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Singapore is one of Southeast Asia’s major tourist destinations and economic hubs. A port city by history, Singapore now has one of the most advanced market economies in the world.
Today, Singapore is a foreign investment haven, foodie nirvana, and sightseeing wonder. Measuring only 276 square miles, Singapore is an awe-inspiring city-state.
Whether you want to experience Michelin-starred street food stalls that are cleaner than most American restaurants, see the futuristic Gardens by the Bay, or enjoy riverside life at Clarke Quay, we have the best ways to fly to Singapore with points and miles.
In this post, we’ll describe the best programs to book all 3 cabin classes: economy, business, and first.
We’ll also share a few stopover and open-jaw ideas, particularly for programs such as Cathay Pacific Asia Miles, Japan Airlines Mileage Bank, Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan, Asiana Airlines Asiana Club, and Air Canada Aeroplan.
While there are hundreds (if not thousands!) of ways to fly to Singapore on points and miles, there are only a few nonstop routes from all of North America, including flights from Los Angeles (LAX), New York (JFK), Newark (EWR), San Francisco (SFO), Seattle (SEA), and Vancouver (YVR).
Unless you fly out of these major airports, you will have at least 1 connection. Not to fret, however — there’s unlimited creativity in routes and airlines you can fly!
Without further ado, let’s begin walking you through the best ways to fly to Singapore with points and miles!
In the past, nonstop flights between North America and Singapore were difficult to find, simply because of the sheer distance between the 2 regions.
Today, with the advent of fuel-efficient aircraft, there are a handful of nonstop flights!
Specifically, there are 6 nonstop routes to Singapore aboard 2 airlines:
Singapore Airlines
United Airlines
Singapore is, to put it simply, very far away from North America.
If you wanted to fly nonstop to Singapore in Singapore Airlines business class, redeeming Singapore Airlines miles is your only option.
To fly in economy aboard Singapore Airlines, though, you can shift your focus to other Star Alliance frequent flyer programs.
To try other quality airlines such as Cathay Pacific or Japan Airlines, you’ll have to stop in one of their hubs.
Even so, it might be worthwhile to look into 1-stop flights simply because some of these redemptions are too good to pass up.
We’ll be doing a deep dive on this topic, and we’ll point out some seriously valuable redemptions that at times may feel like a steal!
Rest assured, however, that the options we’re describing are tried and true methods for flying to Singapore.
Generally speaking, we would be remiss in creating a destination guide for Singapore without including one of the best airlines in the world: Singapore Airlines.
Singapore Airlines is an object of yearning — we all want it, but can’t always have it!
That’s because Singapore Airlines releases plenty of award availability to its partners… for economy flights. This is great news for economy travelers, but somewhat discouraging for those who want to try its famous business or first class.
So if you want to fly nonstop from Los Angeles, Newark, San Francisco, Seattle, or Vancouver to Singapore in Singapore Airlines’ premium cabins, you’ll almost always have to use KrisFlyer miles.
There is a silver lining, however: Singapore Airlines will not levy fuel surcharges at all.
The bad news? Your awards are going to cost a pretty penny.
Since Singapore Airlines releases a lot of economy awards to partners on a regular basis and its economy rates aren’t terribly good, we wouldn’t suggest using them for economy awards.
Here’s the table for Singapore Airlines and Star Alliance redemptions using KrisFlyer miles (round-trip costs):
| Cabin Class | KrisFlyer Miles Cost (West Coast) | KrisFlyer Miles Cost (East Coast) | KrisFlyer Miles Cost (Star Alliance partners) | Taxes and Fees |
| Economy | 84,000 | 88,000 | 121,000 | $57 |
| Business | 214,000 | 223,000 | 238,000 | $57 |
| First | 293,000 | 297,000 | 335,000 | $57 |
Here are some example route options you can book:
For additional U.S.-based routes, check out our definitive guide to Singapore Airlines’ routes from the U.S., including plane types and seat options.
If you’ve decided you want to take one of the only straight-shot routes to Singapore, look no further than Singapore Airlines. The booking process is straightforward:
Need help booking? See our step-by-step guide for booking Singapore Airlines business class or first class.
You can earn Singapore KrisFlyer miles very easily.
Singapore KrisFlyer is an American Express transfer partner, Capital One transfer partner, Chase transfer partner, Citi transfer partner, and Marriott transfer partner.
This means your options to earn KrisFlyer miles are basically limitless!
American Express Membership Rewards, Chase Ultimate Rewards, Capital One miles, and Citi ThankYou Points all transfer at a 1:1 ratio, while Marriott Bonvoy transfers at a 3:1 ratio. All programs may take up to 2 business days to process transfers to Singapore KrisFlyer.
For every 60,000 Marriott Bonvoy points you transfer, you will receive 20,000 KrisFlyer miles plus a 5,000-mile bonus!
Singapore Airlines is almost like a rite of passage for travel enthusiasts; you haven’t really tried luxury travel until you’ve tried Singapore Airlines.
Recommended Chase Cards
A fantastic travel card with a huge welcome offer, good benefits, and perks for a moderate annual fee.
The Chase Sapphire Preferred® card is one of the best travel rewards cards on the market. Its bonus categories include travel, dining, online grocery purchases, and streaming services, which gives you the opportunity to earn lots of bonus points on these purchases.
Additionally, it offers flexible point redemption options, no foreign transaction fees, and excellent travel insurance coverage including primary car rental insurance. With benefits like these, it’s easy to see why this card is an excellent choice for any traveler.
A top player in the high-end premium travel credit card space that earns 3x points on travel and dining while offering top luxury perks.
If you’re looking for an all-around excellent travel rewards card, the Chase Sapphire Reserve® is one of the best options out there.
The card combines elite travel benefits and perks like airport lounge access, with excellent point earning and redemption options. Plus it offers top-notch travel insurance protections to keep you covered whether you’re at home or on the road.
Don’t forget the $300 annual travel credit which really helps to reduce the annual fee!
Bottom Line: If your goal is to try Singapore Airlines or fly nonstop to Singapore and you have lots of transferable points, you should definitely book through KrisFlyer. You won’t pay any fuel surcharges, and you won’t be disappointed by the stellar premium cabins. It will cost you more miles than a few of our other options, but it might be worth it for you!
Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan presents a huge sweet spot for Cathay Pacific.
In addition to fantastic redemption prices, you’re allotted a free stopover on one-way tickets.
This means you can fly from the U.S. to Hong Kong on Cathay Pacific, spend a few days enjoying the Hong Kong hustle and bustle — and then fly to Singapore!
This stopover could net you an additional value of $2,000 if flying in business class. Best of all, you will not pay fuel surcharges!
Cathay Pacific’s footprint in the U.S. is generally much larger than Singapore Airlines’, so your departure airport choices are much more flexible.
In fact, Cathay Pacific operates flights from these airports in North America:
Hot Tip:Alaska Airlines only allows 1 partner on award tickets. This means you must take Cathay Pacific throughout your journey to Singapore; you can’t switch to another airline.
Here’s the chart for Alaska Airlines redemptions on Cathay Pacific Flights:
| Round-trip Redemption Costs on Cathay Pacific Flights to Singapore via Hong Kong | ||
| Cabin Class | Alaska Airlines Miles Cost | Taxes and Fees |
| Economy | 60,000 | ~$19 |
| Business | 100,000 | ~$19 |
| First | 140,000 | ~$19 |
And here are some great example routes:
Alaska Airlines does not show Cathay Pacific award availability online.
In order to book Cathay Pacific flights with Alaska miles, you’ll want to search availability on British Airways before booking.
Here’s how:
Need help booking? See our step-by-step guide for booking Cathay Pacific first class. If you want to fly business, check out our guide for booking Cathay Pacific business class.
Sadly, Alaska Airlines only partners with Marriott Bonvoy, so you’ll either have to earn miles through its co-branded credit card or by transferring from Marriott Bonvoy credit cards.
You can earn Alaska miles in 3 main ways:
Marriott transfers at a 3:1 ratio with a bonus of 5,000 miles when you transfer 60,000 Marriott Bonvoy points to Alaska Airlines in a single transaction. Transfers take around 4 business days to process.
Sometimes, there are sales of up to 60% on buying miles. You’re limited to 60,000 miles per transaction, but you can buy an unlimited number of miles in separate transactions.
Recommended Marriott Bonvoy Cards
A great option for Marriott hotel fans who want a no annual fee card and automatic Marriott Bonvoy elite status.
Casual travelers who like to frequent properties that are part of the Marriott Bonvoy collection of brands may want to consider the Marriott Bonvoy Bold® Credit Card.
The Marriott Bold card rewards cardholders for Marriott stays and gives them a boost towards Marriott Bonvoy elite status.
Marriott loyalists will love this card's annual free night award, automatic elite status, and up to 17x points per $1 on Marriott hotel stays.
If you’re a frequent traveler and a Marriott loyalist, there’s a lot to love about the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card. The card comes packed with several great benefits like a free hotel night once a year, automatic Silver Elite status (with a fast-track to Gold Elite status), and multiple options for redeeming points.
Terms Apply / Rates & FeesThe Marriott Bonvoy Bevy card gives you automatic Marriott elite status and helps you earn more Marriott Bonvoy points on your everyday purchases.
The Marriott Bonvoy Bevy™ American Express® Card, the latest mid-tier offering in the Marriott Bonvoy lineup of cards, offers cardholders automatic elite status and ways to earn more Marriott Bonvoy points on each of their stays and daily purchases.
Terms Apply / Rates & FeesA premium card for Marriott fans who want perks like an annual statement credit and Free Night Award, plus a fast track to Marriott elite status.
The Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card is a premium card designed with road warriors and Marriott Bonvoy loyalists in mind.
So is the card a worthwhile addition to your wallet?
Bottom Line: Alaska Airlines provides an amazing deal to fly to Singapore on Cathay Pacific. Although Alaska miles aren’t the easiest to earn, if you find yourself with a bunch of Alaska miles, you can plan a trip to Hong Kong followed by Singapore for 60,000 miles in round-trip economy, 100,000 miles in business, and 140,000 miles in first. To make things better, you’ll be paying around $20 total for the flight! Keep in mind that Cathay Pacific does not operate a first-class cabin from Hong Kong to Singapore.
We’ve always been big fans of ANA. This airline has an amazing inflight product and its Mileage Club frequent flyer program is second-to-none.
Flights on its own metal often cost half of what other partners charge. The value of business class redemptions, in particular, is what makes this program one of the best in the world.
Keep in mind that on flights operated by ANA, seasonality rules will apply. What does that mean? The price you pay for awards will vary depending on your dates of travel.
Another thing to note is that round-trip itineraries are mandatory; you can’t book one-way award flights.
ANA does offer 1 free stopover and 1 open-jaw or 2 open-jaws on round-trip award bookings. You’ll most likely be flying to Singapore through Tokyo, which is what our stopover will be used for.
Here’s a summary chart of the season-based award prices for each class:
| ANA Award Redemption Costs | ||||
| Carrier (Season) | Economy | Premium Economy | Business | First |
| ANA (Low) | 55,000 | 84,000 | 100,000 | 195,000 |
| ANA (Regular) | 65,000 | 94,000 | 110,000 | 195,000 |
| ANA (High) | 70,000 | 99,000 | 115,000 | 210,000 |
| Star Alliance | 80,000 | N/A | 136,000 | 240,000 |
Hot Tip: As you can see, ANA business class awards are spectacular, while Star Alliance awards are significantly more expensive. As a result, you’ll gain the best value when flying on ANA metal and booking through ANA Mileage Club.
Here are some great example routes:
Taxes and fees on ANA flights will generally run about $50 to $100.
You can use United’s website to search for award space. Searching through ANA is also an option, but it has pros and cons.
The main benefit of looking for availability on ANA is that in rare instances, ANA shows exclusive award availability not seen on other partners.
The main drawback of looking for availability on ANA is that the website is clunky and difficult to navigate. Generally, United Airlines’ website is the easiest to use. Follow these instructions to book your flight:
ANA partners with Amex Membership Rewards and Marriott Bonvoy, and Membership Rewards points transfer to ANA at a 1:1 ratio.
For every 60,000 Marriott Bonvoy points you transfer, you will receive 20,000 ANA miles and a 5,000-mile bonus.
Amex transfers take 2 to 3 days, while Marriott Bonvoy transfers take up to 7 business days.
Recommended American Express Cards
Terms Apply / Rates & FeesThis card is undoubtedly the #1 card for luxury travel benefits. From the best lounge access (of any card) to statement credits, to complimentary elite status, you can’t go wrong.
When it comes to cards that offer top-notch benefits, you’d be hard-pressed to find a better card out there than The Platinum Card® from American Express.
Make no mistake — the Amex Platinum card is a premium card with a premium price tag. With amazing benefits like best-in-class airport lounge access, hotel elite status, and tremendous value in annual statement credits, it can easily prove to be one of the most lucrative cards in your wallet year after year.
Hot Tip: Check to see if you’re eligible for a welcome bonus offer of up to 125k (or 150k) points with the Amex Platinum. The current public offer is 80,000 points. (This targeted offer was independently researched and may not be available to all applicants.)
Terms Apply / Rates & FeesThis is the go-to card for food lovers who dine out at restaurants and those who want big rewards at U.S. supermarkets!
The American Express® Gold Card is definitely a game-changer.
With this card, you can earn 4x Membership Rewards points at restaurants and you’ll also earn 4x Membership Rewards points at U.S. supermarkets on up to $25,000 per calendar year in purchases, then 1x.
There isn’t another card on the market that offers a 1-2 punch like this. Of course, there are a number of other benefits of the Gold Card as well, including extra monthly dining rewards and more.
Bottom Line: If you don’t mind connecting through Tokyo (or possibly spending a short vacation there), definitely give ANA some thought. It’s difficult to extract better value when flying to Singapore. You can visit Japan and Singapore on the same trip, save money on fuel surcharges, and maximize your points through ANA (particularly with business class awards). We would not advise booking Star Alliance partners, but even those can present very strong value.
We included American Airlines AAdvantage here because it is a super-easy program to follow. The region definitions are simple, awards are priced reasonably to Singapore, and AAdvantage miles are easy to earn.
Here’s the award chart for using AA miles:
| Award Costs for Redemptions to Singapore With AA Miles | ||
| Cabin Class | AA Miles Cost | Taxes and Fees |
| Economy | 75,000 | ~$54 to $66 |
| Business | 140,000 | ~$54 to $66 |
| First | 220,000 | ~$54 to $66 |
In this case, the most likely itineraries will be to Singapore via Hong Kong or London on Cathay Pacific or British Airways, respectively.
We do not suggest flying on British Airways due to $1,000+ in fuel surcharges that get passed onto you.
Hot Tip: AA will not pass on fuel surcharges on Cathay Pacific flights, which is a super-easy way to save hundreds of dollars!
AA is a very simple program to use, though it doesn’t allow stopovers and is a far cry from Alaska’s costs of 60,000 miles in economy, 100,000 miles in business, and 140,000 miles in first.
It’s still worth doing, especially if you’re an AA loyalist looking for opportunities in the Oneworld alliance. Here are some great example redemptions to make:
Here’s how you can book on American Airlines:
You can earn lots of AA miles quickly and easily with a suite of co-branded credit cards by Citi and Barclays.
If you’re still short a few miles, you can top off your AA balance by transferring Marriott Bonvoy points to AAdvantage at a 3:1 ratio. It can take up to 2 business days to transfer Marriott Bonvoy points to American Airlines.
Bottom Line: If you don’t have enough Alaska miles to book Cathay Pacific, American Airlines AAdvantage is a worthwhile program to explore: it’s easy to understand and you can book awards easily. Your out-of-pocket costs will be minimized when flying Cathay Pacific as no fuel surcharges are passed on. Lastly, AA miles are directly earned through co-branded credit cards, which makes having enough miles relatively easy.
Cathay Pacific’s Asia Miles employs a distance-based award chart and complicated routing rules.
If you’re able to decipher this crazily confusing program, you can get some great value — especially on one-way flights with its generous award routing rules.
Cathay Pacific has 3 award charts:
There are different routing rules associated with every award chart (and it can even vary by airline!), so we’ll summarize some key rules below:
This might seem really confusing, but you could squeeze some AMAZING value from these rules. Here’s an example of an itinerary that’ll let you try many great business class products:
This entire itinerary includes 5 segments, 2 open-jaws, and 2 stopovers.
For a total flight distance of 24,248 miles, you would be in Award Zone 11 in the Oneworld multi-carrier award chart. Flying this itinerary would only cost 185,000 Asia Miles! This is an absolutely killer deal!
However, we understand that some readers are only interested in a simple itinerary — the simplest it gets is Singapore via Hong Kong.
Depending on which airport you depart from, round-trip flights to Singapore via Hong Kong can cost around 84,000 miles in economy, 120,000 miles in premium economy, 170,000 miles in business, and 250,000 miles in first.
As you can see, the difference between the complex itinerary above and the simple itinerary is only 15,000 miles in business class! To us, that’s a no-brainer.
We feel that Cathay Pacific Asia Miles presents the best value when flying at least once with Cathay Pacific and building a complex itinerary involving a lot of segments!
Hot Tip: You can play around with many various itineraries, but we would suggest using Great Circle Mapper to figure out the flight distances between cities.
Here’s what you need to know to book itineraries using Asia Miles:
Earning Asia Miles is pretty straightforward.
Cathay Pacific partners with American Express Membership Rewards, Brex Rewards, Capital One Miles, Citi ThankYou Rewards, and Marriott Bonvoy.
Amex, Citi, Brex, and Capital One all transfer at a 1:1 ratio. Amex, Brex, and Citi take around 1 business day, while Capital One takes around 5 business days.
Marriott transfers in 5 business days at a 3:1 ratio. You’ll also get an extra 5,000 Asia Miles when you transfer 60,000 Marriott Bonvoy points in a single transaction.
Synchrony Bank also offers a co-branded credit card that can earn Asia Miles. The historical best sign-up bonus was 75,000 miles, so it might be worth holding out for an offer close to that.
Recommended Citi Cards
Frequent flyers will enjoy 3x ThankYou Points at restaurants, gas stations, supermarkets, air travel, and hotels.
The Citi Premier® Card is an excellent option for anyone looking for an all-around travel rewards credit card. The card helps you earn points fast with great 3x bonus categories such as restaurants, supermarkets, gas stations, airfare, and hotels. Plus, it offers access to airline and hotel transfer partners, doesn’t charge foreign transaction fees, and has a reasonable annual fee!
This no annual fee card rewards cardholders for everyday purchases. Earn bonus points at supermarkets and gas stations, plus your points are rounded up on every purchase.
Great card for the average spender with no specific focus category; worry-free cash-back earning on everything!
The Citi® Double Cash Card has long been one of the top cash-back credit cards on the market, and the card now has the ability to earn Citi ThankYou Points!
This means that cardholders of the Double Cash card will now earn 2% on every purchase with unlimited 1% cash back when you buy, plus an additional 1% as you pay for those purchases. Cash back is earned in the form of ThankYou Points. This means each billing cycle, you will earn 1 ThankYou point per $1 spent on purchases and an additional ThankYou point for every $1 paid on your purchase balance as long as there is a corresponding balance in your Purchase Tracker.
Citi has turned the Double Cash card into a top choice for those who are looking for an everyday, no-fuss credit card.
Earn big on purchases in your top eligible spend category, up to the first $500 each billing cycle, with no annual fee!
The Citi Custom Cash® Card is inventive when it comes to cash-back credit cards. Instead of earning a set amount of cash-back on predetermined bonus categories, the Citi Custom Cash card earns 5% cash-back on your highest eligible spend category each billing cycle, without an annual fee.
Thanks to that unique perk, you’ll never need to worry about whether you’re using the right card for the right purchase, as your Citi Custom Cash card will always pay you 5% back on whichever category you end up spending the most on each month.
Bottom Line: There’s a lot of value to be had when utilizing Cathay Pacific Asia Miles, particularly with the Oneworld multi-carrier award chart. There’s an infinite number of possibilities, amazing award prices, and plentiful ways to earn Asia Miles. Keep in mind that you’ll have to spend time familiarizing yourself with the award charts and routing rules, and you’ll also need to make phone calls when you are ready to book. For simpler itineraries, the prices aren’t as great, but it’s still a redemption worth considering.
Similar to AA, United MileagePlus is excellent for those who are looking for a no-headaches process for flying to Singapore.
You’re going to have to pay a bit more miles, but it might be worth it to reduce your stress levels. Generally speaking, United Airlines has a very user-friendly website and award search engine, complete with a monthly calendar search.
You would do best with flying on United Airlines, as the cost of partner awards is higher. The route that makes the most sense would be the San Francisco nonstop flight to Singapore.
To be honest, the best Chase Ultimate Rewards redemption to Singapore is actually on this flight as well.
| Cabin Class | United Cost | Star Alliance Partners Cost | Taxes and Fees |
| Economy | 80,000 | 88,000 | ~$6 |
| Business | 180,000 | 198,000 | ~$6 |
Note that round-trip awards with Star Alliance partners will run you around 10% more miles than United-operated flights. For this steep a price, you’d do better booking through Singapore Airlines to fly on the superior Singapore Airlines business class.
This United option is great if you have lots of United miles or Chase Ultimate Rewards points, don’t care too much about flying Singapore Airlines, or don’t have enough American Express Membership Rewards points to book through ANA.
Here are some great example routes to book:
To book a flight using MileagePlus, follow these steps:
Hot Tip: Even if you don’t use United to book your awards, search for Star Alliance awards using the award calendar. If you use United to book your awards, you won’t be paying fuel surcharges and you can complete your flight reservation 100% online! How easy is that?
There are several United co-branded credit cards offered by Chase available to earn United miles.
Also, Chase Ultimate Rewards and Marriott Bonvoy are transfer partners with United.
Chase transfers at a 1:1 ratio almost instantly, and Marriott Bonvoy transfers at a 3:1.1 ratio in approximately 3 business days. Lastly, you’ll get a bonus of 5,500 United miles when you transfer 60,000 Marriott Bonvoy points in a single transaction.
Recommended United Cards
With priority boarding privileges, no foreign transaction fees and more, MileagePlus members will definitely enjoy their partnered card.
You travel United all the time, but you have heard that there could be ways to make your travel experiences even better, including priority boarding, free bags, and more miles.
You should consider the United℠ Explorer Card, because this card does all that and more!
Perfect for frequent United flyers who want premium perks like United Club access and free baggage benefits.
The United Club℠ Infinite Card is a premium card designed for the most dedicated of United frequent flyers who are looking for a card that provides the opportunity to earn extra United MileagePlus miles and receive lounge access via a yearly United Club membership.
United frequent flyers will find that the United Club Infinite card provides an enhanced experience on their United flights thanks to the money saved on each flight and the conveniences it provides.
The United Quest card is a fantastic option for United flyers looking to earn more miles and enhance their flights.
The newest addition to United’s lineup of cards is the United Quest℠ Card. With it, you can bolster your United MileagePlus miles, thanks to the bonus categories, while enjoying the card’s many perks designed to help save you money on each United flight.
With an annual fee that falls between the United℠ Explorer Card and United Club℠ Infinite Card, the United Quest card makes for a fantastic card option for United frequent flyers.
The United Gateway card is a great option for those looking to earn more United miles without paying an annual fee.
The United Gateway℠ Card is a great option for those looking to earn more United miles without wanting to pay a credit card annual fee. Plus, the card offers other solid benefits like a 25% back on United inflight purchases, purchase protection, and rental car insurance.
The United Club Business card is a great option for frequent United flyers looking for United Club access.
The United Club℠ Business Card is a premium card option for dedicated United loyalists seeking a card that offers complimentary United Club access, helps them earn and retain status, and doesn’t skip on the benefits.
From free checked bags to upgrades on award tickets and the ability to earn Premier qualifying points, there is plenty to the United Club Business card that United flyers are sure to love.
BOTTOM LINE: Using United miles is more convenient than almost any other frequent flyer program. The best value you can extract from Chase Ultimate Rewards to get to Singapore is with United. At 180,000 miles for round-trip business class on one of the world’s longest flights, United MileagePlus is definitely a program to consider.
Avianca LifeMiles is useful in this case for economy or first class on non-Singapore Airlines Star Alliance flights.
Additionally, there are a few cases in which transferring to Avianca instead of Cathay Pacific would make sense for travelers with lots of Citi ThankYou Rewards Points.
For example, if you were departing from an airport that doesn’t offer nonstop Star Alliance flights to Singapore on economy, you would have to transfer 110,000 points to Singapore KrisFlyer. However, Avianca only charges 78,000 miles for the same route.
This information is useful if you want to use as few points as possible. Keep in mind, however, that Singapore only charges 76,000 on West Coast flights with Singapore Airlines and 80,000 on East Coast flights, but you’d have to fly from one of the 4 airports that Singapore Airlines operates nonstops from.
If you don’t want to deal with the inconvenience of positioning flights, consider using Avianca LifeMiles to fly on Star Alliance economy for 78,000 miles roundtrip!
Another good redemption for LifeMiles would be to use 198,000 miles for round-trip first class on partner airlines! That’s 7,000 miles cheaper than Asia Miles.
Hot Tip: Don’t have enough Citi ThankYou Points or Avianca LifeMiles? Consider purchasing miles when there are 125% to 200% bonus sales! You might still have to spend a bit of money (~$1,000), but you’ll come out way further ahead than if you paid cash!
Here are some great example routes you can book:
To book, follow these steps:
You can earn LifeMiles by transferring points from Amex, Citi, Brex, Capital One, and Marriott Bonvoy.
Amex, Citi, Brex, and Capital One transfer at a 1:1 ratio almost instantly, while Marriott Bonvoy transfers at a 3:1 ratio in approximately 1 business day.
Banco Popular is the exclusive issuer of LifeMiles credit cards in the U.S.
You can also buy LifeMiles at a bonus of up to 200%, which could basically mean buying points for around 1 cent each!
Recommended Capital One Cards
Terms Apply / Rates & FeesThe Capital One Venture X card is an excellent option for travelers looking for an all-in-one premium credit card.
The Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card is the premium Capital One travel rewards card on the block.
Points and miles fans will be surprised to see that the Capital One Venture X card packs quite the punch when it comes to bookings made through Capital One, all while offering the lowest annual fee among premium credit cards.
Depending on your travel goals and preferences, the Capital One Venture X card could very well end up being your go-to card in your wallet.
Terms Apply / Rates & FeesGet 2x miles plus some of the most flexible redemptions offered by a travel credit card!
As a frequent traveler with excellent credit, you’re always on the lookout for a credit card that comes with all the bells and whistles. And the easier it is to understand, the better!
The Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card is one of the most popular rewards cards on the market. It’s perfect for anyone in search of a great sign-up bonus, high rewards rates, and flexible redemption options.
Terms Apply / Rates & FeesThe card offers unlimited miles at 1.25x per $1 and no annual fee. When you consider the flexible rewards, frequent travelers come out on top.
Interested in a travel rewards credit card without one of those pesky annual fees? Then say hello to the Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card, the no-annual-fee version of the more popular Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card.
In addition to no annual fee, the Capital One VentureOne card offers no foreign transaction fees.
But is this card worth its salt, or is it merely a shell of the more popular Capital One Venture card?
Bottom Line: Avianca LifeMiles can prove to be a lifesaver, especially if you’re short on points, thanks to fantastic mileage sales. The program doesn’t pass any fuel surcharges on, the economy and first class award redemption costs are very competitive, and you can fly all Star Alliance partners with this method!
The very last frequent flyer program we’re going to be talking about is only good if you meet the following criteria:
This is a very intriguing sweet spot. Aeroplan uses a distance-based award chart for flights between the U.S. and Singapore:
| Distance (Miles) | Operated By | Economy | Premium Economy | Business | First |
| 0-5,000 | Air Canada | 35,000-65,000 | 45,000-120,000 | 55,000-150,000 | 90,000-200,000 |
| Partner airlines | 35,000 | 55,000 | 90,000 | ||
| 5,001-7,500 | Air Canada | 45,000-80,000 | 60,000-140,000 | 75,000-175,000 | 110,000-250,000 |
| Partner airlines | 50,000 | 75,000 | 110,000 | ||
| 7,501-11,000 | Air Canada | 50,000-90,000 | 70,000-160,000 | 85,000-200,000 | 130,000-300,000 |
| Partner airlines | 60,000 | 85,000 | 130,000 | ||
| 11,000+ | Air Canada | 65,000-110,000 | 80,000-180,000 | 105,000-250,000 | 140,000-350,000 |
| Partner airlines | 75,000 | 105,000 | 140,000 |
For the most part, we’ll be focusing on the distance band from 7,501-11,000 miles.
For Star Alliance flights, you’ll pay 60,000 points in economy one-way, 85,000 points in business one-way, and 130,000 points in first class one-way.
For comparison, ANA charges 240,000 miles round-trip to fly first class on partners, Cathay Pacific charges approximately 205,000 miles round-trip for Oneworld partners, and Singapore KrisFlyer will charge 236,000 to 240,000 miles on its own flights and 270,000 miles on Star Alliance partners.
As you can see, Aeroplan isn’t the cheapest option, but it does not pass on fuel surcharges. Additionally, you can pay just 5,000 points to add a stopover for your trip, resulting in even more value!
Here are some example routes to try:
Hot Tip: Air Canada has a generous routing policy: you can add a stopover to your itinerary for 5,000 extra points, even on one-way award tickets!
We recommend searching for award availability on Aeroplan, and you can book flights there directly using your points. Here’s how:
Aeroplan partners with American Express Membership Rewards, Chase Ultimate Rewards, Capital One Miles, and Marriott Bonvoy.
Amex, Chase, and Capital One transfer to Aeroplan at a 1:1 ratio almost instantly, while Marriott Bonvoy transfers at a 3:1 ratio in 5 business days.
If you transfer 60,000 Marriott Bonvoy points in a single transaction, you will receive 20,000 Aeroplan points plus 5,000 bonus points!
Bottom Line: If you want to fly on a Star Alliance first class flight that isn’t ANA and mostly have points with Amex, Chase, or Capital One, it’ll be hard to beat Aeroplan in this specific instance, especially with the generous stopover allowance for an additional 5,000 points.
There are a number of other ways to fly to Singapore, including with Japan Airlines Mileage Bank, Malaysia Airlines Enrich, and Qantas Frequent Flyer, but we didn’t include those in our main analysis because the redemption rates aren’t very favorable.
For example, you can use Alaska Airlines miles at a better rate than Japan Airlines Mileage Bank.
There are countless ways to fly to Singapore on points and miles. In this guide, we examined 2 of the 3 major airline alliances: Star Alliance and Oneworld.
We did not include SkyTeam partners in this analysis because the award redemption rates for these carriers (with the exception of Korean Air) are sky-high. Plus, in most cases, you’ll have to pay huge surcharges.
Here are the key points to take away:
Overall, there are plenty of ways to fly to Singapore on points and miles — ANA, Singapore Airlines, Cathay Pacific, and Alaska each have their own sweet spots, benefits, and drawbacks.
Just remember: there’s so much value to be had when flying to Singapore since it’s about as far from America as you can fly nonstop! Now you have the full picture of the best ways to fly to Singapore with points and miles.
The information regarding the Marriott Bonvoy Bold® Credit Card was independently collected by Upgraded Points and not provided nor reviewed by the issuer.
The information regarding the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card was independently collected by Upgraded Points and not provided nor reviewed by the issuer.
The information regarding the United Club℠ Business Card was independently collected by Upgraded Points and not provided nor reviewed by the issuer.
For rates and fees of the Marriott Bonvoy Bevy™ American Express® Card, click here.
For rates and fees of the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® card, click here.
For rates and fees of The Platinum Card® from American Express, click here.
For rates and fees of the American Express® Gold Card, click here.
ANA will pass fuel surcharges on round-trip business class flights of $314 on Air China, $290 on Asiana, and $1,500 on Lufthansa and SWISS Air.
Air Canada Aeroplan will not pass fuel surcharges on at all.
American Airlines will pass fuel surcharges on round-trip business/first class flights of $1,091 on British Airways and Iberia.
Cathay Pacific will not pass fuel surcharges on flights to Asia for the most part. It will pass huge fuel surcharges on flights through Europe.
Japan Airlines will pass fuel surcharges on round-trip business/first class flights of $290 on China Eastern, $86 on Japan Airlines, $1,096 on British Airways/Iberia, and $421 on Air France.
You can book ANA during low season for 55,000 miles.
You can also use 60,000 Alaska miles for round-trip Cathay Pacific flights.
Lastly, you can use 75,000 AA miles for round-trip Oneworld flights.
You can fly on ANA during low season for 100,000 ANA miles or during regular season for 110,000 ANA miles.
You can also use 100,000 Alaska miles for round-trip Cathay Pacific flights.
Lastly, you can use 140,000 AA miles for round-trip Oneworld flights.
You can fly on ANA during low or regular season for 195,000 ANA miles.
You can also use 140,000 Alaska miles for round-trip Cathay Pacific flights or 150,000 Alaska miles for round-trip Japan Airlines flights.
Another option is flying Star Alliance first class flights for 198,000 Avianca LifeMiles.
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Stephen is an established voice in the credit card space, with over 70 to his name. His work has been in publications like The Washington Post, and his Au Points and Awards Consulting Services is used by hundreds of clients.
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4 comments
Verden Ng
April 30, 2022
Hi. I am looking to ask for some assistance. I want to book a one-way flight (for 2 people) in business class or higher, LAX to SIN. Our itinerary for this one-way is the last week of September and the points I have are American Express at about 170k, Chase at around 70k, Capital One at 170k. I have read through your entire blog and really am struggling to find good rates. I would appreciate it immensely if you could recommend any good ideas or preferred strategies. Furthermore, I tried to look on the United website for ANA flights as suggested, but am not seeing it. Maybe I am not as experienced!
Stephen Au
May 19, 2022
Hi Verden,
Unfortunately, finding award availability can be challenging. It is best to plan much, much further in advance. Ideally, if you plan at least 9 months in advance, you should get some better deals.
Shaheed S Hasan
July 04, 2022
To Mr. Verden, transfer 1:1 points/ miles to Singapore Airline’s KrisFlyer ( Pls make a free KrisFlyer account first) from two or more cards to buy two tickets. Log in to ur KrisFlyer account, select the buy with miles and then fill up all the necessary information and find out the numbers of miles needed. Do this a few times with different dates and get a good idea about the total points needed. Don’t transfer more points than needed, but also remember price could change in a second.
This is how the answer should be if you wants to maximize his points/ miles. You does not have to fly with Singapore Airlines, same way you can check other airlines, make an account, transfer points/ miles and buy tickets. Case closed. Thanks.
Abue Sayed
November 29, 2022
SINGAPORE AIRLINES DHAKA OFFICE is in Gulshan-2. One of the largest airlines in the world is Singapore Airlines. The International Air Transport Association (IATA) gives airlines like SQ two-character codes.
Changi Airport in Singapore is the main place where things happen. The three-letter code for the airport is SIN. The business began on May 1, 1947. KrisFlyer is a program for people who go a lot.
The main hub of Singapore Airlines is in Singapore. From there, the airline flies to 64 destinations in 32 countries on six continents. Singapore Airlines ordered the world’s largest passenger plane, the Airbus A380, first.
It’s one of the top 15 airlines by passenger-kilometer revenue. Tenth for total international passengers. If you have questions about Singapore Airlines, contact the departments and people below.
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