Suvarnabhumi Airport Lounge options

[6853395]

Any Priority Pass Select members here?

There are a lot of options for airport lounges at this airport.

Any recommendations?

I'll be in the Eva Airways concourse for my outbound flight.

[Bmac587]

I have my Priority Pass membership, but I have not flown through bkk yet.  But I do have a flight coming up there very soon.  So I am interested in seeing what others have to say.  I do like all of the access that Priority Pass gives you as it makes travelling a bit easier. 

[6853395]

See link below:

I concur with the above.  I checked the Priority Pass and it appears Miracle Lounge is the is the primary member of Priority Pass Select, and likely the same amenities in each concourse.

I'm going to use it in a couple of weeks and I'll report back with feedback.

Do you have the Chase Sapphire Reserve?

 

[nekkid]

Slight change of tack ... any recommendations for Lounge Key at this airport please?

[LeoTex]

On ‎9‎/‎4‎/‎2018 at 03:15, Bmac587 said:

I have my Priority Pass membership

I'm not sure what Priority Pass is, but I do get the Premium Pass for immigration when checking at the ticket counter at BKK.

I also get a lounge pass from Korean Air and chose the KLM/Air France lounge.

Pretty go food and drink selection and fast wifi.

Does beat hanging out at the gate waiting for departure.

LeoTex

[Bmac587]

14 hours ago, LeoTex said:

I'm not sure what Priority Pass is, but I do get the Premium Pass for immigration when checking at the ticket counter at BKK.

I also get a lounge pass from Korean Air and chose the KLM/Air France lounge.

Pretty go food and drink selection and fast wifi.

Does beat hanging out at the gate waiting for departure.

LeoTex

Priority pass will get you airport lounge access worldwide.  Some credit cards give it away as part of the benefits you get with the card. 

The best use I have of it so far has been in the Puerto Plata airport in the Dominican.  With the lounge access in that airport it includes a vip arrivals service.  I had someone waiting by the gate for me when I landed and they took me to the lounge.  I drank a cuba libra while someone else went to check into immigration for me and another person grabbed my checked bag.  Once I got done with my drink they escorted me right through immigration with no waiting.

[Bmac587]

19 hours ago, 6853395 said:

See link below:

I concur with the above.  I checked the Priority Pass and it appears Miracle Lounge is the is the primary member of Priority Pass Select, and likely the same amenities in each concourse.

I'm going to use it in a couple of weeks and I'll report back with feedback.

Do you have the Chase Sapphire Reserve?

 

I have the AMEX platinum.  I am going to get the Chase Sapphire Reserve card soon once I am eligible.  Chase will not approve you if you have more than 5 new credit cards in the past 24 months.  

[6853395]

Yes, I have fully analyzed the Chase Sapphire Reserve (CSR) vs. the AmEx Platinum Rewards (APR), and from recent articles in ThePointsGuy and BusinessInsider, if you're a traveler and you're going to use only one rewards card, the the CSR is recommended.  I have friends who use one other the other based upon their personal desires.

For example, I have a friend who greatly prefers Centuron Lounge over the Priority Pass Select, uses Delta premier a lot, and she rides Uber regularly.

A brief summary of why I use the Chase Sapphire Reserve:

• $450 Annual Fee
• $300 in unrestricted travel credit (Lyft, Uber, hotels, Airfare, etc.)
  • An effective annual fee of $150
• Global Entry Reimbursement (same as APR)
• Priority Pass Select (same as APR)
• 3x points on travel and dining
• 50,000 Reward points if you spend $4,000 in the first three months (this compares with 60,000 for APR)

Also, you can use your points at 1.5x value for airfares, hotels, etc. booking through Chase Ultimate Rewards  when redeeming points.  I recently had 66,000 points, which is $660 cash value, or $990 (1.5x) applied towards travel.  I booked two nights in an NYC hotel, $300, but applied 20,000 points ($200 points cash value), and 8 nights at my Bangkok hotel (~$673 total) using only 44,000 points ($440 points cash value).

AmEx Platinum Rewards:

• $550 Annual Fee
• $200 in Uber Credits
• $200 in Airline incidental credits (baggage fees, in-flight expenses, etc.)

I don't use Uber (I'm with Lyft).  Also, it's actually paying $200 up-front for Uber and you get $15 credit per month over a 12-month period ($180) with an additional $20 credit in the month of December.   In comparison, the CSR gives you an immediate unrestricted $300 travel credit, which many recover in a month or two.  The airline incidental fees are also restrictive in that it's limited to specific purchases.

AmEx Platinum Rewards offers Centurion Lounge and other unique benefits as well, but far more restrictive than the CSR.  I know people who swear by the APR, but when discussing the benefits of the CSR, many believe they should consider switching and/or using both cards.

I'm not a fan of churning.

I was thinking of starting a thread in the near future of CSR vs. APR.  For people who travel a lot, the CSR is a great option as a primary card in my opinion.

 

 

 

[B-Man]

I use the Miracle lounge in Shewannaboom. They have just raised the entrance fee from 1000 to 1200 baht. Still worth it imho, one of the nicest and best fitted lounges i have been in barring first class

[6853395]

15 minutes ago, B-Man said:

the entrance fee ... 1200 baht.

You are not a Priority Pass Select member, correct?

Bmac587:

Miracle Lounge is complementary for Priority Pass Select members, correct?

 

[B-Man]

Yes Miracle is free for Priority Pass members. I have not signed up because for my travel it just doesn't pay for the year but for frequent travellers i would recommend it

[6853395]

Priority Pass vs. Priority Pass Select

Priority Pass Select members may bring in two guests.

 

[Bmac587]

2 hours ago, 6853395 said:

Yes, I have fully analyzed the Chase Sapphire Reserve (CSR) vs. the AmEx Platinum Rewards (APR), and from recent articles in ThePointsGuy and BusinessInsider, if you're a traveler and you're going to use only one rewards card, the the CSR is recommended.  I have friends who use one other the other based upon their personal desires.

For example, I have a friend who greatly prefers Centuron Lounge over the Priority Pass Select, uses Delta premier a lot, and she rides Uber regularly.

A brief summary of why I use the Chase Sapphire Reserve:

• $450 Annual Fee
• $300 in unrestricted travel credit (Lyft, Uber, hotels, Airfare, etc.)
  • An effective annual fee of $150
• Global Entry Reimbursement (same as APR)
• Priority Pass Select (same as APR)
• 3x points on travel and dining
• 50,000 Reward points if you spend $4,000 in the first three months (this compares with 60,000 for APR)

Also, you can use your points at 1.5x value for airfares, hotels, etc. booking through Chase Ultimate Rewards  when redeeming points.  I recently had 66,000 points, which is $660 cash value, or $990 (1.5x) applied towards travel.  I booked two nights in an NYC hotel, $300, but applied 20,000 points ($200 points cash value), and 8 nights at my Bangkok hotel (~$673 total) using only 44,000 points ($440 points cash value).

AmEx Platinum Rewards:

• $550 Annual Fee
• $200 in Uber Credits
• $200 in Airline incidental credits (baggage fees, in-flight expenses, etc.)

I don't use Uber (I'm with Lyft).  Also, it's actually paying $200 up-front for Uber and you get $15 credit per month over a 12-month period ($180) with an additional $20 credit in the month of December.   In comparison, the CSR gives you an immediate unrestricted $300 travel credit, which many recover in a month or two.  The airline incidental fees are also restrictive in that it's limited to specific purchases.

AmEx Platinum Rewards offers Centurion Lounge and other unique benefits as well, but far more restrictive than the CSR.  I know people who swear by the APR, but when discussing the benefits of the CSR, many believe they should consider switching and/or using both cards.

I'm not a fan of churning.

I was thinking of starting a thread in the near future of CSR vs. APR.  For people who travel a lot, the CSR is a great option as a primary card in my opinion.

 

 

 

That is an excellent write up on the differences between the cards.  I do want the CSR as there is more places to spend the points and if you use their travel portel you get more points, from what I heard.  One thing I want to point out on the uber credits you get with the AMEX card is that you can use them on ubereats.  

[6853395]

Thank you, I've read so much on this topic since getting a rewards card and have blogged about it as well on my site.
 

Regarding Ubereats, etc., the AmEx Platinum Rewards can certainly benefit an Uber user.  For philosophical reasons, which due to the forum rules prohibits me from elaborating further, I will not use Uber.

If AmEx were to extend this to all rideshare and/or offer less restrictive travel credits, I would consider using both cards.

 

 

[6853395]

43 minutes ago, Bmac587 said:

CSR as there is more places to spend the points and if you use their travel portel you get more points, from what I heard.

Yes, this is the Chase Ultimate Rewards portal (UR).

When you log into your account, under your Rewards Balance is a "Redeem Rewards" link.

One of many options is a "Travel" link which opens a new window with a travel portal similar to Expedia.  You book airfares, hotels, etc. through UR, and can use CSR points (at 1.5x), cash, or a combination of the two.

When you earn your 50,000 rewards points ($4k spend within three months), you have a cash redemption value of $500, or $750 to apply towards UR travel.

I normally pay about $100/night for my BKK hotel, but I fully booked my hotel on this trip using applying UR points.

 

 

[nekkid]

22 hours ago, LeoTex said:

I'm not sure what Priority Pass is, but I do get the Premium Pass for immigration when checking at the ticket counter at BKK.

I also get a lounge pass from Korean Air and chose the KLM/Air France lounge.

Pretty go food and drink selection and fast wifi.

Does beat hanging out at the gate waiting for departure.

LeoTex

Thanks - I have a Lounge Key membership and this is one of their lounges. Will be useful as my return flight from BKK leaves in the wee small hours.

[KittenKong]

On 07/09/2018 at 11:47, B-Man said:

I use the Miracle lounge in Shewannaboom. They have just raised the entrance fee from 1000 to 1200 baht. Still worth it imho, one of the nicest and best fitted lounges i have been in barring first class

I find the Miracle lounges to be very poor. My business class tickets on OneWorld get me access to the Qatar lounge, the JAL lounge and the Cathay lounge, and all of them are better than Miracle as far as I'm concerned.

Unless perhaps Miracle has undergone some miraculous improvement since last year.

[striderman]

59 minutes ago, KittenKong said:

I find the Miracle lounges to be very poor. My business class tickets on OneWorld get me access to the Qatar lounge, the JAL lounge and the Cathay lounge, and all of them are better than Miracle as far as I'm concerned.

Unless perhaps Miracle has undergone some miraculous improvement since last year.

i'm not impressed with the miracle lounges either. i used to have access to the thai airways lounges with etihad and they were marginally better. miracle lounges used to be known as louis tavern

[davidge]

The lounges at Suvarnabhumi are poor compared to many airports. I have access to all the Star Alliance lounges so tried the new Singapore lounge last trip. It as better than the Thai lounges (though that isn’t difficult!) but still pretty mediocre. The best one I’ve tried is the Eva lounge, though it’s hardly outstanding.

[B-Man]

2 hours ago, KittenKong said:

I find the Miracle lounges to be very poor. My business class tickets on OneWorld get me access to the Qatar lounge, the JAL lounge and the Cathay lounge, and all of them are better than Miracle as far as I'm concerned.

Unless perhaps Miracle has undergone some miraculous improvement since last year.

I have only uzed the :Miracle: lounge in Swampy so can't speak for the others but thought it was very nice.

[Cosmic36]

3 months ago I also got a Reserve card.  Looking forward to finally setting foot in an airport lounge for the first time in my life.  So I have low expectations and any scrap of food, wifi, and open chair will do.  

[xc1]

The Oman lounge while small is the best I have tried recently at bkk and I have tried most. Top shelf liquor, food, and many service people cleaning and restocking. Priority pass gets you 2.5 hours in Oman. I was in there Saturday after leaving the EVA business class lounge disappointed. .  Concourse E

[hioctane]

On 9/7/2018 at 00:01, 6853395 said:

Yes, I have fully analyzed the Chase Sapphire Reserve (CSR) vs. the AmEx Platinum Rewards (APR), and from recent articles in ThePointsGuy and BusinessInsider, if you're a traveler and you're going to use only one rewards card, the the CSR is recommended.  I have friends who use one other the other based upon their personal desires.

For example, I have a friend who greatly prefers Centuron Lounge over the Priority Pass Select, uses Delta premier a lot, and she rides Uber regularly.

A brief summary of why I use the Chase Sapphire Reserve:

• $450 Annual Fee
• $300 in unrestricted travel credit (Lyft, Uber, hotels, Airfare, etc.)
  • An effective annual fee of $150
• Global Entry Reimbursement (same as APR)
• Priority Pass Select (same as APR)
• 3x points on travel and dining
• 50,000 Reward points if you spend $4,000 in the first three months (this compares with 60,000 for APR)

Also, you can use your points at 1.5x value for airfares, hotels, etc. booking through Chase Ultimate Rewards  when redeeming points.  I recently had 66,000 points, which is $660 cash value, or $990 (1.5x) applied towards travel.  I booked two nights in an NYC hotel, $300, but applied 20,000 points ($200 points cash value), and 8 nights at my Bangkok hotel (~$673 total) using only 44,000 points ($440 points cash value).

AmEx Platinum Rewards:

• $550 Annual Fee
• $200 in Uber Credits
• $200 in Airline incidental credits (baggage fees, in-flight expenses, etc.)

I don't use Uber (I'm with Lyft).  Also, it's actually paying $200 up-front for Uber and you get $15 credit per month over a 12-month period ($180) with an additional $20 credit in the month of December.   In comparison, the CSR gives you an immediate unrestricted $300 travel credit, which many recover in a month or two.  The airline incidental fees are also restrictive in that it's limited to specific purchases.

AmEx Platinum Rewards offers Centurion Lounge and other unique benefits as well, but far more restrictive than the CSR.  I know people who swear by the APR, but when discussing the benefits of the CSR, many believe they should consider switching and/or using both cards.

I'm not a fan of churning.

I was thinking of starting a thread in the near future of CSR vs. APR.  For people who travel a lot, the CSR is a great option as a primary card in my opinion.

 

 

 

There is another negative about the Amex that you forgot to mention. You can only select 1 airline to apply those incidentals too and you can only change that selection once per year. 

Also, in regards to the CSR. They recently nerfed it. Previously, you could bring unlimited guests. Now you can only bring 2.

 

[vivalv2001]

For the AmEx, I get (4) x $50 Delta gift cards for the $200 Airline credit and they always credit back to my account.    There's reports that purchasing gift cards in larger denominations will not generate the credit . 

For anyone considering it, you get the $200 airline credit per calendar year.  So if you apply now you get the $200 for 2018 and $200 for 2019.  If you only keep the card for one year you pretty much keep it for free if you also use some of the Uber credit.   

There's currently some 100k Membership Rewards bonus offers out there for the Platinum Card but you can only harvest that bonus once per lifetime.  I did this for the regular Platinum, the business Platinum and I'm currently holding the Ameriprise Financial Platinum version which is fee-free for the first year (though you get no signup bonus).   

[6853395]

15 hours ago, xc1 said:

The Oman lounge while small is the best I have tried recently at bkk and I have tried most. Top shelf liquor, food, and many service people cleaning and restocking. Priority pass gets you 2.5 hours in Oman. I was in there Saturday after leaving the EVA business class lounge disappointed. .  Concourse E

xc1 -- This is helpful and informative information as it provides an alternative to the Miracle Lounge.

14 hours ago, hioctane said:

There is another negative about the Amex that you forgot to mention. You can only select 1 airline to apply those incidentals too and you can only change that selection once per year. 

Also, in regards to the CSR. They recently nerfed it. Previously, you could bring unlimited guests. Now you can only bring 2.

As for the AmEx, yes, many of the rewards credits and targeted and specific.

As for the Priority Pass Select and CSR reducing the number of guest from 4 to 2 is not a negative and there's been much discussion on this.  To correct the above it was not unlimited, in was up to 4 guests. 

ThePointsGuy brought this up in a blog post upon this change and implementation, and reviews were mixed, with some complaining about the reduced number of guests, but with many praising it.  I wasn't aware until the article that guests were permissible, but two guests is reasonable, if not excessive, and four is clearly excessive.  The lower tier lounges get crowded quite quickly and if being able to bring in four guests was abused by a small minority at the expense of others.  In summary, the reduction from 4 guests to 2 was a long overdue improvement.