Thai Airways International vs Jin Air

Overview

Thai Airways International is the flag carrier of Thailand. According to Wikipedia, it was founded in 1960 as a joint venture with Scandinavian Airlines and began operating in its current form in 1988 after merging with Thai Airways Company. The Ministry of Finance holds 42.94% of the shares, and the airline is listed on the Stock Exchange of Thailand. Its headquarters are in Chatuchak, Bangkok. Thai is a founding member of Star Alliance. Its regional subsidiary Thai Smile was merged back into the mainline carrier from 2023.

Network and hubs

The main hub is Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport. As of January 2026 the airline served 51 international and 9 domestic destinations in 29 countries, with a network focused on Europe, Asia and Oceania. A return to North America is under discussion, according to Aviation A2Z (July 2026).

Fleet

Wikipedia lists a fleet of 80 aircraft as of January 2026, with a large order book (see the fleet page). In July 2026 Aviation A2Z reported a Boeing 787 fleet of 45 aircraft, including those on order. TTG Asia (25 September 2026) reports that long-haul flying will rely on the Airbus A350-900, Boeing 777-300ER and Boeing 787 family as older wide-bodies retire. It also reports that the Airbus A321neo fleet will grow from nine to 15 by the end of 2026, with a target of 32. The fleet is to be streamlined to four types, with a cabin overhaul planned for 2027.

On board

• Cabins: Royal Silk (business), Premium Economy and Economy, depending on aircraft. Royal First is listed in some baggage tables.
• Meals: Thai and international dishes, which vary by route and month. Pre-selection is available up to 72 hours before departure.
• Seat pitch, entertainment and Wi-Fi: not confirmed in the sources reviewed, and these vary by aircraft. Check the airline before booking.

Good to know

• Cabin baggage: Thai's official page allows one hand-carry bag of up to 7 kg.
• Checked baggage: third-party sources such as HappyFares report a piece-based allowance for tickets issued from 25 November 2025 for travel from 2 March 2026. Economy Saver and Standard include 1 x 23 kg, and Royal Silk includes 2 x 32 kg. Older tickets keep the weight-based allowance. Check the official site for your fare.
• Punctuality: Cirium reported 79.29% on-time arrivals for June 2025.
• Lounges: Royal Orchid and Royal Silk lounges. The loyalty programme is Royal Orchid Plus.

Overview

Jin Air is a South Korean low-cost airline. According to Wikipedia, it was founded in January 2008 and began flying in July 2008 with a Gimpo–Jeju service. It is headquartered in Gangseo-gu, Seoul, is a subsidiary of Korean Air and has been listed on the Korea Exchange since December 2017. It does not belong to a global alliance.

In August 2026 Jin Air signed an agreement with Air Busan and Air Seoul to merge into one low-cost carrier on 17 March 2027, as reported by Yonhap. The combined airline will use the Jin Air brand. Until then, the three airlines operate separately.

Network and hubs

Jin Air's hubs are Seoul Gimpo and Seoul Incheon, and it also has focus cities at Busan and Jeju. Domestic routes link Gimpo and Jeju with regional airports such as Busan, Daegu, Gwangju, Yeosu and Ulsan. International routes serve Japan (including Tokyo Narita, Osaka, Fukuoka and Sapporo), Southeast Asia (including Bangkok, Da Nang, Hanoi, Cebu and Phu Quoc), Taiwan, Guam, Mongolia and several cities in China. Its Hong Kong and Macau services are listed as suspended and its Honolulu route as terminated. A domestic codeshare with Air Busan began in January 2026.

Fleet

As of August 2026, Wikipedia lists 31 aircraft in service. They comprise 19 Boeing 737-800s, 3 Boeing 737-900s, 5 Boeing 737 MAX 8s, 3 Boeing 777-200ERs and 1 Airbus A321-200. Orders include 10 A321neos and 3 more 737-900s. ch-aviation reports that the A321-200 is Jin Air's first Airbus jet and was transferred from Asiana Airlines, and it lists 33 aircraft for the carrier.

On board

• Most aircraft are single-class economy; the 737-800s have 183 or 189 seats and the 737 MAX 8 has 189.
• The 737-900 has 8 business-style seats and 180 economy seats. The A321-200 has 12 business-style seats and 162 economy seats.
• The 777-200ER seats 393: 48 premium seats and 345 economy seats.
• Seat pitch, meal service, entertainment and Wi-Fi details were not confirmed in the sources reviewed. Check the airline's website before booking.

Good to know

• Baggage allowances, change fees and lounge access vary by fare and route. They were not confirmed in the sources reviewed, so check the official website.
• Jin Air is a low-cost carrier, so extras are likely to be charged separately; confirm this on the airline's fare pages.
• The planned merger with Air Busan and Air Seoul in March 2027 may change schedules, branding and booking systems.
• No published on-time performance figure was found for this profile.