I go to Asia once a year from TXL (soon BER) and to the US once or twice as well. I just made Premier again and would like to at least keep that level.
I noticed that the miles earning classes seem to get more & more expensive every year (ironically, while business class one day specials for equal distances, say on LH have come down to as low as 1199 Euros - however no destinations anywhere close to SE Asia and Seoul to BKK is neither cheap nor pleasant - I looked already - and I find India too short a trip for that price, not too mention the hassle of transferring through an Indian airport).
I've now had the 2nd mishap where I booked myself in P class on TK to BKK for April (I could swear that was eligible, when I booked a couple of months ago) and now I check and clearly it isn't anymore...
Does anyone have a suggestion/experience to get mileage earning booking classes in a different program that aren't 1K+ Euros to go to Asia in economy?
P.S.
Thankfully, when U class dropped down to 50% on LH after my flight to SIN, I started doing these surveys for miles on CO and have earned the lost 6K miles back now but for this 0% mileage loss I'd have to earn 11K and that's a whole lotta surveys (if I can even still do them after the programs have joined). I doubt I will spend the $35 x 11 to buy these from UA and I'm sure the cost of cancelling the ticket on TK is prohibitive as is an upgrade to a higher booking class (500+ Euros I was told so far). I'm seriously bummed out... I certainly didn't accept a 15 hour layover for 0 miles....
