Royal Orchid Plus - Thai Airways

Thai Airways International Public Company Limited is the flag carrier airline of Thailand. Formed in 1988, the airline has its corporate headquarters in Vibhavadi Rangsit Road, Chatuchak District, Bangkok, and primarily operates out of Suvarnabhumi Airport. THAI is a founding member of the Star Alliance. This airline is the largest shareholder of the low-cost carrier Nok Air with a 39 percent stake, and it launched a regional carrier under the name Thai Smile in the middle of 2012 using new Airbus A320 aircraft. 
From its hub at Suvarnabhumi Airport, THAI flies to 80 different destinations in 37 countries, using a fleet of more than 90 aircrafts. The airline was once the operator of two of the world’s longest non-stop routes between Bangkok and Los Angeles and New York City, but due to high fuel prices, the withdrawal of aircraft, luggage weight limits and rising airfares, it abandoned all non-stop US services as of 2012.

Royal Orchid Plus Rewards Program

The Royal Orchid Plus rewards program offers its members the opportunity to earn points/miles for flying with Thai Airways and their partners. The accrued points can be used for a variety of rewards, including award flights, cabin upgrades, hotel bookings, and vehicle rentals. There are numerous credit cards that can be used to accrue Orchid Plus points, such as the Citi Prestige Card, Starwood Preferred Guest Credit Card from American Express, and a number of others.

Earning Orchid Plus Points

To make the most of the Royal Orchid Plus program, be sure to take advantage of earning extra miles from such activities as paid flights, hotel stays, car rentals, and credit card spending.

• Paid Flights: Book a THAI flight and provide your Royal Orchid Plus number for mileage to be credited to your account. Bonus miles are given depending on certain fare classes, not to mention those that are awarded when you attain or renew your Gold or Platinum membership.
• Partner Flights: THAI is a member of the Star Alliance, which allows flyers the ability to earn THAI miles for flights flown with the airline partners. Note that the earned number of miles usually varies from one airline partner to another. Thus, it's better to visit THAI's official website and find out how many miles you might earn from the upcoming partner's flight. The process of earning Royal Orchid Plus miles on a partner flight is simple. Simply mention your Royal Orchid Plus number on your boarding pass. Don't forget to verify the mileage credits were properly posted to your account by checking it after the flight.
• Credit Card Spending: While there aren't any co-branded credit cards available to US residents, THAI does offer a variety of cards for other countries. Please refer to this site for further information. THAI is also a transfer partner for Citi ThankYou Rewards, Diners Club, and SPG; all of which have multiple card offerings for US residents. See the section below for card details.
• Travel Partners: More miles may be accrued from THAI’s Royal Orchid Plus program partners. For example, when you rent a car with Hertz or when you stay in a Hyatt hotel, you get additional miles. See this link for the list of partners and details.
• Promotions: THAI occasionally offers promotions that provide members the ability to earn additional Royal Orchid Plus miles. For the latest list of promotions, refer to the THAI website.

Redeeming Mileage Points

• Free Flights: Upon collecting enough mileages, you may use these to redeem your award tickets and fly for free on THAI. Make your reservations with any THAI sales office and give your Royal Orchid Plus account number. You can also log in the THAI website to redeem miles for a free flight. Refer to THAI’s published award chart to know how many miles you need for your flight
• Upgrades: Your Royal Orchid Plus membership can grant you free upgrades on select flight. Please note that you cannot use this privilege when flying on promotional fares. Refer to this page for information on this benefit.
• Partner Awards: THAI is a member of Star Alliance, which allows travelers to redeem Royal Orchid Plus for award flights on partner airlines, subject to availability. Refer to THAI’s published Star Alliance partner award chart, as well as the Star Alliance strategy guide for further advice on how to search availability and book awards for each member airline.

Routing Rules

Besides other benefits, the Royal Orchid Plus program offers its customers an exceptional stopover and open-jaw policy. The program members are welcome to use an open jaw and a stopover per direction when purchasing a round-trip flight. In 2014, a drastic 100% devaluation of the award chart was announced by Thai Airways. However, the airline scrapped the plans right after its customers' protest. At the moment, they are on the lookout for possible devaluations in the future.

Benefits of Thai Airways’ Royal Orchid Plus Program

There are lots of different things to like about the Royal Orchid Plus frequent flyer program, including the possibility to get a 5,000-mile annual bonus, two complimentary upgrades, guaranteed seating in economy, and complimentary access to lounges. There is also the benefits of Star Alliance members, such as priority boarding and baggage handling and much more. This rewards program is definitely worth looking into for anyone who enjoys flying with Thai Airways and their partners, especially if it is often.

Elite Levels

• Royal Orchid Plus, the frequent flyer program of THAI, allows flyers to enroll and create an account to earn rewards. Its entry level (Violet card) allows members to earn and redeem miles. The elite tiers – Silver, Gold, and Platinum – are achieved after satisfying the qualification requirements. Elite status grants the member additional advantages, which increase as one climbs the status ladder.
• Silver: Silver status is earned after flying 10k Qualifying Miles in one year or 15k Qualifying Miles in two years on THAI and Star Alliance members. This provides certain privileges like additional baggage allowance and priority baggage handling.
• Gold: A member may be elevated to the Gold status once the requirement of 50k Qualifying Miles within 12 months or 80k Qualifying Miles within 24 months on THAI and Star Alliance airlines is attained. Flying on 40 THAI international segments within 12 months also grants one a Gold membership status. A member gets 5k bonus miles upon attaining Gold status and enjoys complimentary upgrades, guaranteed seating in economy class, and access to THAI Royal Silk Class lounges around the world, along with other benefits.
• Platinum: The Platinum level is achieved when one accrues 80k Qualifying Miles in 12 months on THAI and Star Alliance flights. This tier affords members the benefits of a Gold status plus immigration fast track, dedicated Platinum check-in, waiver of service fees and so much more.

Booking Fees & Charges

There are some fees you might encounter as a Royal Orchid Plus member, including $25 for changing or canceling flights more than 24 hours before departure. There is also a $100 fee for changing or canceling flights between three and 24 hours before departure.

Redeem on Upgrades

There's a useful option to upgrade cash tickets to the next class. For example, from economy class to premium economy or business one; from premium economy class to business one; and from business class to the first one. Your ticket class usually determines the needed number of miles designed for upgrading a ticket. Note that some promotional fares don't qualify at all.