TanyaHelenaP

UPDATE: Thanks everyone for your help and suggestions!! After two weeks of investigating (including creating a dummy account, changing profile details, etc.) it appears that the issue is caused by my long first name. I can see the reward flights after using a dummy account with a shorter name, but this could be a problem because the full name is required for passport control.

After plenty of research and discovering that I can actually transfer my Amex MR points to KrisFlyer, too (I normally use them for BA/Oneworld), I signed up because I will be frequently flying within Southeast Asia (especially Thailand) and since Thai Airways is Star Alliance I wanted to try redeeming a couple of reward flights... only to find none!

I tried searching multiple dates within the next 30-40 days, multiple one-way segments such as Bangkok-Phuket, Bangkok-Vientiane, Bangkok-Saigon, Bagnkok-Phnom Penh, Bangkok-etc and found absolutely nothing. Just to check that I can find flights within SG, I also tried Singapore-London, Singapore-Taipei, Singapore-Hong Kong, etc. and found nothing. Each time tried multiple dates. And the search page takes ages to load too...

Is it just me or could there be a bug on the system since I just joined?
Do I need a minimum threshold of points before I can search?

sbs2716g

RTWFF

I found plenty of availability in both Economy & Business in the week beginning 11 March between Bangkok and Vientiane to take one routing at random. I'm not aware that you need a points balance to search although I think you have to be logged in. What browser are you using - Chrome is an absolute disaster for me but that's probably because I've got a lot of Do Not Track and other privacy add-ons? Epic is always pretty good, and the iPhone App is also responsive. You know you have to select "Star Alliance" not "KrisFlyer" when the results show up?

SQTraveller

Your original message is not entirely clear. You say you are transferring rewards to Singapore Airlines and then trying to search for flights on Thai.

Why don't you try transferring to Thai if you want to fly Thai and transfer to SQ when you want to fly SQ.

TanyaHelenaP

Main reason is that I cannot transfer Amex rewards to Thai, at least not with the UK Amex cards (I believe it is possible in some other countries).

TanyaHelenaP

I cannot find that option.

On the booking search box I just see
o Book Flights o Redeem Flights

And when I search always I get
There are no flights available for the criteria you selected. Please change the search criteria and try again.

Also noticed that if I do only "Book Flights" and try Bangkok to Phuket, it shows me flights via Singapore. I see nowhere the option to select StarAlliance. Please help

SQTraveller

As you said you usually BA/One World, if you are trying to fly Singapore - Bangkok/Bangkok-Singapore, you might consider using Cathay Pacific which flies that route

RTWFF

If the response is zero availability AT ALL then you don't get the choice between SingaporeAir and Star Alliance. As I and others have all successfully found availability for some of the pairs you have mentioned that implies a different problem - you suggested yourself you have no KF miles credited so perhaps that's it?

TanyaHelenaP

Hmm meaning I should try to transfer some rewards points before I can see Star Alliance availability?

I am aware of the various existing routes, but for me the whole point of choosing KrisFlyer was to use it for other StarAlliance partners. If I transfer the rewards points but then cannot see any StarAlliance awards regardless, I'll have wasted them...

gpy

Check other start alliance carriers like Aeroplan for award availability then call SQ too confirm that availability. Transfer points and pray the tickets are still there (AMEX takes 24-48 hours). Call back and book over the phone. I just booked TAP flights this way.

jinrop

Just as a caveat to this thread, I travel the region almost every year for vacation and do not find great value in some of the routes you are talking about taking as airfare around SE asia is usually so cheap. I'd just pony up the cash for my short hops in SE Asia and earn miles there and use my points on Longhaul SQ to SE asia.


That being said, I searched one date and immediately found a seat BKK to VTE

SQTraveller

Slightly OT but if you want to fly SQ, you could look at the Spontaneous Escapes they publish every month. It gives various options for redemption flights with 50% off the normal redemption rate. For example a one way redemption to Hanoi (business) is 12.5k miles

TanyaHelenaP

Out of curiosity - do you all who found the Star Alliance reward flights also have enough points for those rewards that appear in the resuls?

spk307

WLG Base