were driven to the gate in a buggy and escorted to our seats.  The food on the flight itself has actually somewhat anti-climactic, but the service and the Dom more than made up for it.

Overall, while many people might feel that 30,000 miles isn't a great value, I would tend to agree if it weren't for the transfer experience at BKK.  This really was a fantastic experience, and alone justified the cost in my mind.

chowing down in the first class lounge