- A Suite Ride To Frankfurt: Introduction
- Review: Hyatt Herald Square New York
- Review: Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse New York JFK
- Review: Singapore Airlines Suites Class A380 New York To Frankfurt
- Review: Element Frankfurt Airport
- Review: Air Canada Maple Leaf Lounge Frankfurt Airport FRA
- Review: Lufthansa Senator Lounge Frankfurt Airport FRA
- Review: Singapore Airlines Suites Class A380 Frankfurt To New York
I don’t think there’s a more aspirational first class product out there than Singapore Airlines A380 Suites Class, so I was excited to finally fly it between the US and Germany, which is one of my favorite fifth freedom routes that they operate. Previously I had only flown Singapore Suites Class between San Francisco and Hong Kong and then between Hong Kong and Singapore. I’ve also flown Singapore 777-300ER first class many times.
Singapore Airlines 25
New York (JFK) – Frankfurt (FRA)
Monday, November 3
Depart: 8:25PM
Arrive: 10:00AM (+1 day)
Duration: 7hr35min
Aircraft: Airbus A380
Seat: 2F (Suites Class)
At the door I was welcomed aboard and immediately escorted to my seat, 2F. I was pleasantly surprised to find that the A380 featured Singapore’s refurbished Suites Class cabin. Best I could tell the product itself was more or less identical to the “old” one. The only difference was the finishes — the seat featured much darker leather.
Singapore Airlines A380 Suites Class
In terms of hard product it really is tough to beat Singapore Suites. You have a huge seat with a massive TV and big ottoman which can double as a buddy seat.
Singapore Airlines A380 Suites Class
Singapore Airlines A380 Suites Class
The Suites Class cabin was totally full except for one seat, so I wasn’t able to score the famous “double bed.” The guy seated across from me did, however, as 2C was the only seat to remain empty. Selecting the middle seat on Singapore when traveling alone is a bit of a gamble — you could end up with the double bed, or you could end up seated next to someone else (though at least there’s a privacy partition).
Singapore Airlines A380 Suites Class double bed
There are four rows of seats along the windows. Row two kind of looks at the stairs and closet, so it does feel quite private. I slightly prefer row three, since it has an extra window. But I’d say rows two or three are the best ones to be in.
Singapore Airlines A380 Suites Class, view from 2F
On the left side of my seat were the entertainment and reading light controls, as well as a small trash bin.
Singapore Airlines A380 Suites Class seat controls
Singapore Airlines A380 Suites Class trash
In front of that on the left side was the magazine rack.
Singapore Airlines A380 Suites Class magazine pocket
Then on the right side of the seat were power outlets (both 110v and USB), the headphone jack, and a small storage compartment for glasses, etc.
Singapore Airlines A380 Suites Class power outlets
The Suites Class seat controls are pretty intuitive. You can only slide forward or backwards, or raise the footrest. One downside to the seat is that it can’t be reclined into a bed. You actually have to get up and “flip” the seat over in order to turn it into a bed. Or more accurately the crew has to do that. 😉
Singapore Airlines A380 Suites Class seat controls
Also waiting at my seat were a pair of Bose noise cancelling headphones. It’s nice that Singapore finally offers these, as they didn’t for years.
Singapore Airlines Suites Class Bose headphones
Since I was the last to board, I was quickly offered a pre-departure beverage. Upon requesting champagne, I was presented both of my options — Dom and Krug. Not a horrible decision to have to make, though the winner is clear. 😉
Singapore Airlines Suites Class Dom vs. Krug
Krug all the way!
Singapore Airlines Suites Class Krug
I was also then offered pajamas and an amenity kit. The pajamas were produced by Givenchy, while the amenity kit featured Salvatore Ferragamo products.
Singapore Airlines Suites Class pre-departure goodies
Singapore Airlines Suites Class pre-departure goodies
The pajamas are much higher quality than the ones they had in the past. That being said, they’re still a bit too thick, in my opinion. Singapore Airlines tends to keep their cabins pretty warm, so I far prefer a lighter pair. I still love some of the “simpler” airline pajamas out there, like those offered by American and British Airways.
Singapore Airlines Suites Class Givenchy pajamas
The amenity kit only featured a few items, though among them was a bottle of cologne. It was actually a good size bottle — not quite as big as the ones Singapore offered several years back, but it was a huge improvement over the kit they had most recently prior to this one. Kudos!
Singapore Airlines Suites Class Salvatore Ferragamo amenity kit
I was also offered the menu for the flight, which came in a leather folder.
Singapore Airlines Suites Class menu
During boarding the leading steward and leading stewardess came by to introduce themselves.
Shortly before pushback the captain came on the PA to inform us of our flight time of 6hr40min, which he anticipated would put us into Frankfurt ahead of schedule.
Singapore Airlines Suites Class A380
We pushed back right on time, at which point the safety video began to play. Maybe it’s just me, but for an airline as cutting edge as Singapore, their safety video sure is right out of the 90s.
Our taxi to our departure runway was quick, and we were airborne by around 8:45PM.
Lining up for takeoff New York JFK
View after takeoff from New York
Our climb out was smooth, and about 10 minutes after takeoff the seatbelt sign was turned off. Usually I’d change into pajamas while on the ground, though I was running late on the flight, so only changed after takeoff. Singapore’s A380 lavatories are on the large side, though nowhere as big as those on Emirates, Lufthansa, Qatar, and Thai.
Singapore Airlines A380 lavatory
Singapore Airlines A380 lavatory
The lavatories do have a nice selection of Salvatore Ferragamo amenities.
Singapore Airlines A380 lavatory amenities
It is really cool how private the Suites cabin feels. You almost feel like you’re on a train with a bunch of private compartments, or something (that’s intended to be a compliment, though I realize comparing airplane seats that sell for $20,000+ to train transportation might not come across as such). 😉
Singapore Airlines A380 Suites Class cabin
Singapore Airlines A380 Suites Class cabin
Oddly the first thing I was offered after takeoff were slippers, socks, and eyeshades. In my experience those are usually offered with the amenity kits and pajamas, though I guess they were a bit rushed on the ground.
Singapore Airlines Suites Class slippers, socks, and eyeshades
At that point dinner orders were taken.
The dinner menu read as follows:
And the wine/beverage list read as follows:
I think the ultimate #FirstWorldProblem on airlines like Singapore is balancing sleep with enjoying a great meal. A five course meal greatly cuts into the potential for any real sleep on a short transatlantic flight, but on Singapore I find it’s almost always worth it. So I went “all in” and placed my order.
To my surprise the service didn’t start immediately. So instead I tried to browse the entertainment selection, though they were having technical issues.
Singapore Airlines entertainment system problems
About 50 minutes into the flight the entertainment system finally worked. So I started by taking a look at the airshow.
Singapore Airlines airshow
Singapore Airlines airshow
Singapore Airlines airshow
Then I browsed the entertainment selection, and eventually decided to watch some sitcoms.
Singapore Airlines KrisWorld entertainment system
Singapore Airlines KrisWorld entertainment system
Singapore Airlines KrisWorld entertainment system
About 45 minutes into the flight I was offered my first drink, which was accompanied by some cashews.
Singapore Airlines Krug and nuts
15 minutes later my table was set. The Suites tray table is massive, and can easily be used to serve two (if you have someone accompanying you in your buddy seat).
Singapore Airlines A380 Suites Class tray table
About 75 minutes into the flight the first course was served. There aren’t many airlines that do caviar better than Singapore, in my opinion. I was also offered a selection from the bread basket. I went with my favorite airline bread in the world, which would be Singapore’s garlic bread. Mmmm…
Singapore Airlines dinner — chilled malossol caviar
Singapore Airlines dinner — chilled malossol caviar celeriac and pear cream soup
The next course was a delicious cream soup.
Singapore Airlines dinner — celeriac and pear cream soup
And then a salad, which was good, though had way too much dressing on it (my fault for not specifying for them to go easy on the dressing).
Singapore Airlines dinner — Alaskan crabmeat salad
Singapore Airlines dinner — Alaskan crabmeat salad
And then for the main course I had a grilled wagyu sirloin. It was good, but not great.
Singapore Airlines dinner — grilled wagyu sirloin
Lastly for dessert I had I had semi freddo with olive cake and ice cream — it was amazing, and beautifully presented.
Singapore Airlines dinner — Gotham pistachio
It was a bit over two hours into the flight by the time the meal service was done. Once the service began it was at a good pace, though I felt like they were a bit slow getting started. I’ve certainly had better service on Singapore, though I imagine this is also one of the toughest sectors for the crew to work.
Half of the passengers wanted to go to bed right away, which probably explains why the service was slow to start — two crew members basically spent the first 30 minutes just making beds.
After dinner I requested my bed be made, which was promptly taken care of. I was asked if I wanted to be woken for breakfast 90 minutes before arrival. I asked if it could be an hour before landing instead, since it was just a continental breakfast. She said “sure,” and I also requested a cappuccino for when I woke up (since I know it sometimes takes them a while to make them).
Singapore A380 Suites Class cabin
Singapore A380 Suites Class bed
At that point I was off to bed. Singapore has an excellent blanket and three pillows per seat in Suites Class, which is awesome. That being said, they could really use a mattress pad, since what they offer is more of a sheet than anything else.
Singapore A380 Suites Class bed
I slept exceptionally well for a short period, and was then woken up. I figured we had an hour to go to Frankfurt. I headed to the restroom to brush my teeth and freshen up, and in the meantime had them undo my bed.
Singapore Airlines airshow upon waking up
By the time I got back to my seat and looked at the airshow, we still had 1hr16min to go to Frankfurt, so I was clearly woken up about 90 minutes before arrival. Now that’s not a huge deal, but if I ask to be woken an hour before landing (and the flight attendant agrees to it), and I’m woken 30 minutes earlier than that on such a short flight, I think that’s kind of disappointing. Not only that, but I wasn’t offered a cappuccino.
Singapore Airlines airshow upon waking up
Singapore Airlines airshow upon waking up
On the plus side the view out the window was quite nice. By the way, speaking of the window, did I mention how old school Singapore’s A380 windows are? You actually have to manually raise and lower them yourselves, unlike the other A380 operators, where you can raise and lower them at the push of a button.
And the A380 window covers are huge as well. Bros could totally skip the gym on arm day and just raise and lower these puppies throughout the flight.
View approaching Europe
Once seated I was quickly offered breakfast.
The continental breakfast menu read as follows:
Breakfast on this sector simply consists of a fruit plate and items from the bread basket. So I find waking passengers up 90 minutes before arrival for that is kind of ridiculous.
Singapore Airlines breakfast — selection of fruit
Singapore Airlines breakfast — selection of fruit
After my meal was served I was asked if I wanted a hot beverage. I ordered a cappuccino, which was served maybe 15 minutes later (I guess they forgot about the fact that I ordered it before I even went to sleep).
Singapore Airlines breakfast — bread and cappuccino
30 minutes before arrival the first officer came on the PA to give us updated arrival information, expecting that we’d be at the gate in Frankfurt a bit ahead of schedule.
At that point I changed out of my pajamas and stowed all my carry-ons.
It was a reasonably nice day in Frankfurt (at least for November), so the views on descent were good.
View on descent into Frankfurt
View on descent into Frankfurt
View on descent into Frankfurt
We had a smooth touchdown at around 9:30AM, and then began our rather long taxi to our arrival gate.
View upon landing in Frankfurt
View upon landing in Frankfurt
View upon landing in Frankfurt
While I don’t love the terminals, Frankfurt Airport has some of my favorite traffic in the world, so I was glued to the window for the entire taxi in.
Traffic at Frankfurt Airport
Traffic at Frankfurt Airport
Traffic at Frankfurt Airport
Eventually we parked at our gate next to a Qatar Airways 777 at around 9:45AM, well ahead of schedule.
Qatar Airways 777 Frankfurt Airport
As we deplaned the crew asked the guy in front of me for a picture, which I found kind of tacky. I wasn’t sure who he was, though after snapping a picture of my own and asking some friends, it turns out it was Vijay Singh. I’m still not exactly sure who that is. 😉
Singapore Airlines A380 upon arrival Frankfurt Airport
Singapore Airlines Suites Class bottom line
I’m a big fan of Lufthansa first class, but there’s no denying that Singapore Airlines Suites Class is the best way to get between New York and Germany. From the cabin to the entertainment to the food, Singapore is simply fantastic.
On any other airline I would have called this an above average crew, but by Singapore standards I didn’t think they were amazing. They didn’t go above and beyond like some of the other crews I’ve had on Singapore, and they messed up a couple of really basic things. But then again, I think the real issue is that Singapore Airlines creates impossible expectations because of just how good they are.
How to redeem miles for Singapore Airlines Suites Class
The best part is that KrisFlyer is transfer partners with all “major” transferable points currencies, so those points are quite easy to come by.
Here are some of the best ways to rack up those points through credit cards:
Dear Ben,
Thank you very much for your inspiring stories. I really wish to fly in suite class soon. I'm new to krisflyer member. May I ask a few questions?
1. If I have enough miles in my krisflyer account to be upgraded to higher status, namely to gold member and after that I use all of the miles on it for an award flight, will my status still be upgraded after those...
Dear Ben,
Thank you very much for your inspiring stories. I really wish to fly in suite class soon. I'm new to krisflyer member. May I ask a few questions?
1. If I have enough miles in my krisflyer account to be upgraded to higher status, namely to gold member and after that I use all of the miles on it for an award flight, will my status still be upgraded after those miles gone?
2. On flight from singapore to narita airport (japan) in daylight time, some people say that they don't get amenities and don't get their seat turn into the bed. Is it true? How about your experience to fly in suite class in daylight?
Thank you very much, I really hope that you would read my question since the date of your post already past 1 year after I post my question.
Regards,
Martin
Hi Lucky!
I have sat @ 3F the last round based on the reviews I read online cos it has an extra window. But i would prefer a seat with more privacy.
Between 1F & 2F, which seat do you reckon would give more privacy?
Many thanks!
@Lucky and anyone who's flown suites... do you find it to be just a teensy claustrophobic?
Hi Ben,
I'm often able to find plenty of availability on Singapore Airlines' Suite Class from SIN to JFK but when I try to search for Business Class seats it seems to NEVER be available on either the A380 or the other planes they have. Do you know anything about this? We're trying to do a family trip to Hong Kong and afterwards go to Singapore in July 2016. I'll be returning home from...
Hi Ben,
I'm often able to find plenty of availability on Singapore Airlines' Suite Class from SIN to JFK but when I try to search for Business Class seats it seems to NEVER be available on either the A380 or the other planes they have. Do you know anything about this? We're trying to do a family trip to Hong Kong and afterwards go to Singapore in July 2016. I'll be returning home from Singapore in the Suite but my brother + 2 are trying to find availability in business and I'm finding zip.
Just wondering; did you find the 7 hour flight adequate to enjoy the A380 product?
By combining my Thank you points and Star points, I will have enough Krisflyer (>115,000) points for 2 first class suites tickets JFK to Frankfurt. I want to redeem my points for two suites tickets for me an my fiancee for our honeymoon in mid October 2015. What do you think the chances are that I actually get the suites? If you were me, what strategy would you use and what would you do? I really appreciate your advice. Thanks!
@ DK -- Well first I would try to find a date which actually has availability. If you're not able to find a date with availability, I'd suggest trying to waitlist. You can maximize your odds using the tricks in this post:
https://onemileatatime.com/basics-of-waitlisting-singapore-airlines-krisflyer-award-tickets/
Congrats on the honeymoon!
Thanks for the advice Lucky!
My desired departure date says "Waitlist". Because my date isn't flexible, and I am only using this flight to get to Europe (my final destination will not be Frankfurt), here's what I was planning to do:
1) Transfer points to Singapore Air to obtain enough Krisflyer points for the first class suites and waitlist for the seats on my desired date.
2) Waitlist for saver business class seats...
Thanks for the advice Lucky!
My desired departure date says "Waitlist". Because my date isn't flexible, and I am only using this flight to get to Europe (my final destination will not be Frankfurt), here's what I was planning to do:
1) Transfer points to Singapore Air to obtain enough Krisflyer points for the first class suites and waitlist for the seats on my desired date.
2) Waitlist for saver business class seats for the same flight as well (these are "waitlist" too and I need a back up)
3) Book premium economy seats for the same flight as an ultimate back up if I don't clear for first class suites or business class
The reason I need the back up seats is because my date is not flexible and I was planning on booking flights around this flight since it is not my final destination. Additionally, since I'll be transferring valuable Starpoints to Krisflyer, I want to use at least some of those points if I don't get the suites :)
Let me know if this sounds like a decent plan.
Thanks!
@ DK -- So I'd waitlist for Suites Class, Business Class, and then confirm Premium Economy, in your shoes.
The crew took photos with Vijay Singh only upon arrival. So it rendered your argument moot. Tacky..this coming from a person that took photos of the plane from every single angle and every single page of the menu. I enjoyed your article until your final extremely judgemental comment.
Are there cheaper revenue flights on suites class? In terms of cheaper origins
@ Zach -- I haven't found any especially cheap ones. Awards are the best option.
Hi Lucky. May I know this plane's registration? Wanted to know if I am going to be lucky enough to travel on SQ's A380 with revised Suites finishing...
Booked this + FRA-SIN-HKG on an impulse yesterday, leaving Wednesday. Couldn't be looking forward to it more.
@ Kris -- Awesome, enjoy!
@ andrew / Lucky : Hey thanks for sharing! that's awesome! so I can call them up to add a stopover on one way flight for $100 additional fee? with 15% discount so it would be $85?
If you have a source link for this, I would really appreciate it!
Yes - Vijay Singh is a professional golfer who was born in Fiji but plays primarily on the American PGA Tour. Over the years, Vijay has had great success as a pro golfer and has made tons of money. I too would want a picture with him!
you can have stopovers on a saver award for US$100. need to call up but they still honour the 15%
Oh wait, nevermind about the time difference. Jet lag sucks...
I think the flight attendant just forgot to wake me up.
"Oddly the first thing I was offered after takeoff were slippers, socks, and eyeshades. In my experience those are usually offered with the amenity kits and pajamas, though I guess they were a bit rushed on the ground."
This might be fleetwide. I was on SQ 12 yesterday all the way from SIN and they did the same thing on both segments. On the first segment I had to ask for slippers.
I was...
"Oddly the first thing I was offered after takeoff were slippers, socks, and eyeshades. In my experience those are usually offered with the amenity kits and pajamas, though I guess they were a bit rushed on the ground."
This might be fleetwide. I was on SQ 12 yesterday all the way from SIN and they did the same thing on both segments. On the first segment I had to ask for slippers.
I was also a bit disappointed about requesting for a wakeup from the flight attendants. I asked mine on the SIN-NRT leg to wake me up at 1pm so I could eat. I woke up myself at 1:30. Maybe she was on NRT time and was planning to wake me up at 2 pm SIN time?
Ah right.... Thanks for the input... So I have to position myself in LAX.
Too bad that I cannot have stopover, but I can have layover at NRT for less than 24 hrs, right.
@ Grace -- Correct. For more info on redeeming KrisFlyer miles, see this post:
https://onemileatatime.com/singapore-krisflyer/
@ Lucky,
Wow thanks for the prompt and fast response! Really appreciate it.
" Singapore doesn’t allow stopovers on one way saver level redemptions."
So, with that rule, then I cannot do SFO - NRT - SIN in one redemption? they will price it separately as SFO - NRT for one way award seat redemption and then NRT - SIN as another one way redemption? I think I heard someone did this route before,...
@ Lucky,
Wow thanks for the prompt and fast response! Really appreciate it.
" Singapore doesn’t allow stopovers on one way saver level redemptions."
So, with that rule, then I cannot do SFO - NRT - SIN in one redemption? they will price it separately as SFO - NRT for one way award seat redemption and then NRT - SIN as another one way redemption? I think I heard someone did this route before, they stop(or maybe long layover?) in NRT on the way from north US to Singapore, in SQ suites, is this possible?
I'm sorry for not being able to understand this quickly.....the points is I am trying to get SFO-NRT-SIN.
Thanks.
@ Grace -- That's correct, that would require two awards if you want to stop in Tokyo for more than 24 hours. Also keep in mind Singapore doesn't fly from San Francisco to Tokyo. They do fly from Los Angeles to Tokyo, however.
@ Lucky,
Just discovered your site and I love it! I want to let you know that your blog is an aspiration for me and my dream now is to be able to fly in that suite someday, and I really need your help. Some questions from me as a newbie (sorry if it's a bit too much but it really means a lot for me and helpful in realizing my dream to fly...
@ Lucky,
Just discovered your site and I love it! I want to let you know that your blog is an aspiration for me and my dream now is to be able to fly in that suite someday, and I really need your help. Some questions from me as a newbie (sorry if it's a bit too much but it really means a lot for me and helpful in realizing my dream to fly on one of these suites):
1. What is the stopover rule on flying one way flight in SQ? I am interested in the route SFO - NRT - SIN for this suite redemption, as I am based in SFO and would like to stop over in Japan on my way to Singapore, will they count the miles separately and I have to redeem it separately (ex: SFO - NRT for one way award seat redemption and then NRT - SIN as another one way redemption)? that would cost a lot of miles if they do.
2. How far is the award seat availability window open for this suites? For example, if today is Dec 2, 2014, then how far I can search for the award space availability? Dec 2, 2015? I want to look for 2 award seats for me and my wife.
3. Which one is better redemption to be used to book the suites, transfer the UR points to Krisflyer or using United miles? If by using UR, is the transfer instant?
@ Grace -- Welcome and thanks for reading!
1) Singapore doesn't allow stopovers on one way saver level redemptions. They do allow a stopover on a roundtrip redemption.
2) They open space 355 days out: https://onemileatatime.com/when-do-airlines-open-award-seats/
3) You can't redeem United miles for Singapore First/Suites, so KrisFlyer is your best option.
Oohh... they're served Penfolds RWT! Did you had any?
@ TKK -- Nope, stuck to champagne the entire flight!
Ooo. Pretty. I do like this new look for SQ a lot more than the old. I always find your reviews the most in-depth!
Do however, have to disagree about the tackiness of the crew asking for a photo. If it's in a polite unobtrusive manner, and the other person agrees to do it, I really can't see the harm. Also, I do think a lot of these flights, no matter how much they cost, for these public figures, don't come from out of their own pocket anyhow!
I always keep the Bose headphones - but the plugs never fit my iPhone.
I sat next to a similar caliber athlete a few years ago on Asiana First (when the seats were all twos in the 747 nose. I did not try to converse with him during the flight, and he was able to simply relax. But I introduced myself after landing and we are Facebook buddies today!
Do people really wear cologne?
Ben, I booked SIN-ZRH suite in March, how busy is this route? I initially chose 3A as I heard this is the best seat for flying solo, then changed my mind and tried my luck with 3C...hoping that the seat next to it remains unoccupied.....
Is this worth the risk or should I change back to 3A? I only see 2C and 2D taken so far...
Thanks! nice report as usual :-)
@ Francisca -- Tough to say how full it will be. I'd probably go with 3A, and if you notice close to the departure date that it's still wide open, maybe take one of the center seats in row three. But several months out I wouldn't "gamble."
Thanks Ben! I guess you are right, I should probably change back to 3A....fingers crossed that I can finally get the double bed :-)
"Because I think when most celebrities are paying big bucks for a “premium” experience they don’t want to be bothered. For example, if you rent out a yacht as a celebrity you probably wouldn’t want the whole crew asking to take selfies with you."
They probably also don't want random strangers snapping pics of them on planes either ;)
"I think Singapore and Emirates are the two most aspirational products. I didn’t say it was...
"Because I think when most celebrities are paying big bucks for a “premium” experience they don’t want to be bothered. For example, if you rent out a yacht as a celebrity you probably wouldn’t want the whole crew asking to take selfies with you."
They probably also don't want random strangers snapping pics of them on planes either ;)
"I think Singapore and Emirates are the two most aspirational products. I didn’t say it was the single most aspirational, but rather that there’s not a more aspirational product."
Actually, two of three. I'd say Garuda's new first class product is just as aspirational, no? If not the hard product, then certainly the way people rave about the soft product...
Not to sound too #firstworldproblems...but that breakfast menu is rather underwhelming. Yes, I know, it's a short transatlantic overnight flight, but when other airlines offer that plus yogurt and/or cereal in their business class breakfasts, Singapore kind of drops the ball.
@ wwk5d -- What they don't know can't hurt them. ;)
Garuda is aspirational for those "in the know," but I don't think it has the mainstream appeal of Emirates or Singapore.
Vijay Singh is a professional golfer. If I remember correctly he is originally from Fiji.
"I don’t think there’s a more aspirational first class product out there than Singapore Airlines A380 Suites Class" - I could have sworn you said the same thing once about EK's A380 F.
@ Al -- Hah, correct, I think Singapore and Emirates are the two most aspirational products. I didn't say it was the single most aspirational, but rather that there's not a more aspirational product. :D
sorry if it's obvious but are the Bose headphones to use or keep?
@ michael -- You can't keep them.
@lucky
Gold with Starwood, diamond with hilton. I'd probably use points with the Sheraton or cash (appears to be great rates (about $90 for garden inn and $110 for hilton) with Hiltons. Any preference? Also, lounge on arrival?
@ LD -- If you're not Platinum with Starwood then I'd definitely do the Hilton. It's your best bet.
There's no arrivals lounge for Singapore Airlines passengers.
The Cos d'Estournel is also generally retailing above $100 (but not everywhere)
@G. Davis - There's nothing on that wine list that's more than $150, and several are under $50. Pretty much only the champagne is over $100. I drink champagne when I'm fortunate enough to be in SQ F (or CX F) for that matter not because I prefer champagne to still wine, but because the still wines are subpar. Even more so on other airlines - I checked some of LH offerings in F and they were under $20. And that's retail.
You almost went a whole article without a referral link... It's like actually quite disappointing that most of your posts are just referral posts rather than actual reviews.
Having a look at the weekly review, you can see that the majority of your posts during a week are usually deals and referrals rather than actual reviews (which is what I thought this blog was about).
@ Kiron -- I think you're confused on several counts:
-- I'm not sure what makes you think the blog is about reviews. It's one of the things it's about, but not the only thing.
-- Might want to double check your math. A vast majority of my posts don't offer me any sort of affiliate credit. And believe it or not, a lot of people find posts with credit cards useful. After...
@ Kiron -- I think you're confused on several counts:
-- I'm not sure what makes you think the blog is about reviews. It's one of the things it's about, but not the only thing.
-- Might want to double check your math. A vast majority of my posts don't offer me any sort of affiliate credit. And believe it or not, a lot of people find posts with credit cards useful. After all, in the US that's the best way to travel in premium cabins for pennies on the dollar.
So I'm sorry for having inconvenienced you so much. Maybe next time you could just skip the last section if it doesn't interest you?
Can I be wait listed for suites if I have already booked an award business seat?
@ Mark -- Yep, you sure can.
Are you allowed to keep the Bose headphones ?
@ Sem -- Nope, they're collected again at the end of the flight.
My wife and I know that a European vacation is in order this summer. I saw two Saver Award seats in mid July JFK--> FRA and grabbed the row 2 double, and sure enough, 9 days later, saw two Saver Award seats for their early morning flight FRA--> JFK and grabbed the row 2 double on that too. Mile High club?
Anyway, between Sheraton, Hilton Garden, or Hilton, which Frankfurt Airport hotel do you recommend?
...My wife and I know that a European vacation is in order this summer. I saw two Saver Award seats in mid July JFK--> FRA and grabbed the row 2 double, and sure enough, 9 days later, saw two Saver Award seats for their early morning flight FRA--> JFK and grabbed the row 2 double on that too. Mile High club?
Anyway, between Sheraton, Hilton Garden, or Hilton, which Frankfurt Airport hotel do you recommend?
Also, how much time to allow between connecting in FRA from the SQ flight, and presumably a Lufthansa connection to wherever we decide to go? I presume my Suites ticket will get me in to Star Alliance clubs upon arrival in FRA?
@ LD -- Hah, awesome!
Do you have status with Starwood or Hilton? If you're booking separate tickets I'd allow at least two hours for the connection in Frankfurt. At least.
For anyone that might be wondering about wait-listing a Singapore flight, I was wait listed for a SIN-JFK suite class award for 2 in February and I was cleared last month!
For the quality of champagne and usually rotating selection of very nice wines in first and business - across almost all airlines - it always disappoints me how traditional and mainstream they are with liquor and beer selections. In my opinion, champagne is ok, and I almost never drink wine, but I really enjoy beer or a good bourbon. I feel that if they can serve a $200 bottle of wine and a $200 bottle...
For the quality of champagne and usually rotating selection of very nice wines in first and business - across almost all airlines - it always disappoints me how traditional and mainstream they are with liquor and beer selections. In my opinion, champagne is ok, and I almost never drink wine, but I really enjoy beer or a good bourbon. I feel that if they can serve a $200 bottle of wine and a $200 bottle of Johnny Blue, they could also offer something a touch nicer that Jack Daniels, Bacardi, and Heineken. Maybe rotate in a Kentucky small batch or a microbrew?
Ben - I snagged two award seats for this same route next May for my boyfriend & me (he has no idea & thinks we're flying economy - surprise!). Is there room under the ottoman area for a full size rolling carry on (probably 21")? I really don't want to check it if I don't need to.
@ Karen -- Yep, there's plenty of space, and if it doesn't fit then there's a big closet they can put it in.
aha, right... sorry i am slow today...
sorry for a stupid question.... what's BTC?
@ Lantean -- It's "Book The Cook," whereby you can pre-order your main course prior to your flight from a much wider selection:
http://www.singaporeair.com/en_UK/flying-with-us/bookthecooklanding/
do they offer BTC? when it's a known breakfast route i often BTC and get them to hold that meal for breakfast, and enjoy the normal menu for lunch/dinner. nothing like a bit of beef rendang for breakfast!
@ andrew -- They do indeed, and I probably should have done that. Whoops!
Do you know their reasoning for flying out of jfk rather than ewr where I would imagine there is more connections available on their partner United?
@ Mwwalk -- Interestingly back when they operated the Newark to Singapore nonstop flight it departed out of Newark. My guess is that they depart out of New York JFK because they don't rely much on connecting traffic. United and Lufthansa codeshare between the US and Europe, and have plenty of their own flights, so I doubt they'd get much additional traffic. Singapore has no problem filling the seats for passengers traveling mostly between New...
@ Mwwalk -- Interestingly back when they operated the Newark to Singapore nonstop flight it departed out of Newark. My guess is that they depart out of New York JFK because they don't rely much on connecting traffic. United and Lufthansa codeshare between the US and Europe, and have plenty of their own flights, so I doubt they'd get much additional traffic. Singapore has no problem filling the seats for passengers traveling mostly between New York and Frankfurt/Singapore, as far as I know.
Beyond that, I'm not sure if Newark is A380 ready (at least no other airline flies A380s there yet).
What's the difficulty level scoring two seats on this route? Is this something that can be booked months in advance, or more of a last minute type of thing.
@ John -- It's definitely not easy, though with some planning and flexibility it's not impossible.
Hey Ben - inclusive of that 57,375 mile one-way price, can you tag on an intra-Europe domestic flight with the SQ award? Not sure if it changes things as you'd be connecting to LH/LX, etc.
@ UA-NYC -- Nope, you'd then have to book a Star Alliance award, which is priced from a separate award chart and doesn't allow for the 15% online booking discount.
@ben - what were the taxes and fees on the award ticket?
@ E -- I provided a breakdown in the introduction:
https://onemileatatime.com/a-suite-ride-to-frankfurt-introduction/
The roundtrip fuel surcharges are $432 (roughly half of what other airlines charge), plus taxes.
Lucky,
I've been looking into booking the reverse flight but can't find any saver availability for August 2015. When does Singapore generally release those seats?
On a side note I've found some availability for January...
@ Kevin P -- They've been a bit stingy on the route lately, though in general open space when the schedule opens, and then again close to departure. Just not so consistent lately, unfortunately.
"they could really use a mattress bad"
should it be a "mattress pad"?
@ Lantean -- Whoops, thanks!
Ben, can you explain further why you thought the crew taking a picture with someone is tacky?
@ Chris -- Because I think when most celebrities are paying big bucks for a "premium" experience they don't want to be bothered. For example, if you rent out a yacht as a celebrity you probably wouldn't want the whole crew asking to take selfies with you.
On a flight that short, where some will want to sleep and some will want to eat, you gotta have enough crew to do beds and meals at the same time. Waiting 45 minutes for a drink, and taking up several hours on a 7 hour flight to do dinner isn't good.