Book Singapore Airline’s A380 First Class Suite (or Business Class) service through an unconventional, yet simple process. The seats are there now and you don’t even have to be a loyalty-program member (today) to get them.
Singapore Airlines is one of the few airlines that offers a true First Class Suite. Each one has sliding doors, window blinds, and a standalone bed (not one converted from a seat).
First and Business Class seats are now eligible for award travel at the saver rate through its KrisFlyer loyalty program. If you’re not a member of the program, no problem—more on that in a moment.
Not that long ago, the Suites were priced at stratospheric rates. But now you can fly NY-Frankfurt in a Suite for as little as 57,375 miles one-way, which includes the 15% discount for booking online.
What’s the only thing better than a low mileage cost for an incredible seat? Getting the space confirmed! FCF examined the U.S. routes which Singapore offers the A380 First Class Suite (and Business Class) and discovered that there are plenty of days with First and Business Class award seats available for one seat. (See page 5 if you’re not traveling solo.) Link to a video on Singapore’s First Class Suite experience.
Sample Savings in First Class
Los Angeles-Tokyo in First Class is $12,151 round-trip on the A380. A roundtrip award ticket costs 148,750 miles and $326 in taxes and fees, including the 15% online-booking discount. That’s an 8¢ return on miles. There’s no better way to use miles in the world right now in my opinion. See chart on page 7 for routes with award availability on the A380 in First and Business Class, and also how to get the miles, even if it means buying points—which almost anyone can do.
Don’t Have Singapore Miles? No Problem
Have Starwood Starpoints? If yes, transfer 120,000 of them to Singapore—the same number United charges for a Business Class award seat to Tokyo. With Starwood’s standard bonus, you’ll have the 148,750 miles for First Class
to Tokyo from Los Angeles.
Have Amex Membership Rewards Points? Just transfer 149,000 of them to Singapore’s KrisFlyer loyalty program, a Membership Rewards partner.
Don’t have enough Amex Membership Reward Points? You can purchase up to 500,000 per year at 2.5¢ per point directly from Amex.
Don’t have an Amex card? Get one that offers the Membership Rewards program (most do) and then buy the miles needed for the First Class seat for $3,725. That’s about 69% off to fly one of the top seats in the world.
The Singapore Playbook: More Than One Traveler, Different Departure Cities, or Different Destinations
Given that availability is often one seat per flight on the A380, here are strategies if you’re flying with someone else:
- Have the second person book the same flight in Business Class (being alone in Singapore’s Business Class seat is not a bad experience). Overtime and perhaps just before departure, availability could very well change and you can change your booking to fly in the same cabin.
- Book your companions in First Class on another airline for the same travel date and link up upon arrival.
- Fly First Class on two different days.
- Fly one-way in First Class (Singapore’s mileage awards are based on one-way rates), and find a flight with two seats together for the return, perhaps on another carrier.
- Take turns in First Class: One of you gets it going over, the other on the return.
- Lock in one ticket now and keep checking back for a second seat in First or Business.
- Buy a Business Class (or coach) fare and check for mileage upgrades to First or Business Class.
- Pay for the second First or Business Class ticket and look at it as a two-for-one.
If departing from—or traveling to—a different destination you might:
- Secure a free First or Business Class ticket to Frankfurt, Singapore, or Tokyo, and buy a separate ticket to your final destination.
- Don’t live in Los Angeles or New York? Secure the free First or Business Class deal from either city, then buy a separate ticket to the gateway.
- Get a second mileage ticket on another airline to go with the Singapore deal if the cash cost of a second ticket is high to your final destination or from your departure city.
- If you are using a second mileage ticket for domestic travel to get you from your departure city to the Singapore deal (New York or Los Angeles), then you might use a flight distance-mileage program if it’s a short flight to either city. For example, Japan Airlines charges only 35,000 miles r/t on the Chicago-JFK route in First Class, 15,000 fewer miles than AA (and JAL is a transfer partner with Starwood).
- Use Singapore’s Star Alliance awards to make connections from almost any U.S. city on United or US Airways because you get the domestic flight added in for a total mileage cost of 130,000 miles to Europe in Business Class. For example, departing San Diego to connect in New York to Frankfurt costs 130,000 miles r/t, only 32,250 more than Singapore charges for the New York-Frankfurt flight alone (97,750 online). You might not use this option when booking First because Singapore’s Star Alliance award to Frankfurt does not offer much of a savings (160,000 miles). To Asia, Singapore’s Star Alliance award cost can be high (175,000 to 200,000 miles); you might also be better off just getting a second, separate award.
- Use Singapore’s Star Alliance awards when traveling in Business Class to anywhere in Europe because it gives you connecting flights (on Austrian, Brussels, LOT, Lufthansa, Scandinavian, and SWISS) in Business Class beyond Frankfurt for only 32,250 more miles r/t.
Again, you might not use this option when booking First Class because Singapore’s Star Alliance award to Frankfurt does not offer much of a savings. Also, to Asia the award costs can be high; you might again be better off just getting a second award.
Free Mileage Award Space on Singapore’s A380
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