Direct flight to BKK from the US (FINALLY!)

[Bwana_LB 2,754]

From United Airlines:

"United will be the only U.S. airline to offer daily flights to Bangkok starting October 26. The flights will operate on a Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner."

The flights are not non-stop, but out of LAX the flight is "direct" with a 2-hr stop in HKG. United flights from other cities will connect with the flight originating from LAX.

I normally don't book this far in advance but there was a very good fare available. The LAX flight leaves in the evening (roughly 11:00p) and arrives in BKK at about 11a. Seems it will be possible to get a good sleep overnight on the HKG-bound portion. Luckily I have an upgrade that will get me into business/Polaris for the entire trip.

I haven't seen anything from Delta or American as to whether they plan direct flights to BKK.

Edited May 14 by Bwana_LB

[taaseesanuk 4,231]

14 minutes ago, Bwana_LB said:

From United Airlines:

"United will be the only U.S. airline to offer daily flights to Bangkok starting October 26. The flights will operate on a Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner."

The flights are not non-stop, but out of LAX the flight is "direct" with a 2-hr stop in HKG. United flights from other cities will connect with the flight originating from LAX.

I normally don't book this far in advance but there was a very good fare available. The LAX flight leaves in the evening (roughly 11:00p) and arrives in BKK at about 11a. Seems it will be possible to get a good sleep overnight on the HKG-bound portion. Luckily I have an upgrade that will get me into business/Polaris for the entire trip.

I haven't seen anything from Delta or American as to whether they plan direct flights to BKK.

Just got back from flying London to Chicago with United, I have to say it wasn't great. The food was truly awful and I am by no

means fussy. My son's screen wouldn't work which on a nearly 8 hour flight is a real downer, they did however offer him a voucher

for use on booking his next flight with them! The Stewardesses are older regular Mumsy types which is fine, but listening to them talking shop

across the aisles seemed a bit unprofessional. We also had two further internal flights with United, both ends were delayed for nearly an hour.

Maybe it was just my rotten luck, but I would think twice before using them again.

[Unavowed 967]

I was surprised there weren't any direct flights from the US. It must have been a pain getting to Thailand especially with most US companies offering so little personal leave.

I'm glad that it's "only" a 9 hour flight from Australia.  The daytime Thai airways flights are fine, but I'm definitely getting to the point that I need to book business class or a stopover for anything longer than that or when it involves an overnight leg.  

[oliver17 12,603]

27 minutes ago, taaseesanuk said:

Just got back from flying London to Chicago with United, I have to say it wasn't great. The food was truly awful and I am by no

means fussy. My son's screen wouldn't work which on a nearly 8 hour flight is a real downer, they did however offer him a voucher

for use on booking his next flight with them! The Stewardesses are older regular Mumsy types which is fine, but listening to them talking shop

across the aisles seemed a bit unprofessional. We also had two further internal flights with United, both ends were delayed for nearly an hour.

Maybe it was just my rotten luck, but I would think twice before using them again.

If you rank the big 3 US airlines, most folks would say United is entrenched in 3rd place. I try to avoid United myself when flying domestically, preferring Delta or AA. 

That said, I think United's Polaris lounge in Chicago is pretty much on a par some of the best in the world, just one cut below Qatar or Emirates lounges in the Middle East. Last year on a ladyboy trip, I flew ANA biz class out of Chicago, which gave me access to the Polaris lounge at O' Hare. It was far superior to anything ANA had in Tokyo and that's saying something. I was shocked at how good it was. 

The reason you see middle aged gals working overseas flights is because US age-discrimination law prohibits airlines from dumping flight attendants when they hit 30 or 35 like Asian airlines do and their labor contracts allow them to get the overseas gigs because of their seniority ranking. That's not necessarily a bad thing because while I enjoy being served by a 25 year old cookie on a flight, I would much rather have the older ladies on board in case of an emergency. Same thing with pilots. I want my pilot to be a guy with gray hair who flew in the military, has one zillion hours in the cockpit and likes to go fishing with his grandkids. Absolutely. 

[oliver17 12,603]

21 minutes ago, Unavowed said:

I was surprised there weren't any direct flights from the US. It must have been a pain getting to Thailand especially with most US companies offering so little personal leave.

I'm glad that it's "only" a 9 hour flight from Australia.  The daytime Thai airways flights are fine, but I'm definitely getting to the point that I need to book business class or a stopover for anything longer than that or when it involves an overnight leg.  

It takes 20 - 24 hours to fly from anywhere in the US to Bangkok. You can connect in Hong Kong, Tokyo, Seoul or Taipei. You can choose from several Asian airlines and they all set their flight schedules to accommodate US travelers connecting elsewhere. Most of the layovers are anywhere from 1 hour to 4 or 5 hours. It's the same thing flying east with one of the Arab carriers. Flying west takes 1 to 2 hours longer than flying east due to western winds blowing across the globe. The winds are going to slow you either coming or going to the US. 

I have been flying thru Asia since the end of Covid. I used to also fly the Arab airlines, but they have gotten way too greedy and you get more bang for the buck from top shelf Asian airlines these days. Japan Airlines, Cathay Pacific, Singapore or ANA - you can't go wrong with any of them. 

I am normally very cautious with my money but I always fly business class on LB trips because I simply could not handle being crammed into a coach seat for 22 or 24 hours on an airplane. I know most other BMs from the US or Canada do the same for the same reasons. 

 

[sydney69er 1,605]

2 hours ago, Bwana_LB said:

United will be the only U.S. airline to offer daily flights to Bangkok

Great news for the US folk itching for their Bangkok fix. B787-9 is a great aircraft. Shame United it not a great airline.

I flew between Sydney and Chicago via LA 4 times with United in Business Class. The cabin crew were always these crusty old, angry women that did not understand the concept of service! I heard that long serving cabin crew with United get to pick the routes they fly. It seems all the old bags love to fly to Australia.

I now got United on my no fly list

 

[Bwana_LB 2,754]

2 hours ago, taaseesanuk said:

Maybe it was just my rotten luck, but I would think twice before using them again.

All three major US carriers suck. Who sucks the worst depends on the day of the week. I had an excellent business class flight on United from SFO to Amsterdam last month (on a 787-9), with access to their excellent Polaris Club in SFO. Three weeks later I flew to Rio on United, again in business, but on a particularly horrible 767, and the Polaris Club at LAX was so crowded I couldn't even find a seat, and finally went to the regular United Club.

My only option for a direct flight from LAX to BKK is United, so that's what I'll take. In the past I had to fly United to NRT and either ANA or TG on to BKK. 22-24 hours, whereas the new route through HKG will be 20 hours. Still a long, long flight.

[Bwana_LB 2,754]

1 hour ago, oliver17 said:

That said, I think United's Polaris lounge in Chicago is pretty much on a par some of the best in the world,

Unfortunately, the Chicago Polaris Club has been closed for a while for renovations. Returning from Europe last month I connected at ORD, and we were directed to the regular United Club which was completely overcrowded due to the closing of the Polaris Lounge. It looked like they were many months away from reopening it.

[JackJohn 347]

I fly at least twice a year from Asia to US. Usually out of BKK and very rarely but also out of Singapore. I have to say that the United option does not really tempt me knowing their service and food 'quality'. My preference is ANA with the short layover in Tokyo or Eva and going through Taipei. Fortunately I am in the front of the plane for ULH flights so it's all very manageable but I remember back in the early days cramped in economy for 16-18 hours which was totally unbearable. Your also always parked next to somebody twice your size and the armchair rest battle commences... Never was I lucky to sit next to a smaller person let alone an attractive lady or ladyboy lol.

Not to mention the upon arrival very long wait with TSA and baggage handling which is minimum 45 min in LAX. 

[JackJohn 347]

Air Canada is another option which is on par with United (maybe even slightly lower!). I guess it comes down to price, FFP, times etc for most... 

[Ray Swank 45]

14 hours ago, Bwana_LB said:

From United Airlines:

"United will be the only U.S. airline to offer daily flights to Bangkok starting October 26. The flights will operate on a Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner."

The flights are not non-stop, but out of LAX the flight is "direct" with a 2-hr stop in HKG. United flights from other cities will connect with the flight originating from LAX.

I normally don't book this far in advance but there was a very good fare available. The LAX flight leaves in the evening (roughly 11:00p) and arrives in BKK at about 11a. Seems it will be possible to get a good sleep overnight on the HKG-bound portion. Luckily I have an upgrade that will get me into business/Polaris for the entire trip.

I haven't seen anything from Delta or American as to whether they plan direct flights to BKK.

Before I retired, I flew domestic for 16 years all over the U.S. United has always been at the bottom of my list. They once held up a flight for almost an hour so a United employee (non-pilot) could deadhead from EWR to IAH, causing lots of people to miss their connection. They also fucked up a Mexican vacation many years ago due to repeated "mechanical issues". Their staff are often rude and entitled and I'll never darken their door again. 

Delta used to be great around 2008-2012 but has since fallen into the "woke" pit with United. Good luck if you need help in ATL, they are usually understaffed and you'll have to wait forever. They also seem to love putting the flight attendants with the most giant asses on small commuter routes so they bump into you every time they pass. 

Since retirement, I've been flying AA for the last 3 years as it offers me the best and least expensive flight to both BKK and Mexico. I've never had a problem with DFW apart from their love of changing gates 2-3 times before departure. Plus, AA partners with JAL which is my current favorite airline. Their A350 Biz Class is a cut above and the flight attendants are all slim, beautiful and attentive. I fly AA to Narita and the rest to BKK and back is all JAL.

[Long John 1,619]

12 hours ago, sydney69er said:

crusty old, angry women

Agreed. A trip I made on United a few years ago had just those women on board. I reckon the average age of the crew would have been in the fifties. The gay guy attending to me was knocking 60. He was good at his job.

[Long John 1,619]

11 hours ago, JackJohn said:

let alone an attractive lady or ladyboy lol.

Speaking of which. Have you guys had the LB warning switch turn on with a flight crew. I have, twice in the last year. From memory one was with Vietjet. I always check out the hand and feet size along with the adams apple. Also the better makeup and attention to detail.

ps I do like the uniform the Vietjet staff wear. Red tops and beige houndstooth hotpants. Very smart but somehow dont think the older United crew would look so good in them. I was told that when they first started flying they wore bikinis as a promo thing but decided decorum was the better choice.

[oliver17 12,603]

1 hour ago, Long John said:

Speaking of which. Have you guys had the LB warning switch turn on with a flight crew. I have, twice in the last year. From memory one was with Vietjet. I always check out the hand and feet size along with the adams apple. Also the better makeup and attention to detail.

Years ago, there was a Thai airline that prioritized hiring of LB flight attendants. Some BMs here may remember it.

Read the Guardian link first, then read the Wikipedia link to learn the fate of the airline.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2012/jan/17/pc-air-transgender-flight-attendants

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/P.C._Air

 

[JackJohn 347]

2 hours ago, Long John said:

Agreed. A trip I made on United a few years ago had just those women on board. I reckon the average age of the crew would have been in the fifties. The gay guy attending to me was knocking 60. He was good at his job.

Haha so true. The time I had to take air Canada (long story so will spare you the details) the crew were at least 50 or older. The one woman serving me definitely could have taken her pension already. She was friendly though but it was a sobering up after the night before partying away at one the clubs down sukhumvit. Also the service was so slow and she had to ask me twice what I wanted to drink. Then she eventually came with a Bulgarian inspired gin.... Which was basically vodka but I don't think she wanted to let me down telling me it has run out. The onboard wifi never worked and she said you can connect when we land...no shit.

[Long John 1,619]

1 hour ago, oliver17 said:

Years ago, there was a Thai airline that prioritized hiring of LB flight attendants. Some BMs here may remember it.

Read the Guardian link first, then read the Wikipedia link to learn the fate of the airline.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2012/jan/17/pc-air-transgender-flight-attendants

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/P.C._Air

 

In the wikipedia article it says that Thai air is full service. What does that mean???.

[taaseesanuk 4,231]

3 hours ago, Long John said:

The gay guy attending to me was knocking 60. He was good at his job.

What job was he doing? 

[Bwana_LB 2,754]

6 hours ago, Long John said:

In the wikipedia article it says that Thai air is full service. What does that mean???.

Hang out in the restrooms at the rear of the plane and you'll find out.

[Long John 1,619]

20 hours ago, taaseesanuk said:

What job was he doing? 

Now I could say something smart but it would not be right!

[Markm 1,043]

7 hrs perth to bkk , but I still prefer Singapore airways 8 hrs 30 mins. Short stop over at Changi airport . Bit longer but much better departure and arrival times . And there always on time  mostly unlike Thai. 

[oliver17 12,603]

On 5/14/2025 at 8:12 PM, Bwana_LB said:

Unfortunately, the Chicago Polaris Club has been closed for a while for renovations. Returning from Europe last month I connected at ORD, and we were directed to the regular United Club which was completely overcrowded due to the closing of the Polaris Lounge. It looked like they were many months away from reopening it.

Some good news on this front. The Polaris lounge at ORD reopened in late April. The link below details the renovations. 

I have a ladyboy trip coming up in a few weeks and I will likely be flying ANA out of Chicago . I can't wait to check this place out. 

https://thepointsguy.com/news/united-polaris-lounge-chicago/

[Bwana_LB 2,754]

19 hours ago, oliver17 said:

ome good news on this front. The Polaris lounge at ORD reopened in late April.

Just got that news from United. They credited me 25k miles for the fact that when I traveled home from Europe the Chicago lounge was closed and the LA lounge was so overcrowded that they sent many of us to the United Club. I think 25k will get me a free Tapas Snackbox. 

[taaseesanuk 4,231]

2 hours ago, Bwana_LB said:

I think 25k will get me a free Tapas Snackbox. 

Take it on the flight, it will be better than the food been served.

[bbb753 29]

Rumor is that a second one is coming at some point over the next few years. Seattle to BKK nonstop on Alaska Airlines. 

After their purchase of Hawaiian Airlines and their 787's, Alaska is investing heavily in European/Asian routes. They're starting routes to Seoul/Tokyo. 

Then, over the next few years, rumor is that they'll roll out some European destinations (London, Paris, Rome), and more Asian ones (Manila, HCMC, Delhi, and BKK).

So, let's see!

[Bwana_LB 2,754]

My cousin's hubby is an exec with Alaska, and he says while BKK is possible, it would be several years out. They are focused on other locations in Asia for now. They've just started flying to Tokyo and will start flights to Seoul in October. Nothing else is set, but they are looking at locations other than BKK for their next expansion in Asia.

My money is on Delta as the next US carrier to fly to BKK. They definitely want to compete with United in Asia.