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Singapore Airlines Pulls Some Business Class Awards From Partners

Oct. 13, 2017
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2 min read
Singapore A350 Tour General Tour
Singapore Airlines Pulls Some Business Class Awards From Partners
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Last week, we shared the great news that United Airlines was once again displaying Singapore award availability on its website, making it much easier to search for — and book — MileagePlus awards.

At the time, Singapore Airlines was still restricting access to its best business and first-class awards as it's done for years, limiting the latest premium products to members redeeming miles from the carrier's own KrisFlyer program. As a result, anyone looking to redeem miles for business or first class on the Airbus A350, Airbus A380 or Boeing 777-300ER would need to book directly through Singapore, rather than using a partner program, like United MileagePlus or Aeroplan.

United MileagePlus was a great option for booking Singapore's latest business class to Australia.

There was one exception to this rule, however — Singapore was making business class awards on its new A350 available to partners specifically for flights between SIN and some destinations in Australia. And, that availability was fantastic, as you can see in this October 3 screenshot:

The situation is entirely different today — these awards no longer appear on United.com, and both United and Aeroplan phone agents were unable to see the space.

There's availability through Singapore's own KrisFlyer program, though, so it's clear that the airline is restricting partner access rather than pulling award space on the route entirely.

The good news is that Singapore partners will all transferrable points currencies — including Amex Membership Rewards, Chase Ultimate Rewards, Citi ThankYou and Starwood Preferred Guest — so it's still entirely possible to book these seats. You'll just need to redeem many more miles to do so, considering KrisFlyer charges 58,000 miles for the same award you could book for 30,000 MileagePlus miles just last week.

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Have you been able to book business or first class award seats with partner miles?

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  • 3 points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with the airline or with amextravel.com
  • Packed with credits foodies will enjoy
  • Solid welcome bonus

Cons

  • Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
  • Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
  • You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
  • Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
  • Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
  • Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
  • Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
  • Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
  • $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an American Express Card for your transaction. That’s up to $120 Uber Cash annually. Plus, after using your Uber Cash, use your Card to earn 4X Membership Rewards® points for Uber Eats purchases made with restaurants or U.S. supermarkets. Point caps and terms apply.
  • $84 Dunkin' Credit: With the $84 Dunkin' Credit, you can earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin' locations. Enrollment is required to receive this benefit.
  • $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
  • $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings, sweet or savory, with the $120 Dining Credit. Earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and Five Guys. Enrollment required.
  • Explore over 1,000 upscale hotels worldwide with The Hotel Collection and receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges* with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. *Eligible charges vary by property.
  • No Foreign Transaction Fees.
  • Annual Fee is $325.
  • Terms Apply.