Thai Airways Has Now Deployed ex-Virgin A330 With Original Business & Premium Economy Class

Back in November, I reported that Thai Airways had acquired a few Airbus A330 aircraft that used to belong to Virgin Atlantic and are now flying on the Bangkok-Delhi/Fukuoka/Mumbai route.

The interesting part about this is, that THAI retained the original seats and these three destinations are now the only ones with Premium Economy and the unique Virgin Herringbone “coffins”.

You can access Thai Airways’ website here to find all the information about this new cabin product.

I was reminded of this today as one of my friends just had Fukuoka on her duty roster as a flight attendant and she mentioned that working on these planes was challenging for some reason.

If you have flown on Virgin Atlantic in Business Class before you will notice the unique seat design and configuration:

That THAI now offers Premium Economy again is also special:

This is only available on the three routes ex Bangkok to Delhi, Mumbai and Fukuoka.

Thai Airways uploaded a video showcasing the new product today:

I’m sure there is a reason why THAI decided for these three destinations to be the first where Premium Economy is going to be available. Likely it’s because of trip duration/distance and cost sensitivity of the clintele.

This is how THAI describes the new seats:

Experience a New Way of Traveling with Thai Airways’ Premium Economy on the A330-300

Get ready to enjoy superior comfort and an exceptional experience with Thai Airways’ new Premium Economy, designed to meet the needs of travelers seeking extra space and relaxation.

Exclusive Benefits You’ll Enjoy:

• More Spacious Seating: Thoughtfully designed seats offer greater legroom and personal armrests, ensuring a comfortable journey, even on long-haul flights.
• Premium Dining Experience: Delight in specially curated meals and beverages, paired with the warm service from our attentive cabin crew.
• Top-notch Amenities: Enjoy a wide selection of in-flight entertainment on your personal screen and receive an exclusive Amenity Kit tailored for Premium Economy passengers.

Exciting Destinations:

• Fukuoka: Discover the charm of Japan in this cultural city, known for its delicious cuisine and stunning natural scenery.
• New Delhi: Explore the captivating blend of ancient architecture and modern urban life in India’s capital.
• Bombay (Mumbai): Feel the pulse of this never-sleeping city, savor its flavorful cuisine, and visit its iconic landmarks.

Why Choose Premium Economy:

• Superior Comfort: Relax or work in a quieter and more private space, designed to make your journey truly enjoyable.
• Priority Privileges: Enjoy priority boarding and exclusive services that make your travel experience seamless from start to finish.

Ready for Your Best Travel Experience Yet?

Book your Premium Economy seat today and make every flight a memorable journey with Thai Airways.

From the description, there appears to be elevated dining and also an amenity kit as well as Priority Boarding. Are there any other benefits like a separate check-in or security fast track at BKK?

The first rollout of Premium Economy and the A330 on the BKK-BOM/DEL/FUK routes was scheduled for December 1, 2024, and flights have been going smoothly since then.

It will be interesting to see if THAI can actually sell such a rather large cabin of Premium Economy on these flights.

I checked out a random date for March and THAI won’t sell me discounted Economy but instead, I can buy Premium Economy cheaper than the Economy Flex:

Seven full rows with a total of 48 seats is quite a bit. Pricing needs to be attractive to book this otherwise I can’t see the allure of this class, especially with a middle seat in the center.

These are former Virgin Atlantic A330, so you will have the Virgin Business Class single pods in Business and the 2-3-2 Premium Economy Class. I knew these colors looked familiar but couldn’t – for the life of me – remember where I had seen them before. VIRGIN!

Interestingly, in the renderings, the Economy seats appear to be in THAI’s own colors.

This isn’t the first time that THAI has Premium Economy services. As this old website (from 2014) shows, they previously had it on their B777-300ER. No idea why it’s still live, but well… Thai.

I can vaguely remember that the seating back then wasn’t all too generous. The new cabin design looks much superior and visually appealing. The seats have a little bit of a U.S. Domestic First style.

Conclusion

Since December 1, 2024, Thai Airways is once again offering a Premium Economy product on the three routes serviced by the Airbus A330-300. that the carrier received from Virgin Atlantic The product description looks and reads quite nicely, but of course, it’ll all come down to price.

Unfortunately, neither of the three routes will be available for a destination I fly to (Delhi, Fukuoka, Mumbai), so it’s unlikely I’ll ever get to try this product until they roll it out to other markets. I’m honestly surprised that they haven’t selected some other routes, especially to China, for this service.

I’m very tempted to do Fukuoka just to try this aircraft again and see how the service compares.

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