Where to discover a lie-flat bed in premium economy

Fancy booking a premium economy seat and finding you have snagged a lie-flat seat?

Thai Airways has launched lie-flat seats as a premium economy option on select regional routes, repurposing business class seats previously used by Virgin Atlantic, Thai correspondent Barry Wood advises.

The move offers some lucky passengers lie-flat comfort without the business-class price tag. Which has to be a winner.

The new Premium Economy Plus class has debuted on routes from Bangkok to Chennai, Dhaka, Hyderabad, Jakarta, and Kathmandu.

Rather than investing in fresh interiors, Thai Airways is instead making use of its newly leased Airbus A330-300s, originally configured for Virgin Atlantic.

These aircraft come fitted with 31 Zodiac UCS3 lie-flat Upper Class seats in a 1-1-1 herringbone layout, 48 standard premium economy recliners, and 185 economy seats.

Although these seats have been retired from top-tier business offerings, they still offer an upgrade from your average premium economy seats with fully-flat beds, 11.1-inch HD screens, and power outlets.

Business Traveller reports that the Thai Airways move is “a smart way to monetise ageing lie-flats on routes with weak premium demand without the overheads of business class service.”

A new air link between Bangkok and Brussels

There will soon be a new way to get to Europe from Australia, and it is one that I predict will find favour with a lot of leisure travellers.

For flyers who are not in a hurry, the best way to make transcontinental flights is to stop halfway for a night or two. Have a nice meal, enjoy a massage then complete the second leg a day or two later, fare rules permitting.

Thai flag carrier Thai Airways will resume flights from Bangkok to Brussels Airport in late 2024.

The airline will re-start daily direct Brussels flights from Bangkok from December 1 after a four-year hiatus caused by the Covid pandemic.

Brussels has great rail links with many major European cities, including London, Paris and Amsterdam.

“It is great news to welcome Thai Airways back to Brussels,” said Arnaud Feist, CEO of Brussels Airport. "This daily direct connection to Bangkok strengthens our position as a European hub."

Thai Airways will deploy Boeing 787-8 aircraft on the route, industry portal Travel Mole reports.

As a Star Alliance airline, Thai Airways is also strengthening the Star Alliance hub at Brussels Airport alongside home carrier Brussels Airlines.

This gives Thai Airways passengers more travel options across Europe and beyond.

Thai Airways links Perth direct with Bangkok

Great news for anyone wanting to fly direct from Perth to Bangkok. 

Thai Airways will recommence daily services between Bangkok and Perth from March, the first return to Perth for the Thai carrier since it scrapped services during the pandemic. 

The arrival of direct flights will be welcome as operators including Singapore Airlines, Scoot, Malindo Air, Malaysia Airlines and AirAsia all offer Perth-Bangkok flights, but all with stopovers. 

Thai Airways will operate the service using B787-8 aircraft, configured with 22 business class seats and 234 seats in economy in a standard 3-3-3 layout. 

West Australia's acting tourism minister Reece Whitby said Perth Airport was bringing back and securing new non-stop flights to strengthen the state’s reputation as the “Western Gateway to Australia”. 

“Securing and recommencing direct aviation services is absolutely vital to driving travellers to our state, injecting visitor spend into our economy, and creating jobs in the tourism and hospitality industries,” Whitby said. 

Tickets for the upcoming Bangkok flights are on sale now. 

The news followed an announcement earlier in the week by South African Airways that it will begin operating services between Johannesburg and Perth from April. 

See https://www.thaiairways.com/en_AU/

Leading Asian airlines agree to link up

Thai Airways and Singapore Airlines have joined forces to form a new strategic airline partnership.

The pair will phase in codesharing more extensively on each other’s services, Travel Mole reports.

The two carriers will also collaborate on commercial activities.

Thai and SIA will initially codeshare on flight services between Singapore and Bangkok.

Thai will also codeshare on SIA’s flight services to Cape Town and Johannesburg in South Africa as well as codesharing on North America flights including Houston, Los Angeles, New York and Newark.

The airline partnership will explore additional codeshare arrangements.

Goh Choon Phong, CEO, Singapore Airlines said: “This is a win-win opportunity to support the growth of our respective hubs.

"Both airlines have a loyal customer base, as well as extensive operations within south-east Asia and around the world."

Thai Airways acting CEO Suvadhana Sibunruang said "the codeshare arrangements will greatly benefit our customers in a range of service areas including [loyalty programs], customer experiences, lounge access and airport ground services.”

The agreement includes “wide-ranging commercial co-operation” the airlines said in a joint statement.

Bangkok remains the ideal stopover en route to Europe

I flew with Thai Airways last week - my first flight with them for several years.

My paid-for economy trip from Bangkok to Melbourne was almost totally full - but the crew did a great job and the food was better than on several other carriers that I have used in the past month.

The financial difficulties that Thai Airways has encountered have been well documented, but I would be more than happy to fly with them again.

Their flights have a certain panache - and there is nowhere better than Bangkok to break up a trip to or from Europe with a tasty meal, good sleep and a massage.

Tourism Authority of Thailand governor Yuthasak Supasorn says the country aims to target 30 million tourists next year.

The organisation launched the Visit Thailand Year 2022-2023: Amazing New Chapters campaign with a goal of generating 80% of pre-pandemic tourism receipts and a full recovery in 2024.

“If the Chinese government allows its citizens to travel, the number of foreign arrivals will definitely reach 30 million next year,“ he said.

Yuthasak expects the weaker Thai baht will boost foreign tourists’ spending.

Thailand received about two million foreign visitors in the first six months of 2022.

A day or two in Bangkok is always a delight - the city has so much infectious energy, and there are amazing contrasts between old and new; rich and poor; desperate dildo salesmen to three-hat Michelin restaurants.



And, of course, there are attractions that run from the spiritual to the sleazy, luxury shopping to cannabis consumption.

If they city is too frantic you can always escape to the peace of the Chao Phraya River and the city’s network of canals where stilt houses and old-fashioned bridges survives.

If you are flying with Thai then it might be worth considering preferred seats in economy class, located at the cabin's front rows and in the emergency exit rows.

These seats offer extra legroom for additional comfort. Once tickets have been issued, passengers can opt for a preferred seat prior to departure for a fee, which is based on distance flown and flight duration.

Call the Thai Contact Centre on 02 356 1111 or contact your local Reservations Office at least 48 hours before flight departure. Additionally, preferred seats can be purchased at the airport check-in counter and on board.

Return flights from Perth to Bangkok with Thai Airways start from $794 with departures also available from Melbourne and Sydney.

Thai Airways opens up Phuket for Australians

One travel destination I simply cannot wait to get back to is Thailand.

Beautiful beaches, spicy seafood lunches on the sands, a glass or two of cold beer and maybe a massage or two.

Thai Airways today announced non-stop flights between Sydney and Phuket, Thailand’s premier beach destination, three times each week on Wednesday, Friday and Sunday from December 8.

Flights will depart Sydney at 9.30am and arrive in time for cocktails at 2.40pm.

Flights have also resumed between Sydney and Bangkok and from November 17: four flights weekly are scheduled.

Flights to/from Melbourne are scheduled to resume in April 2022.

Beyond Thailand, flights have resumed or will soon resume to Europe and Asia, including to destinations like London, Paris, Frankfurt, Milan, Brussels, Zurich, Hong Kong, Tokyo, Singapore and many more.

It is terrific to break a trip to Europe with a night or two in Bangkok.

Flights to India, Pakistan and Bangladesh will resume in January 2022.

From November 1, Thailand will allow Australian passport holders to travel to Thailand quarantine-free.

Record loss for struggling Thai Airways

Thai Airways, traditionally one of the best international carriers in Asia. has reported its worst ever full-year financial performance, with an annual loss of over $6 billion for 2020.

It was the highest loss ever for a Thai company, based on Stock Exchange of Thailand data, Travel Mole reported.


Ticket revenue plunged 73.8% to THB48.3 billion while it posted a one-time charge of THB92 billion for its employee separation plan as well as large impairment losses on aircraft.


The news came just days before the airline submits a final debt rehabilitation plan to the Thai bankruptcy court in a bid to significantly reduce its liabilities.


The availability of vaccine supply and how quickly Covid jabs are carried out in Thailand and overseas will determine how quickly the airline can recover.


"Vaccines will be a significant factor in the aviation industry because it affects entry restriction policy of Thailand and other countries around the world," Thai Airways said in a statement.


"However, air travel around the world is expected to return to normal in 2024."


Thai Airways shares are suspended by the Stock Exchange of Thailand as it mulls whether to de-list the airline due to its negative equity.