Suvarnabhumi Airport Lounge options

[6853395]

49 minutes ago, Luv2Phuket said:

I've got to drop some Chase cards before I will be eligible for the Sapphire Reserve (had 8 Chase card open at one point, but will be down to 6 shortly, split 3 personal and 3 biz). 

It sounds like you're impacted by the 5/24 Rule (five new accounts opened within two years).

Here is an excellent article from the WSJ

https://www.wsj.com/articles/rewards-credit-cards-gained-a-fanatic-followingnow-banks-are-pulling-back-11546365926

(If paywall, I can post full article later)

IHG / Chase does a very good job of providing lower value overall per dollar spent.  I base this upon my own analysis and calculations, omit welcome/sign up bonus, and again, the opportunity cost of not using an alternative card with higher value.  Also, as this forum board knows, my analysis is based on "Keeper Mode" and I'm not a fan of churning and/or using a card solely for the sign-up bonus.

Despite all the IHG hotel value items you listed, the CSR 4.5X (travel and dining UR) and 2.25X (Freedom Unlimited UR value (4.5X the first year) on non-travel, non-dining), can be applied to hotel reservations on the UR site which provides value as well.

It's one or the other.  IHG Chase has a clever strategy.  They offer an appearance-wise 120,000 point welcome bonus, and they try to get you to only use IHG.  

When I signed up for the Freedom Unlimited at a local branch in San Francisco, the young "Chase Private Client" representative was impressed with my credit score (FICO 822) and my knowledge on retirement investing and credit card blogs.  He agreed with my statement that the cards are trying to get you to stick with one airline, one hotel chain, one rental car company, one gas station, etc.  I indicated that I like to be flexible on the brands I use tailored towards the specific venture.

Using the Chase Sapphire in conjunction with Ultimate Rewards provides the most flexibility.

If you know how to use the cards, the CSR in combination with the AmEx Platinum is great for travelers who value choice, options, and flexibility.

[rioman]

I will throw my vote in for the Miracle lounge.  Typically flying very early in morning, but have not found it crowded.  Certainly not the best/fanciest selection of drinks/food, but for that time of day ok and it seems very quiet than.  Also, cannot remember which concourse, but one I have been in(twice) certainly has bathroom/shower facilities.  Heck it even has a prayer room for the muslim crowd.  

Also, when I look at the "intangible" benefits on some of the travel credit card stuff above think they may be assigning too high a value for the lounge access as believe it 1500b for access to Miracle.

 

[Luv2Phuket]

40 minutes ago, 6853395 said:

It sounds like you're impacted by the 5/24 Rule (five new accounts opened within two years).

I'm not a fan of churning and/or using a card solely for the sign-up bonus.

 

Not 5/24, as I have substantially slowed down on opening accounts the past few years.  Chase just didn't want me to have 9 open credit card accounts with them -- I even tried my "go to move" by offering to move available credit from another account to get it done.  I have read somewhere that they get pretty testy when you get to 7 open accounts.

I'm not a big churner these days - I close maybe 1 or 2 accounts a year.  I opened a few in the past just for bonuses (Chase British Air; B of A Virgin Atlantic), but I mostly keep them these days, especially the ones that more than re-pay the annual fee in rewards (free nights at Hyatt, IHG, Hilton and Marriott). 

I've had a few free night certificates almost slip by me int he past, so I just started using a chart to track what I have available, when they expire and when they have been used.  I'm looking pretty good with 4 of my 6 free nights booked/about to be booked, and I will probably cash out my 2 IHG free nights either at the InterContinental or maybe the Holiday inn on my February trip.  Pissed that InterContinental in Bangkok was just bumped to 40,000 points, so I'm pretty sure that it is outside of certificates now.

I love the InterContinental in Pattaya, but it is isolated and some of my perks are offset by them nickel and diming me on stuff (I get upgraded on paid stays, but they won't upgrade on points stay unless you negotiate with some kind of payment for it).  I'm thinking about heading back to the Holiday Inn for the first time in years now that Terminal 21 has opened close by (and Holiday Inn rate is roughly half of the InterContinental).

 

[6853395]

21 minutes ago, Luv2Phuket said:

Pissed that InterContinental in Bangkok was just bumped to 40,000 points, so I'm pretty sure that it is outside of certificates now.

This is precisely what I was trying to get at before.  This is another, in my opinion, deceptive practice of IHG.

While with most cards, a Point/Mile is equal to one penny, with a possible multiplier. [One point = 0.0100]

I read and follow ThePointsGuy (TPG).

This is why TPG values IHG points from 0.003 to 0.006, with an average of 0.0055 (and their mathematical analysis is far more detailed than mine).

IHG can raise or lower the points required for a night at any time.  25,000 points for a free night at xxx, then raise it to 40,000 points.

They're essentially raising or lowering the exchange rate any time they please.

How convenient.

[hioctane]

This is precisely what I was trying to get at before.  This is another, in my opinion, deceptive practice of IHG.
While with most cards, a Point/Mile is equal to one penny, with a possible multiplier. [One point = 0.0100]
I read and follow ThePointsGuy (TPG).
This is why TPG values IHG points from 0.003 to 0.006, with an average of 0.0055 (and their mathematical analysis is far more detailed than mine).
IHG can raise or lower the points required for a night at any time.  25,000 points for a free night at xxx, then raise it to 40,000 points.
They're essentially raising or lowering the exchange rate any time they please.
How convenient.

I actually prefer that. If you are patient, you will get a great deal. Many of my card programs are like that.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Fire Bar Matt]

8 hours ago, rioman said:

I will throw my vote in for the Miracle lounge.  Typically flying very early in morning, but have not found it crowded.  Certainly not the best/fanciest selection of drinks/food, but for that time of day ok and it seems very quiet than.  Also, cannot remember which concourse, but one I have been in(twice) certainly has bathroom/shower facilities.  Heck it even has a prayer room for the muslim crowd.  

Also, when I look at the "intangible" benefits on some of the travel credit card stuff above think they may be assigning too high a value for the lounge access as believe it 1500b for access to Miracle.

 

Air France / KLM Lounge is 1k baht, booking via BFS and IMHO the best at Swampy that you can purchase, give it a try. 

[hioctane]

Air France / KLM Lounge is 1k baht, booking via BFS and IMHO the best at Swampy that you can purchase, give it a try. 

I will check them out next time. It is included in my PP. I normally use Miracle lounges because they are near my gate.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Just Browsing]

On 17/08/2019 at 10:35, Dr No said:

Air France / KLM Lounge is 1k baht, booking via BFS and IMHO the best at Swampy that you can purchase, give it a try. 

As I've posted previously, AF/KLM is my favourite lounge at Swampy to the point where I'll still walk over to G1 even though I'm normally flying from D6 which has 2 Miracle lounges right next to it & a Blue Ribbon (Bangkok Airways) lounge within spitting distance,  but I was  a little disappointed on m last visit (5th August), I thought the food selection wasn't up to normal standard, Chinese Bun (Bau) Machine wasn't working (which I only found out about when I bit into a 1/2 frozen one) & had to ask twice if they had any wine.

Will put it down as a 1-off as I've had such great service there in the past & probably give it another go next Monday, or I might try the Oman Lounge (Which IMHO has better wine but the food isn't normally as good), see where the mood takes me.

Miracle lounges are OK if you can't be bothered to make the hike from your Gate, I personally didn't like the Turkish Airways or Blue Ribbon lounges...  

[All lounges mentioned are covered by Priority Pass]

 

Anybody know if you can visit more than one lounge with Priority Pass, I.e. if I don't like the food in AF/KLM could I wander over to Miracle near my gate & go in there (have unlimited access with my CIti Prestige card)?

[Man7]

I’ve entered multiple lounges at the same airport with my Priority Pass (PP) with no issues before.

[Luv2Phuket]

1 hour ago, JB300 said:

Anybody know if you can visit more than one lounge with Priority Pass, I.e. if I don't like the food in AF/KLM could I wander over to Miracle near my gate & go in there (have unlimited access with my CIti Prestige card)?
 

Like Man7, I checked out multiple lounges with my Priority Pass card at Incheon.

Caveat: I have memberships through both Citi and AMEX and I tend to carry both PP cards (no idea why -- I just do! 555).  That said, I think I used my Citi PP card for each visit.

Also, the reviews posted above were all in a single visit to BKK, so he obviously went "lounge hopping."

[hioctane]

As I've posted previously, AF/KLM is my favourite lounge at Swampy to the point where I'll still walk over to G1 even though I'm normally flying from D6 which has 2 Miracle lounges right next to it & a Blue Ribbon (Bangkok Airways) lounge within spitting distance,  but I was  a little disappointed on m last visit (5th August), I thought the food selection wasn't up to normal standard, Chinese Bun (Bau) Machine wasn't working (which I only found out about when I bit into a 1/2 frozen one) & had to ask twice if they had any wine.
Will put it down as a 1-off as I've had such great service there in the past & probably give it another go next Monday, or I might try the Oman Lounge (Which IMHO has better wine but the food isn't normally as good), see where the mood takes me.
Miracle lounges are OK if you can't be bothered to make the hike from your Gate, I personally didn't like the Turkish Airways or Blue Ribbon lounges...  
[All lounges mentioned are covered by Priority Pass]
 
Anybody know if you can visit more than one lounge with Priority Pass, I.e. if I don't like the food in AF/KLM could I wander over to Miracle near my gate & go in there (have unlimited access with my CIti Prestige card)?

How far is G1 from D6? My gate is usually around the Miracle Lounges too.

Yes, you can lounge hop.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Just Browsing]

On 20/08/2019 at 20:19, hioctane said:

 

How far is G1 from D6? My gate is usually around the Miracle Lounges too.

Yes, you can lounge hop.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

Not far (I'd say 10 mins max) and you can get between them on the lower level so no need to fight your way through the duty free shoppers

 

[6853395]

AmEx Platinum Lounge Access:

• Centurion Lounge access for you and two companions. Centurion Lounges stand out for offering a high-end selection of food and drink, and the lounges themselves are generally more comfortable than the competition. The current locations are Dallas, Hong Kong, Houston, Las Vegas, New York-LaGuardia, Philadelphia, Miami, San Francisco and Seattle.
• Delta Sky Club access when you’re flying Delta.
• Priority Pass lounge access — there are more than 1,000 lounges in the global network.
• Airspace lounge access — with locations at Cleveland, New York’s JFK and San Diego airports.
• Escape lounge access — locations at eight airports across the US and UK.
• Plaza Premium lounge access — with more than 50 locations around the world.

Source:  https://thepointsguy.com/guide/why-you-should-get-amex-platinum-pm/

[LeoTex]

On ‎16‎/‎08‎/‎2019 at 22:35, Dr No said:

Air France / KLM Lounge is 1k baht, booking via BFS and IMHO the best at Swampy that you can purchase, give it a try. 

Thats the lounge that Korean Air puts me in when I check in at BKK for the flight home.

A good selection of food and a fair selection of alcohol with some pretty good wine.

On problem I found is they don't have 'Worcestershire Sauce' to make my bloody mary, so have to bring my own.

Nice lounge to relax in before the dreaded flight home.

LeoTex 

[tlcwaterfall]

Thinking about booking a departure service and lounge through Bangkok flight services for my next flight.

I have never used a lounge before and need some help please.

Will be flying Jetstar to Melbourne Australia and would like to know how to find out which lounge is closest to the Jetstar departure gate.

 

Any helpful assistance is much appreciated.

 

 

 

[Luv2Phuket]

22 minutes ago, tlcwaterfall said:

Thinking about booking a departure service and lounge through Bangkok flight services for my next flight.

I have never used a lounge before and need some help please.

Will be flying Jetstar to Melbourne Australia and would like to know how to find out which lounge is closest to the Jetstar departure gate.

Any helpful assistance is much appreciated.

 

Looking at the BFS website, the departure service with lounge access is 1500 baht.

If you shop around, you may be able to get Miracle lounge access for closer to 1,000 baht.

Sample link: https://www.trazy.com/experience/detail/miracle-lounge-suvarnabhumi-airport

(DISCLAIMER: I have NEVER used that website and have no idea how well - or even if - it works!)

I don't know if BFS can get you through expedited/premium immigration these days, but that may be worth checking on, too.

[Just Browsing]

1 hour ago, tlcwaterfall said:

Thinking about booking a departure service and lounge through Bangkok flight services for my next flight.

I have never used a lounge before and need some help please.

Will be flying Jetstar to Melbourne Australia and would like to know how to find out which lounge is closest to the Jetstar departure gate.

 

Any helpful assistance is much appreciated.

 

 

 

Typically flights fly out from the same gate on a daily basis so if you can let us know your flight number we can try to help work out the gate and let you know which lounge is closest

Safest would to be to go with a Miracle lounge as they seem to be everywhere in the airport (apart from concourse B, I'm yet to find a lounge there but then again, I'm yet to take a flight from there).

 

[tlcwaterfall]

7 hours ago, JB300 said:

Typically flights fly out from the same gate on a daily basis so if you can let us know your flight number we can try to help work out the gate and let you know which lounge is closest

Safest would to be to go with a Miracle lounge as they seem to be everywhere in the airport (apart from concourse B, I'm yet to find a lounge there but then again, I'm yet to take a flight from there).

 

Thank you for your reply.

Flight number is JQ30

[Just Browsing]

On 24/08/2019 at 07:45, tlcwaterfall said:

Thank you for your reply.

Flight number is JQ30

From what I can find, the flight usually goes from goes from E9 but sometimes goes from C9 (which is at the Left & right at Swampy)

I have used the KLM/AF lounge at G1 when flying from C, it's a 10-15 mins walk but if you're buying a lounge pass then probably best to buy one for the Miracle lounge as they have them at all of the halls

[wdogg]

For BKK:

Would not recommend the Cathay lounge because of the food selection.  I think it's better if you have time to sit there and get something made but the pick up and go section is pretty slim.  The drinks section is also really small (non-alcoholic).  Thought the food selection in the Air France/KLM lounge was better but not great. 

Oman is a very nice lounge but the food selection is more catered to the demographic.  It's still better than the first two above.

The Miracle first class lounge in Concourse D is the best one out of these.  There's more of a buffet style selection with a drink cooler with a wide selection.  I asked reception what the difference was between the first class and business lounges and she said first class has more alcohol.  I think I prefer this one because it has more of the regular Asian style food.  I also think this first class lounge is one of the larger ones with multiple seating areas.   

[Luv2Phuket]

40 minutes ago, wdogg said:

For BKK:

Would not recommend the Cathay lounge because of the food selection.  I think it's better if you have time to sit there and get something made but the pick up and go section is pretty slim.  The drinks section is also really small (non-alcoholic).  Thought the food selection in the Air France/KLM lounge was better but not great. 

 

I agree re the Cathay lounge - the noodle bar is okay, but "pretty slim" is a very generous description of their pick up & go offerings.  They are about as bad as the crap you find at domestic lounges in the USA!

I gotta try that Miracle lounge.  I have always had a perception of them as very ordinary.  

[Jeffone]

Priority Pass has been, for me, a waste of money.  They get you into lounges that anyone can buy in to.  When it comes to other airline lounges it is set up with such limited and off peak usages, that I cant imagine finding it useful.  As I recall, Korean Airlines at LAX only accepts it noon.  So all the evening flights... the popular ones...  "Sorry sir" 

[davidge]

Used the Cathay lounge for the first time last month. Quiet & comfortable - but that’s about it. Food options made Thai lounge seem wonderful - not a fan of noodles for breakfast.

I’ve not read through the thread but I think Eva is still one of the better lounges at Swampy. The new Singapore lounge is ok but not the best location if you’re not flying from that section of the airport.

[thinkingallowed]

Qatar have an excellent lounge at BKK but I don't think it is accessible by anyone except Qatar passengers.

[Just Browsing]

10 hours ago, wdogg said:

For BKK:

Would not recommend the Cathay lounge because of the food selection.  I think it's better if you have time to sit there and get something made but the pick up and go section is pretty slim.  The drinks section is also really small (non-alcoholic).  Thought the food selection in the Air France/KLM lounge was better but not great. 

Oman is a very nice lounge but the food selection is more catered to the demographic.  It's still better than the first two above.

The Miracle first class lounge in Concourse D is the best one out of these.  There's more of a buffet style selection with a drink cooler with a wide selection.  I asked reception what the difference was between the first class and business lounges and she said first class has more alcohol.  I think I prefer this one because it has more of the regular Asian style food.  I also think this first class lounge is one of the larger ones with multiple seating areas.   

Flying Thai Air & made the mistake of going to the Miracle lounge in Hall C last time, very poor food / drink selection so I hiked it over to the Oman Lounge (Hall E) where the food selection wasn't great, but the wine was very nice

I used to be a big fan of the KLM/AF Lounge (Hall G), but the past 2 times the food selection has been a bit poor (usually have the Chinese bau / dumplings as a back-up if I don't like what's on offer, t but the "Machine" has been out of order for at least 3 weeks), so last time I left & went into the Miracle lounge at Hall D (was flying SQ from D6).

Flying with Qatar next week so will check out their (IIRC it's around D8), but if I don't like it I will be going to the 1st Class Miracle lounge near D7/D6.