Keeping Thai Airways status is no longer possible

[cbmgolfer]

I have been Thai Airways gold status for nearly 15 years.  My wife has had it for 12 years.  We have intentionally flown Thai Airways to keep this status cause the benefits are nice.  Basically business line checkin … lounge access… preferred seating.  Defo worth paying a bit more over other airlines offers if you are traveling a lot to Thailand.

We both mostly flew economy on our flights … it’s just that we made a lot of flights.  Before this year, if you paid the basic economy fare (not the cheapest offered price), and if you were Gold status, they awarded you full mileage.  We were making multiple long haul trips a year, so keeping Gold status was a matter of paying a 1-3 hundred dollars a trip over the budget price to keep Gold status.  
 

Last year Thai Airways changed the rules … they excluded most fares from receiving full mileage accrual.  You now only get 100% miles if you pay the most expensive economy fare (or business, of course).  That is usually nearly double what you would pay from another airline in coach.  My wife flew in December from Dallas (Lufthansa) to Frankfurt and Thai Air to BKK. … usually that would net nearly 10,000 miles (points) … she got 1,100.  
 

Beware.  They don’t want our business.

[erikhansen]

On 09/02/2022 at 05:47, cbmgolfer said:

I have been Thai Airways gold status for nearly 15 years.  My wife has had it for 12 years.  We have intentionally flown Thai Airways to keep this status cause the benefits are nice.  Basically business line checkin … lounge access… preferred seating.  Defo worth paying a bit more over other airlines offers if you are traveling a lot to Thailand.

We both mostly flew economy on our flights … it’s just that we made a lot of flights.  Before this year, if you paid the basic economy fare (not the cheapest offered price), and if you were Gold status, they awarded you full mileage.  We were making multiple long haul trips a year, so keeping Gold status was a matter of paying a 1-3 hundred dollars a trip over the budget price to keep Gold status.  
 

Last year Thai Airways changed the rules … they excluded most fares from receiving full mileage accrual.  You now only get 100% miles if you pay the most expensive economy fare (or business, of course).  That is usually nearly double what you would pay from another airline in coach.  My wife flew in December from Dallas (Lufthansa) to Frankfurt and Thai Air to BKK. … usually that would net nearly 10,000 miles (points) … she got 1,100.  
 

Beware.  They don’t want our business.

I've been ROP Gold as well for some years and thought the Q-class and up was just a covid-measure. If this is permanent I have no chance of maintaining the Gold card. As (un)luck will have it I have two GUP-awards as well but can't use it with those prices.

It's sad because I always felt I was already in Thailand entering a TG flight.

[Greg_B]

What was once a world class airline is now nothing more than a low cost carrier. It's sad as they had great service in the past and will lose many loyal customers. Without gaining new customers

[momo5]

Airlines are moving to a system of awarding miles based on money spent versus miles flown.  This usually reduces the mileage earned in long haul economy.  Short haul economy, especially costly last minute fares, do much better.  However, Delta also applies a maximum limit - 75k miles, which translates into no mileage earned above a certain limit for high value tickets. 
 

hotel award programs are moving in this direction as well … loyalty is  based on how much you spend.