Philavan takes to the skies
Thai Airways International welcomes the Boeing 777-300ER aircraft to its fleet and she's a hot babe equipped with personal monitors and a great entertainment package
The name Philavan suggests THAI's new baby, the Boeing 777-300ER, is a girl. Pure and beautiful, with a white fuselage and wings, she is "wrapped" with violet, red and yellow stripes on her tail and on her vertical stabiliser. Sharing the hangar with her "mother" Boeing 747 and other aircraft at Suvarnabhumi Airport, Philavan is certainly the centre of attention. Philavan is attractive."This is first of eight Boeing 777-300ER aircraft. The second one will arrive later this year," says a member of THAI's public relations team during the cabin tour at Suvarnabhumi Airport last week. "With our first Boeing 777-300ER, we will operate one daily flight between Bangkok and Narita."
For the airline's regular passengers, the Boeing 777-300ER, with its sophisticated interior design and modern in-flight technology and entertainment, hasn't come a moment too soon. Anyone who flies on Bangkok-Narita route will be aware that THAI's ticket is not cheap. But the old Boeing 747, with overhead monitors shared by 200 passengers, feels like it's letting the side down.
Boeing 777-300ER, equipped with a GE90 engine on each wing, is one of the finest planes in the aviation industry, competing with soon-to-be-seen Airbus A350-1000 aircraft. B777-300ER has proven its reliability with many major airlines - Emirates, Singapore Airline Korean Air to name a few. ER, or extended-range version, means the aircraft is designed for a long-haul route.
THAI's Boeing 777-300ER is made to accommodate 348 passengers in a two-class configuration -Business Royal Silk Class and Economy Class.
The new cabin is, of course, spotless and occupied by different shades of violet - THAI's signature colour. The "galleries", in-between cabin compartments, show off stories of Buddhist mythology and beliefs printed on fine fabric.
Business Class, in 1-2-1 layout, is fitted with 42 standard 180-degree recliners with 87-inch pitch and 20-inch width, meaning more legroom for the passenger, which is important on a long-haul flight.
In Business Class, in-flight entertainment comes on a 15-inch touch screen monitor. More than 100 movies, 150 documentaries, 60 games and 500 music albums keep you entertained on the Bangkok-Narita route. Two USB ports are available for a smart phone recharger or flash drive.
Business Class is great although some rows with a smaller pitch may give those with wider hips as well as supersized passengers some trouble getting in and out. I consider myself fairly slim with a 32-inch waist but still had to side-step into the recliner.
Beyond the Business Class is the coach - the Economy Class. Laid out in 3-3-3 format, the new Boeing 777-300ER has standard seat with 32-inch seat pitch and 18-inch seat width. The new seats are very with personal monitor (10.6 inch) and one USB. Two AC power outlets are available for three passengers sharing. I try to sit in the very last row nearby the crew seats. I stand 1m80 but in my Economy seat, I have plenty of space and comfort even when the passenger in front reclines to the maximum.
Thai Airways International has ordered eight of Boeing 777-300ER aircraft for long-haul, cross-continent flights. These aircraft will replace the decommissioned aircraft, with the second B777-300ER aircraft being delivered in October and six more in 2013.
THAI will use its second craft on Bangkok-Seoul-Los Angeles route and Bangkok-Brussels route. In the meantime, Philavan will stretch her wings daily between Suvarnabhumi and Narita.
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