Information on Thai Lion Air Flights

Thai Lion Air is a low-cost carrier with dual hubs in both Don Mueang International Airport (DMK) in Bangkok and Chiang Mai International Airport (CNX) in the north of Thailand. Headquartered in Bangkok, it’s a division of Indonesian-based Lion Air Group, with additional airlines in Malaysia and Indonesia.

Despite being a low-cost carrier, Thai Lion Air offers a few advantages many of its competitors don’t, including a better network and at least one generous freebie hard to find among this class of airline. Next time you find yourself exploring Southeast Asia on a budget, use this expert guide to Thai Lion Air to make the most of your journey.

Thai Lion Air fare classes

Low-cost carriers are notorious for offering multiple fare classes with varying degrees of inclusions, in an attempt to upsell you as much as possible. The volume of options can often be overwhelming and even confusing, but I love that Thai Lion Air keeps it simple with just three fare classes: Promo, Economy and Premium Economy.

Premium Economy is only offered on select flights and offers an experience somewhat similar to a business class flight on a domestic North American route. You can expect larger reclining seats (not lie-flats) and decent seatback screens for entertainment, as well as a more premium level of service in a dedicated cabin. I found this to be an enjoyable experience, but you’ll need to fly on the A330-300 aircraft to book it.

The rest of the Thai Lion Air flights are stocked exclusively with economy seating, and those are sold as either Economy or Promo. These generally offer the same seating options, but Promo fares come at a lower cost with more restrictions on inclusions and changes or cancellations. Unlike many low-cost carriers, you don’t need to choose a bundle-style fare after choosing your cabin. You can simply add on what you need.

It's also worth noting that you don’t have to book the same fare class throughout a round trip. You can feel free to treat yourself to a more premium experience in just one direction if that fits the budget but a round trip doesn’t.

Thai Lion Air baggage

The first add-on many passengers wonder about is baggage, and this is where Thai Lion Air really shines compared to the majority of its low-cost counterparts worldwide. While nearly all others exclude carry-on for its lowest fare, and may even limit it for some higher tiers, Thai Lion Air includes seven kilograms (15.4 pounds) of carry-on for all.

Just remember that bag dimension limits are smaller in Asia (and most of the world) than in the USA, so be sure yours is compliant or you will likely end up needing to check it instead. You can measure it in a bin at the airport, but that’s a little late, so I recommend always double-checking current dimension limits with the airline before packing and taking a moment to actually measure.

For checked baggage, Thai Lion Air is also a bit more generous than many other low-cost carriers. While Promo fares don’t include any checked baggage on domestic or international flights, Economy fares do. Domestic Economy flights include 10 kilograms (22 pounds) of checked luggage and international flights include 20 kilograms (44 pounds).

Important for Promo flyers: If you’ve flown the airline to India or Nepal in the past, you may have received free checked luggage even as a Promo ticketholder, but this policy ended in the summer of 2024.

If you’re flying Premium Economy, one of your perks is increased weight allowance in your checked luggage. You’ll get 20 kilograms (44 pounds) on domestic routes and 30 kilograms (66 pounds) on international flights.

If you need to go over your free weight allowance, I strongly recommend paying for extra weight in advance. Up until three hours before departure, you can pre-pay for added weight in increments of five kilograms (11 pounds). It’s not cheap if you need to add a lot, but it’s a decent deal for just five or 10 kilograms (11 or 22 pounds) more.

If you show up at the airport without prepaying, you’ll be charged steeper excess baggage fees. If you happen to overbook additional weight you won’t get a refund, but you can share your remaining balance with other people on the same booking if they’re present when you check-in.

Seats on Thai Lion Air

Seat selection on Thai Lion Air is also less complicated than on many other low-cost carriers. If you’re in Premium Economy you can select any available seat in your cabin when booking. In Economy you have a choice of standard seats (called “Lion Normal Seats” when booking), Lion Seats and Lion Comfort Seats.

Lion Seats are typically in rows three through five, with Lion Comfort Seats taking the front two rows, and both offer more space and quicker exit. All seats on Thai Lion Air are outfitted in cushioned leather and the cabin itself is equipped with ambient lighting that improves the overall experience.

With few physical differences between standard seats and the front rows, I don’t usually find a seat upgrade for short flights necessary. Still, the price difference between them is quite low, so it’s not really going to affect your budget significantly if you do want the perks. Just don’t expect much.

Thai Lion Air check-in

For check-in, you can treat domestic flights on Thai Lion Air like any other common airline. Up to 24 hours in advance, you can check in online or on the airline app. Alternatively, you can check in at dedicated airport counters on the day of your flight.

International flights with Thai Lion Air are a bit different. You can’t check in for these flights digitally at all – you must get in line at the airport for document verification and occasionally some additional considerations. Depending on the airport, these lines can be quite long, and premium cabins and seats don’t include priority check-in or other airport benefits, so I recommend leaving more time than you otherwise might.

Thai Lion Air connections

Many low-cost carriers that prioritize efficient point-to-point routes only operate under a self-connection policy – typically, this means you can’t book connections on a single ticket and you won’t receive benefits like checked-through luggage or assistance in the event of delays or cancellations of your first flight. While this is still the case with some Thai Lion Air flights, I appreciate that the airline offers a program to protect most connections.

Lion Connect allows you to book connections through all but nine airports that Thai Lion Air flies to. This gets you both boarding passes at your first point of departure and ensures your luggage automatically transfers to your final destination. Even though this trip now qualifies as a single itinerary, you will still need to pay any fees for upgrades or excess baggage for each leg of the full trip.

Meals on Thai Lion Air

Economy and Promo ticketholders on Thai Lion Air are not entitled to any meals for any flight. In fact, in classic low-cost carrier fashion, snacks and drinks are not included either. Fortunately, these are at least available for purchase, but I recommend bringing your own snacks onboard for better variety and slightly cheaper prices.

Premium Economy passengers receive a free hot meal and choices generally include at least one Western option among Asian offerings (not just Thai). On select flights, Economy and Promo passengers can also reserve hot meals in advance. These aren’t free, but the prices are exceptional value and the variety is strong. Keep in mind that these only come with one water each.

If you’re traveling with someone, you can score even better deals with select combo meals that provide two waters and two servings of the same or different menu options for a small discount. Remember the original price is already low, so the small discount is just a bonus, but worth snagging if you can.

In-flight entertainment on Thai Lion Air

In-flight entertainment is provided on seatback screens for passengers in Premium Economy, but there’s no entertainment for remaining passengers on most Thai Lion Air flights. If you happen to be flying on the newer Airbus A330neo planes in the fleet, you should have access to SKYfi free entertainment, accessible on your personal devices.

For those with access to in-flight entertainment, there are many movies, TV shows and other options to choose from, but keep in mind that little of it is in English. While most Thai Lion Air flights aren’t exceptionally long, you may want to bring your own pre-loaded entertainment for trips if you think you’ll want something to watch to pass the time. In that case, make sure to bring fully charged external power supplies too.