Thai Airways Royal Orchid Plus - Premium Economy recline on A345 (LAX-BKK)

I'm looking at flying LAX - BKK with my family in Premium Economy. We'll have two small children with us in car seats and we're concerned about them kicking the seats when the seat in front of them reclines. We're trying to get bulkhead seats, but if that fails, I had read somewhere that the Premium Economy seats on the A345 have a sort of reclining shell to help keep that person from getting too close to their neighbor behind them. Can anyone confirm this? I'm looking for firsthand experience ;). Many thanks!

The premium economy seat is very slightly wider than regular economy and has a few more inches of leg room so a reclined seat is less likely to wind up in the lap of the person seated behind, but there is no "shell" like you find with many business and first class seats.

The seat pitch on the A340-500 Premium Economy is 42". That's more than Business Class on many American Carriers. I fly it often. I don't think there is any danger of your children kicking the seat back of the person in front. The recline degree of the PE seats is the same as the economy seats (unfortunately not too good for sleeping), but it will keep the seat back in front of you from "crowding" you.

I'm 5'-3" tall, and on TG's 345 in PE, I'd have to make a concerted effort to be able to kick the reclined seat in front of me. Small kids in car seats, no way they can reach. As someone said above, the PE seats are shell-less but don't recline as far back as a business class seat anyway. Not to worry.

Echoing the thoughts of others, you shouldn't have a problem.

I'm 5' 8" (1.73m) and Mrs. Billygoat is 5' 6" -- and we had a significant amount of legroom to the PE seat in front of us (read: you have to reach to get to the seatpocket or TV). Thai doesn't have a protective shell (Air France is the only PE offering I'm aware of that does) , but regardless, you have nothing to worry about.

The seat pitch on the A340-500 Premium Economy is 42". That's more than Business Class on many American Carriers.



If you refer to domestic First in the US you are right.
International Business Class, UA, AA, NW, CO, DL and even US all have at least 60" for years now so I wonder which airlines you are talking about by saying "on many American Carriers"

I was indeed referring to Domestic Flights...