Aircraft Swap - 744, Business Class Only
 

We are on a first class award NRT-BKK-DPS. The NRT-BKK leg is on the A380 in F, and the BKK-DPS segment was originally a 773 in J (business only) that was just swapped to the 744. Obviously, I'm super stoked to fly the Queen of the Skies again, but the entire flight is marked as business which means that they have blocked the entire first class cabin. I tried calling the US call center and explaining that I was on a F award ticket and wanted to move up, but they told me it was blocked and could only be done at the airport. Any insight into whether or not this can be done prior to the airport?

Just noticed the same on my itinerary BKK-DPS... are you traveling this summer by chance? They just updated the entire schedule from 773 to 744.

The good news is that there is a shot at getting into rows 1-4, but the bad news is that they only open these up to elite travelers, or day of departure like the agent informed you. The other bad news is that the J seats on this config aren't nearly as nice as the 773. Who knows, Thai may do 3 more equipment changes before the summers- they have a reputation for this.

TG does not sell F on the route BKK DPS; so does your ticket really show F also on this leg?
if yes I would try with TG to release a seat for you in the F cabin; with the F ticket you should get priority ahead of Platinums, Golds and TIPs

F cabin seats on the 747 with business class (To Phuket, Chiang Mai, Bali etc.) are only assigned to Thai ROP elites. Your ticket was (and still is) booked in business class (since Thai doesnt sell first class on those routes), so no luck for you. You could get a sympathetic agent at BKK during your transit to assign you F cabin seats, but it is only a courtesy based on luck and not a right.

Yes, traveling this summer. August.

I'm very well aware it's a business ticket, that's why I was asking the question. I was curious whether or not they would move us up since we redeemed a first class award ticket and the cabin wasn't available at booking (I understand it still isn't). I'm totally fine "slumming" it in the upper deck and seeing if they would move us at the airport. I understand that the seats may not be as good as the 773, but the 744 is hard to come by these days so I will enjoy every minute regardless if we are up top or up front.

In the same boat, as the OP (traveling in July). At this point, maybe I should hope they switch back to the 773 or that they open First, as I did have a first award booking (where available). Fingers crossed.

As others have said, when TG used a three-class aircraft for two-class operations, the F cabin, if open, will be assigned to TG elites first. Having a connecting F class ticket in itself isn't enough (tried this several times, no luck in adavnce of day of travel).

TG also has 773s with the same seating as the 747. So you're really want the 77W to be subbed back, not just any old 773 :(

My preference would be 77W-> 747 lower-deck -> 747 upper deck -> 773 (regional config)

as your award ticket is from another Airline than TG and your Airline reimburse TG only for J, you will have no priority to get an F seat even holding a so called F ticket...
First TG will allocate the seats to its own Status holder Platinum and Gold, then TIPs and then statusholder of other *A airlines

This! I'm kind of hoping they do go back the 773. The new business class looks like a better choice than the 747.

It's a day flight and under 5 Hours. So not a big issue for me whether seat is full flat or angle flat.

The understatement of the year! OK for a daytime flight but really the equivalent of PE on some other airlines. For overnight, no lie-flat is the killer

Maybe not for you, but for others that flight means an early morning wake up, and perhaps some of us would be planning a big night out! Personally I'd be asleep about 4 hours of that flight! :)

Perhaps if the flight is following a big night out, then one could sleep even in Y ;). ?!

that is a hazardous recommendation for health and safety!:rolleyes::p

remember an early morning flight from Shanghai to BKK (about the same length) arriving at the airport directly from the night out, when I fell asleep before take off and got wake up by the FA after touch down; 5 hours perfect sleep...in an angle flat seat reclined fully all the time...