SQ Tips, Trips and Tales

[Mr H]

I have been part of frequent flyer programmes for the past 22 years. In all that time, I have only ever redeemed once for a flight in Y. Today, I trebled that record.

Thanks to KrisFlyer, I made the most awesome redemption: Hargeisa (Somalia) to Asmara (Eritrea) via Addis Ababa (Ethiopia). Two flights in Y with Ethiopian Airlines, retail price $660, combined flying time 3 hours and transit time of 2.5 hours. All for 15,000 KF points and $50 charges. This works out at 4.07c per point - for a flight I would genuinely have had to take anyway. OK, I could have got better value in J since ET regional J is so overpriced, but that would have been false value as I would never have paid the premium for J.

 

[cagiva]

Looking for some advice.
Have a confirmed J to MXP in August and am still waitlisted for a return in mid September in J from various European ports on different days. I am thinking of booking a Y just for backup but was wondering if it were refundable in case my J comes through? Also would it be best to have enough points to cover both flights or how easy is it to cancel a Y to book the J? I have read that this is best done over the phone but do not know where and when I will have phone/internet coverage during my time there. Could always get Jr Cagiva to ring up and pose as me. Thanks for any suggestions.

 

[BCons]

Wiser heads can advise about Y refunds, best contact methods etc, but I can say Sep (and early Oct) returns to Aust are a jumble with SQ, partic inward legs from Sin to Syd/Mel.

its taken a month, via a travel agent, to nail down returns from Zurich, with final sector to Syd or Mel just full full, or 5-7 hr layovers in Sin, or overnights in Aust before getting home to Tas. Yes, problems getting back to godzone..

We eventually got F seats early Oct after being told SQ wud not price a return F + J tkt (tho that’s how we are flying out of Aust to Europe..) and we hv an 18 hr connection in Sin. Thats OK as it’s 6 to midnight, plenty of daytime things to do and then an evening in TPR, but acc to TA its because SQ are dealing with heavy revenue loadings. The consequence is lots of waitlisting for lots of pax, but a little patience ‘shud’ be rewarded as pax eventually sort out.

 

[cagiva]

lots of waitlisting for lots of pax, but a little patience ‘shud’ be rewarded as pax eventually sort out.

Certainly hope so. Am getting too old to "suffer" 12 hours from Europe to SIN in Y.

 

[theblank]

I have 2 seperate Redemption bookings, BNE>SIN on Saver, then 3hrs later SIN>CGK on Advantage.
Whats the easiest way to get them connected so I can transit in Changi?

Telephone call to SQ is a nightmare at present, so I am hoping i can do this at Checkin?
I am also afraid that customer service will break my bookings and wont be able to rebook it as all rewards seats are long gone on my flights.

 

[Mr H]

I have 2 seperate Redemption bookings, BNE>SIN on Saver, then 3hrs later SIN>CGK on Advantage.
Whats the easiest way to get them connected so I can transit in Changi?

Telephone call to SQ is a nightmare at present, so I am hoping i can do this at Checkin?
I am also afraid that customer service will break my bookings and wont be able to rebook it as all rewards seats are long gone on my flights.

I don’t think you’ll get the bookings merged but you may be able to sweet talk the check in agent to through check your luggage.

 

[daft009]

I don’t think you’ll get the bookings merged but you may be able to sweet talk the check in agent to through check your luggage.

Agree. At BNE during check in ask nicely.

I've done it before and they've booked my luggage straight through

 

[bussyboy]

I had SQ tag my bags through in DEL to PER, even though my SIN-PER was a QF flight! Can't believe they made things that easy for me!

 

[MathNerd]

I had SQ tag my bags through in DEL to PER, even though my SIN-PER was a QF flight! Can't believe they made things that easy for me!

That's amazing! The ground staff at DEL were probably quite experienced in interlining baggage so this was a no brainer for them

 

[cagiva]

Agree. At BNE during check in ask nicely.

I've done it before and they've booked my luggage straight through

Yep. Done it a few years ago on separate reward bookings PER-SIN/SIN-MXP. Just handed the check in agent both bookings and asked to "please" check my luggage through and it was done. Good luck!

 

[AustSerbKor]

I am travelling tomorrow night and booked when return economy airfares to Korea were under $1000. I have just checked and my strategy of booking a middle row aisle seat where someone had booked the other aisle to get an empty seat in the middle didn't work, someone took the middle seat.
My wife (163 cm) and 12-year-old daughter (165 cm) have already left and complained that a350 economy was extremely uncomfortable as they are both too tall for the seat and found it too narrow. I am 188cm and weigh a lot more than my wife and daughter combined so am highly concerned. I can upgrade to premium economy for cash but am concerned that with the 2-4-2 layout there's a good chance I will get one of the 2 middle seats. If anyone has flown both would you rather an aisle seat in economy or a middle seat in premium for more money? I could just upgrade to business although Mrs Kor would probably apply a chocking action to me when she found out

 

[bussyboy]

I could just upgrade to business although Mrs Kor would probably apply a choking action to me when she found out

I don't see the problem there.

And PE is great IMO - if you value comfort I'd go for it. I didn't mind sitting next to a stranger, found I had all my personal space, though I wasn't a middle seat.

On a longer or overnight flight, the aisle seat could be more practical though.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

I am travelling tomorrow night and booked when return economy airfares to Korea were under $1000. I have just checked and my strategy of booking a middle row aisle seat where someone had booked the other aisle to get an empty seat in the middle didn't work, someone took the middle seat.
My wife (163 cm) and 12-year-old daughter (165 cm) have already left and complained that a350 economy was extremely uncomfortable as they are both too tall for the seat and found it too narrow. I am 188cm and weigh a lot more than my wife and daughter combined so am highly concerned. I can upgrade to premium economy for cash but am concerned that with the 2-4-2 layout there's a good chance I will get one of the 2 middle seats. If anyone has flown both would you rather an aisle seat in economy or a middle seat in premium for more money? I could just upgrade to business although Mrs Kor would probably apply a chocking action to me when she found out

You can potentially check the seat map before purchasing the upgrade. I think middle seat PEY is going to be better than aisle in coach. If you do get the middle at least no one climbing over you to get to the aisle.

 

[Michenny]

Morning Fellow AFFs, im flying Business class with SIA return to FRA. My Question is am i able to use Lufthansa business class Lounge @ FRA. i know i can use Canada Airlines BC lounge. Thanks in advance. PS im flying out on 29/08 on the A380 @ 15:00 if anyone would like top catch up

 

[boomy]

Morning Fellow AFFs, im flying Business class with SIA return to FRA. My Question is am i able to use Lufthansa business class Lounge @ FRA. i know i can use Canada Airlines BC lounge. Thanks in advance. PS im flying out on 29/08 on the A380 @ 15:00 if anyone would like top catch up

Yes you can use LH J lounge as well as AC Maple Leaf.

SQ only write AC lounge invitation on it’s BP in FRA but you can go to the LH lounge as well, no issues.

 

[tizey]

Looking for some advice to help my in laws out on ticket validity, that I've never been 100% on.

I want to book my brother in law a return ticket - MEL-SIN-ZRH, ZRH-SIN-MEL on SQ Y. He's got a relatively fixed date to return to ZRH, but isnt 100% sure on his return date (approx early April 2023), but definitely will be returning to MEL.

I assume I'm best to book this as two seperate awards unless told otherwise.

If we need to change his return date, and provided we dont change routing/airline - the ticket remains valid for 12months from booking date is my understanding, and provided the same availability is available on the new date inside that 12month period - do we only pay a change fee?

Eg. Book for ZRH-SIN-MEL on SQ Y on say, April 10 - my understanding is that if we change it to April 17 (or any other day), there is no ticket re-issue and/or taxes payable and/or points payable?

Given there is only 1 flight from ZRH-SIN on SQ daily, its no issue - but does he need to be on the same flight number on the changed date for SIN-MEL?

I know this has been asked before, but want to make sure before booking for him and the 5 July enhancement to points table.

 

[mel-world]

If we need to change his return date, and provided we dont change routing/airline - the ticket remains valid for 12months from booking date is my understanding, and provided the same availability is available on the new date inside that 12month period - do we only pay a change fee?

Eg. Book for ZRH-SIN-MEL on SQ Y on say, April 10 - my understanding is that if we change it to April 17 (or any other day), there is no ticket re-issue and/or taxes payable and/or points payable?

Given there is only 1 flight from ZRH-SIN on SQ daily, its no issue - but does he need to be on the same flight number on the changed date for SIN-MEL?

I know this has been asked before, but want to make sure before booking for him and the 5 July enhancement to points table.

I maybe wrong but my reading of the FAQ indicates that the award type and itinerary remains unchanged so that would mean that the whole itinerary, including SIN-MEL is the same.

 

[tizey]

I maybe wrong but my reading of the FAQ indicates that the award type and itinerary remains unchanged so that would mean that the whole itinerary, including SIN-MEL is the same.

So he would need to be on the exact same flights on a different day for the ticket not to be re-issued?

Its not the end of the world if we need to, just trying to squeeze the max out of my KF account, given my whole family thinks I can book them using miles... argh!

 

[Cruiser Elite]

FWIW LH J Lounge in FRA is cough - AC Maple Leaf Lounge newer and less coughpy but SQ J pax can use either - but both are lacking in quality of F & B offerings - they make SIN SQ J Lounge look like heaven

Correction: Couple months back my FRA-SIN-MEL flt was in J and I was told could use Senator Lounge - I thought it was for F pax but anyway it was still cough

 

[auriga]

Yes. Meant to say Saver though realise now that's potentially confusing (AFAIK VA only has access to Saver inventory)
Point I was making was that if you can book VA, you can get Saver too

I rang SQ to try to arrange a one way saver award with paid stopover.
The guy could not help me, but took down my request to forward onto some redemption person (who will call back)
When I requested "saver" business award, he goes... " what is saver award"

The upside is all 3 calls I made there were no waiting time, so vastly improved from a few months ago.