Earlier today I reported on how I was able to book an award with Singapore Airlines Krisflyer miles which required backtracking from Hong Kong to Singapore to the United States without have to pay for the additional segment. The pricing error is due to what I consider to be a deceptive practice by Singapore Airlines.
I only found the pricing error only between Hong Kong and Los Angeles, but now it seems there are several more routes which are pricing out cheaper! The best part, some are available online! Other routes appear to be in violation of the 14 CFR 399.84 and should be able to be purchased for less miles, but may require a fight.
Book These Singapore Airlines Krisflyer Award Tickets Online
There are two different ways to save due to the computer issues. The first is to book flights between Zone 5 (Beijing and Shanghai) and Zone 12 (United States West Coast). Purchase these tickets to travel via Singapore for less than a ticket to Southeast Asia!
Singapore Airlines’s award chart does not list a price for these routes as typically two awards would be necessary. One ticket between the USA and Singapore and another between Singapore and China. The routing requires backtracking and means flying the long way, but remember you can add a stopover.
Example #1 Shanghai to Los Angeles in Business Class – typical cost 97,750 miles if booked online as two tickets.
Example #2 Shanghai to Los Angeles in First Class – typical cost 133,875 miles if booked online as two tickets.
To further explain, the examples above require backtracking which is forbidden per Singapore Airlines Krisflyers Term and Conditions. Therefore, the tickets should price as two awards. One award ticket Shanghai to Singapore and a second from Singapore to Los Angeles.
In example #2, the award tickets should cost 157.5K miles or 133,875 miles after the 15% online discount is applied if the award is broken into two awards. Instead it’s pricing out to 106,250 miles after the online discount! A savings of nearly 25,000 miles! Is this an error or just an awesome undocumented part of the Singapore Airlines Award Chart?
Indulge and Backtrack on Singapore Airlines Routes and Save
From my research, I believe that the Singapore Airlines website is incorrectly pricing all flights between “Zone 4” which includes Hong Kong, South China, and Taiwan to the “Zone 12” United States West Coast (LAX and SFO). The website is incorrectly displaying the cost of direct flights instead of pricing them as two awards. Look at the cost between zone 12 and Zone 4, the price displaying before selecting the routing via Singapore is displaying the nonstop price.
† Mileage indicated is only valid for non-stop flights (no connections or transits) between two destinations.
^ To confirm the exact mileage required, please contact KrisFlyer Membership Services.
remember per Krisflyers rules,
“a. Travel must be via a published route. Backtracking is not permitted except as required by route restrictions. Backtracking occurs when a journey does not continue in the same direction in which it began. An itinerary containing a backtracking sector not required by route restrictions may require separate tickets.”
Here are additional routes I found which are displaying incorrect fares and may be able to be booked for the direct fare costs thanks to DOT regulations.
| Route | Class of Service | Initial Shown Cost | Final Cost | Savings in Miles | Percent Savings |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TPE-SIN-SFO | Economy | 30,000 | 42,500 | 12,500 | 29% |
| TPE-SIN-SFO | Business | 75,000 | 91,375 | 16,375 | 18% |
| HKG-SIN-LAX | First | 82,500 | 123,250 | 40,750 | 33% |
| HKG-SIN-LAX | Business | 75,000 | 91,375 | 16,375 | 18% |
| HKG-SIN-LAX | Economy | 30,000 | 42,500 | 12,500 | 30% |
| CTU-SIN-SFO | Economy | 30,000 | 42,500 | 12,500 | 29% |
| CTU-SIN-SFO | Business | 75,000 | 91,375 | 16,375 | 18% |
| ICN-SIN-SFO | Business | 77,500 | 102,000 | 24,500 | 24% |
| ICN-SIN-SFO | Prem Econ | 63,000 | 82,875 | 19,875 | 24% |
| ICN-SIN-SFO | Economy | 32,500 | 48,875 | 16,375 | 34% |
Although routes on the table above may not reflect the only routes which qualify by this error, the saving potential is clear! The only issue is that Singapore Airlines may or may not honor your request for the reduce mileage awards with backtracking via Singapore. As soon as Singapore Airlines IT fixes the issue, the saving potential will disappear.
Transferring miles or points to Krisflyer is a bad ideal until you are certain your request for the lower price will be honored. The only real way is to ask and see. If customer service says “no,” hang up and call again, or do as I do and file a complaint with the DOT.
