Moscow 2011: 1st time in first class: Hong Kong to Bangkok

• Introduction
• The low-cost part of the trip: Penang to Hong Kong
• Hong Kong “forced” layover
• 1^st time in first class: Hong Kong United and Thai First Lounge
• 1^st time in first class: Hong Kong to Bangkok
• The F experience in Bangkok
• Bangkok to Dubai
• Dubai Layover
• Dubai to Istanbul
• Istanbul Layover
• Istanbul to Moscow
• Moscow
• Moscow to Frankfurt
• Frankfurt Layover
• Lufthansa First Class Terminal
• More 1^st Class – Frankfurt to Cairo
• Cairo Layover
• Cairo to Istanbul
• RIP THY 1^st class: Istanbul to Hong Kong
• Conclusion

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We took the free shuttle in the morning to catch our noon time flight to Bangkok (TG601). We arrived about 3 hours before the departure time (came early to get food in the lounges) and the check-in counters were not opened yet except the 1st class counter.  The check-in agent was having a hard time tagging our bags all the way to Moscow and kept saying in Cantonese that this was trip was complex.  I was actually surprised that she managed to issue all the 4 boarding passes for each of us all the way to Moscow. I also found out that our flight got switched on a regional 747 to a long haul 747 giving us the better first class seats to try.  Our seats were originally assigned 2A and 2B per the TG website.  The check-in agent asked if we wanted to seat together and of course we said yes and thus, moved us to 2E and 2F.

Instead of the TG F Lounge, we decided to try the United Airlines International First Lounge First after reading on flytertalk that they had champagne in that lounge. Having haven't had breakfast, we grab some stuff to eat from the lounge and enjoying a couple of glasses of champagne at 10 in the morning.  This was the way to start a holiday :)

Champagne and all our boarding passes:

Breakfast - Beef noodles, Japanese Curry & Ice Cream:

After plenty of champagne and checking email, we moved to the TG lounge about an hour before departure. The first-class side is just a cordoned off area of the lounge.  The difference between the business and first side is that you get to order stuff of a menu in the first side instead of self-serve on the business side.  After stuffing ourselves in the United lounge, we didn't order anything.  I was actually pretty disappointed with the food and drinks selection - there was no champange! I would recommend the United First Class Lounge instead of the Thai Lounge for those flying in First from Hong Kong any time.