TheNemesis

Hello all

I've been a ROP Platinum member for about 12 months and finally got around to reading the benefits. It seems I'm entitled to 'free upgrades' on every flight?

In over 20 years of flying with Thai I don't think I've ever had an upgrade. I've never even used my air miles to be honest and they just accumulate.
Does anyone know how I get this?

I was a BA Gold member for over 10 years and virtually every time I booked a business class seat, I would just get upgraded to first at check in due to my status.
This has never happened with Thai.

I have a colleague who is Black member with Lufthansa and the same complimentary upgrade at check in happens with him.

I tried phoning the ROP line to ask they just said that nothing was available?!?

Sadly my BA Gold has lapsed now simply because I don't fly the long haul with them anymore but I fly Thai multiple times a week both short and long haul now, mostly business class but occasionally first, so I was half expecting some kind of recognition...

Any ideas how to trigger the occasional upgrade?

BinSabai

you are entitled to get a round trip upgrade (from Y to J or from J to F) for qualification as Platinum and then another one for every 50k flown after qualification
not at all a automatic upgrade on every flight. I flew several times in J when there was F available but did not get upgraded for free. Just when I used one of those upgrade "allowances"

TheNemesis

You are correct about the one round trip per every 50k flown I read that as for Gold status.

The Platinum status reads:

Unlimited complimentary upgrades, that can also be transferred to Award Nominees, on achieving specified mileage thresholds


Presumably then, that doesn't actually mean unlimited complimentary upgrades period but rather you need to trigger the upgrade eligibility by achieving a threshold.
Again, I assume this is the 50k but it doesn't seem to state it anywhere.

How do I actually get the upgrades? As I said, I never use them so my miles and benefits just accumulate but I figure I could start to get some long haul upgrades now as I seem to be gaining between 40-60k miles a month

BinSabai

"specified mileage threshold" means after 50k Miles

you need to contact (or let your travel agency contact) TG office for upgrade your ticket; they can tell you how many you still have

TheNemesis

Ah ok. Thank you!

Thaikwai

I would be quick about it if I were you. These PUPs, as they are called, have expiry dates, whereas your award miles don't expire as a Platinum member.

If you are indeed accumulating 40K-60K miles per month, actually flown on Thai metal, then you will have plenty of PUPs, depending on how many have expired.

I also accumulate about 60K miles per month but I am only actually flying about 15,000 per month, earning the rest from my Citibank credit card, and these miles do not count towards PUPs.

The upgrade after every 50,000 miles does not apply to Gold members. You normally get a GUP every year when your status is renewed as Gold. They also used to give you a GUP every year on your birthday, which I thought was a really nice touch, but I think they have dispensed with that now.

With all of the "supposed" upgrading Thai have done to the ROP website, you would think it would be possible to log into a page on your account and see how many current PUP/GUP are available to you, and their expiry dates, as well as the number of 50% discount awards - but I guess that's fantasy land when it comes to Thai.........

kapitan

Wanted to do GUP for BKK FRA TG920... Got travel agent to arrange, but they could not contact the Sales....... Anyways forgot about it,.....

At check in at Swampy airport Plat counter, asked if could be upgraded, check in staff said F was full.....

Anyways at gate I was approached... Are you Mr. kapitan... Yes!..... Are you Plati-nam member..... Err Yes!...... Sir, we will upgrade you as flight is full........... Ok.. Thanks...

It was a good flight in that I had a comfortable sleep of 8 hours.... skipped the caviar and what not, had a soup, some fruits and crashed until breakfast....

First time upgraded to F from J, though I had a few up o J from Y...

And I walked through Y section and noted that there were actually quite a few empty seats around..... I really wonder why they upgraded me....

anaidross

I thought you went from J to F.

Should you not check the J section instead of the Y section to see if there are empty seats?

kapitan

J was full.... I was thinking it is likely they have to up someone from Y because he is official and have to up someone from J i.e. me...

anaidross

Or maybe you have received the upgrade because J is simply overbooked and they choose Platinum members for the upgrade.

In any case, I am glad that you received that upgrade and hopefully a Rimowa case as well...

kapitan

Yes, it's a rimowa case.... brownish jammies, where the rest of the 11 pax were given blue....

Frankonthemove

Ive been with a Thai Platinum for a while now and and never a sniff of an upgrade because of loyalty, I've given up hoping. With SQ and others I was often bumped up due to status/loyality. I find staff are not so sure what platinum is as Im rarely approached when onboard to be told "thanks for flying with us etc etc" as I was when I was gold. I was surprised last week, a kind flight attendant offered me a business meal (was flying Y class). Not sure what the real benefits are except checking in at the first class counter. Very disappointing Thai.

BinSabai

during more than half of my flights on TG, I get approached by the inflight manager or a senior flight attendant, greeting me as Platinum member and asking whether they can something for me. Sometimes I get served first or unasked for additionally or they try to organize some magazine for me.
other benefits than premium check in
- F lounge access in all their own lounges
- roundtrip upgrade for every 50k miles (not many programs offer that!)
- 2 times per year award ticket for 50% of normal miles (Gold only one time)
- more nominees and free change of nominees

tookay

Maybe I have been lucky as a ROG member. Had it for about 15 years now, but never made it to Platinum, as I tend to avoid TG in favour of certain other airlines unless I do not have a choice. In those 15 years, I have had three gate upgrades from Y to C due to overbooked Y: two between MNL and BKK and the other between HKG and BKK.

Contrasted to that, I am EK Gold as well, and I am upgraded from C to F about 25% of them time. Sometimes it is because of overbooking in the back and bumping Cs up to F, while other times the flight isn't even full and they do an upgrade just to be nice, I suppose. This is something that I really appreciate from EK, and shows that they genuinely value their best customers. Too bad TG doesn't have the same approach to customer appreciation, but then they really do not offer much in terms of business class by comparison to EK anyway.

gaia

PUP upgrades do not expire as long as you retain platinum status. As I always fly J & the routes I fly don't have F, I have earned more than 20 PUP upgrades over the past 5 years & they're all still valid.