Thai Airways

Thai Airways (TG) is a Star Alliance member based at Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport (BKK). It flies all over Asia, plus numerous cities in Europe and Australia. If you are headed to Thailand or connecting through Southeast Asia on Star Alliance miles, Thai is one of the best products you can put those miles into.

Thai Airways

Thai Airways first class is a treat. Top tier alcohol choices include Dom Perignon, and the “Book to Order” service lets passengers pre-order their meals, with choices including lobster. Best of all, Thai has one of the world’s great first class lounges in Bangkok and treats first class passengers to a complimentary massage before departure. Overall service is generally excellent.

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Which miles can you use to book Thai Airways?

Because Thai is in Star Alliance, you can book its award space with partner miles, including:

  • United MileagePlus: no fuel surcharges, and united.com is also the easiest place to search
  • Air Canada Aeroplan: strong pricing to Asia and books Thai first class online
  • Avianca LifeMiles: often the cheapest for business class, no surcharges
  • Turkish Miles&Smiles

Thai releases award space to partners generously compared to many airlines, and premium cabin space often opens up in the last two weeks before departure, especially on flights out of Bangkok.

How to search for Thai Airways award space:

The easiest place to search is the United Airlines website. United displays Star Alliance partner availability, including Thai, and you can search without holding any miles.

Step 1

Log in to your United Airlines account. If you don’t have an account yet, you can sign up here for free.

Step 2

Select the Book Travel box and fill in your trip details:

  • Select either Round Trip or One Way
  • Enter your departure and arrival city. For Thai, think routes touching Bangkok (BKK), like BKK-HKG, BKK-NRT, BKK-LHR, or BKK-SYD
  • Enter your dates
  • Select the number of passengers
  • Select Award Travel

Then click Search.

Thai Airways Search

Step 3

Pick the flight option that fits your schedule. Watch the connection times carefully, as some options have layovers as long as 23 hours.

If you would like to search a different day, use the calendar to scan nearby dates. Award space out of Bangkok often opens in clusters, so checking a few days either side pays off.

Make sure you select the Saver Award, as standard awards cost far more miles and usually can’t be booked with partner programs anyway.

Thai Airways schedule

Step 4

Choose your preferred flight and open its details. Write down the following information: flight number, dates, and cabin class.

Step 5

Now book with the program your miles live in. If it’s United miles, book right there on united.com. For other programs (Aeroplan, LifeMiles, Miles&Smiles), check their website first, since most can book Star Alliance partners online now. If the flight doesn’t show, call the program and read the agent the exact flights you found. They should be able to see and book the same space for you.

Tips before you book

  • The screenshots above show an older United site design. Menu names have shifted slightly, but the flow (log in, award search, pick saver space) is unchanged.
  • Thai first class awards can be hard to see on some partner sites. If United shows nothing in first, check aeroplan.com, which displays and books Thai first class online.
  • If you land first class out of Bangkok, arrive early. The lounge and spa treatment are part of the experience, and the massage slots fill up.