zap7

Hi everyone,
due to changing flights, being stranded for a 1 day stopover on my way home and an SQ flight being credited immediately, I just received the email for the mileage credit and realized I have an opportunity for the next 10 hours before my flight leaves:

I now have 72.500 status miles during the last 12 months.
In 10 hours I'll started a paid C class flight earning 11.000 miles.
So right now I can buy 8.000 status miles for 500 Euros.

My question is:
If I buy up to elite+ now and start a flight 2-3 hours later that will earn 11k miles, will I then be elite+ and immediately have 11.000 miles that count for renewal?


Some airlines do not count everything earned in the month where you reach the new status for renewal and I couldn't find anything for how TK handles it.

The benefit would be that I can buy up to elite+ now - I would reach it anyway but by doing it, I only have to collect 29.000 miles during the next 12 months to renew then. After reaching elite+ the buy miles option is only available for the 24 months period.

Thanks,
zap!

TPJ

Check your online statement. If you see (under DESCRIPTION) CARD RENEWAL or CARD CRITERIA HAVE BEEN FULLFILLED, this means (IMHO) anything credited after this entry goes to the new period.

Also... we all know how wonderful TK IT systems are. The expiry date on the online statement might not match this in TK internal M&S system (my online statements shows 31 August 2017, but in the M&S system it is 3 September 2017 - as confirmed the other day by the Card Pick-up Point agent). Go figure...

smellme

The short answer is YES, it will count immediately.

In fact, if a flight gives you more miles then needed for status, the rest will count for renewal. So if you don't buy the miles, 3500 miles from your flight will go towards renewal. If you buy, all 11000 will.

zap7

Thanks to both of you for the fast answer.
Now I'll be elite+ today

zap7

and for the record for anyone searching this thread later:
- You can buy up from elite to elite plus ONLY AFTER YOU HAVE COLLECTED >70.000 status miles in the last 12 months. I tried to use the function before that, But since you can only buy 10k miles at once, it'll show an error message when you need more than that.
- Log into your account and choose "buy miles" and then "buy status miles" in the menu on the left
- For me it took 80 seconds for the transaction to go through. The "you are now elite+" email arrived immediately.

And now I have to hurry to board my flight, get some sllep in TKs great seats after enjoying an excellent meal and then have my card printed tomorrow in IST
Bet regards,
zap!

smellme

Enjoy your flight!
Just out of curiosity, did those 8000 status miles that you bough also count as bonus miles? Meaning can you spend them on ticket upgrades?

pencereamelesi

Yes, it's always spendable.

I was wrong. Purchased status miles do not count as total miles.

AvidFlyer1990

Nice!! Congratulations man!! ^

moeser

Purchased status miles do not count as total miles.

Therefore they should not be spendable.

pencereamelesi

You're right, my mistake

mrblanco

Just a quick related question that you might be able to help me with. I couldn't find it anywhere else. Does the booking class and status bonus you get count towards status miles?

Eg 175% in expensive business

smellme

yes

mrblanco

Thanks Smellme

zap7

Sorry for the long delay in answering, a gazillion things to do after arriving home + in the office from a 3 week trip.

As others already pointed out, bought status miles are not spendable as bonus miles. In fact they are credited as total miles, then the activity shows "elite plus" and immediately after that "mileage correction - 8000", so they are immediately deducted after reaching the status.

You can only buy in x1.000 packages, and only when you need less than 10k and only as many as you need. I needed 7.700 for the upgrade, so I had to buy 8.000, and they even carry over the 300 status miles that I needed to buy additionally because they only sell 8.000 (x1.000 packages). Reached status at 15.11., first year renewal is now shown as "till 03.12.2016" (so 12.5 months = 14 days additional grace period) and I already collected 11.800 miles so only 28k to go

Immediately had the card printed at 07:20 AM at the airside M&S desk between gate 215 and 216. Took just 45 seconds: "Your M&S number? Passport please. Here's your card". Just make sure to use the right desk: There is a big newspaper stand with one seat for M&S member service (written at the buttom of the desk so I didn't see it), and 10m behind it, directly at the window to the outside, there is a big TK service desk. I stood in line for 20 minutes at the wrong desk and they send me to the one in front which I had confused with a newspaper desk...

Thanks again everyone and good luck with reaching elite / elite+!
zap!

zap7

When you want to see how many miles you receive, I use a tool called awardnexus.com -> trip calculator. Much faster to use than the TK calculator and also works for partner airline accrual.

You just type SIN-IST =x1.75 (or x1.6 for cheap business or x1.5 for partners or less on UA/LH) and can easily piece together a calculation for a whole trip with many segments on different airlines - I was on a trip with LH, UA, NZ, SQ and TK. The tool is only 10 - 50 miles off for each segment (for SIN-IST-CGN it had 30 too much and then 23 too few so in the end it was only 7 miles off for the 11.594 total TK credited.