Thai Airways has historically struggled with fleet and product consistency. That’s largely because the airline has lacked a long term strategy due to constant financial issues, and that has made it tough to actually invest in the passenger experience.
For the past several years, the airline has been in rehabilitation, and is trying to turn itself around. With the airline expected to exit its rehabilitation in the coming months, Thai Airways’ CEO has revealed some interesting details about the carrier’s plans, per an interview with Airways.
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Thai Airways plans new 777 & 787 business class
Thai Airways has plans to streamline its business class product on many long haul aircraft, but we’ll have to be patient. Thai Airways plans to install a new business class product on a total of 44 wide body aircraft, including 14 of the existing 17 Boeing 777-300ERs, as well as on at least 30 newly delivered Boeing 787-9s and Boeing 787-10s.
Thai Airways’ three newest Boeing 777-300ERs feature first class, so those planes will maintain their existing cabins, but that’s the extent to which Thai Airways plans to maintain first class.
Then the airline will reconfigure 14 of its existing Boeing 777-300ERs, with the same product that will be installed on all the newly delivered Boeing 787s. Unfortunately the timeline for this work remains to be seen, especially since the first Dreamliner won’t join the fleet until 2027, best case scenario.
So, what can we expect from Thai Airways’ new business class? The new business class will consist of reverse herringbone seats with privacy doors. On top of that, the airline will offer a front row business class suite, offering extra space, as that’s an increasingly popular trend.
Thai Airways also plans to install premium economy on all of these planes. Furthermore, the airline will be going from nine abreast seating to 10 abreast seating on its 777s, which is disappointing, but not surprising, and follows the industry trend.
So, which new business class should we expect the airline to introduce? The details are expected to be announced in the coming months, though our clue is that it’s a reverse herringbone product with a front row suite. If that’s accurate, that probably narrows it down to one of two likely products.
It could be the Collins Aerospace Elements seat, which is kind of the latest and greatest reverse herringbone seat, making some incremental improvements over the previous Collins Aerospace Super Diamond seat. There’s the ability to make the front row special, like what we’ve seen on Starlux’s A350s (though on Starlux, the front row is marketed as first class).
However, it also seems like the Thompson Aero VantageNOVA platform could be a possibility. It hasn’t been installed on any airline yet, but is a reverse herringbone product with a front row suite, and we know that an unnamed airline will be the launch customer. Furthermore, Thai Airways is installing seats from Thompson Aero on its narrow body jets, so that would make sense.
Thai Airways plans Airbus A321neo flat bed business class
Thai Airways has a total of 32 Airbus A321neos on order, which are expected to be delivered as of late 2025. These are exciting new planes for the airline, as they fill a gap with which the airline previously struggled.
Historically, Thai Airways has only had wide body aircraft in its mainline fleet. A little over a year ago, the decision was made to merge subsidiary Thai Smile into the mainline fleet, and with that, we’re seeing A320s get recliner business class seats.
That’s better than nothing, but what’s much more exciting is what the airline has planned for its upcoming A321neos. Specifically, the airline intends to install 16 Thompson Aero Vantage business class seats, which alternate between being in a 2-2 and 1-1 configuration, so you can expect there to be a total of five rows.
Obviously this isn’t the world’s most exciting business class hard product, but it should do the trick for the missions these planes will fly, primarily within Asia, and it’s a huge upgrade over what Thai Airways otherwise offers on narrow body jets.
Bottom line
Thai Airways has exciting plans for the premium cabins on its aircraft, and we’ll finally start to see more consistency. For most existing 777s, plus future 787 deliveries, Thai Airways plans to offer reverse herringbone seats with doors, plus a front row business class suite. Then for upcoming A321neo deliveries, the airline will be introducing flat bed seats in a staggered layout.
This is all positive news, the question is just what kind of a timeline we’re looking at for the wide body aircraft changes. I’m happy to see Thai Airways finally developing some sort of a passenger experience strategy.
What do you make of Thai Airways’ new business class plans?
Hi Ben -
Long time reader and follower. The pop-up ads are out of control! I can't even scroll sometimes without some stupid web page taking over my screen. I just delete the post and move on.
Not good for credit card bonus offers when you can't even get to the offer because of these damn pop-ups. Hope they are paying the bills.
TG is a for profit but not profit driven company. That's why most people see them as lack of long term strategy.
It's politically driven.
They don't order new planes or seats or better products to be competitive, they do it to fill up someone's wallet.
That was always the long term strategy and they're still sticking to it.
Similarly, why do you think we lost all those Priority Pass access. Same long term strategy.
Seems like ITA's 321neo and B6 321neo J is not a favourite choice, how much space does that design lose compared to this two decade design?
We have tried TG in J, BKK-LHR, (all be it pre Chinese Virus) nice food and FA’s, shame about the plane.
Other family members avoid the airline too.
Any improvements inside the cabin can only be a welcome addition to what could be an excellent carrier.
LOL, you don't fly BA to BKK??????
Denver would be pissed.
It's effing BA. Your effing BA. The BA apologist.
The BA no one ever set foot on.
And you still fly TG?
The A321neo product makes sense, I think Thai was in the process of standardizing their regional A330 seat around this product.
As for the rest of the fleet I think they were trying to standardize their 777s and A350s around one product but the rest of their fleet is a mishmash (the 788s have a different product than their 789s). And some of their A350s have different products. Some variation is okay I say but...
The A321neo product makes sense, I think Thai was in the process of standardizing their regional A330 seat around this product.
As for the rest of the fleet I think they were trying to standardize their 777s and A350s around one product but the rest of their fleet is a mishmash (the 788s have a different product than their 789s). And some of their A350s have different products. Some variation is okay I say but not to the extent Thai does it.
Guide to each product that the airline has to offer?
Really rooting for Thai Airways. They have the potential to occupy an interesting niche in the East Asian premium segment. If the hard product can be improved the soft product is already there. In my travels I have consistently found Thai flight crews to be very hospitable and kind.
I also hope Thai is eventually cleared for direct flights to and from the US
Time for Ben to fly SQ’s 737 MAX, TG’s A321neo and AI’s ex-Vistara A321neo, I say. Show some love for Asian narrowbodies south of HKG!
Better yet, I would love to see a round-the-world narrowbody challenge; he can include UAs new service to Greenland and Mongolia!
I flew the ex-Vistara product shortly after its integration into AI. Great medium haul experience onboard (SIN-BOM), though the boarding process left a lot to be desired.
They're finally introducing business class suites, although they had a chance to do so in 2022 when their new B77Ws were introduced. The premium seats on said planes had a suite frame but THAI decided to just remove doors. They opted for the same product as the Oman Air's B789 first class suites which has a door installed, from my knowledge. Even in THAI adaptation, there's an illustration of the suite with doors. The business...
They're finally introducing business class suites, although they had a chance to do so in 2022 when their new B77Ws were introduced. The premium seats on said planes had a suite frame but THAI decided to just remove doors. They opted for the same product as the Oman Air's B789 first class suites which has a door installed, from my knowledge. Even in THAI adaptation, there's an illustration of the suite with doors. The business class are filled with STELIA Solstys III (the newest version) which could have a door installed but was not the case for THAI.
Regardless of which seat type THAI opts for, the all-new business class sray was a long overdue - so, good to see. Just wishing that they could install more first class suites as a part of this 777 reconfiguration programme.
For A321neos, to be honest, installing Thompson Vantage for their A21Ns is kind of disappointing. Even realising that THAI wasn't an airline known for its hard product, that's an underwhelming seat to be introduced in 2025. STELIA Opera (ITA A21N business class), or even Collins Diamond is better IMO (the throne seats are overrated, let alone the rest of the cabin).
Speaking of premium economy, that reminds me, Korean's new product should be out by now, no?!
This is all very good news for Thai as it seems the new seats will be competitive with MH and CX's new BC product but we'll have to see what SQ comes up with. I wonder what will happen with their A350 since it wasn't mentioned but currently represents a substantial part of the fleet.
SQ are already installing the Thompson Aero Vantage seat on their 737 Max aircraft.
I'm sure they meant SQs upcoming product for their long-haul/ULR A350 as it was only a tease.
Thai retired their a380s but did they ever get rid of them? Or are they stored somewhere
They’re sitting at BKK rotting lol
Such a sad sight seeing all those faded widebodies sitting by the side of the runway as you come in to land at BKK!
VantageNOVA?
Sounds like a perfect product to visualise.
Right, P******nova?
With pretty much every major player in the region going for flatbeds even on their narrowbody fleet, I hope CX changes course real quick as their recliners are uncompetitive. The only major players left strictly with recliners on their narrowbodies would be Vietnam and Malaysia. Everyone else has a form of a flatbed or will be getting theirs soon such as EVA.