rgdave

This is one of those "interesting data point" posts. Initially I was wanted to go to Europe (Budapest and Prague) and wanted to fly SQ Suites class to FRA at least one way, and was open to going anytime between Oct 15 and Mar 16. Checked Saver award availability (67500 miles) both directions and found nothing for the entire 6 months. So I thought maybe I just need to bite the bullet and fork over 130000 for Standard (less the 15% online booking discount), which was readily available.

I also checked Saver availability from SIN to FRA (107500 Kris miles before the discount), thinking maybe I'll just hop over to southeast Asia for a beach visit and then go to Europe. No luck their either.

On a whim, I checked out SIN-JFK and JFK-SIN for Jan-Mar 2016. Much to my surprise, there was LOTS of saver award space in F, 24 available dates with at least one F seat SIN-JFK, and 25 available dates JFK-SIN., and quite a few of those dates had 2 seats available. The Saver award all the way between SIN and JFK is 110,000 (93500 with the online discount). 110K all the way between SIN and JFK is a much better deal than 130000 standard between FRA and JFK.

So I reworked my travel plans. Now it's a southeast Asia trip, which I'm happy about as I love southeast Asia. It will be into Vietnam on JL (using AAdvantage miles) and out of SIN with SQ.

But it's just a little weird that there's such wide open saver availability between SIN and JFK and nothing on either of the individual sections. This is probably a litmus test for a premium cabin mileage junkie — totally changing vacation plans to take advantage of a great redemption opportunity. I can always hop to Europe, on a paid flight and yes, even in coach. But I cringe at going to Asia unless I'm pretty comfortable, and this was too good to pass up.

Merlinrnr

If you pay an extra $100 you can request a stopover in FRA, even on one way booking.

rgdave

Thanks for the heads up. That's something I never saw in their T&C's (the T&C's say no complimentary stopovers on one way saver awards, and no reference to being able to pay for a stopover.) After reading the T&Cs, I never even thought about searching online about stopovers. This is the great thing about FT, that people are always willing to share tips and tricks.

Do you happen to know if SQ will allow the Saver level stopover if saver availability isn't available on the individual segments on the separate travel days, but the through availability SIN-JFK is?

meehgz

I'm on hold waiting for an agent to ask the very same question It's been about 20 min (ugh) but if anything fruitful comes out of the eventual connection, I'll update!

Update: Unfortunately not

SingaporeDon

But I guess you will have to make that booking on the phone and not online, so you would lose your 15% discount also.

SingaporeDon

I am quite surprised by the OPs findings. I thought selling the two awards separately earns SQ a lot more miles than a single SIN-JFK or JFK-SIN award, and there is always heavy commercial demand in on one or other of the JFK-FRA or SIN-FRA sectors, so my experience in the past has been that it is easier to find separate saver awards for SIN-FRA or FRA-SIN or JFK-FRA or FRA-JKF and more difficult to find saver through awards SIN-JFK and JFK-SIN.

DHalltheway

my 2 pennies worth: it is more of a timing issue / programing issue.

In my experience January travel tends to lull between Singapore and the US as most customers are back at work / school after the holidays.

In addition, I think SQ allocated the saver under the following:

1. SIN-JFK
2. SIN-FRA
3. FRA-SIN

As per your observation: there is consistent heavy commercial demand in between the JFK-FRA or SIN-FRA sectors year round.

And as per my observation: SIN-USA has a lull in traffic in January.

However, the system that does the award ticket allocate does not break up SIN-JFK saver award into SIN-FRA + FRA-JFK saver award.

Part of the reason it does not break SIN-JFK into SIN-FRA-JFK is because it was recently a single direct flight as well.

So it would not surprise me.

Do you have to pay the 15% extra miles, if you called in and changed the award booking to include the stop over and pay the $100 (+ change fee)?

rgdave

I checked over a 2 1/2 month period, mid Jan- Mar 2016, not just January. And I did it the 'old fashioned' way of clicking through each day for availability on the Singapore site, both directions, SIN-JFK, JFK-FRA and FRA-JFK. I didn't use KVS. That's what makes this such an interesting data point because it doesn't make sense. If SQ will 'sell' SIN-JFK for 110K Krisflyer miles, why not also open the SIN-FRA segment to sell for 107,500, leaving open the FRA-JFK to sell for miles or $$$? The surprise here was that there was such wide open availability all the way SIN-JFK (25+ dates) in Suites, but NONE for either segment alone. I could understand if JFK-FRA was not available, but FRA-SIN was, keeping availability open for SIN O/D (origin-destination) flyers, but SIN-FRA is also goose egged for Saver.

meehgz

Nope, you can ask the agent to apply the 15% discount because an award itinerary with a stopover isn't bookable online, meaning if you could've booked it online, you would've, but you didn't even have the option to make that decision, forcing your hand to call them. Just a simple ask. They do it often.

DHalltheway

You bring up some interesting points.

However, until SQ decides to change the code / formula for releasing saver seats, it will likely remain the same.

I can't speak for Feb / Mar load factor because my typical SIN - USA flying pattern are during Jan or US Summer.

Nice! Thanks for the 411!^