By Kristie Kellahan
Time to fly: Nok Air's planes resemble birds with the cockpit representing the beak.Credit: Kristie Kellahan
THE PLANE
Boeing 737-800. The word "nok" means bird in Thai. The airline's expanding fleet are all liveried to resemble birds, with the cockpit representing the beak. Distinctive and cute, the planes attract attention.
THE ROUTE
Nok Air's all-female crew wear sunny yellow uniforms.Credit: Kristie Kellahan
Nan to Bangkok (Don Mueang International Airport)
THE LOYALTY SCHEME
Nok Fan Club, with dedicated space at Don Mueang Airport. Various offers and promotions are advertised for members, including free passes to local attractions and limited edition merchandise. Despite Nok being partially owned by Thai Airways, there are no reciprocal privileges.
Nok Air's economy class cabin.Credit: Kristie Kellahan
CLASS
Economy seat 56H.
DURATION
70 minutes.
FREQUENCY
Three times daily (scheduled; reduced to twice daily depending on demand).
BAGGAGE
Baggage allowance varies from 15 to 30 kilograms, depending on fare class and membership of Nok Fan Club. Excess baggage charges vary according to when it's paid for. My ticket included 20 kilograms baggage and I paid $25 to carry an additional 15 kilograms, but that had to be paid at least 48 hours prior to flying. At check-in, the price would have jumped to $115.
Hand luggage size and weight didn't appear to be strictly policed; fellow passengers carried large backpacks and bulging bags of local strawberries and tamarind.
THE SEAT
With an Economy seat pitch of 30 inches (76 centimetres) and width of 17.2 inches (43.7cm), Nok Air offered a good level of comfort for the short flight.
COMFORT
Not bad at all. The aircraft cabin design is functional, and perfectly adequate for Nok's short-haul flights. Navy leather seats and a mighty air conditioning system provided comfortable solace from the 40-degree summer day.
With six seats per row, the B737 has a one-aisle configuration of 3-3 seats. This plane had a total of 189 seats.
ENTERTAINMENT
No seatback TVs, no inflight radio programming. Nok Air's inflight magazine, JlbJIB, is entirely in Thai, except for a few ads.
SERVICE
Delightful. Thailand's low-cost carriers seem to be in competition to hire the prettiest, lithest young Thai women as cabin stewards. Immaculately groomed in their sunny yellow dresses, the all-female crew appeared to be having a great time as they fussed over kids, handed out water and posed for happy snaps.
FOOD
Every passenger received a brown paper bag with a bread roll and drinking water inside. Not exactly the pinnacle of hospitality, but in a user-pays age when most low-cost carriers don't offer anything free, it was a nice touch. Additional drinks and snacks were available to purchase.
ONE MORE THING
Nok Air flies to Bangkok's "old" airport, Don Mueang International, as do many other low-cost carriers including Air Asia, Kan Air and Orient Thai. It's handy for downtown hotels and attractions. Less convenient for passengers connecting to international flights at Suvarnabhumi International Airport, which is at least an hour away by taxi or free shuttle bus. Make that two hours (or more) if you hit a Bangkok traffic jam.
In 2014, Nok announced a joint venture with Scoot Airlines to form NokScoot. Initially flying to Nanjing and Seoul, the airline has big plans to expand.
THE VERDICT
Friendly service and an extensive network of cities and regional destinations make Nok Air a good way to get around Thailand. See nokair.com.
Tested by Kristie Kellahan, who was a guest of the Tourism Authority of Thailand.
Sign up for the Traveller Deals newsletter
Get exclusive travel deals delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up now.