dinbangkok

As 2011 draws to a close I have 38,358 miles on the clock for 2011 with a tantalising '11,642' miles required before the end of the year to regain Gold status... Will have a business trip from London to Lebanon out of all places in November and will try and convince my client to get a ticket on BMI (qualifying mileage fare of course). The mileage on this route is 4332 in economy... on ROP if I fly business, this translates to 5415... That would leave 6227 miles to get before 31st December IF I want to regain Gold... The question is, what would you do?

pogonation

Easy... Take off on a winter break. Canada/Japan for skiing or SE Asia for some sun

anaidross

i would just catch a flight to new york from london for a weekend as it is the cheapest way to hit gold status.

BKKROP

The Gold status is worth it, that free return upgrade and the 50% off is great. You could go down to Cairo for me, I need someone to comfirm if Egypt is safe to go to take an old mate to.

kinchai

I would hit the west coast from London on US or Continental for a long weekend....the weather would be much better over there

dinbangkok

Thanks to everyone for your suggestions, I'm glad you all think it's worth 'going for it' I shall let you know how I get along. (If you're reading this and haven't made a suggestion, feel free to do so!).

Cheers
d-not-inbangkok any more

BEYFlyer

Ohhhh... Lebanon... How exciting

dinbangkok

Thanks for the great link! ^

BEYFlyer

Anything else I can help with, please feel free to let me know...

dinbangkok

Assuming all goes to plan I have my flight booked to Beirut (no budget client so going economy). I also agreed to waive my fee and attend a meeting in New York... on the proviso that I get booked on a qualifying fare to New York. Flying Continental. All in all this trip might bring me very close to 50K... which may give me a reason to upgrade one of the legs

Sam Drucker

Here I am, having just completed a trip to the States, this time using Asiana and Continental and crediting back to my THAI ROP account. I have one more trip to take this year, a domestic down to Bangkok that will yield me 500 miles each way.

The mileage from the US trip has all credited now, and I have 49,504 qualifying miles. Taking a one-way to Bangkok will re-qualify me for Gold with 50,004 miles.

I'm kind of proud of that number and want to keep it! I have a tablet and 3G package now that can keep me entertained on a bus. So maybe I'll skip the flight back and just take the bus home this time!

A_Lee

You've done better than me. I'm slightly shy of 50K this year and was making my plans today for my final TG trip of the year which when credited to ROP will get me to 50,092.

kapitan

By the end of 2011 I would have credited 129172 into ROP, mostly on TG metal, but I was told in an email I will not recieve a 2nd G UP, for that it would be another 50k into the bank next year.... anyways, I am working towards a Plat and if that don't happen, then its lahkorn ROP....

dinbangkok

... Speaking of the drama of everything TG I very nearly ended up on a non-qualifying fare on BMI (discounted business), which although more expensive that the qualifying economy fare I'm now on, would have earned me zero mileage. A scrabble around at the ROP office end and they finally came out with the position that their website is wrong on partner qualifying mileage but until they update it in April 2012, the fare will remain ineligible for mileage. Got to tread very carefully with qualifying fares on other airlines!

Sam Drucker

I'm surprised to hear the response from THAI that it won't do anything until April. I've noticed minor updates to the mileage-earning fare chart throughout the year.

On the other hand, I',m not so sure that what you encountered was really a mistake. The deals these airlines make with their partners are not rational (from a customer perspective.) Certain fares will be non-earning for one partner, but mileage-earning for another; a group of low fares will be non-earning, but one fare class in the middle of that group is mileage earning . . . it goes on and on.

I get to the States a few times a year and need to use carriers there. I'm always battling these issues between United and Continental; a fare is non-earning, but a code-share fare on the same flight is mileage earning (for example.) They have created a mine field for the customers who are trying to maintain loyalty to the alliance and their carrier.

For my own situation, it got better this year when US Airways made all published fares mileage earning on THAI. And I am hopeful now that United and Continental got their joint operating certificate and can finish the consolidation, it will soon become easier to seek out and sort out earning fares on the new combined carrrier.