New upgrade award on Thai and devaluation
Jun 23, 2014, 1:08 am
#61
Join Date: Feb 2009
Posts: 425
lingua101,
Agreed on the poor value of Y redemption.
The taxes, fees and particularly the fuel surcharge can easily mean you need a cash payment of half the price of an economy ticket, so the miles only buy you half the "free" ticket and you don't earn any miles on it.
Even in J class the taxes, fees and fuel surcharge can amount to 20- 25% of the price to buy the fare with cash.
Agreed on the poor value of Y redemption.
The taxes, fees and particularly the fuel surcharge can easily mean you need a cash payment of half the price of an economy ticket, so the miles only buy you half the "free" ticket and you don't earn any miles on it.
Even in J class the taxes, fees and fuel surcharge can amount to 20- 25% of the price to buy the fare with cash.
Jun 23, 2014, 4:36 am
#62
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: SIN
Programs: TK-G | Accor P | SQ-G | Marriott T
Posts: 3,831
lingua101,
Agreed on the poor value of Y redemption.
The taxes, fees and particularly the fuel surcharge can easily mean you need a cash payment of half the price of an economy ticket, so the miles only buy you half the "free" ticket and you don't earn any miles on it.
Even in J class the taxes, fees and fuel surcharge can amount to 20- 25% of the price to buy the fare with cash.
Agreed on the poor value of Y redemption.
The taxes, fees and particularly the fuel surcharge can easily mean you need a cash payment of half the price of an economy ticket, so the miles only buy you half the "free" ticket and you don't earn any miles on it.
Even in J class the taxes, fees and fuel surcharge can amount to 20- 25% of the price to buy the fare with cash.
If this is the case, with the bonus given to Gold/Platinum, that's may be quite decent...
Jun 23, 2014, 4:51 pm
#63
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: Germany / Thailand
Programs: M&M/S SPG livetime gold, but not running behind status & points anymore! Now only book value for $
Posts: 3,090
burne and change the FFP
up to each ones flyingpattern
flying paid TG eco lets say Q class credit 100% to LM
https://www.lifemiles.com/eng/abo/sta/stathai.aspx
one way Europe to Asia 65k in Business ( and some ...... even cheaper
)
flying paid TG premium classes F/A/P 300 % / C/D/J 200 % U/Y/B 150 %
http://www.miles-and-more.com/online...l=de&cid=18002
oneway Business class Europe - BKK 67.5k children and SEN Partners even cheaper
flying paid TG eco lets say Q class credit 100% to LM
https://www.lifemiles.com/eng/abo/sta/stathai.aspx
one way Europe to Asia 65k in Business ( and some ...... even cheaper
)flying paid TG premium classes F/A/P 300 % / C/D/J 200 % U/Y/B 150 %
http://www.miles-and-more.com/online...l=de&cid=18002
oneway Business class Europe - BKK 67.5k children and SEN Partners even cheaper
Jun 23, 2014, 11:29 pm
#64
Join Date: Nov 2008
Programs: SAS *G
Posts: 458
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,OZ,SK,BA,AY,EK
https://www.americanexpress.com/thai...early_2014.pdf
at page 6.
SQ,MH,CI,OZ,SK,BA,AY,EK
https://www.americanexpress.com/thai...early_2014.pdf
at page 6.
Asia Miles is included though.
Jun 25, 2014, 3:59 pm
#66
Ambassador: Thai Airways
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: MEL, SIN, CDG, DXB
Programs: EK*P, TG*P, SQ*PPS
Posts: 977
The night is always darkest before the dawn! Doubling of the redemption rates, while increasing earn rates by significantly less, is a bit of a kick in the teeth, but perhaps the ROP program was too generous for too long? Please don't flame... I'm just throwing the idea on the table!
On the face of it, the 1 Sep 2014 changes to ROP don't look good (in fact, they look really bad) and will be enough, I suspect, for many to switch their business away from TG. However, I'm hopeful there are announcements yet to come and the final implementation of the changes will not be as dire as they seems right now.
Just had a chat to the incredibly helpful person on my local ROP desk and she says:
* GUPs/PUPs will be retained, but not clear yet if there will be any changes;
* Impact on taxes/surcharges still to be confirmed (will they be included?); and
* TG is still finalising the scope of the changes and ironing out some anomalies
For example, presently Aus/BKK/Europe rtn in J costs 170k (both TG and *A award). Under the new scheme, the same flight will cost 340k for a *A award, but around 450k for a TG award (as Aus/BKK and BKK/Eur will be costed as two separate redemption flights).
It's a bit concerning these changes will have the biggest, unfavourable impact on some of the most loyal flyers... but I'm willing to wait a bit and see what transpires.
On the face of it, the 1 Sep 2014 changes to ROP don't look good (in fact, they look really bad) and will be enough, I suspect, for many to switch their business away from TG. However, I'm hopeful there are announcements yet to come and the final implementation of the changes will not be as dire as they seems right now.
Just had a chat to the incredibly helpful person on my local ROP desk and she says:
* GUPs/PUPs will be retained, but not clear yet if there will be any changes;
* Impact on taxes/surcharges still to be confirmed (will they be included?); and
* TG is still finalising the scope of the changes and ironing out some anomalies
For example, presently Aus/BKK/Europe rtn in J costs 170k (both TG and *A award). Under the new scheme, the same flight will cost 340k for a *A award, but around 450k for a TG award (as Aus/BKK and BKK/Eur will be costed as two separate redemption flights).
It's a bit concerning these changes will have the biggest, unfavourable impact on some of the most loyal flyers... but I'm willing to wait a bit and see what transpires.
Jun 25, 2014, 10:02 pm
#67
Join Date: May 2004
Location: SIN (LEJ once a year)
Programs: SQ, LH, BA, IHG Diamond AMB, HH Gold, SLH Indulged, Accor Gold, Hyatt Discoverist
Posts: 7,739
I have no skin in this game, but reading all this I really can't possibly start to understand what has possessed TG ROP to come up with such crazy changes. Increasing redemption rates even in the range that UA did is one thing, effectively doubling them is an entirely different magnitude. The revised earn rates by no means make up for the increases.
It will hurt them for sure in my book as they are really taking the pi*s at their most loyal customers. I would be livid and burn my miles before Sep 2014 and then credit to other *A FFP that suits my travel pattern. YMMV.
Reminds me of the time when SQ had "new Business" and "new First" and KF did not allow saver award redemptions on 77W, A345 and A388 back then effectively doubling redemption cost too. Today you got Saver awards back at half the mileage cost of standard award even though inventory can be spotty.
What will be interesting if TG redemption rates with other *A FFPs will remain as is.
It will hurt them for sure in my book as they are really taking the pi*s at their most loyal customers. I would be livid and burn my miles before Sep 2014 and then credit to other *A FFP that suits my travel pattern. YMMV.
Reminds me of the time when SQ had "new Business" and "new First" and KF did not allow saver award redemptions on 77W, A345 and A388 back then effectively doubling redemption cost too. Today you got Saver awards back at half the mileage cost of standard award even though inventory can be spotty.
What will be interesting if TG redemption rates with other *A FFPs will remain as is.
Last edited by demue; Jun 25, 2014 at 10:08 pm
Jun 25, 2014, 11:34 pm
#68
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: Melbourne
Programs: Velocity Gold
Posts: 1,069
Just on the bit bolded above, are you sure this is correct? On the award page it says:
"If Award travel is multi-sector, for example London-Bangkok-Taipei, please consult the THAI mileage table to calculate the total distance in miles to determine the relevant Award Zone. "
So for SYD-BKK-LHR this would be 10,607 miles falls in zone 6 which is 340,000 miles return in business class.
Jun 25, 2014, 11:47 pm
#69
Ambassador: Thai Airways
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: MEL, SIN, CDG, DXB
Programs: EK*P, TG*P, SQ*PPS
Posts: 977
Just on the bit bolded above, are you sure this is correct? On the award page it says:
"If Award travel is multi-sector, for example London-Bangkok-Taipei, please consult the THAI mileage table to calculate the total distance in miles to determine the relevant Award Zone. "
"If Award travel is multi-sector, for example London-Bangkok-Taipei, please consult the THAI mileage table to calculate the total distance in miles to determine the relevant Award Zone. "
Either way, 340k miles for Aus/Europe rtn in J is still way too much.
Jun 26, 2014, 3:44 pm
#72
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: Portland OR & Bangkok
Programs: United GS, Marriott Ambassador
Posts: 662
Jun 26, 2014, 4:17 pm
#73
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: Melbourne
Programs: Velocity Gold
Posts: 1,069
Jun 27, 2014, 5:54 am
#74
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: BKK
Posts: 6,741
Jun 27, 2014, 3:30 pm
#75
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: Melbourne
Programs: Velocity Gold
Posts: 1,069
Quote:
Originally Posted by travelislife
It still can be had for half that today. That's what this whole thread is about, the devaluation.
I am aware of the devaluation, my post was poorly worded. I was thinking how much that award might have cost using UA miles before their devaluation, for example.
Originally Posted by travelislife
It still can be had for half that today. That's what this whole thread is about, the devaluation.
I am aware of the devaluation, my post was poorly worded. I was thinking how much that award might have cost using UA miles before their devaluation, for example.