NEWS: Thai Airways currently have an outstanding order for more Airbus A330-300 aircraft and six Airbus A380-800. The A340 and A300 aircraft currently in the fleet will be scrapped or sold However Thai Airways are cutting back on frequencies on high profile routes to Europe and Australia, including bringing Sydney down to only two flights per day.

If ever there is was an airline that is trying to pull itself up from the bottom, it is Thai Airways. Just a few years ago Thai Airways offered a cheap but poor service, tired planes, poor food and woeful inflight entertainment. Now, the airline has invested heavily in new planes, better seats, and it has at last joinned most other airlines, by adding Seatback TVs. Add to this Thai are now flying out of their hub at the brand new Bangkok airport, and your experience on Thai this year, will be very different to what it was just two or three years back. However Thai do still have older parts of their network, and some of the older planes haven't been updated. At outstations the staff, rather like the country, gives the impression that they're trying, and trying oh so hard, but somehow just can't seem to make it work. That all means that you inflight experience on Thai can vary between woefully poor, just about adequate, and occasionally gob-smacking. One thing is for sure - Thai Air Airways will get you there, with every ounce of the feeling of Thailand itself. It's up to you to decide if you really want it. Thai Airways inflight experience.

Of course the main hub is Asia, and there are over 40 destinations throughout Asia and the Middle East, five in Australia, New Zealand and Los Angeles in the USA. Thai are only slowly updating their fleet with the Boeing 777 aircraft. This is a good aircraft - and the one to take - with individual TV screens (a new inovation at Thai) but only a so-so 32" legroom in economy. Thai have recently abandoned First Class on many routes, and now only fly it to Sydney, with the A340, and London, with the 747, which conversely has a rather poor economy section, and is really now getting pretty tired.

Certainly Thai Airways is generally cheap, and fares are normally a little less than many other operators, such as their much more upmarket competitor in the south of the peninsular, Singapore Airways.

The frequent-flier scheme is quite good, and it is relatively easy to get to the top tier. A business class redemption costs less miles than most competitors, giving access to the adequate if not luxurious lounges. The route map is very good, with good connections from the UK both to the hub in the tourist mecca that is Bangkok, and via links to Australia; add in lower fares than most competitors, and Thai is becoming the with-frills backpacker carrier of choice. ... read more.