After spending a week traveling in USA, starting from New York, then down to Philadelphia, and finishing the trip in Washington DC, it was time for me to say goodbye to Uncle Sam’s land and return to my homeland, Thailand. For this trip in USA, I chose to fly out from Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD) back to Bangkok (Suvarnabhumi: BKK) with a layover at Beijing Capital International Airport (PEK) by Air China, the national airline of China. This was different from my inbound flight, where I flew from Bangkok to New York with the same airline. For this trip, I booked a Multi-Cities Trip within the same booking , which was very convenient. Details of this route are as follows.
Flight – 1
Route : Washington Dulles (IAD) – Beijing Capital (PEK)
Flight : CA818 – Air China
Aircraft : Boeing 777-300 ER
ETD : 15:10 PM (GMT-5)
ETA : 18:25 PM +1 (GMT+8)
Duration : 14 Hours 15 Minutes
Cabin : Economy
———— Layover time : 1 Hours 30 Minutes ———–
Flight – 2 (+1 day)
Route : Beijing Capital (PEK) – Bangkok Suvarnabhumi (BKK)
Flight : CA979 – Air China
Aircraft : Boeing 777-300 ER
ETD : 19:55 PM (GMT+8)
ETA : 23:55 AM (GMT+7)
Duration : 5 Hours
Cabin : Economy
.
This trip started with checking out of Hi-Washington DC Hostel before 10 am in the morning to catch the Gray Line Metro from Metro Center station to Wiehle-Reston East station. From there, I took the Silver Line Express Bus to Washington Dulles Airport (IAD), which took about 15 minutes. The bus dropped me off right at the passenger terminal. The bus fare was $5 USD per person and was paid upon arrival at the airport entrance. (I heard that they plan to expand the Metro rail line from Wiehle-Reston East station to the airport in the future, but I’m not sure when it will be completed.)
.
.
.
I arrived at the airport around noon and went to look for the Air China check-in counter. The airport was quite large, so it took me a while to find it. Today, I checked in at the Ticket Counter – 1.
.
.
.
Once we arrived at the check-in counter, we had to wait in line for it to open. Unfortunately, I couldn’t do online check-in, and the system instructed me to check-in at the counter. So, I had to follow the procedure and wait in line like everyone else.
.
.
After waiting in line for about 30 minutes, I finally received my boarding pass. During the check-in process, the staff asked me many detailed questions. Even though I was flying back to Thailand, my home country where I didn’t need to go through extensive visa checks, the staff still asked about the items in my luggage and focused on asking about my power bank. They were really thorough in their questioning.
.
After receiving my boarding pass, I proceeded through security as per the regulations.
.
.
.
Today, I boarded the shuttle at Gate A25. Since Washington Dulles Airport has multiple terminals, there were driverless trains available to transport passengers between terminals.
.
.
.
.
.
After arriving at Gate A, I still had some time to wander around and find something to eat before boarding my flight. It was around 1:00 pm and the breakfast I had earlier at the hotel had worn off.
Feeling hungry, I decided to search for some food within the gate area. My flight from Beijing had yet to arrive, so I had some time to spare. Eventually, I stumbled upon an Asian restaurant and decided to order fried rice and chicken with soy sauce, along with a bottle of fruit juice. The meal cost me $18.5 USD, which was quite expensive.
I realized later that the displayed prices on the menu board did not include VAT, which I had forgotten to add when placing my order. Despite the higher than expected cost, the food was tasty and helped to satisfy my hunger before the flight.
.
.
.
.
After filling myself up with a full stomach, I walked back to the gate area and saw that the B-777 aircraft was already parked and waiting for us. Passengers had gathered and were waiting for boarding to begin, with some already lining up in designated rows.
.
When it was time to board, the staff began calling for boarding and only checked the passengers’ boarding passes, not their passports. This was because they used a face recognition system here instead of traditional passport checks. It was very hi-tech. 🙂
.
.
.
The seating in the economy class was arranged in a 3-4-3 configuration, while the business class seats were arranged in a 1-2-1 configuration. At the check-in counter, there was an option to upgrade to business class with a price of 1,200 USD.
.
.
The seats are considered wide enough for a person who is 183 cm tall, but after sitting for 14 hours, it becomes uncomfortable. It would be great if the seats were a bit wider, especially for Extra Long Haul Flights (this flight is narrower than the one I flew on a B-787 to New York). As for the amenities, there were PTV, headphones, a pillow, and a blanket.
.
.
.
.
After all the passengers had boarded, the captain pushed the plane back and took off on time. Once in the air, I have surveyed the lavatories and found soap and lotion available for use.
.
.
.
After takeoff for about an hour, the flight attendants began to serve the first meal, which was a hot dish. There were two options to choose from: Rice with Chicken or Beef Steak. Since I don’t eat beef, I could only choose the Rice with Chicken which tasted acceptable, like Chinese cuisine style. It was served with yogurt, tuna salad, fruits, and bread with butter.
.
After the first meal service was complete, the captain dimmed the cabin lights to allow passengers to rest. If you get hungry or thirsty during the flight, you can walk around and get some snacks or drinks whenever you want. Alcoholic beverages such as beer and wine are also available for free flow, which is great !
.
.
During the flight, I dozed off and woke up, alternated with watching movies and playing games. About three hours before landing, the second meal service began with two options: Noodle with Pork or Fried Rice with Fish. I chose the first choice. 😛
.
After the second meal was served and I was full, the captain started to descend towards Beijing Capital International Airport. The PTV screen showed the connecting flights and which gate to go to. Our flight to Bangkok was departing from Gate E7.
.
.
After our plane landed at Beijing Capital International Airport, I had the duty of being the “fastest runner” to quickly pass through the transfer ticket checking process and security, as I only had 90 minutes to catch my connecting flight. Chinese airports are known for their thorough security checks, which caused some delay, but in the end, I made it to my gate, E7, on time !
.
.
.
.
.
.
When I arrived at the gate, passengers were boarding almost done. It was quite a rush to get there.
.
.
.
.
.
After boarding the plane, I quickly searched for a seat because it seemed like everyone else had already boarded and I didn’t want to be left standing. The seating arrangement was in a 3-4-3 configuration, similar to the flight we took from Washington, D.C., but this time I decided to try sitting by the window.
.
.
The seat was the same as the first flight from Washington DC because it was the same model. As for amenities, there were pillows, blankets, headphones, and a PTV.
.
.
.
.
But… once I found my seat, the rush and hurry seemed pointless because the plane was packed and not leaving on time. We ended up being delayed for half an hour, which was quite frustrating.T_T
When everything was ready, the captain swiftly pushed back the plane and began the journey to Bangkok. After the plane had reached cruising altitude, I decided to check out the restroom first.
.
.
.
Afterwards, the staff served hot meals. I had pre-ordered a Bland Meal (BLML) in advance because I anticipated that it would be a night flight, so I wanted to eat something with a milder taste. In the end, I had some hot and bland chicken congee, which was very comforting for my throat. 🙂
.
When the stomach was so tight… that I didn’t know what to do, I curled up and slept for a while until I woke up when the captain started to descend and the staff checked for safety before landing the plane.
.
Finally, the captain landed us at Suvarnabhumi Airport smoothly. It was completed well over an hour later than scheduled arrival time, almost 1.30AM. After the plane reached the gate, we went through the immigration process and picked up our luggage at Belt No. 10 before heading home to rest and prepare for future challenges. This marks the end of my trip to USA, completed perfectly.
Overall, I believe that Air China’s service from Washington D.C. to Bangkok is good, except for the delay from Beijing to Bangkok. In terms of cleanliness, food, service, amenities, and in-flight entertainment, everything is abundant. If anyone wants an airline that offers affordable prices and full-service, Air China is definitely one of the top choices that I recommend. I wish everyone a pleasant journey – Wish you have wonderful FLIGHTS 🙂
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Written by : SHIPY SIWARIT TIASUWATTISETH
Shipy-Ship 
เป็นการเดินทางที่ยาวนานมากเลยครับ
LikeLike