Singapore Airlines adds new 'fifth freedom' route from Los Angeles

Singapore Airlines is expanding its footprint in the U.S., announcing a new "fifth freedom" route from Los Angeles to the Taiwanese capital of Taipei.

The flights will begin Aug. 25, with Singapore operating a schedule of three weekly flights on Airbus A350-900 aircraft. The 253-seat jets are configured in a three-cabin layout that includes 42 seats in business class and 24 in premium economy. The flight schedule will be as follows:

• SQ 35 from LAX to TPE. Departs 12:40 a.m. and arrives 6:10 a.m. the next morning, all times local. Flight departs LAX each Monday, Thursday and Saturday.
• SQ 36 from TPE to LAX. Departs 5:50 p.m. and arrives 3:20 p.m. the same day, all times local. Flight departs TPE each Wednesday, Friday and Sunday.

The flights will operate what's known in the industry as a fifth-freedom route, or one that allows an airline to fly and sell tickets between two countries — neither of which is its home base – as long as the flight continues to or from the carrier's home nation.

Singapore's LAX-TPE service – technically a resumption of a route the airline last flew in 2008 – will give it a total of five fifth-freedom routes from the United States. Its others are:

• Los Angeles (LAX)-Tokyo Narita (NRT).
• San Francisco (SFO)-Hong Kong (HKG).
• Houston Bush Intercontinental (IAH)-Manchester, England (MAN).
• New York (JFK)-Frankfurt, Germany (FRA).

Fifth-freedom routes: Flying top international airlines without setting foot in their home countries

Of those, however, only the LAX-NRT route has resumed since being grounded earlier in the pandemic. The other three have yet to restart, though Singapore Airlines says it remains committed to doing so.

A number of international carriers offered fifth-freedom flights from the U.S. prior to the pandemic, but Singapore's were among the most coveted by both aviation and points and miles enthusiasts.

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Singapore Airlines is noted for its high-end service, especially in its premium first- and business-class cabins. Prior to the pandemic, Singapore operated aircraft featuring its posh first-class seats on its fifth-freedom routes from LAX, SFO and JFK. The JFK-FRA service also gave U.S. travelers a chance to fly on the carrier's high-profile Airbus A380 superjumbos, which are outfitted with its highly regarded Singapore Suites first-class cabin.

World class: A review of Singapore Airlines Suites on the A380 from Frankfurt to New York

More: Ultimate guide to the new Singapore Suites

Those looking to use miles to fly in economy have a choice of Star Alliance partners with which to book, including United MileagePlus and Aeroplan. For those looking to fly upfront, Singapore doesn't release premium-cabin award space to their partners, so you'll have to book through Singapore's KrisFlyer program.

Related: What are the five freedoms of aviation, and how do they affect you?

Fortunately, these miles are easy to earn since KrisFlyer is a partner of all five major transferable points currencies: Chase Ultimate Rewards, American Express Membership Rewards, Citi ThankYou Rewards, Capital One and Marriott Bonvoy. One-way saver awards cost the following amounts:

Remember that booking through Krisflyer allows you to waitlist for awards if your desired flight or class of service isn't available at the time of booking.

Related: Watch TPG UK review all four classes on Singapore Airlines' A380 from Frankfurt to New York

Additional reporting by TPG's Benji Stawski.