Originally Posted by Skillet
So while my Asia Miles account is well over 60k, I am 45k miles short of reaching gold this year
You do realise that you have 12 months from the date they reset you to zero? Your membership is defined by that date, not by calendar year.
Originally Posted by Skillet
gold doesn't seem to offer much more than silver.
Well it does offer guaranteed availability at any published economy fare at 72 hours notice. That is likely worth a lot to you on LAX-HKG...
Originally Posted by Skillet
There is zero chance of ever getting an op-up on LAX-HKG routes (I fly H class, at best).
I have never felt that op-up is determined by the fare class you pay, at least not primarily - status level is much more important. I'm always travelling on the cheapest mileage-earning fare in economy (because of the availability guarantee which comes with Diamond) and I am pretty regularly upgraded.