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Singapore Suites A380 Beijing to Singapore, a family experience
I think Singapore Suites is on everyone’s bucket list. I know I’ve shown my parents pictures of the suites, but I don’t think they really understood just how cool it would be until we were walking on to the plane. We were leaving Beijing, and although the Great Wall of China was something my mom had wanted to see, the air pollution was something we were all ready to leave. That’s what made the next surprise SO COOL. We weren’t going to be separated in different cabins like Cathay; we weren’t just going to be in First Class; we were ALL going to be in SUITES! I’d even managed to secure 3 suites in a row, with my parents having the middle 2 suites which form a bed. I couldn’t wait to see their reactions. Come along with us and see our adventure in Singapore Suites A380 Beijing to Singapore.
I Insta-Storied the Whole Surprise Part…Check it out
The Deets:
- When: April 2017
- Where: Beijing to Singapore
- Loyalty: Singapore Krisflyer
- How much: 97.5k + $25 ( Beijing to Singapore to Dubai ) +$100 stopover fee ( My mom’s ticket was 82,875 + ~$300 – I’ll explain)
- Flight: SQ807
- Flight Time: 8 hours ( 2+ hour delay)
The Service is second to none. From the moment we entered the plane we were not only addressed by name, but treated like long lost relatives.
We were filming, toasting, celebrating…the whole nine yards. The staff could not have been more welcoming. It wasn’t long before they found out that we were on a surprise trip and my mom hadn’t known where she was headed until she got her boarding pass. THEY LOVED IT!
We were all pretty awestruck by the size and beauty of the product.
I had seat 3A on the window while my parents were across the aisle from me in the center.
Here’s my suite:
The finishes are incredible.
The door closes completely, there’s a window shade, and the IFE is HUGE with easy to use controls.
My parents were in the middle…
Here’s my dad’s impression of the experience:
Miles had us booked on the Suites for the 6 hour flight from Beijing to Singapore. I was very impressed when I was greeted by name as I approached the plane by a lady with a very pleasant smile dressed in a beautiful sarong. Each suite is a spacious compartment with a door, windows and all the amenities. I found that I preferred the more open and airy cabin feel, but this one is quite private. The service and food were excellent. The seats are roomy and go completely lie flat with a comfortable mattress pad that can be applied. I found I sleep better when the seat is in a recliner position. I’m glad to have experienced the Suites, but I thought the charming lady who greeted us as we approached the plane and attended to us in-flight made the difference on this flight.
It was also the best possible time to get delayed.
Our flight ended up getting delayed by 2 – 2.5 hours. It’s not often you’d prefer a long delay, but this was one of those times. The crew kept filling up our glasses with Krug ( even a Dom taste comparison) and started brining snacks. My mom thought the Thai Peanut Chicken was delish.
Here was My Mom’s Impression
Entering Suites was a total surprise!!!!!!!! I had not expected this type of experience!!! “WOW!!!” I was dazzled!!!! The configuration in Suites is very, very private – a series of cubicles which can be totally closed off from other passengers – door, windows/blinds. After being seated, I was served warm nuts and Krug Champagne – so refreshing!! We were delayed over two hours and they brought us bottleless drinks and started bringing snacks. The Thai Chicken was so good! When it was time for dinner, it was served with fresh white linen and was delicious!! At bedtime, the seat was lowered to lie flat and a down mattress, cover and pillow were supplied. I couldn’t believe my husband and I were sleeping next to one another in our own private rooms on a plane. It was wonderful!! The service was exceptional!!!! Again, I’m thinking, “Does this have to end???”
The space is so enormous that 3 of us were able to dine together in just my parents’ combined suite.
The menu…which is leather bound and presented upon boarding.
The food is outstanding. You’re not eating airplane food, you’re enjoying fine dining and happen to be 5 miles in the air. Look at the silverware and plating. Unreal.
After dinner we all had our beds turned down. The middle is the most impressive…
And then mine on the window…
As you can see…2 pillows, mattress pad, and fine bed linens. The epitome of luxury. The doors close and you have a private sanctuary all to yourself.
BUT…I was too excited and couldn’t sleep. Then I saw my dad was awake. I snuck over and had a Johnnie Walker Blue with him.
The suite across from him was open…so we chilled there for a bit and Bro’d out 😉
All in all we had a little over 8 hours in Singapore Suites. To have been able to enjoy something this exclusive for less than the price of the meal that was served on the plane…is incredible. Being to do it, together, as a family…priceless.
The Chase Sapphire Preferred is a great starter card that earns Premium Ultimate Rewards that can be transferred into over a dozen partners many of which are US based.
Welcome Offer
60k Points after $4k spend in 3 months
80k offer in branch currently – I think this should be online soon
Annual Fee
$95
Points Earned
Transferrable Chase Ultimate Rewards
Super solid welcome offer.
If you carry this card alongside Chase’s cashback cards like the Chase Freedom Flex℠and Chase Freedom Unlimited® or the business versions: Ink Business Cash , Ink Business Unlimited you can combine the points into Preferred account and transfer into hotel and airline partners
Annual fee is quite low at $95 a year + you get a 10% anniversary bonus on points + $50 hotel credit in Chase travel.
- 3x on dining
- including eligible delivery services for takeout
- 3x on select streaming services
- 3x on online grocery purchases
- (excluding Target, Walmart and wholesale clubs)
- 5x on all travel purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards – Chase Travel Portal
- $50 Annual Credit on hotel stays purchased via Ultimate Rewards/Chase Travel
- The begins immediately for new cardmembers and after your account anniversary for existing cardmembers
- 10% Anniversary Bonus
- Every year you keep the card, your total spend will yield a 10% points bonus. If you spend $10k in a year, you’ll get 1k bonus points
- Chase Sapphire Preferred® continues to redeem at 1.25c in the Chase Travel Portal and the slew of other benefits remain in tact including primary rental car insurance, purchase protections, etc.
- Points are transferrable to 13 Ultimate Rewards partners
- Redeem in the Chase Travel center for 1.25 cents per point
- No foreign transaction fees
- Suite of Travel and Purchase Coverage
- Primary rental car coverage is my favorite
There is currently an 80k offer after $4k spend in 3 months available in branch, and up to 90k after $6k spend in 6 months. I suspect some version of this will be online soon if you don’t want the hassle of going into a branch.
We keep an up to date spreadsheet that lists the best ever offers: You can find that spreadsheet here.
Historically 60k is a very, very good offer. In 2021, we saw the offer hit an all time high of 100k. Who knows if that will ever come back. .
Main Cast:
Cards that earn flexible points and should be used on the bulk of your purchases.
Supporting Cast:
Cards that earn fixed points in the currency of the airline/hotel and can not be transferred at attractive rates. These cards yield benefits that make it worth keeping, but not necessarily worth putting a lot of your everyday spend on.
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