Royal Orchid Plus, Thai Airway's loyalty programme, will announce later today that the planned changes to its award charts will not be going ahead.
The new award charts were scheduled to take effect from September 1, while new tier bonus miles for platinum and gold members were due to begin on August 1, but both changes have been postponed.
Under the suggested amendments, the number of miles needed for flight redemption and upgrades would have significantly increased in many cases. For example, a short haul business class flight from Hong Kong to Bangkok currently requires 55,000 miles and would have increased to 66,000 miles, while first class would have increased from 70,000 to 84,000 miles.
In some cases tickets would have required double the miles; currently a flight from North America to Bangkok in first class requires 230,000 miles round trip, but under the proposed changes this would have become 230,000 miles each way – a 100% increase.
According to a Royal Orchid Plus spokesperson, the proposed changes to mileage levels had been planned to provide more availability of award seating on Thai Airways. The proposed changes to the tier bonus for Royal Orchid Plus would also have meant gold status members would earn more miles with travel, which would have offset the overall increase in mileage required somewhat.
However, it appears negative customer feedback has influenced the airline as it has undergone a U-turn in policy. But while the proposed changes have been cancelled for now, they may well be revisited in the future as the airline has stated: “Changes to the Royal Orchid Plus award levels in the future will be announced to members with advance notice to use their miles”.
For award travel redeemed and ticketed between June 17 and July 29 in anticipation of the new award structure, award tickets remain valid for one year from the date of issue. Fees will also be waived for members who wish to change flight dates for tickets redeemed during this period.
Tamsin Cocks
