February 13th, 2013
Singapore Airlines Also Not Charging Fuel Surcharges For Award Travel On United Or USAirways!
3 weeks ago DansDeals broke the news that ANA was no longer collecting fuel surcharges on United and USAirways award tickets. They have an awesome international partner award chart, with round-trip tickets to Europe starting at just 38K coach/63K business and to Israel for just 60K coach/90K business.
However ANA’s award chart is terrible for domestic tickets. JFK-LAX in business is 63K miles and Newark-Honolulu in business is 85K miles.
Now this may not be breaking news, but Singapore also is not charging fuel surcharges for United and USAirways. Their miles have been traditionally used to experience Singapore’s sublime service in business, first, and suites class, which are generally only available if you have Singapore miles. However those come with fuel surcharges.
However take a look at their partner award chart for domestic purposes. You can fly round-trip JFK-LAX in business class for 40K miles or Newark to Honolulu for just 60K miles in business class. Compare to Air Canada where booking that United flight in business would be 50K for JFK-LAX and 80K for EWR-HNL.
You can also use Singapore miles to fly to Israel on USAirways or United for 75K in coach and 115K in business. Why would you do that if you can transfer to ANA where it’s just 60K/90K? -First of all Singapore will hold award tickets even if you don’t yet have the miles in your account, so you won’t lose the ticket while you wait.
-Second of all the transfer from AMEX to Singapore is faster (typically overnight) than AMEX to ANA.
-Third of all you can book one-way awards with Singapore miles for half of the round-trip rate.
-Additionally if you want to fly in business, first, or suites class on Singapore from JFK to Frankfurt and then on Lufthansa from Frankfurt to Tel Aviv you’ll probably need to use Singapore miles, though that will be subject to a fuel surcharge.
I searched for saver level award tickets on United.com and then called Singapore to check for those flights. They had no problem finding the same availability and taxes were just $5 USD.
United flies 2 cabin 757-200 aircraft with lie-flat business class seats on select flights between JFK or Newark and Los Angeles or S. Francisco. Later this year all aircraft between JFK and Los Angeles or S. Francisco will be converted to having lie-flat business class seats. At just 40K miles round-trip this is a great deal!
You can see if the 757 currently has lie-flat seating by viewing the seating chart. If they are selling 3 classes of service on the 757 then business won’t be lie-flat, but those 3 class planes are being converted into 2 class planes with lie-flat seating, so later this year it will be much easier to find lie-flat transcontinental business awards.
A 757-200 with lie-flat business class seating:
A 757-200 without lie-flat business class seating:
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Want to start collecting Singapore miles? Here are some credit cards with points that will transfer to Singapore. AMEX points transfer 1:1, Starpoints transfer 20K:25K.
These cards all have a 25K signup bonus:
-American Express® Premier Rewards Gold Card
-The Platinum Card® from American Express
-Starwood Preferred Guest® Credit Card from American Express
-Starwood Preferred Guest® Business Credit Card from American Express OPEN
1
February 13th, 2013 at 9:01 am
How far in advance do you recommend booking UA through SQ?
2
February 13th, 2013 at 9:03 am
Thanks.
Does it work only on saver award tickets?
What’s the number to call Singapore Airlines?
3
February 13th, 2013 at 9:15 am
What is the rate to buy Singapore miles?
4
February 13th, 2013 at 9:16 am
You’ve had success with SQ holding an award while you xfer miles? If so, how?
I, along with many others (on FT and MP), have been told they don’t hold awards.
Also, just FTR, SQ hasn’t imposed YQ on domestic flights for at least 18 months or so.
5
February 13th, 2013 at 9:18 am
You can also use Singapore miles to fly to Israel on USAirways or United for 75K in coach and 115K in business. Why would you do that if you can transfer to ANA where it’s just 60K/90K?
am i missing something? even with the advantages using sin points for 35k less is it not worth it even to wait the few extra days for points to transfer? or just fly direct via united (thru ana)?
6
February 13th, 2013 at 9:23 am
Wow, thanx for sharing!
If its 40k domestic in business, how much is it in coach?
(Can’t access chart bec on mobile)
Thanx
7
February 13th, 2013 at 9:33 am
Thanks Dan,
Can you do one way awards with singepore?
8
February 13th, 2013 at 9:51 am
do they allow one way rewards ?
9
February 13th, 2013 at 9:59 am
@DP7:
Same availability as UA.
@Yosele:
Yes.
213-404-0301
@AJK:
I held the JFK-LAX award.
Like I said, it was news to me. How about international?
@rots:
Nothing besides the 4 points I mentioned, though your math is off.
@hunch:
25K, no bargain over Air Canada.
@Yoely:
Yes.
10
February 13th, 2013 at 10:01 am
i just got a new gold amex card from canada could you please DAN tell me in which program i shall in roll
11
February 13th, 2013 at 10:29 am
Will there be YQ on AC?
12
February 13th, 2013 at 10:36 am
I couldn’t search for award flight on singaporeair.com from newark to honolulu. Where do i go to search the flight for that trip?
13
February 13th, 2013 at 10:36 am
Are stopovers allowed? if so how many? Open jaws?
14
February 13th, 2013 at 11:01 am
@harold:
Roll? Kaiser, Egg, Deli, they all work.
@Joeb1:
Yes.
@YT:
United.com and then to your nearest telephone.
@westman812:
Good question, not sure. Call and ask.
15
February 13th, 2013 at 12:59 pm
In my experience they only hold if you have some miles in the account.
16
February 13th, 2013 at 1:05 pm
@SQ:
That would explain it.
Any idea if they’ll hold if you have 1 mile or if you need enough to make the booking?
17
February 13th, 2013 at 1:23 pm
I’m a newbie at this. i want to go to israel for the summer. i have something like 65k amex points and a few thousand capital one/visa points. how can i book this travel deal?
18
February 13th, 2013 at 2:45 pm
Dan, where can i open a singapore account ??? can i book with my UNITED Chase account ?? Thanks
19
February 13th, 2013 at 3:05 pm
how do you switch points from AMEX to ANA?
20
February 13th, 2013 at 3:17 pm
@Dan:
So its the same 25k in coach, but as joeb1 pointed out there is YQ on AC, so using singapore miles is a better than AC even if flying coach, correct?
(Not arguing, just trying to make sure I have this right)
21
February 13th, 2013 at 3:18 pm
@Dan:
Rather certain SQ does impose YQ on international, even on UA and US.
Also, so you had miles in your account? Presumably you had enough or else you wouldn’t have asked “SQ” the question you did. Right?
If we can establish you can do so with only 1000 miles or something then it’s make good sense to do xfer over there for the ability to hold. Hmm… Anyone know for sure?
22
February 13th, 2013 at 4:09 pm
oh sorry, ya ur right… my bad thanks! eNjoy the rest of ur trip
23
February 13th, 2013 at 6:05 pm
I registered for the ANA Mileage Club, but they won’t let me see any results until I have miles with them. What can I buy that will give me miles so I can look for Star Alliance flights at the ANA site?
24
February 14th, 2013 at 4:25 am
Is there a way to transfer miles into one’s ANA account? Or do you get them only by flying and entering your ANA mileage number as the freq. flyer number?
25
February 19th, 2013 at 10:15 am
Dan,
I found a flight on Singapore Airlines from Frankfurt to JFK for 17K miles one way. Problem is that the taxes are 226 euro. Would booking same flight on ANA help save on taxes?
26
February 20th, 2013 at 5:22 pm
Infant fees?
27
February 25th, 2013 at 12:25 pm
So if a flight is solely operated by United/US than irrespective of it being a domestic or INTERNATIONAL, singapore award redemption will have no fuel surcharges?
This is huge if international award on US/UNITED can be booked without fuel surcharge.
Can someone please confirm this
28
March 5th, 2013 at 12:00 pm
(First of all Singapore will hold award tickets even if you don’t yet have the miles in your account, so you won’t lose the ticket while you wait.)
I tried to hold and they say they cant hold