New upgrade award on Thai and devaluation

Old Jun 21, 2014, 12:24 am
  #46  
 
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Originally Posted by travelislife
How does these changes do that somkiat? I think if anything this will increase not reduce the number of non-ROP award flyers as their current ROP flyers will credit their miles to other programs and then redeem miles from those programs on Thai flights. How do the current changes stop other *A carriers booking award flights on Thai where the value is multiple times better?
Exactly what I was thinking. This change ONLY affects ROP members in needing more miles for an award. Thus after a short period when many existing ROP members burn their remaining miles, there will likely be much fewer ROP members redeeming their miles on TG flights, and so increasing the likelihood of non-ROP members in being able to get awards on TG flights. I don't know what TG's goals are, but being this move seems likely to increase non-ROP awards on their flights and reduce ROP awards on their flights, seems they'll be making less money off of award travel in the future.
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Old Jun 21, 2014, 12:28 am
  #47  
 
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Originally Posted by Creole Spirit
AALee, I cannot fully agree to your statement:
the hotel vouchers which you mention are not so bad - while I prefer chasing for miles to use them for upgrades (even though now more expensive, but they still work), my friends are using them for hotel vouchers (and have never complained).
Also the new introduction of oneway award tickets is not only bad (because they do now cost the same as a return ticket used to cost) but a fairer way for those who want/need them (not everybody likes flying back and forth the same routing/airline....)
Ok, for someone who does find value in hotel vouchers (which I don't personally), this move would seem to be a positive, assuming they don't change the number of miles for hotel awards. Reason being members will be earning more miles for the same flights, so the net cost for hotel vouchers is reduced, and reduced by a lot if flying premium class. Ok, I'll admit, I did redeem my last remaining ROP miles for some hotel vouchers, but only as a last resort to avoid my miles from expiring without being used. I still need to book a hotel with them, and don't really consider them to be a good value, but better than not using the miles. For someone not interested in using miles for flights, I guess this recent move isn't all that bad, but I imagine those kinds of people aren't many among the ROP membership.
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Old Jun 21, 2014, 2:12 am
  #48  
 
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Originally Posted by A_Lee
Exactly what I was thinking. This change ONLY affects ROP members in needing more miles for an award. Thus after a short period when many existing ROP members burn their remaining miles, there will likely be much fewer ROP members redeeming their miles on TG flights, and so increasing the likelihood of non-ROP members in being able to get awards on TG flights. I don't know what TG's goals are, but being this move seems likely to increase non-ROP awards on their flights and reduce ROP awards on their flights, seems they'll be making less money off of award travel in the future.
No one knows what it is but Thai might actually like the revenue they get off other *A partners for 'selling' their award seats. This might be better dollar wise to them than their own members using their miles on Thai flights, this is pretty much the only conclusion I can come to.
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Old Jun 21, 2014, 2:21 am
  #49  
 
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Glad to have found out this information sooner rather than later. Able to burn 270k miles next week and have another 280k to burn before Sept!

But perhaps we are looking at this in the utmost negative way. I know this is wishful thinking, but perhaps the Gold/Plat award will be 75% less miles once each year? We can only hope! Or perhaps more Gold/Plat upgrade awards per year?
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Old Jun 21, 2014, 5:44 am
  #50  
 
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Another impact of the decision to devalue ROP points is on credit cards linked to ROP loyalty schemes. For example, I have a Thai Platinum AMEX card which gives 1 ROP mile per 20-25 THB spent.

This effectively also devalues points earned on my AMEX card by the same amount 50-100%, if converted to ROP points and used for TG air awards.

Will AMEX and other similar loyalty schemes linked to ROP, need to respond by lowering the amount spent for points, to avoid customers walking to cards which (now) have more attractive benefits? There are many credit cards in Thailand and it will be interesting to see how this plays out......

Last edited by ureba; Jun 21, 2014 at 8:02 am
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Old Jun 21, 2014, 7:18 am
  #51  
 
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Originally Posted by ureba
Another impact of the decision to devalue ROP points is on credit cards linked to ROP loyalty schemes. For example, I have a Thai Platinum AMEX card which gives 1 ROP mile per 20-25 THB spent.

This effectively also devalues points earned on my AMEX card by the same amount 50-100%, if converted to ROP points and used for TG air awards.

Will AMEX and other similar loyalty schemes linked to ROP need to respond by lowering the amount spent for points, to avoid customers walking to cards which (now) have more attractive benefits? There are many credit cards in Thailand and it will be interesting to see how this plays out......
I did call Citibank (I am Citigold and have the ROP Preferred with them). I had the chance to talk to a "supervisor" and it seems that they were as surprised as we were all of the devaluation. He told me they are actually talking about what to do now as they acknowledged that their points are now 50% less value.

I also use Standard Chartered and can move my points to SQ but is it really better? They also have the silly "surcharges" and less seats available. Also no direct flight to anywhere....

Any idea if there is any credit card in Thailand allowing you to transfer points to UA, Swiss, Qatar, Emirates etc...?

Thanks, still shocked by this silly change,

GJ
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Old Jun 21, 2014, 8:33 am
  #52  
hco
 
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Originally Posted by true1976

I did call Citibank (I am Citigold and have the ROP Preferred with them). I had the chance to talk to a "supervisor" and it seems that they were as surprised as we were all of the devaluation. He told me they are actually talking about what to do now as they acknowledged that their points are now 50% less value.

I also use Standard Chartered and can move my points to SQ but is it really better? They also have the silly "surcharges" and less seats available. Also no direct flight to anywhere....

Any idea if there is any credit card in Thailand allowing you to transfer points to UA, Swiss, Qatar, Emirates etc...?

Thanks, still shocked by this silly change,

GJ
Good that you talked to Citi! I haven't yet. Even if SQ maybe is not actually better, I will for sure mention SC and their SQ transfer option when I speak to Citi and Amex next time.

As far as I understand, in Thai there are only a myriad of ROP-cards, and SC's which can transfer both to TG and SQ. Anything else? Maybe a non-ROP Amex which has more options?

Right now I'm using CitiROP and AmexROP.
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Old Jun 21, 2014, 9:01 am
  #53  
 
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with the cards issued by AmexThailand - Platinum,Gold and Classic - ,but not with the Amex Royal Orchid Platinum card, you can transfer points to these FFPs:

SQ,MH,CI,CX,SK,BA,AY,EK

https://www.americanexpress.com/thai...early_2014.pdf

at page 6.

Last edited by shimura; Jun 24, 2014 at 3:53 am Reason: EK instead of EY
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Old Jun 21, 2014, 11:47 am
  #54  
 
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I am using Citi Ultima. Wonder if they could add a few more FF programs into their lists. As far as I know today it's still only TG and CX.
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Old Jun 21, 2014, 11:52 pm
  #55  
 
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Originally Posted by A_Lee
Exactly what I was thinking. This change ONLY affects ROP members in needing more miles for an award. Thus after a short period when many existing ROP members burn their remaining miles, there will likely be much fewer ROP members redeeming their miles on TG flights, and so increasing the likelihood of non-ROP members in being able to get awards on TG flights. I don't know what TG's goals are, but being this move seems likely to increase non-ROP awards on their flights and reduce ROP awards on their flights, seems they'll be making less money off of award travel in the future.
May be the forget about this fact? They just thought that this move will mean lesser reward flyer especially in premium cabin. They gorget there is another way to get free seat.

Or may be they will start restricting premium cabin from other *A?
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Old Jun 21, 2014, 11:55 pm
  #56  
 
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Originally Posted by travelislife
No one knows what it is but Thai might actually like the revenue they get off other *A partners for 'selling' their award seats. This might be better dollar wise to them than their own members using their miles on Thai flights, this is pretty much the only conclusion I can come to.
But when a pax flying TG but deposit the miles to other *A, shouldn't TG need to pay money?
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Old Jun 21, 2014, 11:57 pm
  #57  
 
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Originally Posted by true1976
I did call Citibank (I am Citigold and have the ROP Preferred with them). I had the chance to talk to a "supervisor" and it seems that they were as surprised as we were all of the devaluation. He told me they are actually talking about what to do now as they acknowledged that their points are now 50% less value.

I also use Standard Chartered and can move my points to SQ but is it really better? They also have the silly "surcharges" and less seats available. Also no direct flight to anywhere....

Any idea if there is any credit card in Thailand allowing you to transfer points to UA, Swiss, Qatar, Emirates etc...?

Thanks, still shocked by this silly change,

GJ
But at least it is "easier" to get premium cabin seats on SQ rather than TG
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Old Jun 22, 2014, 2:28 am
  #58  
 
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To look on the bright side of things....they are increasing the redemption miles in Y class by "only" 20% (some shorter routes will remain same milage in Y), but as long as you are at least Gold you will earn 25% more miles flown or 50% more miles flown if Plat status.

I suppose they are trying to lure all of their members redeeming awards to fly Y more often rather than aiming for J or F class making Y redemption less ludicrous.

Last edited by Mchamp; Jun 22, 2014 at 9:25 pm
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Old Jun 22, 2014, 2:29 am
  #59  
 
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Lightbulb Fly TG - earn on LH and redeem of course on LH / LX

Originally Posted by travelislife
Current ROP flyers will credit their miles to other programs and then redeem miles from those programs on Thai flights. How do the current changes stop other *A carriers booking award flights on Thai where the value is multiple times better?
Agree on the first: 3 round trips with TG in discounted F to Europe will make you LH SEN.

Disagree on the second. Why having M&M miles and being gold with them you would then redeem on TG if you can easily fly a real top product as for instance LX F and with a partner award even for 50 % miles less for the person you are traveling with. Just got a three continents award in F on LX and LH for 435 000 miles for two people (earned for a good part on TG metal) - fantastic!

TG is a decent airline for earning miles, but I would never redeem on them.
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Old Jun 22, 2014, 10:24 pm
  #60  
 
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Originally Posted by Mchamp
To look on the bright side of things....they are increasing the redemption miles in Y class by "only" 20% (some shorter routes will remain same milage in Y), but as long as you are at least Gold you will earn 25% more miles flown or 50% more miles flown if Plat status.

I suppose they are trying to lure all of their members redeeming awards to fly Y more often rather than aiming for J or F class making Y redemption less ludicrous.
But redeeming TG rewards on Y for short haul is not really worth at all.

For example. SIN-BKK-TG, which remains at 25,000 miles, but you need to pay close to S$200 (normally around S$198) tax and fuel charge.

The promotion fare on this route is only S$90 (excluding the tax).

Hence your mileage is only worth S$0.0036
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