***UPDATE! SINGAPORE AIRLINES HAS UPDATED THEIR REDEMPTION CHART AS OF 23RD MARCH 2017
Dreaming of ever flying like you have never done before? Dreaming of actually sleeping like a baby with someone there to tuck you in when you kick the blanket away? kicking the givenchy blanket away? Although it has not happen to me but they are said to tuck passenger in. What I did experienced was their attentive service when they literally made the bed every single time I left for the gallery or the toilet. Somehow you wonder how do they do it. If you would like to plan something special for like a honeymoon, a retirement trip or perhaps for me like a ORD TRIP! This is the article to read. There is nothing free in this world, including flying first or business. If you wanna save you would need to spend the effort to get what you want! If not, you are free to spend that 20 Thousand on a Suites ticket. Or instead get it like me for 400 Dollars in tax? Previously to score that Business Class seat on the dates I want, I book one year in advance and call to check the waitlist frequently. First you would need to save up your miles, for that you could refer to my previous article on Best Credit Cards For Saving Miles in Singapore! Now I would like to share with you on the tips and the best awards booking to go for on Singapore Airlines.
First up! Krisflyer and Award Tickets 101
- Most of the premium seats on SQ are only released for it’s own membership
- Krisflyer offers 15% off the miles required when booked online
- Tickets are open 1 year in advance
- Usually only maximum 2 tickets are released upfront for Biz and First Class/ Suites
- Waitlist can be done through the Contact Centre
- Book on least popular flying days to maximise the chances (Tues to Thurs)
- Popular route like London, NYC may be hard to get
- Separate out the booking to maximise chance (One Way Ticket)
- Book per person instead of together (Separate booking of travelling party
- For one way saver award, layover may be added for 100 USD
- You can redeem miles for yourself and 5 additional person in your account
Here are the main points I have thought of for Krisflyer, do let me know if you have more questions. By fact, only book saver class award as the standard class one is seriously just pricy. Usually airline price it on demand, when it is closer to the date they will then released it for saver class. Then you will need to know something about waitlist. Waitlist is a list of bookings where the airline use to fill up seats when they remain empty. They will release seats in accordance to the departure date, this is to ensure they can sell for the most bucks since there is still time. However without time, they will rather “sell” it for a lower saver price then let it go empty. Although tickets booking can be booked one year ahead, they don’t released all the seats but only 2 upfront, the rest will be on Waitlist. You can then add in the waitlist by calling in. It is not a first come first serve situation since customers with status get cleared first. But hope is not all lost, we will still have a chance at getting the waitlist cleared. Never ever waste your miles on a economy or even a premium economy award tickets. While Premium Economy only started this year on SQ I personally felt that it isn’t a worthy redemption since the miles required are someway close to the miles required for Business Class. Since taxes are payable for redemption, sometimes the taxes you may are already about the same as a economy promotion tickets. The real return in investment is in Premium Tickets. For example, you could just score a Business Class seats with 400 bucks. Below is a link to the Singapore Airlines Award Chart.
Now layovers, layover are a great way to save or even double the returns you can get from a booking. Layovers refer to a stop in a city of your itinerary for more than 24 hours. Any lesser than that are considered a transit and not a layover. First, some rules. Layover are free on a standard one way ticket and for return trips. For saver class saver awards, they are chargeable at 100USD. Even with this, they are still worth it and worth booking one way, since this way the chances of your redemption getting cleared is higher. Layover are only permitted on route that SQ flies on, you can’t make your own itinerary. For example since SQ flies from SIN – JFK through FRA. You can book a layover on this route and utilise the mileage required for a Singapore to USA(East Coast & Houston). Even though it is still Europe, you can’t do a SIN – Milan – FRA – JFK. For this you have to book two separate ticket. Besides the SIN – FRA – JFK some of the other layover you can do includes, SIN – MAN – IAH, SIN – HKG – LAX, SIN – ICN – SFO.
Typical Booking Steps
Usually I would book once the ticket is open for redemption, which is around one year in advance. Of course you have to be “Kiasu” to score the best and pay the least. After all flying on SQ is all I want to do everyday and everytime. If there is a waitlist that I would want, I would then call in to add in the flight. Always remember and remember to do and start the booking process online, only this way would you be able to get the 15% discount. For a person whom want to fly frequently, 15% makes a lot of difference. When there is a waitlist flight on your itinerary you won’t need to issue the ticket immediately, which means the miles won’t be deducted from your account immediately. But there would be a ticketing deadline one you have an confirm flight inside the same itinerary. You can always try to call in and extend the deadline, most of the time it will be extended. Usually i would only issue the ticket at the latest possible date since before that I can still change my plans and save up the miles for the necessary tickets. Award tickets are so useful and flexible!
Best Redemption to Score
Personally the best value for redemption for SQ Awards flight are the ones in Business or First! After all the temptation to be able to fly in Suites and enjoy a double bed 35.000Ft in the air is simply to hard to resist! This is also something I am super proud of Singapore and be a Singaporean! The first best redemption would be the Singapore to Istanbul Business class saver class! The award is categorized under Turkey instead of Europe and cost a mere 38,250 Miles plus S$275.50 in taxes per way. Although do keep in mind that this route only have business class as the highest premium cabin for now. Although in Istanbul part of Turkey. You can get many cheap intra”Europe” flight to other destination in Europe. That makes it perfect. Istanbul also got one of the best business class lounge in the world although the airport might get a little crowded. 12 hours in the best business class with great food and a fully flat over size bed, book your tickets now.
Another worthy redemption to make would be the Singapore – Frankfurt – New York City in both Business Class or First Class. This is also the best transatlantic flight you can get. Nothing beats a Suites seat and a double bed to fly across the atlantic ocean. It is time to arrive to the Big Apple in style. However, the best usage for value in this booking would be adding a layover. This way you can enjoy both Europe and US. For 68,000 or 91,375 Miles in Business or Suites and 100USD, you can enjoy both countries and fly in style. Do note that this is also the only US flight with A380 and the SQ famous Suites. Although this is a popular route and bookings may be hard, it is still possible especially if you are booking for yourself only. Anyway, seats tend to open up when it is leading up to the day of the flight.
Next Year Bookings
I have recently made my booking for my Out of This World, Epic, Indescribable Europe and US trip on the above redemption that I have said. I will be doing the Suites to Europe then to NYC, before touring around NYC and DC prior to the West Coast. Then from there I would be flying back either from SFO or LAX with either the new Business Class or the New First Class. This way I will be able to try both product.
Seeing The World In Steps 