Thai Airways Fleet.

[Rooo]

Trying to book a flight to Sydney, thought that they were withdrawing the 747's from this route early April. I am looking at June & still showing the old 747's & 744.

[CNXBKKMAN]

I dont know what TG are putting on the SYD route at the mo but they only have 744's now, no older models. They are getting rid of some older ones but they have a fair few left so the 744 maybe around for years yet. Got to be better than a dreamliner and they refurbed the cabins a couple of years back with modern seatback tv's.

[Argus Tuft]

The airline boffins over at FlyerTalk and Australian Frequent Flyer are pretty good at telling you exactly what aircraft types will be used on various routes, maybe do a search or even post on those forums to find out the latest info. Their ability to pull out individual aircraft seat maps by route/rego are uncanny. Mile high nerds at their best.

[KhunBENQ]

Just had a look at flightradar24.com and planespotters.net.

747 with reg. nr. HS-TGZ, HS-TGP, HS-TGR, HS-TGA.

14 to 21 (!) years old.

One flight with a 777 reg.nr. HS-TKB, 16 years old.

[Argus Tuft]

Just had a look at flightradar24.com and planespotters.net.

747 with reg. nr. HS-TGZ, HS-TGP, HS-TGR, HS-TGA.

14 to 21 (!) years old.

One flight with a 777 reg.nr. HS-TKB, 16 years old.

Age of the actual airframe aside, those 4 747's listed seem to have undergone cabin refits in the past couple of years as posted here

Not sure if it helps the OP, but it seems like he/she might have been wanting to know what the cabin layout is like?

Agreed though, that the fleet age isn't the best if these aircraft are on the SYD-BKK route. But I'd be more inclined to look at how recent the cabin has been upgraded when looking at what schedule to book.

[Torrens54]

Why not just phone TG and ask?

ERR, on second thoughts, sorry....not a viable option really is it when talking about TG?

[siam2007]

Just had a look at flightradar24.com and planespotters.net.

747 with reg. nr. HS-TGZ, HS-TGP, HS-TGR, HS-TGA.

14 to 21 (!) years old.

One flight with a 777 reg.nr. HS-TKB, 16 years old.

that's not really old for a well-maintained aircraft (okay now the discussion about Thai's maintenance standards will commence....). plus the interior of Thai's 747 has been revamped recently. I always liked to fly the B-747, it is an incredibly reliable huge workhorse.

check DELTA's fleet for example - their B747 have an average age of 23 years - even their A320 fleet has an average of more than 20 years !

B 757/767 average age almost 20 years

[tso310]

The aircraft was not called 'Queen of the Skies' for nothing. I suspect BA will probably one of the last airlines using them.

[cnx355]

JUst flew from BKK to CNX TG 110 in HS-TKW 777-3D7ER 0,8 years old.

Very nice new economy seats and large screen and the control pod in the front under the screen and not in the armrest. Great !

I guess this plane should normally fly on longer route !

Edited May 8, 2015 by cnx355

[Jdiddy]

Flew on tg476 last monday, was a 777-300, maybe the usual 744 was having a sickie that day

[KhunBENQ]

Flew on tg476 last monday, was a 777-300, maybe the usual 744 was having a sickie that day

See post #4. Some flights are 777.

From flightradar:

2015-05-08 Sydney (SYD) Bangkok (BKK) B744 (HS-TGZ)

2015-05-07 Sydney (SYD) Bangkok (BKK) B744 (HS-TGP)

2015-05-06 Sydney (SYD) Bangkok (BKK) B744 (HS-TGR)

2015-05-05 Sydney (SYD) Bangkok (BKK) B744 (HS-TGP)

2015-05-04 Sydney (SYD) Bangkok (BKK) B773 (HS-TKB)

2015-05-03 Sydney (SYD) Bangkok (BKK) B744 (HS-TGZ)

2015-05-02 Sydney (SYD) Bangkok (BKK) B744 (HS-TGA)

HS-TKB: delivered 30. Dec 1998.

Edited May 9, 2015 by KhunBENQ

[Argus Tuft]

Slightly off topic, but are there any plans to use an A380 on this route in future?

[KhunBENQ]

Slightly off topic, but are there any plans to use an A380 on this route in future?

Quick Google reveals that it is probably the other way round.

They had flown A380 in the past but given up?

Not quite sure.

Edited May 9, 2015 by KhunBENQ

[Argus Tuft]

Slightly off topic, but are there any plans to use an A380 on this route in future?

Quick Google reveals that it is probably the other way round.

They had flown A380 in the past but given up?

Not quite sure.

Thanks, probably should have said 'again' Given they only have 6 of them, its not surprising that they aren't using them on SYD sectors

[KhunBENQ]

HS-TUA HS-TUB HS-TUC HS-TUD HS-TUE HS-TUF

The only routes served with A380 currently are Frankfurt, Osaka, Tokyo, Paris.

[siam2007]

JUst flew from BKK to CNX TG 110 in HS-TKW 777-3D7ER 0,8 years old.

Very nice new economy seats and large screen and the control pod in the front under the screen and not in the armrest. Great !

I guess this plane should normally fly on longer route !

THAI has always used widebody-aircraft (even brand-new B787 on BKK-CNX) on their popular domestic routes such as CNX and HKT.

nowadays even more so, as they have retired all of their ageing B737-400, wich resulted in operating only very few narrowbody-planes. Only very recently they started to move some of the A320 that were actually meant to be used by THAISMILE back to the parent company. this was possible as the network of THAISMILE was thinned out and many routes moved back to THAI INTERNATIONAL too

[tifino]

don't care how old really (says one used to being bounced around by vietnam-era green machines) ,

but what's more important is that the fridge still works, and the free piss keeps pouring

[KhunBENQ]

Only very recently they started to move some of the A320 that were actually meant to be used by THAISMILE back to the parent company. this was possible as the network of THAISMILE was thinned out and many routes moved back to THAI INTERNATIONAL too

Interesting. Source?

For the route from Khon Kaen to Bangkok the opposite is true.

Three flights daily to Suvarnabhumi. (Thaismile is back at Suvarnabhumi!)

Three flights daily to Don Mueang.

All six flights operated by Thaismile (checked for July, flights to Suv. heavily booked.).

Thai Airways site shows codeshare numbers fliights operated by Thaismile.

Booking via Thai Airways results in a higher price.

Currently Thaismile flys the route to DMK with A320s that are about 1 year old.

The flghts to Suvarnabhumi will also be on A320s by Thaismile.

Makes sense to me.

Edited May 9, 2015 by KhunBENQ

[Brown1950]

HS-TUA HS-TUB HS-TUC HS-TUD HS-TUE HS-TUF

The only routes served with A380 currently are Frankfurt, Osaka, Tokyo, Paris.

A380 to be used on LHR route ex BKK from 1st July.

[siam2007]

Only very recently they started to move some of the A320 that were actually meant to be used by THAISMILE back to the parent company. this was possible as the network of THAISMILE was thinned out and many routes moved back to THAI INTERNATIONAL too

Interesting. Source?

For the route from Khon Kaen to Bangkok the opposite is true.

Three flights daily to Suvarnabhumi. (Thaismile is back at Suvarnabhumi!)

Three flights daily to Don Mueang.

All six flights operated by Thaismile (checked for July, flights to Suv. heavily booked.).

Thai Airways site shows codeshare numbers fliights operated by Thaismile.

Booking via Thai Airways results in a higher price.

Currently Thaismile flys the route to DMK with A320s that are about 1 year old.

The flghts to Suvarnabhumi will also be on A320s by Thaismile.

Makes sense to me.

ThaiSmile had operated many shorthaul international destinations until late 2014. Now, with the exception of MACAU, all those international shorthaul-destinations are being served under the THAI AIR INTERNATIONAL brandname again, and only carry a TG flight number.

Domestically ThaiSmile is still very active indeed, and some destinations are still being served only by ThaiSmile nowadays (Udon and Ubon for example, if I am not mistaken).

EDIT:

I just checked the Khonkaen route too after reading KhunBenQ's post, and indeed KKC has now been taken over by Thaismile entirely. That is a very recent development and was not yet the case when I checked KKC flights 2 weeks ago or so. But it somehow makes sense that ThaiSmile is serving those secondary destinations, but still fly to BKK and not only DMK and carry a TG-codeshare flight number to make seamless transfers to THAI's longhaul flights possible.

I have never understood why ThaiSmile actually started flying out of DMK, as they have to compete with budget Airlines like LION, AirAsia and NOK. I don't think ThaiSmile is making a profit from their DMK flights

Edited May 10, 2015 by siam2007

[Jdiddy]

Flew on tg476 last monday, was a 777-300, maybe the usual 744 was having a sickie that day

See post #4. Some flights are 777.

From flightradar:

2015-05-08 Sydney (SYD) Bangkok (BKK) B744 (HS-TGZ)

2015-05-07 Sydney (SYD) Bangkok (BKK) B744 (HS-TGP)

2015-05-06 Sydney (SYD) Bangkok (BKK) B744 (HS-TGR)

2015-05-05 Sydney (SYD) Bangkok (BKK) B744 (HS-TGP)

2015-05-04 Sydney (SYD) Bangkok (BKK) B773 (HS-TKB)

2015-05-03 Sydney (SYD) Bangkok (BKK) B744 (HS-TGZ)

2015-05-02 Sydney (SYD) Bangkok (BKK) B744 (HS-TGA)

HS-TKB: delivered 30. Dec 1998.

Ahh, that would explain perhaps why the inflight entertainment was near unwatchable (constant video and audo errors, glitching) and the wing looked like it was found in a tip

Good alcohol service though

Edited May 10, 2015 by Jdiddy

[Rooo]

Wow some knowledge here. thanks for the response.

[bubba]

I dont know what TG are putting on the SYD route at the mo but they only have 744's now, no older models. They are getting rid of some older ones but they have a fair few left so the 744 maybe around for years yet. Got to be better than a dreamliner and they refurbed the cabins a couple of years back with modern seatback tv's.

Why would you think TG's old 744s would be better than their new 787s? I have found their 787 to be the quietest and most comfortable aircraft in the fleet.

[NanLaew]

Flew in from Saigon last week, business class on one of THAI's new Dreamliners.

Very nice but not sure how awesome it would be on a longer haul sector. I am old school and like the 'big old bus' 747's. As mentioned, most carriers still flying them are mostly on 744 variants now and most of them have also been totally refurbished inside. I tend to sleep for 80% of long haul flights so the huge flat screen on the 787 would be wasted on me.

Edited May 12, 2015 by NanLaew

[CNXBKKMAN]

I dont know what TG are putting on the SYD route at the mo but they only have 744's now, no older models. They are getting rid of some older ones but they have a fair few left so the 744 maybe around for years yet. Got to be better than a dreamliner and they refurbed the cabins a couple of years back with modern seatback tv's.

Why would you think TG's old 744s would be better than their new 787s? I have found their 787 to be the quietest and most comfortable aircraft in the fleet.

Its the safety aspect of it. 744 is a safer plane than the 787. The 787 hasnt had any major scares for a while but i give a few more years of live human trials before i take for a flight over the Pacific.

[Chao Lao Beach]

Just had a look at flightradar24.com and planespotters.net.

747 with reg. nr. HS-TGZ, HS-TGP, HS-TGR, HS-TGA.

14 to 21 (!) years old.

One flight with a 777 reg.nr. HS-TKB, 16 years old.

I don't see anything wrong with 16 years old, care to share what is wrong ?

[KhunBENQ]

The only wrong thing is if competitors have modern planes with more comfortable equipment and offer a lower fare.

[NanLaew]

The only wrong thing is if competitors have modern planes with more comfortable equipment and offer a lower fare.

I still can't see what is wrong. If you have much better alternatives, use them. Nobody is insisting that you can only fly THAI.