Inflight Experiences - Budget Flight on FD from SIN to DMK (May 2024)
On my Train Journey from Bangkok to Singapore in May 2024, I decided that it made the most economic sense to fly budget one-way from Singapore to Bangkok. This was because my "return" trip will be via train routes. With this in mind, I searched for the most competitive fares and decided to book the flight with Thai Air Asia.
Thai Air Asia is a low cost carrier formed via a joint venture between Malaysia's Air Asia and Thailand's Asia Aviation. From Singapore's Changi International Airport (IATA: SIN, ICAO: WSSS), Thai Air Asia fly to Bangkok's smaller Don Mueang International Airport (IATA: DMK, ICAO: VTBD).
Check-in
My flight was on FD356 departing Changi International Airport Terminal 4 on 27 May 2024 at the scheduled time of 2pm. Checking-in was simple and hassle free. I arrived at the departure terminal about 2.5 hours before the scheduled flight time and cleared immigration and security in under 10 minutes. There was no need to print my boarding pass because I already had the electronic copy and since I did not have any check-in luggage, I could proceed straight to immigration and security.
Boarding and Seating Arrangements
Boarding was a pleasant experience with queues forming in an orderly fashion and soon, everybody was onboard. I was assigned an aisle seat and was happy with the allocation. However, takeoff was delayed for about 30 minutes which I believed to be more due to a busy airport rather than any airline-related issues.
The plane servicing FD356 on 27 May 2024 from Singapore to Bangkok was an Airbus A321neo. Thai Air Asia currently has 4 of these planes in operation with another 6 on order at the time of the publishing this article. The plane can seat a maximum of 236 passengers in a single 3-3 seat configuration. My flight was almost full although I did see a few empty seats here and there.
The interior of the plane was very clean and this was obviously a fairly new aircraft. The crew were pleasant and professional and all passengers were friendly and considerate. I also found the space between seats fairly comfortable although I must add that I am only 1.65m in height and thus, do not have long legs!
Food and In-flight Services
After the slight delay, the plane was on the runway, took off and on its way to Bangkok. During the short flight, the crew pushed carts along the aisle, selling drinks and snacks. I did not purchase anything but noticed many passengers buying food and snacks. Cart sales were brisk.
Arrival
The relatively short flight of about 2 hours was soon over and the plane landed at Don Mueang International Airport. Passengers alighted at the tarmac and there were buses to ferry everybody to the arrival terminal.
I was quick to proceed to Immigration and found myself first-in-line at the counter. This was the first time in my travels that I was first-in-line at immigration. After immigration, clearing customs was also a breeze because I only had a small carry-on luggage and was soon on the metro to Bangkok city center.
After Flight Thoughts
This was the first time I had ever been on a Thai Air Asia flight or any Air Asia flight. I must say that for the price I paid, the flight was excellent. I had no complaints at all and for future trips between Singapore and Bangkok, I am likely to include Thai Air Asia in my considerations when choosing an airline for my flights.
Thank you Thai Air Asia for a pleasant flight. ✈
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