I’ve heard this sentiment shared by many others and I’d tend to agree. Singapore is a frustrating hotel market. While there’s a nice mix of boutique and chain options, the prices are in no-man’s land. In other words, they aren’t expensive enough to feel like you’d get a good deal by using points, but they’re expensive enough that you’d consider using points rather than shelling out cash.
Our time spent in Singapore can basically be broken into two buckets – the times when we were eating, and when we weren’t eating. It’s probably a 50/50 split. Let’s start with the non-eating stuff. It’s funny to hear that many people argue that Singapore isn’t really “real” Asia, whatever that might mean. To them, a trip top the “real” Asia probably involves navigating the sea of motorcycles in Vietnam or visiting the rice paddy fields in Bali.
Even though we’d be taking the same plane and even sitting in the same seats from Seoul to Singapore, there’s no way to simply stay on the plane during the layover. Believe me, I tried my best to convince the crew that they could just leave a bottle of Dom and I would be more than happy to entertain myself for the next hour.
This flight brought on a bit of nostalgia, as these were the exact same seats on the same type of plane that we had on our very first longhaul international First Class flight back in 2012. Since then we’ve tried dozens of premium cabin products, but I’ll aways have a soft spot for this particular one.
With a newfound hour to kill, we headed back upstairs to the main terminal and decided to wander over to the Singapore Airlines lounge which is located right next to the security checkpoint, and around the corner from the United Club.
The best lounge option for Star Alliance First Class passengers is the United Global First Lounge located between gates 98 and 100 in International Terminal G. While I still consider the Emirates Lounge to be the best lounge at SFO, this one is probably a distant second.
You might be wondering why I’ve come out with another trip report with the word “fat” in the title. Well, as I mentioned in my last trip report, I live my life a quarter-pounder at a time. See, everyone prefers a certain style of travel. Some people like leisure trips, where they sit on the beach, sip margaritas all day, and polish off a couple books. Others travel for culture, spending their days at historical landmarks and museums. And others seek adventure, jumping off tall buildings and into shark-infested waters.
The hottest First Class product in the market today is probably the Etihad Apartments, which are currently only available on flights serviced by the Airbus A380. And those routes are limited currently to London and Sydney, with A380 service to New York commencing on November 23rd.The Etihad A380 features 9 First Class Apartments, along with 70 of it’s flat-bed Business Class Studio seats. And the best news? Award space on the A380 is WIDE OPEN!
When I began collecting credit cards, I focused exclusively on the “points and miles” hobby. My goal was to accumulate measurable currencies that could be redeemed for free travel, and I paid no attention to other benefits that may have come with the cards. I didn’t know much about them, and I didn’t think I would keep the cards long enough to take advantage of them. These “soft” benefits of travel credit cards, however, were like the sides on my steak plate. I couldn’t ignore them forever. And, when I finally paid attention, some of them turned out to be a wonderful surprise.
A few months ago I was able to jump on a great deal for Business Class tickets aboard British Airways from San Francisco to Europe for just $1,700. Although it’s a little bit less of a great deal when you factor in the $250 that British Airways is asking for in order to select seats in advance. At the time, it was a no-brainer for me to credit this flight to Alaska Airlines, since I’d need the elite qualifying miles to re-qualify for status, and as an existing elite I’d receive a 100% bonus. But now things are a bit more complicated …