Author: Shane

Cathay Pacific Asia Miles and Marco Polo Club

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Singapore-based members who are very familiar with Krisflyer (Mainly Miles have an incredibly resourceful guide) may fumble at the first glance of Asia Miles. Asia Miles is travel rewards programme, a fully-owned subsidiary of Cathay Pacific Group. Members of Asia Miles can earn miles through everyday activities such as dining, hotel stays and flights, and use the miles for flights, hotel stays, and even lifestyle goods. Marco Polo Club (MPC) is Cathay Pacific’s loyalty programme, rewarding frequent flyers with perks as they move through the tiers by accumulating club points. When you accumulate enough club points, you will get to a certain tier which will give you extra benefits from extra checked baggage allowances to lounge access. While Asia Miles is free to join and use, there is a first-time joining fee of USD100 for MPC, payable every year unless you earn a minimum of 20 club points, which can be earned rather easily with any return flight from Singapore to Hong Kong on Cathay Pacific. Note that club points cannot really be used to redeem for anything; …

Changes to Emirates and Qantas chauffeur drive service

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Emirates and Qantas both offer a chauffeur drive service to their business and first class passengers for the longest time, but this is now set to be tightened from 1 March 2019. Emirates changes Emirates will no longer offer complimentary chauffeur drive service for customers on any redemption tickets after 1 March 2019. This includes tickets redeemed using Emirates Skywards, or any other frequent flyer programme such as Qantas Frequent Flyer or Alaska Mileage Plan. The service will also no longer be given to those who use miles to upgrade economy class tickets to business class. Qantas changes Qantas changes are a little more complex. From 1 March 2019, they will no longer offer chauffeur drive service to business and first class customers in Singapore and New Zealand, meaning that customers departing and arriving in these two countries will have to arrange their own transport. This also includes customers transiting in Singapore, who will no longer receive the service. The service will also be scaled back in London to a 50-mile radius, down from 70 miles. …

FLIGHT REVIEW: Emirates B777-300ER Business Class, Dubai – Singapore

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I was back at Dubai International Airport at Terminal 3 barely 20 hours after touching down the night before from London to catch my connecting flight back to Singapore.

Emirates provides four shuttles on the seven-hour hop between Dubai and Singapore each day. Of the four flights, two are A380 services that terminates in Singapore, while the other two are B777-300ERs that operates onwards to Melbourne and Brisbane.

FLIGHT REVIEW: Emirates A380 Business Class, London (Gatwick) – Dubai

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Returning from my trip to London after the New Year holiday, I booked myself on Emirates business class via Dubai back to Singapore. I was pretty excited since it was my first time trying out their business class product. On this journey, I deliberately booked myself on both the A380 and the Boeing 777, which are the only two aircraft types that Emirates operate, to get a taste of what the business products Emirates serves its customers.

Emirates reduces baggage allowance for its cheapest fares

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Emirates has quietly reduced the check-in baggage allowance for its cheapest fares in Economy. From 4 February 2019, economy fares in the cheapest Special fare type will only receive 15kg check-in baggage allowance, down from the current 20kg. Saver fares will see their allowance drop to 25kg, down from 30kg. Changes to weight concept (for travel on all routes except to and from Americas, as well as originating from Africa) Economy Flex and Flex Plus fares will continue to receive 30kg and 35kg respectively. There is also no change to business and first class baggage allowances, which remains at 40kg and 50kg respectively. What remains unchanged are the frequent flyer extra baggage allowances for Emirates Skywards members. Silver, Gold and Platinum members will continue to receive between 12kg and 20kg extra baggage allowances on top of what is provided in the fare. Changes to piece concept (for travel to and from Americas, and for travel originating from Africa) For travel to and from Americas and for flights originating from Africa where check-in baggage allowance is by the number of pieces, Special fare type will receive only one single piece of baggage allowance, up to 23kg. Saver, Flex and Flex Plus customers continue to receive 2 …