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If you want to fly Singapore Suites, your best chance to do it may be on flights within Asia Pacific.

I know, I know, you live in the United States. But these flights can be very convenient and cheap as part of a trip to East Asia, Australia, and/or New Zealand.

You can fly the 6.5 hours from Beijing to Singapore in Suites Class for 42.5k Singapore miles and $131 or the 10.5 hours from Auckland to Singapore in Suites Class for 64k points and $160.

Singapore Suites is inarguably one of the top five First Classes in the world. Some people even consider Suites Class to be the nicest First Class in the world because of the available double bed that two people can share (or one person can get to himself if the flight isn’t totally full.)

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Here is my experience flying Singapore First Class on a 777-300ER. Suites Class is a fancier product available on Singapore’s A380s.Screen Shot 2015-06-01 at 2.02.44 AM

You Can Only Book Singapore Suites Class with Singapore KrisFlyer Miles

Singapore only releases award space in longhaul First and Suites Class to its own KrisFlyer program. You need Singapore miles if you want to book a double bed in the sky. Luckily Singapore miles are extremely easy to get because every transferable points program transfers 1:1 to Singapore miles.

  • Citi ThankYou Points
  • Chase Ultimate Rewards
  • American Express Membership Rewards

Routes within Asia Pacific with Great Award Space

The three routes that offer a lot of award space in Suites Class, a low price, and a decent amount of in-air time are Beijing, Auckland, and Sydney to Singapore.

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Prices

Singapore awards include taxes and fuel surcharges. The required mileage is rarely a round number because there is an automatic 15% discount when booking online. These are the all in prices:

  • Beijing to Singapore: 42,500 KrisFlyer miles + $132 (6:30 flying daytime)
  • Singapore to Beijing: 42,500 KrisFlyer miles + $161 (6:05 flying daytime)
  • Auckland to Singapore: 63,750 KrisFlyer miles + $160 (10:35 flying daytime)
  • Singapore to Auckland: 63,750 KrisFlyer miles + $184 (9:55 flying redeye)
  • Sydney to Singapore: 63,750 KrisFlyer miles + $221 (8:20 flying daytime)
  • Singapore to Sydney: 63,750 KrisFlyer miles + $181 (8:00 flying redeye)

To me, the best value is Auckland to Singapore. You get the most time in the air and all during the daytime, so you can maximize your enjoyment of the service while perhaps taking a short nap.

I also priced out these connecting itineraries:

  • Auckland to Beijing: 78,625 KrisFlyer miles + $301 (16:40 flying, overnight in Singapore)
  • Beijing to Auckland: 78,625 KrisFlyer miles + $296 (16:35 flying, 21:30 layover in Singapore)

Those are great mileage prices, though a little expensive on taxes and fuel surcharges. I would find the layover from Auckland to Beijing (7:05 PM to 8:45 AM) a bit annoying, but the layover from Beijing to Auckland (11:20 PM to 8:50 PM) is perfect for a full day of exploring the city.

Award Space

Auckland <-> Singapore award space is excellent in Suites Class this week and in November and December 2016. Award space is almost non-existent next month.

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Since the times with award space are the best times to go to New Zealand, I infer that award space is best on this route at the last minute and 10-12 months in advance (you can book Singapore awards 355 days out). Many days with award space have two award seats in Suites Class (double bed!)

Beijing <-> Singapore award space is great for two passengers for most of the next 11.5 months. This route has the best award space in Suites Class of any route I have searched.

Screen Shot 2016-01-23 at 5.22.10 PM Screen Shot 2016-01-23 at 5.22.13 PMSydney <-> Singapore award space is best in November and December 2016, so book it in advance.Screen Shot 2016-01-23 at 5.29.29 PM Screen Shot 2016-01-23 at 5.29.39 PMTo book more than one segment in Suites Class, each segment needs to have award space, so check times when both routes have award space like December 2016 for Auckland to Beijing.

Screen Shot 2016-01-24 at 12.57.34 PM Screen Shot 2016-01-24 at 12.57.41 PMBig Trip

If you’re reading this, you are probably an American, meaning that the value in great flights between Auckland and Singapore might not be immediately apparent.

These flights are valuable as part of a big trip like your home airport to Auckland with American Airlines miles in AA economy, Auckland to Singapore in Singapore Suites, and Singapore to your home airport in Cathay Pacific First Class.

That’s an amazing trip that would cost 105,000 American Airlines miles (at least until the AA devaluation), 64,000 ThankYou Points (transferred to Singapore miles), and about $200 in taxes and fuel surcharges.

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Better yet, take a round-the-world trip with a leg in Singapore Suites and the rest of the legs picked from my nearly comprehensive list of under-priced awards.

Bottom Line

There are three Asia-Pacific routes that offer a lot of award space in Singapore Suites Class, a low price, and a decent amount of in-air time: Beijing, Auckland, and Sydney to Singapore.

Book them as part of a big or RTW trip with Singapore miles that you get from ThankYou Points.

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