Thai Airways recycles Virgin lie-flats as posh economy beds
Airline revamps old seats to woo fliers on low-demand regional trips
Thai Airways has launched lie-flat seats as a premium economy option on select regional routes, repurposing business class seats from Virgin Atlantic.
The unusual move offers passengers lie-flat comfort without the business-class price tag, advancing the growing trend of “unbundled” premium travel.
The new class has debuted on routes from Bangkok to Chennai, Dhaka, Hyderabad, Jakarta, and Kathmandu. Rather than investing in fresh interiors, the airline is making clever use of its newly leased Airbus A330-300s, originally configured for Virgin Atlantic.
These aircraft, acquired from CDB Aviation in early 2024, come fitted with 31 Zodiac UCS3 lie-flat Upper Class seats in a 1-1-1 herringbone layout, 48 standard premium economy recliners, and 185 economy seats.
Although these seats have been retired from top-tier business offerings, they still deliver on comfort: 20-inch seat width, fully-flat beds, 11.1-inch HD screens, and power outlets, not bad for a product now labelled as premium economy.
Industry insiders, familiar with Virgin’s “coffin” seats due to their narrow, enclosed design, say they may no longer meet modern business class expectations but remain superior to typical economy seating. By selling them as Premium Economy Plus, Thai Airways taps into underutilised cabin real estate while avoiding the full cost of delivering business-class perks.
This lite luxury model reflects an industry shift towards slicing up cabin classes to match traveller budgets. Airlines such as Delta have tested similar waters with “basic business class” concepts, offering lie-flat seats minus perks like lounge access and baggage allowances.
According to Business Traveller, the Thai Airways move is “a smart way to monetise ageing lie-flats on routes with weak premium demand without the overheads of business class service.” The airline has only confirmed “dedicated check-in” and “premium amenities” so far, though some routes, like Bangkok to Dhaka, will not include amenity kits, according to Globetrender.
While it’s unclear if Thai will expand the Premium Economy Plus model beyond these aircraft, the strategy hints at a cost-effective pivot: filling premium seats without offering a full business class experience.
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