Wide Open Business Class Frequent Flyer Awards, Fly Singapore Airlines To Europe

by Gary Leff

The Points Analyst flags that Singapore Airlines is offering business class award space between New York JFK and Frankfurt over the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays and then most days in 2024 through end of the schedule.

  • These flights are bookable using 81,000 Singapore Airlines miles each way and Singapore is a transfer partner of Chase, American Express, Citibank and Capital One.

  • About half of dates appear bookable using 60,000 Air Canada Aeroplan miles each way and Air Canada is a transfer partner of Chase, American Express, Capital One and Bilt.

There are no fuel surcharges booking these flights through either program.

Perhaps oddly, while Alaska Airlines has in recent times also had access to some long haul premium cabin Singapore Airlines award space, it’s been less space than Air Canada has shown and these seats don’t appear to be coming up on Alaska’s award search. I did not check Lufthansa Miles & More availability, Lufthansa also sometimes has access to Singapore space that United does not.

Bear in mind that while transfers from a variety of frequent flyer currencies to Aeroplan are instant, they’re not all instant if you move miles to Singapore’s own KrisFlyer program, though they’ve become instant for Amex transfers. Singapore will often let you put seats on hold pending a transfer if you call – if you get told no hang up and call back.

Singapore Airlines generally has a good but not great business class seat – it’s fully flat with direct aisle access, and the bulkhead offers amazing space, but you wind up angling your legs under the seat in front of you. The soft product is excellent – food (including “Book the Cook” where you choose in advance what the airline will have for you to eat on board if you wish), service, and the KrisWorld entertainment system. You can use United’s Polaris lounges where available from Singapore’s gateways in the U.S. (though there is not one at JFK).

And since Singapore is a member of Star Alliance, it’s possible to include United Airlines domestic award seats to get to and from these flights in the U.S. using Singapore’s Star Alliance award chart if United saver space is available. That holds true when redeeming through Air Canada Aeroplan as well. It’s also possible to book onward connections in Europe and Asia.

About Gary Leff

Gary Leff is one of the foremost experts in the field of miles, points, and frequent business travel - a topic he has covered since 2002. Co-founder of frequent flyer community InsideFlyer.com, emcee of the Freddie Awards, and named one of the "World's Top Travel Experts" by Conde' Nast Traveler (2010-Present) Gary has been a guest on most major news media, profiled in several top print publications, and published broadly on the topic of consumer loyalty. More About Gary »

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Comments

  1. Alaska hasn’t had SQ J availability for awards on any route through to EOS for a few months now. Surprised you haven’t spoken up about it yet.

  3. Hello Gary
    Thank you for your articles. With using velocity points for travel on EY, previously availability has always been very good, either booking a long way ahead or even a week or so ahead, even now there are seats now till the end of this year, but from 03/01/2024 for the rest of the year, ZERO any where,any time for the whole of next year. ( I am talking about J class )
    Would you know if this is a permanent removal of J class or just problems for the change to next year.Many thanks
    William

  4. Hi my is Mrs Kelli Smith lm a paraplegic who always misses out on most things my husband (who is also is my career)Have a good friend in Singapore, know we live in Brisbane are we welcome to fly business class to Singapore to visit him and return on Singapore Airlines, my wheelchair puts people off and they welcome my husband but grown at me ,my money is as good as anyone s are b.c we welcome?l would be greatful and humble to hear from someone please, my husband transfers me ,no body touches me ,lm excited about going with you sweet people. Thank you for your time today have a great day Kelli and Gavin Smith xxxx

  5. I can’t find any Singapore Air flights bootable with points using the Aircanada website…am I doing something wrong? FWIW I’m being directed to the Canadian version of AC, but I feel like that shouldn’t matter…

  6. I’d been wanting to try SQ for ages to Asia but it hasn’t happened. I finally got to try it to Europe on their flight from Houston to Manchester. Just wonderful. Not sure why people don’t like their Biz class seat. It seems extremely wide and was easy to sleep on my side. Had lobster on Book the Cook. Cost 81k transferred from Amex.

  7. I used to get business on Qatar airways all the time. One way 70,000 miles thru American. Now American only offers A 300k one way only on American Airlines to Doha through their only gateway, Philadelphia. Is this American playing dirty tricks or Qatar?

    Also I notice no first class ever on Cathey Pacific. Is this a new trend on American Airlines ?

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