There are some situations where I do not mind flying long-haul in Economy. But one of my favourites is getting nerfed from 1 January 2020. Flying Qantas into Los Angeles/San Francisco via Australia used to be my favourite way to fly in Economy because of the huge load of miles that I used receive from the mileage run. Today, I will be sharing my favourite ways to fly into USA from Singapore in all cabins as there is absolutely no reason to take the extra long journey via Australia anymore. In this article, I am only considering flights departing Changi Airport, Singapore (i.e. no positioning).
Economy
Option 1 (Revenue)
Route: Round trip Singapore – Los Angeles via Beijing
Airline: Air China
Price: $733 on Priceline
Cashback from Rebate Mango: $14 (2%)
Miles from Frequent Flyer Program: 4,500 at 25% with Aegean Miles+Bonus (worth $90)
Miles from credit card: 2,932 with OCBC 90°N (worth $49)
Summary: Pay $733 and receive $153 worth of miles and rebates
Option 2 (Miles redemption)
Route: Round trip Singapore – Los Angeles
Airline: Singapore Airlines
Miles required: 76,000 (worth $1,292) + $120.80 fees
Winner: Option 1
Premium Economy
Option 1 (Revenue)
Route: Round trip Singapore – Los Angeles
Airline: Singapore Airlines
Price: $1,328
Cashback from Rebate Mango: $13 (1%)
Miles from Frequent Flyer Program: 17,500 at 100% with Alaska Mileage Plan (worth $385)
Miles from credit card: 5,312 with OCBC 90°N (worth $90)
Summary: Pay $1,328 and receive $488 worth of miles and rebates
Option 2 (Miles redemption)
Route: Round trip Singapore – Los Angeles
Airline: Singapore Airlines
Miles required: 136,000 (worth $2,312) + $80.60 fees
Winner: Option 1
Singapore Airlines Premium Economy Seat. Photo credit: USA Today
Business
Option 1 (Revenue)
Route: Round trip Singapore – Los Angeles via Tokyo
Airline: Japan Airlines
Price: $4,424
Cashback from Rebate Mango: Nil
Miles from Frequent Flyer Program: 39,000 at 225% with Alaska Mileage Plan (worth $866)
Miles from credit card: 8,000 with DBS Woman’s World (worth $136)
Summary: Pay $4,424 and receive $1,002 worth of miles and rebates
Option 2 (Miles redemption)
Route: Round trip Singapore – Los Angeles
Airline: Cathay Pacific
Miles required: 100,000 (worth $2,200) + $250 fees
Winner: Option 2
Cathay Pacific Business Class
First
Option 1 (Revenue)
Route: Round trip Singapore – San Francisco via Zurich
Airline: Swiss
Price: $12,517
Cashback from Rebate Mango: $250 (2%)
Miles from Frequent Flyer Program: 49,000 at 200% with Singapore Krisflyer (worth $833)
Miles from credit card: 15,020 with Citibank PremierMiles (worth $255)
Summary: Pay $12,517 and receive $1,338 worth of miles and rebates
Option 2 (Miles redemption)
Route: Round trip Singapore – San Francisco via Hong Kong
Airline: Cathay Pacific
Miles required: 140,000 (worth $3,080) + $250 fees
Winner: Option 2
Overall Winner: Premium Economy Option 1 (Revenue)
Conclusion
After looking at the above comparison, the choices for each cabin class are pretty clear, at least to me. The standout option is paying for a Singapore Airlines Premium Economy and getting about 36% of the fare back in miles and cashback. If you are an Alaska Gold member, this number goes up to a whopping 65%! SQ’s Premium Economy gives you a larger leg-room, deeper seat recline, your own arm rest, larger entertainment screen and the ability to choose your onboard food in advance via Book The Cook. This is, by far, the most value-for-money option at the moment.
