The novel coronavirus is slowly killing airlines, one route at a time.
Singapore Airlines have put out another statement late 10 February 2020 announcing further cuts to Mainland China, following a drastic reduction in service since beginning to the month.
As Singapore’s national carrier, the airline was probably obliged to keep air routes open, probably in part due to diplomatic relations.
However, given the drop in business, it only makes sense to further cut services and maintain a minimum connectivity during this time when anyone who steps in from China have to face a 14-day quarantine.
SIA’s statement:
As a result of the novel coronavirus outbreak, demand for air travel between Singapore and China has declined significantly.
Singapore Airlines and SilkAir will be further rationalising our flights to China temporarily. Services to some destinations will be temporarily suspended until the situation improves. Details of the affected flights can be found here.
The Singapore Airlines Group has had a long history of operating to China. There are still many Singaporeans working and living in China now, many of whom will still require connectivity between Singapore and China. As the national carrier, we will continue to maintain minimum connectivity to the key cities of Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Chongqing for now despite the reduced demand.
Singapore Airlines, 10 Feb 2020
SIA’s current schedule to Mainland China
As of 10 Feb 2020, Singapore Airlines & Silkair will be cancelling all flights to China until 28 Mar, except for the following bare minimum services:
Route
Flight No.
Dep
Arr
Days of Ops
Aircraft Type
Singapore – Beijing
SQ802
0845
1450
Daily
B777-300ER / A350-900
Beijing – Singapore
SQ807
1640
2320
Daily
B777-300ER / A350-900
Singapore – Shanghai
SQ830
0920
1435
Daily
A380-800
Shanghai – Singapore
SQ831
1625
2215
Daily
A380-800
Singapore – Guangzhou
SQ850
0805
1210
Select days
B787-10
Guangzhou – Singapore
SQ851
1325
1730
Select days
B787-10
Singapore – Chongqing
MI972
0700
1120
14 Feb & Mondays
B737-800
Chongqing – Singapore
MI971
1220
1715
14 Feb & Mondays
B737-800
For the full list of cancellations, please see SIA’s list here.
For a full list of other China-bound services cancelled, visit my previous article here.
About 3 flights cancelled daily between Singapore and Hong Kong, out of eight
With the 2019 Novel Coronavirus (or some call it the Wuhan Virus) all the rage right now, my original plan of visiting China is now bust, so I was looking at alternative destinations, including Japan, South Korea and Hong Kong.
This is when I found that it seems like Cathay Pacific is looking at cancelling some flights.
Cathay Pacific has since come out to say that it will be slashing 90% of flights to Mainland China, and dropping 30% of its services worldwide given the sluggish demand due to the virus.
Cathay Pacific stops selling some flights
While Cathay Pacific has not published the cancellations, I was looking through Expertflyer and notice something rather interesting: Cathay Pacific has zerorised some of the inventory to and from Singapore.
Seems like Cathay Pacific has stopped selling seats on CX710, CX690 and CX636 for 12 Feb 2020
Cathay Pacific runs up to eight flights between Singapore and Hong Kong most days, including one CX712 that operates via Bangkok.
While the airline has not officially reduced capacity between Hong Kong and Singapore, a quick look on Expertflyer seems to suggest that the airline has canceled some flights right up to end of March.
For instance, in the weeks beginning 17 February and 9 March 2020 respectively:
Date
Dep Time
17 Feb (Mon)
18 Feb (Tue)
19 Feb (Wed)
20 Feb (Thu)
21 Feb (Fri)
22 Feb (Sat)
23 Feb (Sun)
CX714
0125
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
CX692
0640
C
C
C
C
CX710
0800
C
C
C
C
C
C
CX658
1000
C
C
C
C
C
C
C
CX690
1255
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
CX712
1405
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
C
CX734
1640
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
CX716
1800
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
CX636
2015
C
C
C
C
C
C
Date
Dep Time
9 Mar (Mon)
10 Mar (Tue)
11 Mar (Wed)
12 Mar (Thu)
13 Mar (Fri)
14 Mar (Sat)
15 Mar (Sun)
CX714
0125
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
CX692
0640
C
C
C
CX710
0800
C
C
C
C
C
CX658
1000
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
CX690
1255
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
CX712
1405
C
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
CX734
1640
Y
Y
C
C
C
C
C
CX716
1800
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
CX636
2015
C
C
C
C
C
C
Note: Y – operating; C – zeroed inventory (likely to be cancelled); blank – not scheduled to operate
Taiwan is now imposing mandatory quarantine for passing through Hong Kong
Taiwan has announced 7 Feb that it will be requiring all passengers passing through Hong Kong, Macau and Mainland China – even in transit – to be quarantined for 14 days.
This makes a trip on Cathay Pacific to Taiwan now impossible, given that you will need to change planes in Hong Kong.
Final thoughts
This is certainly only the beginning, as we continue to see more cases of the 2019 novel coronavirus being reported globally.
I expect to see more airlines cancelling more services as people are slapped with travel restrictions, or are simply afraid to travel for the fear of getting the virus.
If you are intending to travel anytime soon, as usual, it’s best to check the status of your flight before you go.
Selected destinations only, fly between 1 March and 30 April.
Singapore Airlines have launched a very interesting promotion, offering 50% extra miles for business class trips to select destinations in Europe and USA.
Book a Business Flexi fare and enjoy 50% bonus miles
The fares will have to be booked in Business Flexi fare (J, C, Z class), which are the three highest fare classes in the business cabin.
Which routes are eligible for this bonus?
Only the following destinations are eligible for the 50% bonus:
Europe: Amsterdam, Paris, Frankfurt, London, Munich and Zurich
USA: New York (Newark) and San Francisco
Are Business Flexi fares worth it?
Given that you are buying essentially a flexible fare which are typically more expensive, expect to shell out up to 50% more than the lite fare.
Also, if you typically clock miles through corporate travel, your company travel policy may not allow you to buy into a higher fare class as required by the promotion, so be sure to check.
For ease of comparison, here are some sample fares in April to all the destinations, based on a weekday departure and 7-days stay overseas:
Destination
Business Lite fare (S$)
Business Flexi fare (S$)
Fare diff
Base miles (based on Lite fare)
Bonus miles (Flexi fare 20% bonus + 50%)
CPM for bonus (S$)
Amsterdam
6,039
8,585
2,546
16,330
11,431
0.222
Paris
5,445
7,837
2,392
16,658
11,661
0.205
Frankfurt
5,961
7,926
1,965
15,968
11,178
0.176
London
5,707
8,638
2,931
16,904
11,833
0.248
Munich
6,039
8,439
2,400
15,626
10,938
0.219
Zurich
5,952
8,352
2,400
16,008
11,206
0.214
Newark
7,341
9,751
2,410
23,824
16,677
0.145
San Francisco
6,726
9,951
3,225
21,100
14,770
0.218
San Francisco (via HKG)
6,786
10,011
3,225
21,274
14,892
0.217
As exemplified above, the cost per additional mile ranges between 14.5 cents to 24.8 cents, which is a poor value. The 50% bonus miles also do not count towards elite status, so you won’t get your Elite Gold any faster with this promotion. While you will still get bonus miles for the extra spending on your credit card (e.g. clocking 4mpd on your OCBC 90N), that will bring down your CPM to about 11.6 cents, which is still an extremely high cost.
Ironically, it’s actually cheaper to buy miles directly from Krisflyer, at a rate of USD40 (SGD56) per 1,000 miles block. At that rate, 12,000 miles will set you back by USD480 (SGD672), and you will also earn points on that spend if you use the right credit card (e.g. 3mpd on the DBS Altitude Visa).
Final thoughts
You should only do it if you are travelling on someone else’s money (e.g. your company), and that you are able to switch it up without forking out more money.
You are better off deferring that additional spending, and set it towards another business class ticket in the future.
This is obviously a very poor value promotion, which is of little to almost no value for leisure travellers who are spending their own money to get the extra miles. The incentive to up-sell to a better yielding fare class is just not there – especially when the fare difference is so large.
Singapore Airlines might simply fare better if they had thrown in a one-time free visit to the first class lounge for this promotion, perhaps?
Earn up to 301,000 bonus IHG points on stays between 15 February and 15 May 2020
IHG has launched another bonus points promotion, offering up to 4 times the base points you normally earn.
The mechanism
Upon registration, you will start earning bonus points on your stays during the promotion period between 15 Feb and 15 May 2020. The first stay will see you net an additional 1,000 points, while subsequent stays will depend on the number of nights you clocked, as well as the base rates.
The table of points earned is as below:
Nights
Base points earned
Bonus points earned
1st night
10 points per USD on base rate
1000 points
2nd to 5th night
10 points per USD on base rate
100% bonus*
6th to 14th night
10 points per USD on base rate
200% bonus*
15th night onwards
10 points per USD on base rate
300% bonus*
*You can only earn up to 100,000 bonus points under each category, for a total of 301,000 bonus points for the entire promotion period.
While the headline number is 4X bonus points, note that it is probably more accurate to say that it is the usual number of points, plus up to three times (or 300%) of that base number of points, to make the ‘4X’.
How much are IHG reward points worth?
This is the existential question of all miles & points collector, and as the saying goes, YMMV (your mileage may vary).
I value IHG Reward Club points at about 0.7 Singapore cents (US$0.05) per point, so as a base member you get essentially a $7 bonus on your first stay, and then a 5% rebate on your 2nd to 5th night, 10% for 6th to 14th night and 15% thereafter. This is a rather good value, given that other hotel chains almost don’t offer as much a point.
For the purpose of illustrations, these are the number of points you will need for an award booking in some of the Singapore IHG properties:
Six Senses Duxton, Superior Shophouse – 55,000 points
Crowne Plaza Changi Airport, Deluxe Room – 40,000 points
Hotel Indigo Katong, Deluxe Room – 35,000 points
Hotel Indigo Katong, Deluxe Room
The fine print
Note that you will need to register for the promotion here first before you can earn the bonus points. Needless to say, this promotion cannot be applied retrospectively. All stays must be booked by 15th April and consumed by 15th May.
If the booking is more than one night, the average nightly rate will be used in calculating the bonus points. This is a crucial point if your stay cuts across the tresholds (e.g. from 2x bonus to 3x bonus).
The full terms and conditions of the offer can be found here.
First time to Italy, I thought I’ll try to check out some interesting hotels in the cities that I was going to visit.
When I was researching for a hotel in Venice, it turned out that most of the major chains’ properties are not on the islands itself, but situated on mainland. I eventually found MGallery Hotel Papadopoli, which was located in Venice itself, but close enough to the train station so that heavy suitcases will not be a problem.
The hotel has a pretty interesting history, based on one account I found online:
The history of the Hotel Papadopoli Venezia – MGallery by Sofitel is one cast in romance. When the entrepreneurial Count Spiridione Papadopoli purchased the building during the early 19th century, he transformed it into a beautiful palace for his young wife, Teresa Mosconi… The Count eventually sold the building to city officials during the early 20th century, including the stunning gardens adjacent to the building. The Venetian city government later demolished much of the historic garden to build the Rio Novo Canal in 1933, while the palace was converted into a school. At the same time, hoteliers constructed a hotel on what remained of the garden, continuing the legacy of Count Papadopoli and his wife. Several years later, the brilliant landscape architect, Pietro Porcinai, designed a new, marvelous garden within the hotel grounds. Prociani’s masterpiece became the hotel’s lovely Winter Garden.
Whether or not this was true, the hotel was as captivating as the vicinity it serves: Venice.
The hotel
Hotel Papadopoli Venezia is an Accor MGallery collection hotel, housed in a single six-storey building property, complete with a beautiful winter garden. With 96 rooms, the beautiful property is in every aspect a boutique hotel. There was no gym nor a swimming pool, but in Venice there’s really no need for either of that, as I soon found out.
Hotel Papadopoli
While unassuming from the outside, the hotel is decorated in a very classic Venetian style. Pompous chandeliers, grandiose mirror and bed frames are just some of the consistent styles you find across the hotel, from the lobby through to the rooms.
The hotel only has four room types and two suite types, namely: superior double, superior triple, deluxe double, deluxe triple, suite and executive suite.
What’s an MGallery hotel
MGallery is one of the (too) many brands owned by Accor, and this is one bespoke collection of rather eclectic of boutique hotels. Positioned as high-end options, the hotels are usually unique and styled according to the local culture and heritage.
According to Accor themselves:
MGallery is a Collection of high-end hotels all around the world. Each hotel of the Collection stages with talent a unique personality and story, experienced by guests through its architecture, interior design and services. Each hotel is inspired by one of the three typical atmospheres of the Collection. Some hotels present ”Heritage” origins, places filled with history; others reflect an aesthetic universe, a style, the “Signature” of a personality that contributed to their creation or decoration; still others promise a relaxing time, “Serenity” in a natural or urban retreat. All hotels of the Collection invite guests to experience “Memorable Moments”.
AccorHotels.com
Location
The hotel is located on the islands of Venice itself, and is very close to the Grand Canal and Constitution Bridge. The property is about a 10-minute walk to Piazzale Roma and the train station. In terms of walking distance to other attractions within Venice, you are looking at about 20 minutes walking time to Rialto Bridge, or a half hour walk to St Mark’s Square.
Sunset from Ponte Rialto (Rialto Bridge)
Note that public vehicles are not allowed within Venice, so this hotel is arguably one of the closest hotels by road to the main drop-off point at Piazzale Roma where all buses, trams and cars must stop at. Venice is about a 20-minute car ride away from Marco Polo Airport, so from the time I took my luggage, I was checking into the hotel in less than an hour.
Opt for a boat transfer right to the doorstep of the hotel
The hotel can arrange for transfer options for you, which include either a private car service from the airport to the public drop-off point at Piazzale Roma for 50 euros, or a 40-minute boat transfer right to the door-step of the hotel for 180 euros from the airport. If you are adventurous and want to try the public bus, it’s 8 euros per person and takes close to an hour.
Check-in
Check-in was very fuss free. When I arrived, there was no one at all waiting to check in, which is usually the case for small, boutique properties. My check-in formalities were completed fairly quickly, as I have prepaid my reservation. Note that Italy imposes a city tax per person per night, which needs to be collected on arrival.
Check in desk
Very quickly, a porter showed us to the room and arranged for our very heavy bags to be brought to the room.
Welcome drink
As an Accor Live Limitless (they have renamed their loyalty programme) Silver member, I was also given a welcome drink voucher, valid for all three of us in the room.
Welcome drinks can be redeemed either at the bar or the restaurant during the stay, for any drink of your choice except champagnes, vintage wines or spirits. While you can’t get a gin & tonic, you can still either indulge in a prosecco or a good glass of Italian wine.
The room
I had two friends with me, so I booked myself into a Superior Triple room, that had a pair of twin beds and a sofa bed.
Superior Triple RoomWardrobe amenities
The room size isn’t specified on its website, but I estimate it to be about 25 square metres. If you take a look at the floor plans, you may notice that the room sizes very possibility vary a little from room to room, given the unique layout of the property.
Regardless, some guests may find the room rather tiny, but we found sufficient space to open up three large suitcases with relative ease to move around. I would reckon that the room is fairly spacious if it only has to hold two people, with a spare couch on the side for you to lounge on.
Sofa laid out as an extra bed
The room had a window overlooking the courtyard and doesn’t have its own balcony, so smokers will need to trek down outside the lobby to take their puff.
View of the Winter Garden from the room
Despite the small room size, the bathroom was rather generous in space and amenities. For one, I was rather glad that the shower stall was larger than I expected it to be. Apart from a toilet, bidet and a large wash basin, there was still sufficient room for a cushioned stool in the bathroom, good enough for you to place clothes, towels and even a magazine that you want to read on the throne.
Bathroom
The hotel uses C.O. Bigelow amenities, a New York brand founded in 1838. C.O. Bigelow is one of America’s oldest pharmacies, and carries a line of very affordable products. The good thing about the products is that the scent isn’t very strong, so that’s good for people who may be sensitive to scented toiletries.
C.O. Bigelow amenities
While the room didn’t come with any fancy coffee machine, there was complimentary tea and coffee along with a kettle for in-room use. There were also three bottles of Aqua Panna water for us, which were replenished daily.
Complimentary water, replaced dailyBedside power sockets and USB charging port
As part of a welcome gift, the hotel also left a box of butter cookies for us. I hastily opened the box, ripped open the plastic packaging and took a bite of the cookie, which was very buttery albeit a little on the hard side, so people with weak teeth beware.
Dining & Drinking
Hotel Papadopoli Venezia has an on-site bar and a restaurant at the lobby.
The hotel restaurant, Giardino D’inverno, or Winter Garden, is a beautiful restaurant in the middle of the lobby, set with an elaborate gardenscape to look as though you are dining in the wild.
Giardino D’inverno (photo credit: Tripadvisor)
I didn’t have breakfast booked with my reservation (breakfast was 10 euros per pax per night if booked together with the room, and 26 euros per pax per day if you walk in), so I didn’t have the chance to review the fare.
I took a quick look saw that the restaurant offers all-day dining featuring Italian fare. The restaurant menu can be found here, and is priced on the higher side; expect to spend at least 50 euros on food alone.
The lounge bar, La Terrazza, sits on the other side of the lobby beside the restaurant. It’s a pretty cosy lounge with ample seating for at least 30 people, including the two large couches in the lobby.
Lobby loungeMore seating areas in the lobby lounge
Prices for drinks at the hotel bar are predictably more expensive than other restaurants (mostly trattorias) in the area, with coffee going at 5 euros, and a glass of wine starting from 9 euros. If you prefer to dine at the bar (but why?), the restaurant will be happy to serve you there as well.
Final thoughts
I really liked the hotel. Despite the relatively high price point, the hotel worked for me in a few ways. First, the location is perfect; people often underestimate the toil of a heavy suitcase, and given the unique restrictions of Venice, having a hotel on the islands and steps away from the main vehicular drop-off point is the most ideal best of both worlds.
Corridors of the room floors
Second, the comfort of the hotel. Everything in the hotel works: the layout of the room, the bathroom and the gorgeous decor. You don’t need a large room to be comfortable, you just need everything to work the way it should be and this hotel is just that way. You might argue that this is pretty much a no-frills hotel, but in a city like Venice, why would you be cooped up in the hotel rather than out there exploring the islands?
Shanescape 