Spending less than $26 for the best flight of my life: My best redemption of 2019
Quick summary
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Nicky Kelvin is TPG U.K.'s director of content.
The TPG U.K. team is a savvy bunch, and as miles and points experts, we often put our money where our mouths are and compete for fantastic redemptions. But this year, I made an absolute killer redemption.
I was aiming for something big. Something sexy. I wanted to lay out minimal cash, but I was ready to burn through some points. And what could be more big or sexy than the new Singapore Suites.
I worked out that availability on the new suite was easier to come by on the quiet Singapore to Zurich route, and so with a holiday to Bali planned, I set about finding my return ticket. I wait-listed the flights, and within weeks, they cleared.
For 125,000 KrisFlyer miles and £19 ($25) tax, not only did I get this wonderful long flight in the new suite, but I also had a business-class flight from Bali to Singapore thrown in on the same ticket for the same price, per the rules of the zone-based KrisFlyer program.
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The flight was everything I hoped for and more. I was the only passenger in the six available suites and had four crew looking after me. The food and cabin were incredible, but the service really took this flight to the next level, and it was honestly the best flight of my life.
Even better, the redemption is easily accessible, as Singapore KrisFlyer miles are relatively easy to accrue. The KrisFlyer program is a transfer partner of the American Express Membership Rewards program. Meaning, if you earn Membership Rewards points on an Amex card, such as The Platinum Card® from American Express, you can transfer them to Singapore at a 1:1 rate — so one Amex point equals one KrisFlyer mile. KrisFlyer miles can also be earned when flying on any Star Alliance airline (along with some other partners). The first step to a redemption for Singapore's suites is to make sure you can earn the miles needed in order to do so.
What I learned
I learned that in pursuit of the perfect redemption, you have to set a goal. Do you want to save money? Do you want to see a new and exciting place in the world? Do you want to fly a product you could never otherwise afford if you paid cash?
For me, it was the latter option. I would not be able to pay for a cash ticket in my wildest dreams, as they tend to hover around the £5,000 ($6.540) mark from Bali to Zurich. The sheer value I was getting out of the points made the redemption even more sweet. Or should I say, suite.
Related reading: The beginner's guide for The Points Guy: Essential tips for maximizing your travel
As we're set to enter a new year, it's the optimal time to get to thinking about what you want to do. Do you want to fly that lush product that's too expensive otherwise, do you want to save some cash on a revenue fare or do you want to cross a new destination off your bucket list? Set your 2020 goal, and use our tools to help get you there. You won't regret it!