Dear Alex,
Any news on when Thai Airways will upgrade the business class seating on the A340-500 that plies the Bangkok-Los Angeles route? The seat pads are quite worn down and not easy to sleep on anymore.
Ken Bechtel, Pasadena, California
Alex replies:
Your guess is as good as mine. Thai’s four A340-500s might eventually be refurbished but nobody knows for sure because they have been up for sale for several years. If Thai can find a buyer then they’ll quickly leave the fleet. The problem is that Thai cannot get a buyer willing to pay a decent price. According to the Bangkok Post, the latest offer (from a US-based aircraft dismantler) for the planes was only US$50 million apiece, roughly a quarter of what Thai paid Airbus for them.
The four-engine A340-500 is the only plane in Thai’s fleet capable of operating Bangkok-Los Angeles nonstop. But ultra long-haul flights are greedy on fuel and the rising cost of oil has made them unpopular with airlines, hence the hefty depreciation. A Thai executive told the Bangkok Post: “The market for this aircraft is quite niche and there seems to be little or no demand for it now.” If the A340-500s can be sold then it’s goodbye to the nonstop Los Angeles service. On the other hand, if they stay in the fleet, they will have to be refurbished. Who knows what the outcome will be?
