How to Use Miles to Fly Singapore's Brand-New 787-10 Business Class
Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here.
Singapore Airlines offers some of the world's most appealing business-class products, but unless you're able to transfer points to KrisFlyer — earned with cards like the Chase Sapphire Reserve or The Platinum Card® from American Express — or book a seat with cash, they're largely out of reach.
The reason? While the carrier's angle-flat products are available to all Star Alliance partners, access to award tickets for lie-flat business-class seats — including those on the A380, A350 and 777-300ER — are limited to the carrier's own KrisFlyer program, and a small number of partners.
Interestingly enough, Singapore's latest regional business product is available to all partners. As of this writing, you can use Star Alliance programs, such as Aeroplan and United MileagePlus, to book these fantastic new lie-flat 787-10 Dreamliner seats.
Currently, Singapore is offering the 787-10 on flights between its Changi (SIN) hub and Osaka, Japan (KIX) and Perth, Australia (PER), beginning in May. Lie-flat awards are available to Osaka:
And to Perth:
If redeeming from Aeroplan, you'll need 40,000 miles to fly between Singapore and Osaka, and 67,500 miles to fly to Perth. United's MileagePlus program charges 45,000 miles and 50,000 miles each way, respectively.
You could also pair these Singapore 787 flights to Australia with a flight from Los Angeles (LAX) or San Francisco (SFO) on United's 787-9, for 90,000 MileagePlus miles each way, though saver availability for that transpacific leg is incredibly difficult to come by.
You can also book all of these awards via KrisFlyer, of course, which, in some cases, also offers more attractive pricing. Singapore to Osaka costs 43,000 miles through KrisFlyer, for example, while the nonstop Dreamliner flight to Perth will run you 32,500. American Express Membership Rewards, Chase Ultimate Rewards, Citi ThankYou Points and Starwood Preferred Guest Starpoints can all be transferred in to Singapore's KrisFlyer program at a 1:1 ratio.
For more on Singapore's new 787-10, see First Look: Singapore Airlines' Great New Regional Business Class.