Author: Shane

Changi Lounge now accepts Priority Pass & DragonPass

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Spend up to three hours at this public area lounge with your Priority Pass or DragonPass Three months after opening, Changi Lounge at Jewel Changi Airport is finally accepting third-party lounge pass programmes for admission. If you are holding a valid Priority Pass or DragonPass membership (which is fairly easy to gain in Singapore as many credit cards offer one), you may use them at Changi Lounge with immediate effect. As this lounge is in the public area, you will be required to show a valid same-day boarding pass to be able to use the lounge. That unfortunately means you can’t just walk in and use the lounge anytime you are in Jewel! For Priority Pass, you will only be able to access the lounge 4 hours before your flight (e.g. if your flight is at 5pm, you can only enter the lounge at 1pm), while for DragonPass, you can access it any time during the same day for a maximum of three hours per visit. Walk-in rates If you unfortunately do not hold any …

Singapore Airlines to upgrade all of its Changi Airport Terminal 3 lounges by 2021

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Singapore Airlines announced earlier this week that it will finally be refreshing all of its lounges at Singapore Changi Airport Terminal 3. The suite of lounges – including the Private Room, the SilverKris lounge, and the Krisflyer Gold lounge – will progressively undergo refurbishment from August 2019 and will be completed by mid-2021. The new lounges, to be designed by international hospitality design firm Hirsch Bedner Associates, is touted by SIA to “inject a fresh look and feel to each lounge that is modern yet homely, while inspiring a sense of timeless elegance”. SilverKris Business Class Lounge The Changi Airport Terminal 3 SilverKris Lounge will be the first to be renovated, commencing August 2019. The lounge will be expanded finally, making way for more customers and easing off the late evening crowds. The new Business Lounge will be styled into four zones: A relaxed cafe zone for short transits A dining hall featuring a full selection of Asian and international cuisine A full service bar (which is previously only available in the first class section), …

Singapore Airlines to pursue deeper ties with Malaysia Airlines

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Closer ties will see both airlines expand codeshare arrangements, enhancements on frequent flyer programmes as well as maintenance, repairs and overhaul (MRO) services. Singapore Airlines signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Malaysia Airlines earlier this week (27 June 2019) to ‘significantly step up cooperative ties’. While the media release did not specify anything concrete (as with most MOUs), it broadly mentioned three areas of collaboration: Expanding codeshare arrangements beyond the current Singapore-Malaysia services; Enhancing both airlines’ frequent flyer programmes Cargo MRO services All of the above are subject to government and regulatory approvals, and more details will be announced down the road when a proper agreement is signed. Coming full circle? If you are somewhat an avid fan of Singapore Airlines, you will know that the carrier has its roots in Malaysia-Singapore Airlines, or MSA. The joint airline was formed in 1966 as a collaboration between both Singapore and Malaysia governments after the independence of Singapore. Regretfully (or perhaps fortunately to some), the partnership didn’t last very long before they went separate ways in 1972 …

Alaska Air Mileage Plan offering 30% on miles purchases

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This is even better than a 40% bonus. Alaska Air is now doing a flash sale from now until 1 July 2019 2.59pm (30 June 2019, 11.59pm PST). Unlike previous sales where they offer 40% bonus miles (sometimes up to 50%), Alaska Air is now offering a 30% straight up discount off the purchase price. Offer type Effective discount 40% bonus miles 28.6% 50% bonus miles 33.3% 30% discount 30% So if you look at the table above, you will see that a 30% discount is slightly higher than a 40% bonus, so this is a good middle ground between a 40 to 50% bonus offer. There is a minimum number of miles you have to purchase before you enjoy the discount, and apparently this minimum differs from person to person. You will have to log into your account to see what you are targeted with. Personally I’ve been targeted with the offer provided I buy a minimum of 20,000 miles. What are they good for? For the uninitiated, Alaska Air has amassed quite a …

Qantas Frequent Flyer changes: 4 things you need to know

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Qantas Frequent Flyer made a major announcement yesterday, unveiling some of the key changes in its programmes. Here are some of the things we thought you might want to know: 1. Redemption rates for premium classes are going up by up to 15% From 18 September 2019, Qantas will be increasing the number of points required for award tickets and upgrades on premium economy, business and first class seats, while reducing the fees required for these seats internationally. On average, the number of points required are going up between 12.9% and 15%, depending on class and the distance traveled. The tables below are only for redemptions on Qantas, Emirates, American Airlines, Fiji and Airnorth services: Zone One-way distance Premium Economy Old (‘000 pts) New (‘000 pts) Increase % 1 0 – 600 12 13.8 1.8 15.0 2 601 – 1,200 18 20.6 2.6 14.4 3 1,201 – 2,400 27 31.0 4.0 14.8 4 2,401 – 3,600 37 42.2 5.2 14.1 5 3,601 – 4,800 45 51.3 6.3 14.0 6 4,801 – 5,800 54 61.5 7.5 …