50% Off Thai Airways Award Tickets Between Bangkok And Istanbul

Thai Royal Orchid Plus isn't a loyalty program you hear about much in the U.S. as their award rates aren't particularly competitive. However, Royal Orchid Plus has launched a 50% off award promo for Thai Airways' flight between Bangkok and Istanbul. This brings the one-way award rate down to 45,000 miles for business class and 21,250 miles for economy class.

You must book your ticket by January 15, 2024 and complete your travel between January 15 and March 15, 2024. The change fee is $200/$150 for business/economy class, respectively.

You will be on the hook for carrier-imposed surcharges which brings the one-way taxes/fees to ~$272 on business class award or ~$186 on an economy award.

For context, Air Canada Aeroplan requires 60,000 miles and Avianca LifeMiles requires 78,000 miles. However, they do not pass on the surcharges so the taxes/fees will be closer to ~$20. Turkish Miles&Smiles also requires 45,000 miles plus taxes/fees. Still, it's fun to see Thai's program offer some solid value!

If you want to book this promo as part of a trip to Southeast Asia and Europe or the Middle East, you'll need Citi ThankYou Points as that's the only program that transfer to Thai Airways.

Personally, I love niche booking opportunities for business class award tickets and would consider this if it fit my schedule.

Direct link to offer

Points Wire Note:

Your best bet to earn Citi ThankYou Points is the Citi Premier Card. You can pair a Citi Double Cash, Citi Custom Cash, or Citi Rewards+ with the Premier to earn additional points. However, the Citi Premier is the key to accessing transfer partners.