Best Boutique Airline?: Bangkok Airways ATR72 Economy Class Review

In June 2022, we travelled to Thailand for a holiday. After arriving in Bangkok on Thai Airways A350 and exploring the city for a few days, we went to the island paradise of Koh Samui. The island is located off the coast of Thailand, to the south of Bangkok. Bangkok Airways enjoys a monopoly on the Bangkok-Koh Samui route. We flew with them on one of their ATR72s. If you ever wondered what Bangkok Airways Economy Class is like, take a look at this review.

In this trip:

• Thai Airways A350 Economy Class Review – Mumbai (BOM) to Bangkok (BKK)
• Bangkok Airways ATR72 Economy Class Review – Bangkok (BKK) to Koh Samui (USM) (this review)
• The Culture Samui Review
• Bangkok Airways ATR72 Economy Class Review – Koh Samui (USM) to Phuket (HKT)
• Hilton Garden Inn Phuket Bang Tao Review
• Le Méridien Khao Lak Resort & Spa Review
• Thai Smile Airways (Thai Airways) A320 Economy Class Review – Phuket (BKK) to Bangkok (BKK)
• Thai Airways B777 Economy Class Review – Bangkok (BKK) to Mumbai (BOM)

If you want to see a video of this review, check this out:

Bangkok Airways ATR72 Flight Booking

As of June 2025, Bangkok Airways has 10 ATR aircraft in its fleet. We booked this flight through a local travel agent for approximately INR 10,000 ($117).

Details about the flight are as follows:

• Origin: Bangkok (BKK)
• Destination: Koh Samui (USM)
• Departure time: 1200 hours
• Arrival time: 1330 hours
• Aircraft: ATR72-600

Airport Experience

Our flight, PG135, from Bangkok (BKK) to Koh Samui (USM) was scheduled to depart at 1200 hours. We took the airport metro and arrived at Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport around 1000 hours. Bangkok’s metro system is pretty easy to navigate and using the metro to/from the airport is convenient and pocket-friendly.

We used the self check-in kiosks and dropped our bags at the airline counter. Security check also didn’t take much time. Once airside, we headed to the Bangkok Airways lounge. One really good thing about flying with Bangkok Airways is that irrespective of the cabin you are flying in, you get access to Bangkok Airways’ lounge.

The lounge is pretty basic as you would expect. There are some seating areas and a small snack station where sandwiches, some other snacks and beverages like coffee, tea and fruit juices are offered.

Bangkok Airways Economy Class Cabin on its ATR72

My seat – 17A – was towards the back of the aircraft. In the front, there was a literature area and a standard tray-table. There’s also a small pocket to store your personal belongings under the tray-table.

Legroom is okay-ish for short hops like this. ATR seats are always a tight squeeze and this was nothing different.

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The Flight

Boarding began on time at 1120 hours. We were whisked away by a bus in no time thereafter to a remote stand where our aircraft was waiting. The aircraft operating our flight has registration HS-PZH, delivered brand new to the airline in April 2017. It seats 70 passengers in an all-Economy cabin and features a special “Sea & Palm” livery, embodying the airline’s tropical destinations.

We pushed-back, taxied and took-off from runway 19 on-time. The take-off views flying out of Bangkok are beautiful, with the coastline and mountains visible in the distance.

Since I flew with them during the COVID-19 pandemic, they didn’t offer a meal for safety reasons. However, they did provide a snack bag upon landing which consisted of a sandwich, muffin and bottle of water.

The rest of the flight was uneventful. One good thing when flying on an ATR is that since it cruises at lower altitudes, the views are even more beautiful.

We landed in Koh Samui before the scheduled arrival time of 1330 hours.

The Service

Cabin crew on this flight were excellent. The service was warm, professional and friendly. While the interaction was minimal, they were highly energetic.

IH Thoughts and Score

Bangkok Airways has always been a small airline and I think they market themselves very well as “Asia’s Boutique Airline”. The flight was great, from the comfortable seats (as per ATR standards) to the lounge access and everything in between. While the access to the lounge is great, it can sometimes get crowded since every passenger has access to it. In many cases, Bangkok Airways has a monopoly, with this route being a prime example. The airline owns three airports in Thailand – Koh Samui (USM), Sukhothai (THS) and Trat (TDX). The monopoly can sometimes lead to higher prices on certain routes, so while the value for money decreases, the experience isn’t bad. They are a nice little airline and I would not hesitate to fly with them again.

IH Score:

• Airport Experience: 20/20
• Seat and Amenities: 16/20
• Inflight Food: 18/20
• Aircraft and Cleanliness: 18/20
• Service: 20/20

The Good:

• Excellent Service
• Good Airport Experience
• Great Lounge
• Good Meal

The Bad:

• Cramped Seats

Overall: 92/100

Featured image by Ishan Haria

All the other images by Ishan Haria

Have you flown on Bangkok Airways? If yes, how was your experience? Let me know in the comments section below.

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