Singapore Airlines First Class: SQ211 to Sydney

Fiji Trip Report Index
Introduction: Belgium to Fiji in 13 flights (26561 miles, 42746km)
DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Kuala Lumpur
Grand Suite at Grand Hyatt Kuala Lumpur
Singapore Airlines First Class: The Private Room @ Changi Airport
Singapore Airlines First Class: SQ211 Singapore to Sydney B777-300A
Opera King room at Park Hyatt Sydney
Beachfront View room at InterContinental Fiji Golf Resort & Spa
Singapore Airlines Business Class: SQ232 Sydney to Singapore
Thai Airways First Class: Royal Orchid Spa, TG920 Bangkok to Frankfurt A380

Pic: Singapore Airlines First Class Seat 1F on Boeing 777-300 (Jan 2013)
Back in July 2012, Singapore Airlines made a mistake while upgrading their booking engine.  They took it offline for a weekend long upgrade, but when their systems came back online, for a brief moment (24h), it was possible to book Singapore Airlines Business and First Class awards via frequent flyer programs of Star Alliance partners.  This was unintentional, as they normally release longhaul C and F award space exclusively to their own loyalty program, KrisFlyer.  I used this opportunity to book Singapore-Sydney-Auckland-Nadi for 45K United miles + $159,70 (€132) Taxes/Fees with SIN-SYD in Singapore Airlines First Class, SYD-AKL in Air New Zealand Business Class and AKL-NAN in Air New Zealand The Works Economy Class.  This routing is also a great sweet spot on the United MileagePlus Award Chart: A First Class award ticket from Singapore to Sydney or Auckland normally requires 60K United miles, however routing via Australia and/or New Zealand to anywhere in Oceania is only 45K miles!

Pic: SQ First Class – Givenchy Sleeper Suit and Kiehl’s Amenity kit (Jan 2013)
So how did I get hold of the 45K United MileagePlus miles required for this award?  The obvious way would have been by flying, but I haven’t deposited any of my flown miles in my United MileagePlus account in the past two years.  Instead I try to buy miles as cheap as possible throughout the year.  In this case, I bought 98,000 Wyndham Rewards points for $308 (€237,85) during the yearly U.S. Travel Association “Daily Getaways” campaign and converted them to 39,200 United MileagePlus miles.  With 9K miles left in my account from the Continental OnePass and United MileagePlus merger, I had enough miles to cover the remaining 5800 miles required for this award.
Total cost: 39K miles €237,85 + 5800 miles in account + Taxes/Fees €132 =
€369,85 for an award ticket with a revenue value of  > €6000!
Pic: Singapore Airlines First Class – Dom Perignon Champagne (Jan 2013)
The retrofitted Boeing 777-300 had 8 seats in First Class of which only two were occupied.  As I was the only passenger having Dom Perignon Champagne, the crew continuously refilled my glass, even replacing the glass when it was still half full just to make sure I would only drink perfectly chilled champagne!  

Pic: Singapore Airlines First Class – Champagne and Warm Nuts (Jan 2013)
As with every international First Class flight, the menu was extensive:
Lunch menu from Singapore to Sydney (1,2,3)
Cocktails and Aperitifs (1)
Champagne and Wines (1,2)
Spirits and Beers (1)
Non Alcoholic Beverages (1,2)
Coffee Selection (1,2)
Tea Selection (1)

Pic: Singapore Airlines First Class – Chilled Malossol Caviar (Jan 2013)
One of the highlights on a First Class flight: Caviar, just love it!

Pic: Fennel cream soup with mint seared scallop and small pasta (Jan 2013)

Pic: Singapore Airlines First Class Dining – Ceasar Salad (Jan 2013)

Pic: SQ Book the Cook – Wagyu Sirloin with Eringi Mushroom (Jan 2013)
Singapore Airlines offers Business and First Class passengers the possibility to pre-order their main course up to 24h before departure.  I used the Book the Cook service to order Wagyu Sirloin with Eringi Mushroom from the Japanese menu.  Unfortunately, I wasn’t too impressed with the quality of the meat, next time I’ll go for a Singaporean dish or the Boston Lobster Thermidor.
Pic: Macaroon with Pistachio Cream, Fresh Raspberries & Passionfruit sorbet

Pic: Singapore Airlines First Class – Macaroon and Sorbet Dessert (Jan 2013)
While it was a relatively short (8h) daytime flight from Singapore to Sydney, one of the Singapore Girls had prepared seat 2F in full flat bed mode to allow me to take a nap and watch a movie in all comfort.  Having flown a few First Class flights now, I realize being one of the only passengers in the First Class cabin is a big plus!

Pic: Singapore Airlines First Class Bed on Boeing 777-300A (Jan 2013)