Royal Orchid Plus award rules say what happens to your miles when a plan falls through. You rarely get all of them back.
Miles come back less any that expired
Wherever the conditions describe miles being returned to your account, the same qualifier follows: “less any expired miles”. It applies when:
- an award booked with a THAI office “is not issued within the ticketing time limit”, so the booking is automatically canceled and the miles re-credited
- a change is made that requires the mileage to be “re-credited and a new award requested”
- an award ticket is “canceled” and miles are re-credited within its validity
Redeeming does not stop the expiry clock on your miles. If a booking is unwound after some of those miles have expired, only the rest come back. Anyone holding miles close to expiry takes that risk with every award booking that is not yet ticketed.
When the miles leave your account
- Online: miles are deducted “after the transaction is completed and a ticket is issued”.
- At a THAI ticketing office: miles are deducted “within 3 working days” of confirming the award reservation, “or before ticket issue, whichever comes first”.
- Re-credit: “allow 3 working days for a mileage re-credit”.
What you can change, and when
Before the ticket is issued you can change:
- flight dates
- the routing, “provided award travel remains in the same zone”
- the ticket holder’s name, whether that is the member or a “Nominee”
After ticketing:
- “travel dates or flight numbers” can be changed “with a fee”
- “all other changes” require the mileage to be re-credited with a fee, less any expired miles, and a new reservation requested
“Once travel has commenced, no routing changes and no mileage re-credits are permitted at all.”
The one-year limit
“All award tickets are valid for one year from the date of issue”, and award travel, international and domestic alike, “must be completed within one year of the ticket issue date”.
Unused tickets
A “totally unused and valid” award ticket may be returned for a mileage re-credit, “subject to service fees”.
An award ticket redeemed with miles has “no monetary value”. It “cannot be exchanged for cash or credited against your credit card balance under any circumstance”. If a trip collapses, you get miles back minus fees, never money.
Taxes for children
“All applicable taxes and surcharges are the award ticket holder’s responsibility.” Award tickets “issued online include taxes and surcharges at the same amount for adults and for children aged 2 to 12”.
Some countries charge children less. Where that is the case, “the difference may be refunded, but only by contacting a THAI ticketing office after the award travel has been completed.” Nothing reclaims it automatically. A family redeeming online pays adult-rate taxes for the children and has to ask for the difference afterwards.
Collecting tickets
Award tickets issued at THAI ticketing offices “must be picked up by the ticket holder”, or by someone presenting “written authorization” to collect them.
THAI also states that these terms and conditions “may change without prior notice”. On a one-year ticket, check the conditions again before you travel.