just found this information concerning the ticketing time line when using SQ on the news section of the bmi/diamond club homepage:
Singapore Airlines redemptions ticketing time limit
Singapore Airlines redemptions ticketing time limit
From 01 April 2006 Singapore Airlines will be introducing an automatic time limit for all bookings made with your miles.
This means that when you make a booking with your miles we can only reserve it for a certain amount of time. If you do not call us back to complete the booking within this time, it will be cancelled.
Singapore Airlines have introduced the following booking time limits:
number of days until departure // number of days booking held for
more than 21 // 21
4 - 21 // 3
3 days or less // 0