Thai Airways Royal Orchid Plus - When will TG release Star Alliance award seats KTM-BKK for Nov 2011?

Hi all - I am brand-new just signed-on FT member here, so please forgive my lacks in etiquette. Also not sure if this is the correct place to post my question. I did search - but couldn't find an answer.

I do want to begin by thanking all of you for the invaluable hints and information - have been benefiting as a "lurker" for a long time!

Current problem - am trying to use United Airlines FF miles for Business Class award travel SFO-INCH-BKK-KTM (outbound Sept 30-Oct 1), KTM-BKK-NRT [2 day stopover], NRT-SFO (inbound, leaving KTM Nov 19 or 20).

Am holding (until Jan 3, 8 am PST) good seats now for the complete outbound plus the BKK-NRT, NRT-SFO return. BUT - TG does not seem to have released any November 2011 award seats yet - so I cannot ticket the reservation using 120,000 miles until I can complete the KTM-BKK leg.

I am likely to lose the reservation while waiting for the TG KTM-BKK seats to appear. Then I will have to start all over again - and as you know it's a huge time-sink and a very frustrating process - and chances are I will have much less availability too.

I can (before or by Jan 3) ticket the SFO-BKK rt for 125,000 miles, but that won't get me to KTM - and that's an expensive ticket to purchase.

I am open to any advice or suggestions - THANK YOU!

Jane

Welcome Jane and unfortunately, you cross posted. That is BIG NO here... You have not been good lurker, because you would have seen T&Cs and people being not happy about cross posting...
As for your question - I believe that similar was recently discussed somewhere here and that the consensus was that it will appear in next week or two...

Thank you - and my apologies. Was hard to understand where was best place here to post. Will be more careful in future .. but how to figure out best place?

Jane

so I cannot ticket the reservation using 120,000 miles until I can complete the KTM-BKK leg.

Hi and welcome.

120,000 is very good, isn't it?
An award PER-LAX cost us our program, 170,000 to get into business class. So many people now are on your carrier's FFP, once it seemed liked it was totally BMI, before them LH. Should have a look at it, what do you like about it?

THAI like Wednesdays, don't know why, but over the years I have noticed that many awards are released on the first Wednesday of the month and usually a month late. Maybe Christmas/New Year might stuff up my logic:)

Hi and welcome.

120,000 is very good, isn't it?
An award PER-LAX cost us our program, 170,000 to get into business class. So many people now are on your carrier's FFP, once it seemed liked it was totally BMI, before them LH. Should have a look at it, what do you like about it?

THAI like Wednesdays, don't know why, but over the years I have noticed that many awards are released on the first Wednesday of the month and usually a month late. Maybe Christmas/New Year might stuff up my logic:)

You should try Aeroplan some time. 100k for a J class ticket Australia to North Am.

As for the OP's question, I can't see anything in J or Y on any carrier for you dates so don't hold out hope.

You should try Aeroplan some time. 100k for a J class ticket Australia to North Am.

Yes, I hold Aeroplan, I flooded it with flights initially then I forgot about it, they say this happens as you get older:(

It is very good. I love it and intended to go all out. My predicament is at times, I may need to be in Indonesia, so DPS and CGK become my gateways hubs and all my flights are on Garuda and this dilutes the *A programs. Interesting you say you can't see anything either, I thought to myself as I was checking that the OP doesdn't have a lot of choices, if any.

Since you are not stopping in BKK you may find this useful: There is one other star alliance flight from KTM which goes to Lhasa in Tibet.

There is availability for KTM-LXA-CTU with CA in Business. The problem is that you would have to overnight before flying CTU-NRT the next day.

But still you have something to book ^

Thank you thank you thank you!! Brilliant to think of going from KTM thru Lhasa - and - we have never been to Lhasa, always wanted to visit but concerned about altitude - and since for this trip we will be returning from trekking in Nepal - we should be acclimatised.

I was able to book KTM to LXA, 3 nites in Lhasa (!!), and then continuing LXA-CTU-INCH-SFO, with, as you mentioned, an overnight in CTU.

We are very very pleased to be able to get this settled - and with business too for the long hauls.

Thank you - so helpful!!

Jane

Since you are not stopping in BKK you may find this useful: There is one other star alliance flight from KTM which goes to Lhasa in Tibet.

There is availability for KTM-LXA-CTU with CA in Business. The problem is that you would have to overnight before flying CTU-NRT the next day.

But still you have something to book ^

Well done with that but good luck getting the Chinese visa and entry permit for Tibet.

Thank you thank you thank you!! Brilliant to think of going from KTM thru Lhasa - and - we have never been to Lhasa, always wanted to visit but concerned about altitude - and since for this trip we will be returning from trekking in Nepal - we should be acclimatised.

I was able to book KTM to LXA, 3 nites in Lhasa (!!), and then continuing LXA-CTU-INCH-SFO, with, as you mentioned, an overnight in CTU.

We are very very pleased to be able to get this settled - and with business too for the long hauls.

Thank you - so helpful!!

Jane

No worries ;)