tenniscraze

But bear in mind that you won't be able to do this SIN-FRA-JFK as you arrive at a different gate, with no shower facility within the vicinity.

scottt

I flew F in April using FF miles. I have no status whatsoever. I checked before I left, and I was able to use the VS CH as it is the designated club for SQ F passengers leaving from JFK. I needed no Gold card. My name was already on the list at the VS CH (which is WONDERFUL btw)

Atif-I-C

This is my first post to flyertalk so please forgive me if this isn't he right thread/forum for these questions.

Travel Zoo just listed a really good deal to Singapore this winter from NYC via SQ25 including 4 nights of hotel. I am very tempted to go visit Singapore which I've been wanting to do for a while. I currently have 140+K USAirways dividend miles, but I don't have any kind of status (I've been saving miles for a LONG time). Here are my questions:

1) Will I get miles for taking this flight? I know SQ has some fares that don't give miles. If this flight is part of a packaged tour, will it also not give miles? Is there a way to check?

2) Can I use my USAirways Dividend miles to upgrade the Y seat to either C or F? Assuming I can, how many miles would it take?

3) Are the 747s used for SQ25 and do they have the newer C & F products?

As a side note, I've been saving all these miles while doing my PhD and flying around the U.S. for conferences (on USAirways). I had been planning on using my miles to visit relatives in NZ once I graduate. I was hoping to fly on SQ via Singapore on F, but from what I've seen on-line, USAirways miles are not so good for getting seats on SQ. Is that true? If I go to Singapore as part of this packaged tour, then when I do finally go to NZ I wouldn't be so set on going via Singapore, and then would try to get F on any *A airline that will take me there (TG, ANZ, ??). Any thoughts/comments would be appreciated as I've never used miles to fly int'l before.

Kiwi Flyer

Welcome to Flyer Talk Atif-I-C

1) You need to find out the booking class of your fare. If you are able to get a copy of the fare rules this should show the booking class. Certain booking classes are non-mileage earning.

2) AFAIK (as far as I know) US (US Airways) is not yet participating in the *A (star alliance) mileage upgrade scheme. Thus no way to use your miles to upgrade. Even if US was taking part in the scheme, the upgrade would only be to the next highest class of travel (ie business) would be subject to availability and normally requires a high (ie expensive) economy booking class.

3) JFK-(FRA-)SIN is on 747, which does not have the latest C & F product but is still very nice longhaul product. In economy the main benefit is the great IFE (in flight entertainment) which is much better than what you get with US, plus the free food and drink onboard.

4) Not many options for flying F all the way to NZ. In *A only TG & SQ has F class. NZ (Air NZ) has no F but a great business class, and flies YVR/SFO/LAX-AKL.

Atif-I-C

Wow thanks for the fast reply!


O.K. if I can't upgrade using USAirways miles then most of the questions are moot. I'll call the travel agency and ask them if the flight comes with miles. If they don't know I should ask them for the "Fare Class" then? If they give me that how/where do I check to see if that class gives miles?

And not to diverge from the thread...but the Business class on ANZ does look really good...I've been meaning to find out how many miles it would talk to book that. Since ANZ had three classes (Y, Y+, and C) I wonder if I still have to use the top level of miles to get a C ticket...

Kiwi Flyer

The sticky FAQ has which fare classes on SQ are non mileage earning.

An award in business class on NZ requires business class redemption level. However you won't be able to get an award in premium economy (unless using NZ airpoints).

Atif-I-C

Thanks again for the fast reply! I looked through the various sticky FAQ's and couldn't find it.


I'll be calling the tour operator later today (during Business hours) to find out...

Kiwi Flyer

The info is a bit hard to find, but it is there. Check out this post.

mikeyyz

It is excellent. Air Canada charges 100k miles from anywhere in North America to NZ on it. A neat trick -- you can fly to AKL, stopover, go to SYD (on the 777 as well if you book well), and then fly back - see both Australia and NZ for the same amount of points! You will love it. I've booked it 4 times now. US should charge the same number of points.

Atif-I-C

Wow! Thanks for the tip! Is flying on their 777 better than their 747? I thought they had the same product on both?

Atif-I-C

Again thanks so much for all your help! I called the tour group and they confirmed that the flight would NOT give mileage! I suspected it wouldn't since the total package is only US $1200 which includes 4 nights hotel. That seems to be less than what SQ is charging independently just for the flight.

meducate

OK, since I flew SQ25 last night in F I thought that I would post some observations (and bring this thread back to its original topic):

- There was a ground delay of nearly an hour after pushback because there were more than 20 planes ahead of us in line to take off

- There was good, solid communication by cockpit crew and cabin crew during the delay

- Pre-departure beverages were plentiful and refilled often

- Several of us (F had 2 open seats, so it was 10/12) requested faster service so that we could get to sleep quicker. The Inflight Supervisor dimmed the lights earlier in response to the request for earlier sleep even though some pax were still eating. The combo of pre-departure Dom, post-departure Krug, and 5 mg (yeah, only 5) of Ambien and I was asleep quickly and awoke with about 90 minutes flying time left.

- The noise and announcements were minimal, and sleep was easy.

sfcaFLYER

I am connecting to a LH flight that departs Terminal 1 at 12:10, should I be worried (and maybe change to a later connecting flight)?

Thanks.

meducate

That is a tight connection IMHO. I would change to a later connecting flight; any delays at JFK and long transfer security lines could put making the connection tough!

chrisksc

This is where "The infamous JFK-FRA SQ25 Route" arriving at FRA without having a Gate available. At times the plane can wait up to half an hour before a Gate is made available (however, this could also be the fact that the flight might have arrived early, thus slated Gate is not yet ready.)

[email protected]@king at SQ25 flight from JFK on:

8 Oct - departed 2230hrs instead of 2120hrs and arrived in FRA at 1150hrs instead of 1115hrs.

Good Luck!