Poor availability MEL-FRA in December
 

Hi,

Looking for one-way MEL to FRA around mid December, there is currently nothing available at all in Economy or Business.

I've tried the default "smart search" and also selecting Thai Air specifically. I've booked Thai business on this route several times before with LM.

The only availability I could find was BKK-FRA on December 17th, coming up as 78,000 miles which is roughly double what it cost previously (85,000 for the complete one-way trip MEL to FRA via BKK in Dec 2015). One segment BKK to MEL in business cost 40,000 miles in August 2016.

Have they jacked up the prices in general? Is my 500k LM balance now worth nothing? :(

If I book Thai Air Y or B class economy tickets outside of LM, do I have any hope of getting an upgrade through LM?

If so it's been quite a while. I recall seeing Asia-Europe prices of 78,000 points at least 12 months ago while Aus-Europe is 85,000 points (Business Class)

UA MileagePlus site shows availability on 11 December MEL-FRA on Thai (no consolation I know), and LifeMiles SYD-FRA on the same day, each of them for 85K miles in Business Class. After that you're pushing up against everyone's Xmas travel plans. The previous week there's availability ex Melbourne showing on 4,5,7,8 (again, probably earlier than you want)

If you don't want to pay for a Melbourne-Asia leg and then use points, your best option right now looks like Sydney on 11 December. BNE-FRA is also available on 11 December, and at least you'd be flying in a modern plane, the 787 Dreamliner, and not those clapped-out 747s TG fly from Sydney

The booking site has a bug where it fails to display connections thru Bangkok from Australia to the major cities: FRA, CDG, LHR

Try looking for MEL-MUC or BNE-ZRH

Oh and in theory if you can find availability for the two legs separately eg MEL-BKK and BKK-FRA you can get the call-center to book it, something of an ordeal I imagine

December, 12th, 2016
Sydney, Kingsford Smith International Airport (SYD) to Paris, Charles De Gaulle International Airport (CDG)
TG F & then C 85k miles...
position yourself to complete the trip.

use united or aeroplan monthly search first. it helps!