This Airline Is Launching Lie-Flat Premium Economy Seats On Select Asian Routes

On modern widebody commercial aircraft, premium economy seating generally takes the form of spacious recliners that offer passengers extra legroom and width without them having to pay for all the bells and whistles of a lie-flat bed in first or business class. However, Thai Airways is taking a new angle.

Indeed, the Asian carrier recently announced that, as of the end of this month, lie-flat premium economy seating will be available on some of its flights to and from a handful of destinations located in Asia. Thai Airways is taking advantage of recent acquisitions to offer this with minimal cabin refurbishment.

An Interesting Development

Thai Airways announced the launch of its lie-flat premium economy seating in a relatively low-key social media post. In doing so, the carrier highlighted the routes on which the product would be available when flying from its main hub at Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport (BKK): Chennai, Dhaka, Hyderabad, Jakarta, and Kathmandu. All of these Asian destinations are on the shorter side among Thai’s routes.

As observed by Business Traveller, the product bears a striking resemblance to Virgin Atlantic’s Upper Class flatbeds, which are fitted in its older long-haul business class cabins. The reason for this is that, as One Mile At A Time notes, the carrier recently took delivery of a trio of Airbus A330-300s that formerly served the British carrier, and they have retained their interiors for the time being. Thai Airways says:

“Upgrade your senses for smoother journeys. Experience greater comfort with Premium Economy Plus. Spacious seats, generous legroom, and exclusive services throughout your journey. Make every journey more special than ever.”

How Does It Work?

As detailed in the table below, Thai’s ex-Virgin A330s do already have a conventional premium economy cabin, which consists of 48 recliners laid out seven-abreast in a 2-3-2 configuration between business and economy class. With this in mind, the carrier has named the lie-flat product Premium Economy Plus.

This elevated new offering will be available from October 26 on the aforementioned routes, with passengers in this cabin also entitled to access a bar onboard the aircraft. The 31 flatbeds are laid out three-abreast in an angled 1-1-1 configuration, whereby the middle and right seats face towards each other while the left offers more privacy. Simple Flying reviewed this product on a Virgin Boeing 787 in 2022.

Thai Airways will be hoping to hit a sweet spot with its Premium Economy Plus offering. Indeed, the routes chosen aren’t necessarily long enough for passengers to benefit from and want to pay for the full business class experience, but the lie-flat offering gives them the chance to get a bit of extra comfort. As Live & Let’s Fly notes, more carriers have been deploying similar ‘business class lite’ products in recent times.

How Do The Dimensions Compare?

According to current fleet data made available by Planespotters.net, Thai Airways received the first two of its three ex-Virgin A330s in October 2024 (HS-TEV and HS-TEW), with the third (HS-TEX) coming onboard in August 2025. These three aircraft are aged between 13.2 and 14.4 years old.

Data from aeroLOPA shows that the seats offer a maximum recline of 42 degrees when in their seated configuration, but, if needed, they can be converted into a fully flat bed. They are 20 inches wide, and in-flight entertainment comes in the form of an 11.1-inch screen. For the purposes of comparison, it is worth concluding by examining Thai’s ex- Virgin Atlantic A330s’ standard premium economy seats.

These seats are also 20 inches wide, and offer a 38-inch pitch with a seven-inch recline. As for IFE, the HD screen measures 10.5 inches, and, much like in Premium Economy Plus, passengers can charge their devices using universal AC and USB-A sockets. Thai Airways’ website also explains that “travelers on long-distance regional and international flights are provided with a personal pillow and blanket.”