Mel to Europe: Thai Business or Which Premium Economy Airline

[rosemary breen]

I'm looking to book flights Melbourne - Europe for next September. Thai Airways have cheap Business Class fares on offer at the moment.
Questions:
1) I've read bad reports about Thai Business Class seats not being comfortable. Can people confirm this?
2) Are Thai Business Class seats often on sale?
3) Where do I find the cancellation and refund policy for Thai Airways?
4) And, if not Thai Business, which Premium Economy seat is equivalent or even better?

Sorry that this contains 4 questions - my first post here. Hope this is the right thing to do.

Cheers Rosemary

 

[RB]

Gooday Rosemary-welcome to the forum.
Melb residents will know better than me (I usually fly from Syd) but I believe you would get the A350 if flying Thai from Melb-it gets pretty good reviews. This site has a bit of background THAI Planes, Fleet and Seat Maps
Google will help you find quite a lot of reviews of the various flight/seat combinations

 

[trooper]

1. I certainly can't. Even the old 747 seats are way better than any economy/PY seat Ive ever sat in.
2. No idea
3. Can't help there either
4. NO Y+ seat is equivalent (let alone better) to a modern international Business class seat - even on TG....

If the TG Biz seat is affordable...grab it!

 

[Mattg]

Most of the bad reviews are about the 747 business class seats (which still aren't that bad). Thai doesn't fly these to Melbourne, and they'll also stop flying 747s to Europe later this month.

If you're happy with the price, go for it!

 

[MEL_Traveller]

As other have said, the business class seats to avoid are the ones on the 747. Any other long haul (A350/A380/77W) are full flat and pretty ok by general standards.

It depends on what fare you have found There are some very cheap business class tickets available from Melbourne to Europe on say Sri Lankan Airlines and Viêt Nam airlines (the latter which should be in the $4200- 4400 range). The product (seat) on Viêt Nam is the same as Thai, with brand new planes, although the onboard food might be a slight downgrade over Thai. Sri Lankan is quite good, also full flat beds.

If you go on to the Thai website and make a booking for the dates and fare you want it will show the fare conditions including cancellation penalties applicable to the fare you choose.

The only real value for money alternative for premium economy is China Airlines (Taiwan province not the mainland Air China). They have some excellent prices for premium starting around $1700 return. Other airlines’ premium economy fares are a huge mark up over economy and don’t necessarily represent value for money (Qantas’ premium economy fares for example can be more expensive than Thai business class).

 

[Gary T]

I,ve taken Thai J back and forth to Italy many times in the last few years, price is great, service is good and J seats on the A350/380 are excellent, not so good on the747 which are quickly disappearing from their fleet. Also have taken CI a few times from what saw of the PE cabin the seats and lay out looked pretty darn good also.