Tag Archives: A380

Singapore Airlines A380 Business Class: SYD to SIN

Posted on March 23, 2013 | 8 Comments

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
Singapore-Airlines-Business-Class-A380
Pic: Singapore Airlines Business Class on A380
For my return from Fiji to Singapore, I used the same Singapore Airlines glitch as I did for my outbound flights. I booked Nadi-Auckland-Sydney-Singapore at 25K United miles + $115 (€96) Taxes/Fees with NAN-AKL in Air New Zealand The Works Economy Class, AKL-SYD in Air New Zealand Business Class and
SYD-SIN in Singapore Airlines Business Class on the A380. I had 23500 miles left in my United MileagePlus account at the time of booking, 1500 miles short to book the award. 20K miles were bought (€348, $452) via a United 40% discount offer on purchased miles in Apr 2012, the remaining 3500 miles still in my account from the Continental OnePass / United MileagePlus merger. As I had to act fast to make use of the Singapore Airlines glitch, I accepted the United offer to buy the remaining miles at $70 (€58) for 2000 miles. Must have been the most expensive miles I ever bought! Total cost: 20K miles €348 + 3500 miles in account + 1500 miles bought during booking process €58 + Taxes/Fees €96 = €502 for an award ticket with a revenue value of > €3000! Unfortunately, I suffered food poisoning after eating a Subway sandwich in Auckland, so I didn’t have any food nor took pictures on my Air New Zealand AKL-SYD and Singapore Airlines SYD-SIN Business Class flights. Guess I’ll have to fly them once more to make a picture report and enjoy the food!

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Posted in airlines, trip reports

Tagged A380, business class, mileageplus, miles, singapore airlines, united

Thai Airways A380 Royal First Class

Posted on February 12, 2013 | 12 Comments

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: Thai Airways First Class Royal Orchid Spa – Treatment room (Jan 2013)
On my way back from Fiji to Brussels, I suffered food poisoning from eating a sandwich at Subway in Auckland. Not an ideal situation if you still have 20,000km of flying ahead of you. Fortunately I had an Air New Zealand Business Class ticket from Auckland to Sydney and a Singapore Airlines Business Class A380 ticket from Sydney to Singapore. Not that I could enjoy any of the meals on those flights, but at least I had an opportunity to sleep comfortably. My original plan was to have a one night stopover in Singapore and to continue to Amsterdam in KLM Economy class. I had booked Holiday Inn Singapore Orchard City Centre using 25K Priority Club points for my stopover. Arriving at the Holiday Inn, still feeling very weak from the food poisoning, I was informed my room was upgrade to a suite. In a normal situation, I would have been excited about this, but feeling ill, I heard the person checking in next to me being offered a ‘better’ offer…. a 6pm late check-out. I requested if I could exchange my upgrade for a 6pm late check-out which wasn’t a problem. I slept until noon and ordered room service for a late breakfast (the staff were very helpful and caring, they prepared two meals to help me recover from my food poisoning) I still wasn’t feeling very well and not looking forward to my KLM Economy class flight which was scheduled for 1am the next morning. Fortunately, the United MileagePlus program offered me an awesome alternative. Singapore to Bangkok in Thai Airways Business Class, Bangkok to Frankfurt in First Class on the brand new Thai Airways A380 and Frankfurt to Brussels in Business Class on Lufthansa. Of course, this comfortable trip came at a price: 80,000 United miles and $133 in taxes and fees. A paid Thai Airways BKK-FRA A380 First Class ticket would have been around €2750. I bought the 80K United MileagePlus miles for €1086 via 4 transactions:

26600 miles for €129 by combining the Wyndham Rewards 16K Bonus Point Offer and United Hotel Points to Miles Transfer Bonus
26388 miles for €437 using the United Award Accelerator offer
25000 miles for €470 using the United Miles 40% off offer
2000 miles for €50 part of the MilePoint.com Premium membership

Add €103 ($133) in taxes and fees and you end up with a grand total of €1189 for my First Class alternative. Not an amazing award ticket, but still 60% cheaper than buying the ticket.

Pic: Thai Airways First Class – Royal Orchid Spa, Bangkok Airport (Jan 2013)
Upon arrival in Bangkok, a ground staff member was holding a sign with my name at the aircraft door. As the plane was not parked at a gate, I got a private car ride to the terminal followed by a golf cart ride to the Thai Royal First Lounge. Once at the lounge I was offered my own private corner and iPad menu to order whatever food I liked. I was also requested which Spa treatment I preferred and what time would suit me. Flying Thai First Class from Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport comes with a unique feature: a 60 minute Full Body Massage at the Royal Orchid Spa. I went for the Touch of Silk Massage (Full Body Oil Massage) which was simply amazing! The treatment rooms were stunning (definitely for an airport facility) and the staff were very welcoming and professional.
Pic: Thai Airways First Class A380 Cabin – Seats 1E and 1F (Jan 2013)
After the massage treatment and some light snacks, my Thai lounge host informed me the aircraft was ready for boarding. Fortunately, I wasn’t offered another golf cart ride to the gate. It was at walking distance from the lounge, and I made it before the other 11 passengers joining me in First Class (all 12 seats in were occupied). I only had 2 minutes before the other passengers arrived, so I quickly snapped some pictures of the empty cabin.

Pic: Thai Airways First Class A380 Cabin – Seats 2E and 2F (Jan 2013)

Pic: Thai Airways First Class seat on Airbus A380 (Jan 2013)

Pic: Thai Airways First Class A380 Seat Controls (Jan 2013)

Pic: Thai Airways First Class A380 Dom Perignon Service (Jan 2013)
After stowing my carry-on luggage and jacket, I was offered a glass of Dom Perignon Vintage 2003 Champagne.
Pic: Thai Airways First Class A380 Dom Perignon (Jan 2013)

Pic: Thai Airways First Class A380 Cabin – Seat 2A (Jan 2013)
Beige is the dominant color in the Thai A380 First Class interior which makes me wonder how the cabin will look like in a year from now. The A380 I was flying on was only a few months in service and already I spotted some stains and scratches on the delicate leather surfaces. This is going to be quite a challenge for the cleaning and maintenance crews!

Pic: Thai Airways A380 First Class – Staircase to Business Class (Jan 2013)

Pic: Thai Airways A380 First Class – Sky Lounge Seating Area (Jan 2013)

Pic: Thai Airways A380 First Class – Sky Lounge Seating Area (Jan 2013)
I didn’t find the Sky Lounge very appealing. I guess nothing beats the Emirates A380 Business Class Bar.

Pic: Thai Airways A380 First Class – Restroom with BVLGARI Toiletries

Pic: Thai Airways A380 First Class – Restroom Seating Area (Jan 2013)

Pic: Thai Airways A380 First Class – Restroom Make-Up-Mirror (Jan 2013)

Pic: Thai Airways First Class Airbus A380 – Meal Service (Jan 2013)

Pic: Thai Airways First Class Airbus A380 – Stolichnaya Vodka (Jan 2013)

Pic: Thai Airways First Class Airbus A380 – Calvisius Caviar (Jan 2013)
After we reached our cruising altitude, dinner service started. As my stomach wasn’t recovered yet from the food poisoning, I only had the caviar (nothing will make me skip that!) and dessert. Pictures of the drinks & wine menu (1,2,3) and dinner & breakfast menu (1,2)

Pic: Thai Airways First Class Airbus A380 – Calvisius Caviar (Jan 2013)

Pic: Thai Airways First Class Airbus A380 – Icecream (Jan 2013)
After dinner, it was time to convert my seat in an excellent fully flat bed. The additional mattress combined with my Bose QuietComfort 15 headphones ensured a Smooth As Silk night of sleep…

Pic: Thai Airways First Class Airbus A380 – Fully Flat Bed (Jan 2013)

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Posted in airlines, lounges, trip reports

Tagged A380, Airbus, bangkok, cabin, caviar, champagne, dinner, dom perignon, First Class, frankfurt, fully flat bed, massage, pictures, Royal Orchid Spa, seat, TG, thai airways

Belgium to Fiji in 13 flights (26561 miles, 42746km)

Posted on February 2, 2013 | 8 Comments

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: Brussels, Belgium to Suva, Fiji return: 13 flights, 26561 miles (Jan 2013) What a way to start 2013! Grand Suite at Grand Hyatt Kuala Lumpur, Singapore Airlines First Class to Sydney, Opera King room at Park Hyatt Sydney, Beachfront View room at InterContinental Fiji Golf Resort & Spa, Thai Airways A380 First Class from Bangkok to Frankfurt… just to name a few highlights.
You can expect extensive coverage of my January trip in the coming weeks.
Let’s start with the airfares, how did I pull this one off? I used four separate tickets: a KLM revenue economy class ticket (€571) BRU-AMS-SIN-AMS-FRA (of which I only used the outbound part) and three tickets booked with United MileagePlus miles. 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 SIN-SYD-AKL-NAN for 45K United miles (with SIN-SYD in SQ F, SYD-AKL in NZ C, and AKL-NAN in NZ Y) and NAN-AKL-SYD-SIN for 25K United miles (with NAN-AKL in NZ Y, AKL-SYD in NZ C and SYD-SIN in SQ C) My third award ticket SIN-BKK-FRA-BRU was a last minute booking, again using United MileagePlus miles. (with SIN-BKK in TG C, BKK-FRA in TG F and FRA-BRU in LH C) 48 hours before departure, Thai Airways had released First Class award space for their brand new Airbus A380 flight from Bangkok to Frankfurt on January 24. Albeit being quite expensive at 80K United miles, an opportunity I couldn’t refuse.

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Posted in airlines, destinations, trip reports

Tagged A380, award, fiji, First Class, mileageplus, singapore airlines, thai airways, united

Year-end Mileage Run: Star Alliance Gold

Posted on October 31, 2011 | 6 Comments

It’s that time of the year again, frequent flyers are anxiously looking at the number of status miles they have flown this year, and more importantly, how many they still have to fly to (re)qualify for their elite status. I’ve been a Miles and More (Lufthansa) Frequent Traveller (Star Alliance Silver) since Oct 2010, which provided me with business class lounge access, 25% more award and status miles, business class check-in and extra free baggage allowance (2 bags, 40KG total)

With 62,242 status miles flown in 2011, I’m still 37758 short for the next Miles and More elite tier, Senator. This tier comes with Star Alliance Gold status which offers worldwide access to all Star Alliance Gold lounges (incl. the upscale Lufthansa Senator lounges) as long as you have a same-day ticket for any Star Alliance carrier. You also get two eVouchers which allow you to upgrade two European flights or one long haul flight on a paid ticket. As Senator you can use the Lufthansa First Class check-in counters even when flying economy. When flying other Star Alliance airlines, you can use the business class check-in counters. You can take more free luggage (additional 20 kg): 2 bags in Economy, 3 bags in Business and 4 bags in First class. Your luggage will be delivered first on the belt on arrival (priority luggage). When flying economy, you can also board the plane together with the business class passengers. Finally you can redeem award tickets at 50% of the miles for your companion (Companion Award).
Pic: Ipanema Beach – Rio de Janeiro – Brazil (Feb 2010)
In 2011, the majority of my trips were private, so logically I went for the cheapest fares (i.e. Lufthansa booking classes K and L) which only earn 50% of the flown miles. I also made some mistakes booking Turkish Airlines tickets which earned me almost no miles (i.e. Istanbul – Brussels: 125 status miles) and in February my Turkish flight to Kuala Lumpur was canceled and replaced by a Malaysia Airlines flight which earned me zero Star Alliance miles. Anyway, I had to come-up with a plan to earn an additional 37758 status miles with limited vacation days left for 2011. I could make 4 long-haul extended weekend trips, but that would have been quite exhausting. Instead I decided to treat myself to a discounted business class ticket (booking class Z) to a new Lufthansa destination: Rio de Janeiro I’ve been already twice to Rio (May 2009 and Carnival Feb 2010) so why go again early December? Who doesn’t want a break from the cold and dark Belgian winter? Summer in Rio! Can’t wait to chill at Ipanema beach! Of course, there’s an other reason I chose Rio, Lufthansa’s double miles promo!
On top of the 31766 status miles, I’ll receive an additional bonus of 27792 award miles. The promo states it cannot be combined with any other promotion, but if my BRU- FRA myChoice promo (triple miles on business class tickets) kicks in too, it would get me another 8000 award miles on top. We’ll see how this one turns out.

Pic: Lufthansa A380-800 Johannesburg – My second A380 flight (May 2011)
That leaves me with another 5992 status miles (37758-31766) to earn before year-end 2011. Why not try another new Lufthansa line? As of this week (Oct 30, 2011) Lufthansa started flying the A380 from Frankfurt to Singapore. On Friday Nov 4th, I’ll be one of the lucky economy passengers on the A380 to Singapore. A return L fare BRU-FRA-SIN for €497.50 which earns me 9892 status miles. If everything turns out as planned, I’ll have 103900 status miles by mid December, enough to upgrade my status to Lufthansa Senator (Star Alliance Gold) until Feb 2014. Fingers crossed!
PS: A mileage run is an airline trip designed and taken solely to gain maximum frequent flyer miles, points or status. The above flights do technically not count as mileage runs as I will actually enjoy several days of vacation at each destination.