Thai Air Frequent Flyer Points Ripoff?

[shygye]

Which choice to take depends if you are trying to maximize the value of the frequent flyer (FF) miles OR get free trips.

 

Upgrade example:

Say upgrade costs 40000 miles and on that trip you earn 20000 miles. Then your total cost is 20000 miles. With a difference of say 1000 Euros between coach and biz, you are getting 0.05 Euros per mile.

 

Free coach ticket:

Say an award ticket is 50000 miles. You will earn ZERO miles with an award ticket. If coach costs 500 Euros then you are getting 0.01 Euros per mile.

 

From this simplified example you can see that using the miles to upgrade to biz gets you 500% better value for your FF miles than getting an award ticket.

 

Up to you.

[Bkkbound04]

Hi Shyguy,

 

My sweet girl is welcome to screw me anytime, but as far as using my airmiles goes, upgrading to busines makes the journey comfortable for sure but I'm still paying out for a econ ticket, using airmiles for a free trip means not using any of my cash.

This free flight will make it my fourth trip this year and as I invariably get upgraded for free on my return trips anyhow I really have nothing but praise for Thai Airways and its service.

So for me a free trip is the best value.

 

JP

[chilli13]

Well as I'm (still) with SAS Eurobonus the calculation would go something like this:

 

Upgrade example:

Say RT upgrade costs 20000 miles(economy->economy flex) and on that trip you earn 10800 miles(still only earn paid economy class tix). Then your total cost is still 20000 miles(no more no less you simply spend some miles for more comfort)! With a difference of say 1000 Euros between coach and biz, you are getting 0.05 Euros per mile.

 

Free coach ticket:

Say an award ticket is 80000 miles. You will earn ZERO miles with an award ticket. If coach costs 1000(high season flexable ticket that can be cancelled right upto dep) Euros then you are getting 0.0125 Euros per mile.

 

From this simplified example you can see that using the miles to upgrade to biz gets you 400% better value for your FF miles than getting an award ticket.

 

Hmm I guess you're right, but then again who of us are paying more money to the airline per trip not to mention overall?

 

You'd be their prime customer while I'm just another cheap bastard trying to get from A->B for cheap

[thaicoon]

Had the same thing happen to me on other airlines , this seems to be the standard operating procedure.

 

Lesson learned , stash those boarding pass tickets in your pocket.

[bushman]

This happened to me many years ago. Seems that all the airlines have this policy. Now I put my boarding pass in my wallet as soon as I board and keep the stub until the miles are credited to my account.These miles could be the difference in achieving elite status on this airline.

 

Bush

[ALHOLK]

Hi!

 

I agree that a free ticket is better than an upgrade. However free tickets are very limited in numbers and not always possible to get. I have on a couple of ocasions taken an upgrade just to use miles that otherwise would have expired.

 

regards

 

ALHOLK

[Saiphon]

Never had any problem getting a free ticket with Thai (LHR-BKK-LHR). I usually earn 1 free flight every 3 years, and have always got first choice of date, seat etc. The next one will be my fifth free return trip to BKK. I do book four or five months in advance though.

[Guest]

Uhhmmm

 

Shyhuy writes

 

"Upgrade example:

Say upgrade costs 40000 miles and on that trip you earn 20000 miles. Then your total cost is 20000 miles. With a difference of say 1000 Euros between coach and biz, you are getting 0.05 Euros per mile.

 

Free coach ticket:

Say an award ticket is 50000 miles. You will earn ZERO miles with an award ticket. If coach costs 500 Euros then you are getting 0.01 Euros per mile.

 

From this simplified example you can see that using the miles to upgrade to biz gets you 500% better value for your FF miles than getting an award ticket."

 

 

 

ShyGuy or whoever able , can U come up with a similar calculation for TGr oyal orchid,with the end of the summer sale on awards it looks like this:

 

a ONE WAY award upgrade between BKK and Europe is 40OOO miles, hence 80000 for return I'd guess. Than you're getting only 11700 miles for that trip on a Paris BKKK as you only get the econmomy ticket mileage. Your total cost is 68300 miles. For 1000 euros dif from eco to biz U're getting only 0,0146 euro per mile, very far from Shyguy claimed 0,05 euro per mile.

 

Than a return award ticket is 65000 miles. Zero miles. Price around 750 euro. 0,0115 euro per mile. Not that far anymore only 27 % better return and U needded to fork up the extra baht. Besides you stil can hope to get a free upgrade at the counter and with gold card can enjoy al the business class facilities at the airport anyway.

 

What to do??

 

Random, looking for cheap comfortable flights!

[Guest]

Have 70 000 miles available at the moment BTW, already reached the 50000 miles this year so can go for a new reward.

Can one ask to get the return ticket upgrade for the same price?? Might make more sense to uprade then especially coupled to soon to be off season cheaper rates?

 

uhmmm??

[Guest]

On a last note :

 

after adopting TG's program a couple of years too late, got the Gold on this new year only and already enjoyed a free return ticket and three free round trip upgrades this year, all from Europe to bangkok. Wouldn't call it a rip off!