PPS Club
Sep 5, 2018, 3:37 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Oct 2015
Posts: 125
PPS Club
Hi All,
I am a very frequent traveller with Thai who will very shortly gain Platinum status with them. For those who don’t know, that takes two solid years of flying 80,000 miles as a minimum each year in business or first. That takes some doing for the average person on leisure travel, like I am.
Recently Thai have drastically cut their Australian flights and I am a little peeved with how it may effect my travel. I am seriously considering changing to Singapore for my flight plans in the future. I worked hard to gain Platinum with Thai over a long period of time and was looking forward to those benefits, however, with the flight reductions and the decreased award travel availability out of BNE they have lost their appeal.
I travel 10-12 times per year between BNE and BKK in paid business class and by my calculations I should only take about 7-8 months to make PPS Club status, but I am also peeved that just gaining Platinum with Thai I am having to move Airlines.
My questions are:
1. Would SIA status match me from Thai Platinum to PPS Club, given my previous, and future travel plans, as they are approximately the same tier level?
2. What is the award availability in Business on SIA between BNE and SIN return to actually spend my accumulated FF miles I would accumulate with SIA?
Thanks for your help,
MW
I am a very frequent traveller with Thai who will very shortly gain Platinum status with them. For those who don’t know, that takes two solid years of flying 80,000 miles as a minimum each year in business or first. That takes some doing for the average person on leisure travel, like I am.
Recently Thai have drastically cut their Australian flights and I am a little peeved with how it may effect my travel. I am seriously considering changing to Singapore for my flight plans in the future. I worked hard to gain Platinum with Thai over a long period of time and was looking forward to those benefits, however, with the flight reductions and the decreased award travel availability out of BNE they have lost their appeal.
I travel 10-12 times per year between BNE and BKK in paid business class and by my calculations I should only take about 7-8 months to make PPS Club status, but I am also peeved that just gaining Platinum with Thai I am having to move Airlines.
My questions are:
1. Would SIA status match me from Thai Platinum to PPS Club, given my previous, and future travel plans, as they are approximately the same tier level?
2. What is the award availability in Business on SIA between BNE and SIN return to actually spend my accumulated FF miles I would accumulate with SIA?
Thanks for your help,
MW
Last edited by Main Wheel; Sep 5, 2018 at 3:43 am
Sep 5, 2018, 3:48 am
#2
Join Date: May 2016
Location: SIN
Programs: SQ TPPS, QR Gold
Posts: 380
Oh man, that sucks.
An attempt to answer your questions.
1. I have never heard of SQ status-matching PPS, but you can try asking. The chances are close to zero IMHO, given how they run the company. Would love to be proven wrong.
2. Very good indeed. SQ runs a monthly "spontaneous escapes" award redemption discount programme that takes 30% off regular saver awards. BNE has been on that list for months. Annoyingly it dropped off this month, just when I needed to make a redemption! For the regular saver award, I had a good choice of dates/timings one month out. That's rare for many other SQ destinations, e.g. LHR / JFK, which are often snapped up when the booking window opens.
An attempt to answer your questions.
1. I have never heard of SQ status-matching PPS, but you can try asking. The chances are close to zero IMHO, given how they run the company. Would love to be proven wrong.
2. Very good indeed. SQ runs a monthly "spontaneous escapes" award redemption discount programme that takes 30% off regular saver awards. BNE has been on that list for months. Annoyingly it dropped off this month, just when I needed to make a redemption! For the regular saver award, I had a good choice of dates/timings one month out. That's rare for many other SQ destinations, e.g. LHR / JFK, which are often snapped up when the booking window opens.
Sep 5, 2018, 3:50 am
#3
Join Date: Apr 2005
Programs: Hyatt Lifetime Globalist, SQ PPS Solitaire
Posts: 3,598
SQ will not match you to PPS Club. You may get Krisflyer Gold but given you have already *A Gold, not really of any benefit.
Once you are PPS, you should have very few limitations getting your awards. PPS clears ahead of everyone else.
I am a PPS for ten years and think SQ offers the best award availability of any FFP.
Once you are PPS, you should have very few limitations getting your awards. PPS clears ahead of everyone else.
I am a PPS for ten years and think SQ offers the best award availability of any FFP.
Sep 5, 2018, 3:56 am
#4
Join Date: Apr 2002
Location: +61
Programs: SQ*PPS, QF-WP1 & LTG, VA-Gold, Marriott*LTT, Hilton*Gold, Accor*Platinum
Posts: 5,735
As you know, you only get PPS Status if you fly F/J, so I assume your 80k miles are in F/J.
I imagine it's 5-8 round trips BNE-BKK to get PPS.
Forces you to now connect every single time BNE-SIN-BKK (could be annoying)
And also you don't then get TG F lounge access (and better spa) in BKK ... if that matters to you.
so the case is not clear
I imagine it's 5-8 round trips BNE-BKK to get PPS.
Forces you to now connect every single time BNE-SIN-BKK (could be annoying)
And also you don't then get TG F lounge access (and better spa) in BKK ... if that matters to you.
so the case is not clear
Sep 5, 2018, 4:15 am
#5
Original Poster
Join Date: Oct 2015
Posts: 125
As you know, you only get PPS Status if you fly F/J, so I assume your 80k miles are in F/J.
I imagine it's 5-8 round trips BNE-BKK to get PPS.
Forces you to now connect every single time BNE-SIN-BKK (could be annoying)
And also you don't then get TG F lounge access (and better spa) in BKK ... if that matters to you.
so the case is not clear
I imagine it's 5-8 round trips BNE-BKK to get PPS.
Forces you to now connect every single time BNE-SIN-BKK (could be annoying)
And also you don't then get TG F lounge access (and better spa) in BKK ... if that matters to you.
so the case is not clear
the stopover in SIN each way is acceptable to me.
I guess my questions aren’t based around “is it worth changing airlines” which is subjective. They are specific. And also the spas good as it is, but not a big deal for me. It is so popular that unless you show up 3-4 hours earlier from boarding it is booked out most of the time. The last F flight I did out of BKK on Thai despite arriving at the lounge two hours prior to my flight I was told there were no massages available as all the massuesses were busy. There were only 2 other people in the lounge, both on my flight which meant no more than 2 F passengers catered for with massage. TG are really dropping the ball with their premium passengers.
Hence why I want to change to Singapore!
Last edited by Main Wheel; Sep 5, 2018 at 4:51 am
Sep 6, 2018, 2:24 am
#7
Join Date: May 2003
Location: Singapore
Programs: QF LTG, SQ EGTP, Bonvoy LTG
Posts: 4,844
I wouldn't worry about PPS status match, unless you are planning a lot of economy travel in the period you are building status - or want to do a lot of redemptions.
The three main benefits of PPS:
1) Access to the business class lounge whilst flying economy
2) Greetings and first chance of meal selection on board (well behind Solitaire PPS)
3) Preferential clearance of waitlists for award
1) Is not an issue if you are flying so much in business. 2) Is not an issue for all but the BKK-SIN sectors, as you can book the cook for flights out of BNE and SIN to ensure you get your meal choice. 3) You will need to build up points to redeem anyway.
I get that the SIN transit might be an inconvenience, but the flipside is that you get more schedule choice. Also, if you're waiting to get TG 473 out of BKK at midnight, why not take an earlier flight via SIN and probably still get to BNE around the same time or earlier.
The three main benefits of PPS:
1) Access to the business class lounge whilst flying economy
2) Greetings and first chance of meal selection on board (well behind Solitaire PPS)
3) Preferential clearance of waitlists for award
1) Is not an issue if you are flying so much in business. 2) Is not an issue for all but the BKK-SIN sectors, as you can book the cook for flights out of BNE and SIN to ensure you get your meal choice. 3) You will need to build up points to redeem anyway.
I get that the SIN transit might be an inconvenience, but the flipside is that you get more schedule choice. Also, if you're waiting to get TG 473 out of BKK at midnight, why not take an earlier flight via SIN and probably still get to BNE around the same time or earlier.
Sep 6, 2018, 10:18 am
#8
Join Date: Feb 2015
Location: SIN, SFO, LON
Programs: SQ:TPPS, Marriott: Titanium
Posts: 441
One thing about award availability, SQ saver premium award spaces between SIN to Japan, US and a large chunk of Europe are usually solidly booked about 10-11months in advance, especially during the major holiday seasons (Summer, Christmas . . ..). Don't know about the TG situation but its getting increasing difficult to get SQ awards space., and I am a Solitaire PPS,
Last edited by williamluk; Sep 6, 2018 at 12:29 pm
Sep 10, 2018, 3:39 am
#11
Join Date: Apr 2005
Programs: Hyatt Lifetime Globalist, SQ PPS Solitaire
Posts: 3,598
One thing about award availability, SQ saver premium award spaces between SIN to Japan, US and a large chunk of Europe are usually solidly booked about 10-11months in advance, especially during the major holiday seasons (Summer, Christmas . . ..). Don't know about the TG situation but its getting increasing difficult to get SQ awards space., and I am a Solitaire PPS,
Sep 10, 2018, 7:58 am
#12
Join Date: Jul 2011
Posts: 1,158
I certainly disagree here. Generally to my experience it requires a certain flexiblity with the dates to get the award you want. If you require to fly on an exact date, especially if it is on a weekend, it can get quite challenging to get award spaces. Certainly not in the class you wanted. And PPS surely gives you not the guaranteed access to award space as it is often suggested here. I have not gotten the award space I wanted for too often in seven years of PPS.
Sep 10, 2018, 6:14 pm
#13
Join Date: May 2016
Location: SIN
Programs: SQ TPPS, QR Gold
Posts: 380
I certainly disagree here. Generally to my experience it requires a certain flexiblity with the dates to get the award you want. If you require to fly on an exact date, especially if it is on a weekend, it can get quite challenging to get award spaces. Certainly not in the class you wanted. And PPS surely gives you not the guaranteed access to award space as it is often suggested here. I have not gotten the award space I wanted for too often in seven years of PPS.
What matters though, is if you are travelling in a pair -- you on a paid booking, and a partner (redeeming using your miles) on an award booking. Those awards almost always immediately clear waitlist if you send a chaser, even on popular routes like LHR.
Sep 11, 2018, 4:22 am
#14
Join Date: Apr 2005
Programs: Hyatt Lifetime Globalist, SQ PPS Solitaire
Posts: 3,598
I certainly disagree here. Generally to my experience it requires a certain flexiblity with the dates to get the award you want. If you require to fly on an exact date, especially if it is on a weekend, it can get quite challenging to get award spaces. Certainly not in the class you wanted. And PPS surely gives you not the guaranteed access to award space as it is often suggested here. I have not gotten the award space I wanted for too often in seven years of PPS.
My only observation is that awards that are outright available have come down quite a bit while clearance of waitlists has seen anything from 5 minutes (a couple of times this year the SMS came literally minutes after I waitlisted) and in other cases I only got a confirmation three days before my flight.
Sep 11, 2018, 8:56 am
#15
Join Date: Feb 2015
Location: SIN, SFO, LON
Programs: SQ:TPPS, Marriott: Titanium
Posts: 441
Good for you then. You must be really lucky. My hit ratio is definitely less than 50% (less in the last few years) on waitlisting and I have been a Solitaire for more than 13 years.
