Thai Airways Royal Orchid Plus - A380 LHR?

Am booked in F LHR-BKK first week of March 2013. It is now a 340-600 but I wonder about the chances that the 380 might be on this route by then.

None I suspect. BKK-FRA is supposed to be the first route and that's due to start in March 2013.

None I suspect. BKK-FRA is supposed to be the first route and that's due to start in March 2013.

:(...but I am sure it will be a very nice flight anyway....

you might be lucky and get the new config 747 though

you might be lucky and get the new config 747 though

How is that better/different than F on the 340?

Has it been recently announced by Thai that FRA would be getting the A380 only in March 2013?

I always thought that FRA would be served with the A380 from October 2012 onwards!!

How is that better/different than F on the 340?

They are in the process of refitting the really old 2x2 recliner-style F class 747s with the same suites that the A380s will have.

But according to this thread http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/thai-airways-royal-orchid-plus/1287569-tg-reveal-brand-new-747-f-class-suites-6.html it is supposed to end up on BKK-MUC and BKK-FRA. But with TG you never know for sure until you are on the aircraft.

Has it been recently announced by Thai that FRA would be getting the A380 only in March 2013?

I always thought that FRA would be served with the A380 from October 2012 onwards!!

Definitely a very interesting point.....meanwhile at least it seems for sure that the A380 will not get into operation earlier than October 2012 and first on shorter regional routes such as HKG, SIN etc. for crew familiarization purposes (originally planned to be held from August till Oct already).
How did you learn about deployment on European longhaul routes from March 2013 only???????

UA.com is showing BKK-HKG with TG A380 from Oct 28th 2012

[QUOTE=glennaa11;18361848 it is supposed to end up on BKK-MUC and BKK-FRA. But with TG you never know for sure until you are on the aircraft.[/QUOTE]


I'm booked on SYD-BKK in Jan '13 and just got a change of metal to 747 All Series. This should be the newly refurbished planes. (fingers crossed!)

This should be the newly refurbished planes. (fingers crossed!)

Yup, Expertflyer shows TG472 with a 9 seat F cabin for a randomly picked date. ^

UA.com is showing BKK-HKG with TG A380 from Oct 28th 2012

As is KVS...TG600.

It also shows '380' on TG920 (FRA in 2013) but only when searching awards...not general availability so hard to tell when it starts.

EDIT: UA shows TG920 as A380 from either Dec 15 or 16 2012. It also seems to show zero award availability in C and F every day!

It also seems to show zero award availability in C and F every day!

Now that is a big surprise !

I wouldn't get my hopes up too high for the refurbished 747 on the BKK-SYD route.

Thai will only refurbish 6 747s, but currently BKK-FRA, BKK-MUC, BKK-FCO, BKK-MAD and BKK-SYD are shown as being served on a refurbished 747.

So, something does not add up there, because you would need more than 6 aircraft to operate all these routes. Either the system assigned the new 74N to all possible routes or Thai decided to refurbish more than 6 planes (?).

BTW, I am booked on BKK-SYD-BKK myself, so if indeed the 74N was operated on this route, I would be more than happy, but it's not doable with only 6 refurbished aircraft.

I wouldn't get my hopes up too high for the refurbished 747 on the BKK-SYD route.

Thai will only refurbish 6 747s, but currently BKK-FRA, BKK-MUC, BKK-FCO, BKK-MAD and BKK-SYD are shown as being served on a refurbished 747.

So, something does not add up there, because you would need more than 6 aircraft to operate all these routes. Either the system assigned the new 74N to all possible routes or Thai decided to refurbish more than 6 planes (?).

BTW, I am booked on BKK-SYD-BKK myself, so if indeed the 74N was operated on this route, I would be more than happy, but it's not doable with only 6 refurbished aircraft.

I think at Thai they make a difference between "new" and "refurbished".... they have recently finished to "refurbish" six "old" aircraft with personal entertainment system in Economy Class and do now start to equip six other aircraft (previously deployed on Scandinavian routes with Premium Economy Class) with completely new seats in all three service classes, including 9 First Suites, new Business- and new Economy Class seats, which they brand as 747N(ew) and which show a common product with the A380 and B777 currently used on routes to PAR and FRA....thus at year end they might count totally 12 (in Economy Class) "refurbished" Jumbos .....

I think at Thai they make a difference between "new" and "refurbished".... they have recently finished to "refurbish" six "old" aircraft with personal entertainment system in Economy Class and do now start to equip six other aircraft (previously deployed on Scandinavian routes with Premium Economy Class) with completely new seats in all three service classes, including 9 First Suites, new Business- and new Economy Class seats, which they brand as 747N(ew) and which show a common product with the A380 and B777 currently used on routes to PAR and FRA....thus at year end they might count totally 12 (in Economy Class) "refurbished" Jumbos .....

I don't think that's all correct. 74N will not have a common product with the A380 and 77W. It won't even have 'new' business. The seats might be fresh out of the factory but I believe they are the same angled lie flats currently found on the 777-300 & 777-200ER. A380 will have a different lie flat business product. I don't even think the 74N and A380 F cabins are the same and neither will be the same as the 77W. Basically, there's still nothing common about any of it...maybe Y class will be close!?

I don't think that's all correct. 74N will not have a common product with the A380 and 77W. It won't even have 'new' business. The seats might be fresh out of the factory but I believe they are the same angled lie flats currently found on the 777-300 & 777-200ER. A380 will have a different lie flat business product. I don't even think the 74N and A380 F cabins are the same and neither will be the same as the 77W. Basically, there's still nothing common about any of it...maybe Y class will be close!?

You are correct. The newly "retrofitted" 747's biz will still be the angled lie-flat, similar to 773 & 772-ER. First will drop down to 9 seats and different from the A380 - and not the same type - I actually prefer the 74N!

I think at Thai they make a difference between "new" and "refurbished".... they have recently finished to "refurbish" six "old" aircraft with personal entertainment system in Economy Class and do now start to equip six other aircraft (previously deployed on Scandinavian routes with Premium Economy Class) with completely new seats in all three service classes, including 9 First Suites, new Business- and new Economy Class seats, which they brand as 747N(ew) and which show a common product with the A380 and B777 currently used on routes to PAR and FRA....thus at year end they might count totally 12 (in Economy Class) "refurbished" Jumbos .....

Sorry that I was not more specific...

I know that there will be 6 refurbished/retrofitted and 6 "new" aircraft (6 of them spotting new economy seats with PTVs and 6 of them with new first class seats (the number goes down from 10 to 9), new/old business class seats and economy seats with PTVs.

What I was referring to is that the seat maps for specific flights in December all of a sudden show a 9-seat first class cabin for routes such as BKK-FRA, BKK-MUC, BKK-FCO, BKK-MAD and BKK-SYD (both flights!).

Given that Thai has always stated that they would equip only 6 of their newest 747-400s with the new first class cabin, something must be wrong there. 6 retrofitted/refurbished/new aircraft with 9 first class seats (whatever these aircraft may be called) are not enough to serve all these routes. This is the discrepancy I was referring to.

In addition, it will be interesting to see whether Thai will receive 1 or 2 A380s in 2012. They may very well end up with only one A380 delivery this year, so they would need 6 "new" aircraft for their routes to Europe...

In addition, it will be interesting to see whether Thai will receive 1 or 2 A380s in 2012. They may very well end up with only one A380 delivery this year, so they would need 6 "new" aircraft for their routes to Europe...

According to the A380 schedule suggested by the United website TG920 will be operated by A380 from December and TG922 still by 77W...so possibly at that time there will be no 74N operating to FRA at all. I'm not sure that other routes were promised a daily service? The schedule document that covers up until Oct has MAD/FCO/MUC being operated by a mix of 74R and 74N...surely that could mean that SYD could also go 74R/74N mix??

That could very well be the case, that would mean that the Thai lottery continues :-))

All I am saying is that people should not get too excited over a certain product they expect to find on their aircraft on their "special" day...

The way things stand now, it is more than likely that Thai will have only 1 A380 by this year's end (given the repair that needs to be done to the A380 before its delivery)... And then it is not even sure that Thai will be done with the refurbishment of the 6 newest 747s by December...

So, there are a lot of unkown variables in this equation...

Retrofit = Gutting the interior, taking the old seats out and then install new ones.

Refurbish = making the same thing better (or renewing it) ie. Apple is selling returned iPads as "refurbished" iPads. Or re-upholstering the seat materials.

"Refurbish(ed)" really shouldn't be used when referring to Aircrafts that are being installed with new type of seats.

what about the A340-600 I guess its staying with the same First seats.... they look very dated.
Is Thai sending these 340-600 planes to the scrap pile when the 380's are delivered?

As is KVS...TG600.

It also shows '380' on TG920 (FRA in 2013) but only when searching awards...not general availability so hard to tell when it starts.

EDIT: UA shows TG920 as A380 from either Dec 15 or 16 2012. It also seems to show zero award availability in C and F every day!

TG920 now showing as A380 on TG website from 15th Dec AND the C & F award availability is now wide open according to UA! ^

what about the A340-600 I guess its staying with the same First seats.... they look very dated.
Is Thai sending these 340-600 planes to the scrap pile when the 380's are delivered?

TG is certainly not going to retrofit these birds. It is just a matter of how soon they are going to get rid of them!

TG is certainly not going to retrofit these birds. It is just a matter of how soon they are going to get rid of them!

Still showing on LHR/BKK sectors up to March 31st next year.

Still showing on LHR/BKK sectors up to March 31st next year.

I would assume that LON and SYD will probably become A380 destinations when TG has received the whole bunch of 6 birds.
Currently the A380 looks probably a bit too big for double daily services to London and they surely do not want to give up any slot in Heathrow....

I would assume that LON and SYD will probably become A380 destinations when TG has received the whole bunch of 6 birds.
Currently the A380 looks probably a bit too big for double daily services to London and they surely do not want to give up any slot in Heathrow....

Excuse my ignorance, what are slots?

Excuse my ignorance, what are slots?

As in time slots to take off and land - at LHR they are in short supply and $$$$$ - I have seen figures like $50m / pair. Now you know why IAG bought bmi from LH...for next to nothing by all accounts!

Thought you might like to have a look. Something someone posted in another thread.

http://airlineroute.net/2012/04/23/tg-w12update2/

I presume LHR-BKK BKK-LHR is stay as is seeing as there is no mention of it.....

Thanks for the linky...^