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View from the Wing reported earlier today on wide open business class availability on Singapore Airlines. Gary reports winter dates with as many as nine seats available in business class on the New York to/from Frankfurt route. While these awards aren’t cheap if booked through Singapore, it’s notable that Air Canada has access to some of this space and can be a great way to book it when available.
The Deal
- Singapore Airlines has a good deal of business class award space available between New York (JFK) and Franfurt during November and December 2023 (and some sporadically on other dates). Book via:
- Singapore Krisflyer for 81K or 87.5K miles each way
- Advantages:
- Transfer partners with all of the major transferable currencies
- Availability for up to 8 or 9 passengers on some dates
- Disadvantages:
- Award price is relatively high
- Advantages:
- Air Canada Aeroplan for 60K each way
- Advantages:
- Points transfer from major transferable currencies
- Only 60K miles each way (or add additional legs and pay more based on distance within the zone)
- Add a stopover for 5K additional miles
- Disadvantages:
- Only access to two seats at most
- Advantages:
- Singapore Krisflyer for 81K or 87.5K miles each way
Quick Thoughts
As noted at the top, there is some amount of availability via Singapore for an entire family. I see sporadic dates in September and early November with space for 4 passengers in business class (confirmable awards, not waitlist space) and then more availability in late November and early December. Singapore charges wither 81,000 miles or 87,500 miles for this space, which is certainly not your cheapest way to get to and from Europe in business class, but given space for 9 passengers on some dates it could be an appealing option for a family.
I recently heard from a reader who claimed to have been targeted for a 20% transfer bonus from Amex Membership Rewards to Singapore KrisFlyer last month. I didn’t hear about that elsewhere, but if that is a targeted offer that is actually making the rounds, the price certainly may become more attractive.
If you only need space for two passengers, you can instead book 2 on many dates via Air Canada Aeroplan — and that will cost you just 60K miles in business class with no surcharges. Unfortunately, I don’t see dates with more than two seats via Aeroplan — and note that Aeroplan has access to space here that other Star Alliance airlines do not.
You’ll also notice in the screen shot above that TAP Air Portugal was showing seven seats available in business class on that same date — we posted about that space here as some of it is bookable for just 35K miles one way in business class.
I have loved Singapore Airlines service the times I’ve had the chance to fly them (and I’ve flown both their regional business class and long-haul first class a couple of times each). Stephen had a less stellar experience last fall, so YMMV. At the very least, the food should be good and the seat comfortable enough.
At the same time, this is far from the best deal for business class to Europe. What makes this space notable is the number of seats available. If you’d like to fly a group to Europe in business class, perhaps for Christmas markets, this could be a great way to do it.
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Any issues (besides availability disappearing) I should consider if trying to book two with AC and two more with Singapore? Obviously saving points is preferable.
I think that’s probably safe if SQ is showing at least 4 seats available, though I haven’t done it myself. Obviously in the case of irregular operations you’d be on split PNRs, so I guess you could theoretically end up flying separately, but I think that’s a long shot and I couldn’t imagine the exact scenario that would cause that.
This feels like the third or fourth huge award availability dump in the last week or two. Do you think it’s coincidence or is there some larger meaning to it? Is this the “time of year” when availability is abundant, do you think there’s a downtown in travel forecast, or something else? Or is it really just business as usual and this isn’t a statistically significant increase in availability?
I really don’t know. I think the ANA thing was a total anomaly — I wouldn’t be surprised if they didn’t really intend to release 4 or 5 seats in a cabin that seats 8 total passengers, they just swapped out equipment and maybe somebody flipped the wrong switch. At any rate, I wouldn’t take that into consideration in answering your question. Most of this SQ and the TAP Portugal space is during the winter, so not peak season (and before the pandemic, TAP was usually relatively easy to find during off-peak seasons — so maybe it’s a return to normalcy for them? The Singapore space is one where I have to imagine they just aren’t selling as much as they expect on that route. It surprises me that they are making so many seats available. But then, on the other hand, between JFK and EWR I think there are *six* other daily nonstop flights to Frankfurt — and then you can get there in one stop on maybe more airlines than I could count on my fingers a toes, so I guess it shouldn’t be surprising that this isn’t their top performing route.
I do see what feels like moderately increasing award inventory on other routes I’ve been checking around the world, though it is still ebbing and flowing and I’m still not seeing nearly as much space on Qatar and Emirates as I’d expect (on a lot of their routes). So I don’t know — I think we’re still in somewhat strange times.