Travelling business class on thai air with toddler?

[ubonr1971]

We just returned from Europe in economy class thai air which was torture on my legs and body. I could not sleep and feet swollen. Our 4 yr old was able to sleep all the way lying across us in the middle. 

 

Walking thru business class... it seems they have an area to rest the feet on - to effectively lie down totally. Is this correct when the seat is adjusted. It means that our baby cannot be close to either of us as I looked at the seats and its all separated. Is this correct on business class thai air? 

 

we have to go back in March and I wanted to book tickets soon. One must consider the toddler at all times...

[Horace Lamb]

Business class costs money.  I'm sure you're aware. 

[richard_smith237]

 ‘Honeymoon’ seats in business class (seats next to each other) are dependent on the aircraft. 

 

Use seat-guru to find out what service there is on your route / aircraft. Caveat: the type of plane can change for operational reasons.

 

Alternative: Fly Economy with a stop-off. I.e. via Duba or Abu Dhabi with an airside stopover (12 Hrs or so) at the airside hotel (don’t leave the airport etc)...  

 

 

Edited November 25, 2018 by richard_smith237

[Horace Lamb]

14 minutes ago, ubonr1971 said:

we have to go back in March and I wanted to book tickets soon. One must consider the toddler at all times...

I wouldn't fly Thai as they've gone down hill.  Plenty of others to consider. 

 

Try flyertalk and other forums to keep up with the latest gen and offers.

[ubonr1971]

13 hours ago, Horace Lamb said:

I wouldn't fly Thai as they've gone down hill.  Plenty of others to consider. 

 

Try flyertalk and other forums to keep up with the latest gen and offers.

I have to agree with you. I looked around economy class and the planes are so old. The carpet on the floor is so worn. Old seats that are so hard and uncomfortable. It looked like a 20 yr old plane

[KhunBENQ]

On 11/25/2018 at 9:51 PM, ubonr1971 said:

We just returned from Europe

Where in Europe?

Type/quality of planes depends on the route.

I don't think that all TG routes to Europe are on old worn out planes.

But not sure...

Edited November 27, 2018 by KhunBENQ

[KittenKong]

On 11/25/2018 at 9:51 PM, ubonr1971 said:

Walking thru business class... it seems they have an area to rest the feet on - to effectively lie down totally. Is this correct when the seat is adjusted. It means that our baby cannot be close to either of us as I looked at the seats and its all separated. Is this correct on business class thai air? 

Have a look on Youtube where you will find many video reviews of business class on just about every airline in the world. The usually concentrate on the seats and the food.

 

You want to look for mentions like "lie-flat" or "170+ degree recline" seating. Generally the newer the plane the better the seats, though many airlines also retro-fit their older planes with new pod-style seats. That said, some of the older J seating in 777s is also fine, and you get a lot of space around you in those.

Some of the better price comparison websites also describe the exact type of seat and model of aircraft you can expect for any particular flight on a particular day.

Be aware that "operational reasons" (ie cock-ups) can cause the airline to change the type of plane at the last minute without warning or compensation. So you should try and select airlines which have a fairly standard fleet and not an erratic mixture of very old and very new.

 

The middle eastern airlines are usually a safe bet for reasonably priced and good quality business class travel. Etihad, Qatar, Emirates are ones I have been very happy with. Finnair and SriLankan also good, but you run the risk of getting a much older/smaller plane for the short sectors.

 

Beats me why anyone flies business with Thai as the prices are very high. I suspect that 90% of their J passengers dont pay for their own tickets.

[KittenKong]

24 minutes ago, KhunBENQ said:

Where in Europe?

Type/quality of planes depends on the route.

I don't think that all TG routes to Europe are on old worn out planes.

But not sure...

With an average age of 9+ years they are no spring chickens:

https://www.airfleets.net/ageflotte/Thai Airways.htm

And many of those planes are 20-year-old 747s.

 

TG has only very recently regained a decent FAA safety rating.