Thai Airways Royal Orchid Plus - URT-BKK on TG or Nok or Air Asia?

Hi, I'm getting a ticket for a flight on Monday or Tuesday, so it's not an advance purchase situation.... prices are similar but cheaper with Nok.
Here are ticket prices:
Nok THB2000 (only very early and very late flights, I don't want the 745AM departure, and I'm concerned the 2100 departure could cause me trouble if delayed much--I know Nok used to have big delays, how about now?)
Air Asia THB 2750
Thai THB 2900 (THB3000 if I want to accrue miles)

Air Asia is out to me, since it's very close to the TG price and TG gives 20KG bags, which is approximately what I have--I think I have exactly 15KG actually.
I am Star Alliance Gold with TK, but I don't have my card (though I do show up in the system as Star Gold).
Would I be able to use TG's louge at Surat Thani with no TK Gold card in hand, but being Star Gold in the system? If so I might do TG. Plus I like the idea of being at BKK instead of Don Mueang, since I will be staying on Sukhumvit--no buses necessary, can just take the trains.
Advice/ideas? Thanks!

The choice is yours if you want to pay 50% more for your ticket to avoid a 200THB taxi to the city.

As for delays. All Thai carriers suffer the indefinite delay bug. I would say that your chance of a significant delay is not much on any carrier, but the chances of a small delay are possible, but are equal between carriers.

Take the Nok Air flight, unless the TG flight offers better timing (convenience).

Hi, I'm getting a ticket for a flight on Monday or Tuesday, so it's not an advance purchase situation.... prices are similar but cheaper with Nok.
Here are ticket prices:
Nok THB2000 (only very early and very late flights, I don't want the 745AM departure, and I'm concerned the 2100 departure could cause me trouble if delayed much--I know Nok used to have big delays, how about now?)
Air Asia THB 2750
Thai THB 2900 (THB3000 if I want to accrue miles)

Air Asia is out to me, since it's very close to the TG price and TG gives 20KG bags, which is approximately what I have--I think I have exactly 15KG actually.
I am Star Alliance Gold with TK, but I don't have my card (though I do show up in the system as Star Gold).
Would I be able to use TG's louge at Surat Thani with no TK Gold card in hand, but being Star Gold in the system? If so I might do TG. Plus I like the idea of being at BKK instead of Don Mueang, since I will be staying on Sukhumvit--no buses necessary, can just take the trains.
Advice/ideas? Thanks!

I've suffered at the hands of some Nok delays but the last few flights I've taken with them have been on time.

One point, if you fly TG who will you credit with? If TG or UA then any domestic fare is fine. I'm not that familiar with other FFPs to make any declaration.

As for *G status: I'm usually in the system as *G and the TG lounges scan my BP and that's all. Even if I'm in Y and have a guest they don't ask for my *G card. YMMV.

The two variables I'd concentrate on are:

1) which airport is more convenient
2) which times are the most convenient

If one flight stands out on either account I'd go with it.

Oops.

Thanks for the replies.
I was on the TG website today and clicked on the "Offers: Special Fare Promotions" button. Found the "Thailand Plus 2012" Fares, with a THB2460 all-in fare, "subject to avaiability". Clicked through and there was the fare, available for every day in the upcoming week. It's "W" class, which doesn't accrue on TK so I will ask to change my FF# at the gate to UA, which will accrue a few hundred miles.
So unless you click through from the Thailand Plus 2012 page, you are only offered regular TG fares (about 3000 Baht).
This flight is about noon, and is actually cheaper (!) than either Air Asia or Nok Air (except for Nok's 21:00 departure, which is only about 400 Baht cheaper). I get my Star Gold baggage allowance, and will offer a full report of the URT Royal Orchid Lounge if I get access! :D

So unless you click through from the Thailand Plus 2012 page, you are only offered regular TG fares (about 3000 Baht).


This is spot on. One of the reasons these fares are often available close in is because they need to be booked through the specials link. My experience is also that fares to second/third tier cities rarely sell out the special fares.

There is the odd domestic fare that won't accrue at all. I once had a super cheap one in some weird class like N. You might find TK will give credit for domestic W. some programs seem to credit W domestically even though their earning charts don't say so. bMI was like that IIRC... but I have not tried crediting to TK before.

I've been in the Surat Thani ROP lounge a few times and it's nothing great at all. But at least it was air conditioned, unlike Khon Kaen's lounge which is probably the worst of any ROP lounges. Just a basic selection of pastries and drinks from what I recall. It also had a fairly decent view of the tarmac and some sort of a rock garden just out the window. Here's a brief summary of the lounge from the TG website:
http://www.thaiairways.com/thai-services/on-the-ground/en/lounge-surat-thani.htm
I certainly wouldn't pay any extra for a flight just to be able to access that lounge. I'd much rather save my money and buy some food or drink of my choice elsewhere in the airport, if I wanted something. But if given free access I'll take it. Unlike KKC where I refuse to even use the lounge, free or not.

I personally would choose TG over Nok, unless Nok's schedule better suited me. But either would be ok in my mind.

There is the odd domestic fare that won't accrue at all. I once had a super cheap one in some weird class like N. You might find TK will give credit for domestic W. some programs seem to credit W domestically even though their earning charts don't say so. bMI was like that IIRC... but I have not tried crediting to TK before.


TK lists W as a fare class that won't credit with no distinction made between an int or dom flight.

TK lists W as a fare class that won't credit with no distinction made between an int or dom flight.

yes BMI DC was the same, yet domestic flights in W credited fine.

So unless you click through from the Thailand Plus 2012 page, you are only offered regular TG fares (about 3000 Baht).


This is spot on. One of the reasons these fares are often available close in is because they need to be booked through the specials link. My experience is also that fares to second/third tier cities rarely sell out the special fares.

This seems a ridiculous way to do business or is it a great way? Get people in with the lea in advertising and then it appears none of the cheap fares are available. I haven't heard of this occurring on any other airline with sale fares generally showing up in the normal booking engine.

This seems a ridiculous way to do business or is it a great way? Get people in with the lea in advertising and then it appears none of the cheap fares are available. I haven't heard of this occurring on any other airline with sale fares generally showing up in the normal booking engine.

Checking a random date in August for a one-way BKK-CNX, It's 2325 THB (without tax) using the regular booking engine, and 2185 THB using the promotional link. A whopping savings of 140 THB. Not that I'd turn it down, but certainly nothing to get excited about in saving that money, or upset if I clicked on the wrong link and overpaid by 140 THB or if they were sold out on the day I wanted.

Well for mine it was a THB600 difference, almost US$20. So just saying "it's no big deal" doesn't really explain why TG can't offer it as a fare option without clicking through.
Check-in was easy and quick at the business class desk; ROP lounge was quite sorry--2 kind of (warm) pastries, one sweet (jam) and one savory (tuna). No alcohol, about 5 kinds of soft drinks plus water. Thai newspapers but no English. The biggest bonus was free WiFi password, since the terminal doesn't have it.
I don't think the check-in agent realized I'm Star Gold since my bags weren't tagged as so; still didn't take long in BKK. I've actually never arrived into the domestic part of the airport; it was much more pleasant than the sometimes hour-long immigration queue in BKK's international wing.
According to the TG website, when booking ex- URT flights, it says starting sometime in August, flights will be operated by Thai Smile.... I wonder if the ROP lounge will become RIP? :D

Well for mine it was a THB600 difference, almost US$20. So just saying "it's no big deal" doesn't really explain why TG can't offer it as a fare option without clicking through.

For everyday I spot checked, the fare was 2,660 THB, including the tax, which is just minimally over the special fare. That was for what they call a "Saver" fare. The "Saver Plus" fare is 3,060 THB, which I guess is what you were seeing. But if the "Saver" fare was all sold out, I don't see why they were still selling the cheaper specials for that day/flight. The specials should have been sold out also, but perhaps they just preallocated a certain number and don't touch those with people booking in the normal booking engine. Weird yield management if that's the case.

I've seen lots and lots of airlines that offer a special and it's only available if you click on the right link, or give some special code, etc. Not just airlines, but all sorts of businesses. To me, it only makes sense. You target certain customers with some special advertising/promotion, and you want to see how effective it is. If you automatically give everyone the special, then it does nothing for your business in giving you information on how effective it was.