THAI's Sky-High Deal: 45 Dreamliners to Revamp Fleet

[harryviking]

22 hours ago, edwinchester said:

Should have gone for the A 350, larger, more passengers and greater range.

Thailand does not do things that are best for it. Like with the Chinese, it is just "back licking".....

[Tubulat]

19 hours ago, Rampant Rabbit said:

and everyone got their money back from their lost covid seats right?

Quickly answer: NO, i not.

[Tubulat]

14 hours ago, JustinT said:

Nope, Thai never gave refunds for cancelled flights.  I lost my money.  I don't know why anyone still flys this scam airline.

You are absolutely right, and I have sworn off Thai too, but there are circumstances when you have no other option, for instance direct flight or airports where you don't want to land.

[Sydebolle]

Good luck that I am retired as I am lost for understanding and comprehension. Thai Airways clocked an accrued 300 billion Thai Baht loss, has retired aircraft parked literally all over the country and now goes shopping for 45 new toys.

This airline, once a pristine sparkling star on Asian aviation sky, went downhill after 1992 once Chatichai Bunya-ananta and his team of professional airline chiefs were forced into mandatory retirement (with 60 years of age). The vacancies were filled with absolutely incompetent clowns from the air force and the ministry of finance who all had two things in common. Not the slightest clue of how to run a (professional and very profitable) airline and extremely skilled in daylight robbery and stealing anything which was not screwed, nailed or bolted. 

Thai Airways became the country biggest 7/11 store with the sole exception that "customers" helped themselves from all those horns of plenty and left the store as there was no cashier to tally the financials. Likewise the arrogance of ground and cabin crew grew in line with the decline of the airline. During/after Covid 19 Thai Airways had tens of thousands of staff grounded, the planes were parked all over the aerodromes of the Kingdom compiling massive costs/losses while Thai Vietjet managed to operate a reliable schedule and finished the year with a black Zero. 

My refund application from a few years ago over a cancelled long haul flight remains unattended to this day. I wrote this off and consequently keep accruing 100,000+ miles a year on any other airline but Thai Airways. 

Lets see, where they want to go with the new fleet of 45 dreamliners; wondering also, if it is the same purchase crew which managed to cream off millions of pounds like in the first stint with the Rolls-Royce engines 😉 

Mysterious are the ways of the East - indeed! 

[alanrchase]

3 hours ago, Ulyssesamui said:

That should help towards ironing out the $45 Billion trade deficit with the US, well done, President Trump.

The article claims the deal was signed during the Singapore Airshow. The last show was in Feb 2024 and the next is in Feb 2026. Seems this deal had nothing to do with Trump's tariffs. The Thais seem to be playing Trump.

[tomazbodner]

I'm no fan of Boeing aircraft or company, but Dreamliner is my favourite bird from them, and TG already has a handful of them which I've flown several times. They do look a little dated from the outside but still wonderful to fly.

 

So it makes sense for the airline to increase the fleet of these, regardless of politics.

[Wiggy]

On 4/9/2025 at 9:48 AM, webfact said:

This agreement with Boeing supports Thailand's effort to balance its trade relations with the US."

Rubbish. This order was placed before tariffs were even mentioned by the Orange one. 

[Purdey]

I have to wonder whether the price will rise over the next few years. At least 12 countries make parts for Boeing, and all of them have to pay Trumptax.

[KhunBENQ]

 

2 hours ago, Purdey said:

At least 12 countries make parts for Boeing, and all of them have to pay Trumptax.

I remember a headline saying that Boeing would be hit harder by these tax plans than Airbus.

That they decided for Boeing maybe related to the long order queue at Airbus, more than 200 orders now.

Boeing discounts to the max?

[Negita43]

Nothing to do with tariffs eh?

[rough diamond]

1 hour ago, Negita43 said:

Nothing to do with tariffs eh?

Not if it was agreed a year ago!!

[jayboy]

8 hours ago, Sydebolle said:

Good luck that I am retired as I am lost for understanding and comprehension. Thai Airways clocked an accrued 300 billion Thai Baht loss, has retired aircraft parked literally all over the country and now goes shopping for 45 new toys.

 

Excellent post.Thai Airways is now out of rehabilitation but as far as i can see, the many management and financial structural issues have not been properly addressed.

[Negita43]

15 minutes ago, rough diamond said:

Not if it was agreed a year ago!!

why is the post dated 1 day ago?

[rough diamond]

42 minutes ago, Negita43 said:

why is the post dated 1 day ago?

Read the previous post which say it was over one year ago!

[Chalong circle]

Whatever. Bring back A 380 !

[josephbloggs]

3 hours ago, Negita43 said:

Nothing to do with tariffs eh?

So you think an airline can work out hundreds of million of dollars of finances, have board and shareholder meetings, and negotiate with Boeing to buy 45 aircraft one day after Trump man announces tariffs? Wow, they move fast!

[newnative]

On 4/9/2025 at 3:26 PM, msbkk said:

I personally found the seats on Dreamliners very narrow with unsufficient leg room.

     Totally agree.  I try to avoid the 787 if I possibly can.  Its shortcomings were highlighted several years ago when my spouse and I took 2 flights back-to-back.  The first flight was a 787 from BKK to Japan.  Awful.  The seat was, indeed, very narrow and it was difficult eating with so little arm room.  Changed planes in Japan and the second flight was on a 777.  What a difference.  Spouse and I were on 2 middle row seats and there was a fairly large gap between our 2 seats and the other two.   Much more room--which was easy to note having just been on the 787.  

[Dan O]

Wasn't the purchase of a number of aircraft at inflated prices what got them in trouble last time?

[SpaceKadet]

Since the bean counters took over and kicked out the engineers, Boeing is no longer the respected high tech aerospace company it once was.

Recent 737 Max crashes and the Starliner fiasco tell a true story. I wouldn't trust any new product from that manufacturer.

 

I'll just repeat what I said in another thread:

 

"If it's Boeing, I ain't going..."

[Purdey]

I guess you only get commissions on new airplanes.

[kimamey]

On 4/9/2025 at 9:26 AM, msbkk said:

I personally found the seats on Dreamliners very narrow with unsufficient leg room.

I fly a lot on Gulf Air which uses Dreamliners. They are fine, although I think the A350 is better. The seats in any plane is dependent on how they fit it out rather than the aircraft manufacturer.

[LosLobo]

55 minutes ago, kimamey said:

I fly a lot on Gulf Air which uses Dreamliners. They are fine, although I think the A350 is better. The seats in any plane is dependent on how they fit it out rather than the aircraft manufacturer.

So, the seats depend on the fit-out, not the manufacturer— yet somehow the A350 wins?

[PoorSucker]

On 4/9/2025 at 3:18 PM, blaze master said:

Perfect. Now all the generals can fly for free in style.

And the family and cousins from inmarried

[NanLaew]

 

On 4/9/2025 at 7:32 PM, CallumWK said:

 

So in your opinion they should choose an inferior airplane for the tariffs?

 

Are you American?

 

Maybe he knows where the door plugs are when he's selecting his seat?

[NanLaew]

On 4/10/2025 at 7:57 PM, jayboy said:

On 4/10/2025 at 11:43 AM, Sydebolle said:

Good luck that I am retired as I am lost for understanding and comprehension. Thai Airways clocked an accrued 300 billion Thai Baht loss, has retired aircraft parked literally all over the country and now goes shopping for 45 new toys.

 

Excellent post.Thai Airways is now out of rehabilitation but as far as i can see, the many management and financial structural issues have not been properly addressed.

 

I like it when the former-executives and management of international airlines retire to Thailand and post insightful and informative comments on these forum pages.

[josephbloggs]

1 hour ago, LosLobo said:

So, the seats depend on the fit-out, not the manufacturer— yet somehow the A350 wins?

What's wrong with that? IMO the A350 is a better plane too. More airy, quieter, and just a nicer place to be. Plus it is a lot less likely to fall out of the sky.

Interior seat comfort varies by airline, as does service and IFE, but the plane is the plane. And the A350 is a nicer place to be than a 787 for me.

Not sure why you struggle with that concept. 

A380, A350, B787, B777 in that order for me.

 

[Mr Meeseeks]

On 4/9/2025 at 4:27 PM, soi3eddie said:

 

 I flew on Thai 787-8 from Bangkok to London in August 2022.  6 seats across in "business" class 2-2-2 - terrible! Economy was very cramped and narrow aisles with 3-3-3 seating. Hope you can enjoy that if they do same on the new orders.

 

 

The lesson is never fly Thai on business long haul unless there is absolutely no other option.

 

I just flew back from the UK on QR in business with Q-Suites on the second of the legs, and it was excellent. Dine on demand, private cabin, fantastic entertainment options, great selection of bevvy etc.

 

Don't know why people persist on these expensive mid/low tier bus class products from TG when there are so many superior options available at less cost.

[Mr Meeseeks]

19 minutes ago, josephbloggs said:

A380, A350, B787, B777 in that order for me.

 

Same for me when only considering the aircraft.

[NanLaew]

8 minutes ago, Mr Meeseeks said:

 

The lesson is never fly Thai on business long haul unless there is absolutely no other option.

 

I just flew back from the UK on QR in business with Q-Suites on the second of the legs, and it was excellent. Dine on demand, private cabin, fantastic entertainment options, great selection of bevvy etc.

 

Don't know why people persist on these expensive mid/low tier bus class products from TG when there are so many superior options available at less cost.

 

I also like the seasoned front-of-the-bus flyers that post their apples to oranges comparisons.

 

Airlines make the bulk of their profits on those who 'turn-left' at the door when boarding. Since they have maxed-out their profits with the limited variations allowed in Coach, ie. economy, economy plus, economy lite, 3-4-3, 3-5-3 seating and other nuances beyond a few more inches of legroom, 'premium' meals, paying for checked baggage and the like, the focus is on the business (or better-off personal) traveler.

 

At the front of the airplane, there are increasingly more variations and price banding options, but that depends on the fleet size, destinations served, length of non-stop sectors, etc.. Not all airlines can afford to offer the individual suites and cabins that SQ pioneered and Qatar have tweaked. Thai learned that they cannot compete, as have most who bought less than half-a-dozen A380's, with the higher-end, longer-haul airlines. Good luck to them in staying flexible enough to work profitably and safely in an industry where the dynamics are rapidly changing. To me, it's a bus that flies and airports are bus stations.

 

Disclaimer: I have never worked, or pretended to work, in the airline or travel business. Just a tired old frequent flier who misses the Constellation and the stopovers in Constantinople, Delhi and Rangoon.

[Mr Meeseeks]

Just now, NanLaew said:

 

I also like the seasoned front-of-the-bus flyers that post their apples to oranges comparisons.

 

Hardly apples to oranges.

 

I was comparing QR business class to TG business class on the same route BKK-LHR.