Thai least 777 von Jet Airways (BKK-CDG/NRT)

Starting June 1, premium fare passengers booking Thai Airways between Bangkok, Paris CDG and Tokyo Narita will be sampling some of the world’s best seating such as suites in first class and fully flat beds in business class.

It will be a far cry from the situation today where flights on these routes are operated by Thai’s ageing B747-400s which, as our readers have testified, have varying standards. In some cases the seating can be up to two generations behind that of regional rivals Cathay Pacific and SIA (for more information see Bad for Business in the March 2010 edition of Business Traveller).

Thai can upgrade its product offering virtually overnight because it is leasing, rather than buying, state-of-the-art planes.

The aircraft in question are three B777-300ERs which Thai is dry leasing (it means Thai provides its own cockpit and cabin staff) from India’s Jet Airways at a reported cost of over US$1 million per plane per month.

The B777-300ERs are equipped with eight suites in first class (1-2-1) and 30 fully flat beds in business class disposed in the herringbone layout (1-2-1). The 274 economy class passengers are not overlooked as their seating comes with seat back entertainment systems and other comfort enhancements.

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