Thai Airways is currently in bankruptcy restructuring and suffering from the pandemic’s reduced demand and borders that are closed to tourism. The airline is looking for revenue anywhere it can find some. They’ve opened a restaurant so you can eat plane food on the ground. And they’re promoting deals for use of their flight simulators with an instructor, too.

Most airlines keep their simulators fully occupied with pilot training, and occasionally make time available on a promotional basis for a large amount of frequent flyer miles or big cash donations to charity. Thai’s prices start at just $383.

According to Thai’s executive vice president of operations, Squadron Leader Soradech Namruangsri, the revenue-generating opportunity comes because the airline hasn’t resumed normal operations.

Here are the 3 packages they offer:

• Basic: 30 minutes of sim time including 10 minutes of flying on your own
  
• Deluxe: 60 minutes of sim time, you can take off on your own and fly on your own for 15 minutes, plus two touch and go landings at your preferred airport
  
• Ultimate: 90 minutes, including dealing with weather and 25-30 minutes of free flight plus unlimited touch and go landings and a final low visibility landing.

Redeeming frequent flyer miles may be an even better deal. For many years the Royal Orchid Plus program has advertised sim time for just 12,500 miles. Thai Airways is a Citi ThankYou Rewards transfer partner, too.

If this isn’t available when we’re finally able to visit Thailand again, at least there’s the new Microsoft Flight Simulator, although the Grand Hyatt Incheon has a Boeing 787 simulator and there’s a Tokyo Haneda airport hotel which offers a room that includes a Boeing 737-800 simulator too.