Thai Airways brings Boeing 787 onto Brisbane-Bangkok route

By Chris C., August 21 2015
Thai Airways brings Boeing 787 onto Brisbane-Bangkok route

Brisbane will become Thai Airways’ next Boeing 787 destination with the city’s daily Bangkok flights upgraded to the Dreamliner from October 25 2015.

Replacing Boeing 777s which mostly saw angled-flat beds in business class, Thai’s Boeing 787-8s offer travellers 24 fully-flat seats at the pointy end in a 2-2-2 configuration, a reduction from 30 business class berths on the Boeing 777.

First review: Thai Airways Boeing 787 ‘Royal Silk’ business class

Economy retains its existing 3-3-3 layout, with the Dreamliner offering all travellers audio-visual content on-demand: a significant improvement over the communal screens on some of Thai’s older birds.

A Thai Airways spokesperson confirmed the change to Australian Business Traveller, with the airline's website updated to reflect the new aircraft on its Brisbane route:

Once served by the Dreamliner, TG474 will depart Brisbane at 1:35pm daily – 25 minutes earlier than the current 2pm take-off – to reach Bangkok at 7:45pm. Returning from Thailand, TG473 pushes back at 11:59pm, touching down in Brisbane at 12:05pm.

Thai Airways will be the third airline to fly the Boeing 787 to Brisbane following Jetstar in 2014 and Etihad Airways in June this year, which marked the Gulf carrier’s launch of first class service to Brisbane:

Photos: Etihad's Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner first class suites

Business class passengers weren't forgotten either, with the Dreamliner also boasting Etihad's new ‘Business Studios’:

Etihad's Business Studios, flying to Brisbane on the Boeing 787-9
Etihad's Business Studios, flying to Brisbane on the Boeing 787-9

Read: Inside Etihad's Boeing 787 Business Studio business class

Air Canada will too join Brisbane’s Dreamliner roster from June 2016 as it kicks off non-stop flights between the Sunshine State and Vancouver, while Qantas placed an order for eight Boeing 787-9s this week to take to the skies from 2017.

Read: Qantas to buy Boeing 787, first flights from 2017

Follow Australian Business Traveller on Twitter: we're @AusBT

Chris C.

Chris is a a former contributor to Executive Traveller.

Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer

06 Nov 2014

Total posts 359

Does this mean TG is staying in BNE?

Qantas

13 Jun 2015

Total posts 141

They are still operating flights from BKK-BNE but will change aircraft type.

10 Aug 2015

Total posts 125

yeah they are staying

09 Apr 2014

Total posts 11

This is a great upgrade for the business class service. Having flown their 787 earlier in the year I can say this is a great imporvement on their older product.

Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer

01 Oct 2013

Total posts 30

I don't understand why TG is still using the old 747s on the SYD to BKK route. I would not use them for my European trips until they have business class flat beds on this route.

Virgin Australia - Velocity Rewards

24 Aug 2011

Total posts 785

They might have good cargo ops to SYD

Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer

06 Nov 2014

Total posts 359

Because there is first class. When they wanted to switch SYD to a 777, it caused a huge moan in FFP community.

Glad they brought it back.

22 Aug 2015

Total posts 18

Yeah, i think its for the capity reason for first class. But however if they really want first class, cut out the 747, and have 1 A380 service to Sydney (which is the daily service) and another with a 777 or 787 (which is the 3 time a week or whatever sertice)

22 Aug 2015

Total posts 18

*service

Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer

09 Feb 2015

Total posts 377

Had they planned to leave Brisbane?

Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer

24 May 2015

Total posts 8

We need lie flat Business Class to MEL. Since they pulled the 300ER, the route is very unappealing. Come on and lift your game TG!

Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer

05 Jun 2014

Total posts 210

This is very unfortionate for passengers in Economy. Thai is one of the ever decreasing number of carriers retaining 3-3-3 on the 777 fleet. Now the passengers will have the same configuration on a narrower plane. Clearly not an improvement at all in this department.

Thai Airways International - Royal Orchid Plus

16 May 2011

Total posts 113

Doesn't TG operate 77W's to BNE? Would be a downgrade if thats the case, especially for Y pax? PER currently get 788 services too right?

24 Apr 2012

Total posts 2447

Only on one day per week - the rest of the time it's a Boeing 777-200 with angled-flat beds, so an overall 'upgrade' for a route that is angled-flat most of the time to being fully-flat all of the time.

Perth indeed also has Thai's Boeing 787-8 on its flights.

Singapore Airlines - KrisFlyer

13 May 2011

Total posts 27

I am glad that Thai is bringing the 787 to Brisbane.   To date there has been little choice in the offiering of lie flat business seats to Asia.  Hopefully this move by Thai causes SIA to reflect and  lift its game from BNE as they still have regional style business class seats in their A330s.

Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer

21 Aug 2014

Total posts 504

So I guess now Brisbane will be the 787 capital of Australia beating Perth?

Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer Platinum

07 Feb 2013

Total posts 548

Upgrade for J pax, downgrade for Y pax.

Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer

15 Dec 2014

Total posts 284

Would love it if they replaced one of the old 747's once a week to change it up!


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