Thai Airways International Confident Of Competitive Edge With Six Airbus 380S

[baboon]

Good to hear. Emirates are v good value and I think fly the A380 on both legs. If I was to fly direct I'm fed up with Thai and BA's old planes, so that only leaves Quantas and Eva.

Done my online research; Eva seem to get good reviews, new planes and pleasant experience but v occasionally cancel flights and you only get one full meal on the 11 hr flight, plus the bar isn't generous.

If you like a few drinks while playing with the IFE, Emirates is definately for you. Providing you are not bothering anyone, they will pour and pour. The food tastes like food too...

[jerrysteve]

IT does make one wonder during there business slow down how well their airplanes were and continue to be maintained. Kind of a scary thought! Edited September 25, 2012 by jerrysteve

[baboon]

IT does make one wonder during there business slow down how well their airplanes were and continue to be maintained. Kind of a scary thought!

I wouldn`t worry about it. Even dangerous airlines are quite safe. The crews don`t want to die either, do they?

[fish fingers]

IT does make one wonder during there business slow down how well their airplanes were and continue to be maintained. Kind of a scary thought!

Even dangerous airlines are quite safe.

safe but dangerous? I wouldn't travel with Thai unless the alternative is worse. They have cancelled orders for new planes and their old long haul fleet are an accident waiting to happen, especially as I don't think the Board are that concerned for safety (since they kicked out their recent rather good President); they are no longer accountable to anyone.

Edited September 25, 2012 by fish fingers

[baboon]

IT does make one wonder during there business slow down how well their airplanes were and continue to be maintained. Kind of a scary thought!

Even dangerous airlines are quite safe.

safe but dangerous? I wouldn't travel with Thai unless the alternative is worse. They have cancelled orders for new planes and their old long haul fleet are an accident waiting to happen, especially as I don't think the Board are that concerned for safety (since they kicked out their recent rather good President); they are no longer accountable to anyone.

From a safety perspective, I would be as happy flying THAI as any other airline. You are in far more danger getting from A to B overland, especially here. Just because the interiors are worn and crappy does not mean the safety critical parts of the aircraft are. Get a nice cold one out of the fridge and relax...

[fish fingers]

Yes true. But it is worrying that margins are so squeezed now. Hopefully with the new generation of planes (A350) , airlines will make a better profit and not cut corners- and traveling by plane will be much better for it.

Edited September 25, 2012 by fish fingers

[Payboy]

National carrier confident of competitive edge with six Airbus 380s

Surely these aren't the same aircraft orders that Thai Airways tried unsuccessfully to cancel a couple of years ago.

http://www.usatoday.com/travel/flights/2009-06-09-thai-air-a380s_N.htm

[osiboy]

Just how old are those 747's on the London route? And the A346 is cramped.. I like direct but was thinking to try Emirates this time. Has anyone used EVA (direct to BKK), if so how are they?

Eva are fine, slightly better than thai imo , neither have the latest in-flight entertainment, but if you can get a quick change over/transfer i think emirates are MUCH better than both...., and you get 2 meals on both legs,........too often i arrive in bkk being very hungry.The ozy airlines are good too but often over priced along with BA who are awful, dirty,old and expensive and with ugly old birds in cabin class too !

[Noistar]

Just how old are those 747's on the London route? And the A346 is cramped.. I like direct but was thinking to try Emirates this time. Has anyone used EVA (direct to BKK), if so how are they?

Eva are fine, slightly better than thai imo , neither have the latest in-flight entertainment, but if you can get a quick change over/transfer i think emirates are MUCH better than both...., and you get 2 meals on both legs,........too often i arrive in bkk being very hungry.The ozy airlines are good too but often over priced along with BA who are awful, dirty,old and expensive and with ugly old birds in cabin class too !

Eva have Premium Economy which is a useful option which many Airlines, including Thai (at least when I last flew), don't have.

The planes are 777s, newer and a much better experience than even the 'refurbished' 747s

[Noistar]

Just seen confirmation that 380 will not fly to London, but to Sydney.

Seems the other airlines don't have to worry about the attraction a 380 would have been to LHR-BKK customers.

Well done the marketing/sales team

[dddave]

Not really a complaint, more an observation that Emirates seems to carry more family groups than other carriers which invariably means a screeching baby in every other row.

Noise cancelling earphones are more than just a convenience; they are necessary survival gear!

[Basil B]

It has been more than 15 since I last flew TG, as an avid EK flyer it seems hard to think of flying for more than a hour or so without IFE that supplies a hundred or more films and other entertainment on demand, select what you want to watch when you want.

Reading some posts much of the equipment is many years ^decades old, seems some of the old stuff that is removed when EK upgrades many of its older planes would be a luxury on a TG plane.

[Thai at Heart]

Sounds like it needs a bit more tha changing the. CEO?

[fish fingers]

Seems the other airlines don't have to worry about the attraction a 380 would have been to LHR-BKK customers.

Well done the marketing/sales team

I wish the last CEO was still in charge, he had a good business plan and was extremely capable. His mistake was taking on the Board and reducing their too generous salaries. They sacked him and have suggested that he was incompetent and most of the new fleet orders have been cancelled. The desperately need new planes.

[geriatrickid]

Seems the other airlines don't have to worry about the attraction a 380 would have been to LHR-BKK customers.

Well done the marketing/sales team

I wish the last CEO was still in charge, he had a good business plan and was extremely capable. His mistake was taking on the Board and reducing their too generous salaries. They sacked him and have suggested that he was incompetent and most of the new fleet orders have been cancelled. The desperately need new planes.

I belive he was sacked because of the very poor financial results that were returned under his stewardship. I don't blame him for all of it, but he was given to a lot of talk and promises,

CEO's are judged on the financial results of the company, and the former CEO posted some bad results with projected results being grim too. The board could not keep a CEO with that track record.

[fish fingers]

Seems the other airlines don't have to worry about the attraction a 380 would have been to LHR-BKK customers.

Well done the marketing/sales team

I wish the last CEO was still in charge, he had a good business plan and was extremely capable. His mistake was taking on the Board and reducing their too generous salaries. They sacked him and have suggested that he was incompetent and most of the new fleet orders have been cancelled. The desperately need new planes.

I belive he was sacked because of the very poor financial results that were returned under his stewardship. I don't blame him for all of it, but he was given to a lot of talk and promises,

CEO's are judged on the financial results of the company, and the former CEO posted some bad results with projected results being grim too. The board could not keep a CEO with that track record.

Not sure that it was possible for him to achieve good financial results given the amount of restructuring and investment needed.

[onthemoon]

Thai Airways is one of the most overrated airlines in the world. There pricing is a joke and there fleet is outdated.

Come again? This topic is about them getting new planes.

[onthemoon]

The reason I don't fly Middle-Eastern airlines (such as EK, ET, QR etc) is that they have to land in the ME and I have to change planes. I am sorry about their geographical disadvantage, but being awakened after I just started to be fast asleep and walking around like a zombie in an airport for an hour or five, is just not what I do. I take a direct flight to Europe, have a good night's sleep after a nice dinner, get breakfast and arrive freshly at 7 am.

That said, there are both Asian and European airlines that offer direct flights from BKK to Europe. TG disappointed me in the past with the IFE and the seats in business class but I am looking forward for them to improve. Good on them to buy new planes, it was overdue. Until I am sure I'll get new seat, I will continue to fly other airlines on long-haul.

Just booked OS for my trip to Europe in October. No, seriously. Last time I flew TG business class to MUC, there was one big screen for the cabin with one movie (very old 747). "Oh sorry, but on other days we use more modern airplanes". I don't care about other days, I only care about the flight I'm on.