My Star Alliance Goal - Update

Some time ago I challenged myself to see whether I might be able to fly on all Star Alliance airlines.  This has been an ongoing goal though not specifically a priority given my change in travel patterns over the last few years.  Crossing 1M miles this year was a special milestone! 

However, I was able to add a new airline to the list after flying Singapore Airlines for the first time last week:

• Aegean Airlines A3
• Air Canada AC
• Air China CA
• Air India
• Air New Zealand NZ
• ANA NH
• Asiana Airlines OZ
• Austrian OS
• Avianca AV, TACA Airlines TA
• Brussels Airlines 
• Copa Airlines CM
• Croatia Airlines OU
• EGYPTAIR MS
• Ethiopian Airlines ET
• EVA Air
• LOT Polish Airlines LO
• Lufthansa LH
• Scandinavian Airlines SK
• Shenzhen Airlines ZH
• Singapore Airlines SQ
• South African Airways SA
• Swiss LX
• TAP Portugal TP
• THAI TG
• Turkish Airlines TK
• United UA

The project continues!

Spring Break 2026 Adventure: Maldives!

Less than 30 days remain before we are off again on another spring break adventure, this year going back to the Maldives with two city stops along the way.  We're using points and miles for nearly all options which will be a huge savings.  Plus almost every segment will be in Business!  Here's the map via GCMap:

The points and miles breakdown:

Park Hyatt Maldives (4 nights): 140,000 Hyatt points 

We have Globalist status again with breakfast included (as brunch) so dinner is our only expense. 

Overnight LHR and DOH (1 night each): 

We have an evening stopover in London at the T4 Hilton using 51,000 points and then one night at the Park Hyatt Doha for a very low rate.  The extra time in Doha before a 1am departure means we'll have time for the Souq and a fun dinner.

LHR-DOH: We'll be on the Qatar Airways A380 in Business from Heathrow to Doha which only required 86,000 British Airways Avios total for two.

DOH-MLE: One ticket is using 75,000 Alaska miles/Atmos for Business Class, and another ticket uses a combination of 52,500 Avios via Qatar Airways for First Class.  Availability on this route was very limited and I was fortunate to find two premium seats between both programs. 

MLE-SIN-SFO-EWR: I'm excited to be able to fly Singapore for the very first time in Business!  We'll have a brief stop at Changi before flying UA2 in Polaris back to SFO.  This was booked using United miles (395k) which is a lot though worth it to me for the Singapore segment.

Looking forward to the journey and a relaxing week!

Singapore Airlines Award Rate Changes

Singapore Airlines is one of the best airlines in the world.  While I haven't had an opportunity to fly them, I'm looking forward to my first segment next spring!  

Following a similar trend from other airlines, Singapore announced changes to their mileage program today, mostly negative.  More information is here:

ADJUSTMENTS3 TO AWARD RATES FOR FLIGHT REDEMPTIONS AND UPGRADES As part of our periodical review, we will be adjusting the miles redemption and upgrade award charts across Singapore Airlines, Star Alliance and partner airlines for flights ticketed on or after 1 November 2025 0000hrs (GMT+8). Members will benefit from a reduction of 5% in Economy Saver award redemption rates for flights within Asia and South West Pacific (Zones 1 to 9). Business and Suites/First Saver award redemption rates for Zones 1 to 9 will increase by 5%. Saver award rates will increase by 5% across all cabin classes for flights to and from Europe and the United States of America (Zones 11 to 13). For flights to and from Africa, the Middle East, and Turkey (Zone 10), rates will rise by 10 to 20%. Advantage award rates across all zones and cabin classes, except for Zone 10, will increase by 10 to 15%. For Zone 10, the Economy Advantage rates will increase by 5%, the Business Advantage rates by 18%, and Suites/First Advantage rates by 15%. All redemption bookings confirmed and ticketed on or before 31 October 2025 2359hrs (GMT+8) will be based on current award rates. These changes, as well as the recently introduced Scoot award flights, and enhanced redemption value for miles redeemed on Kris+, KrisShop and Pelago, reflect our commitment in providing you with more ways to earn and redeem miles, both in the air and on the ground. We endeavour to continue bringing greater value to your KrisFlyer membership through regular reviews of our programme offerings and benefits. 3All figures reflect the changes for one-way Singapore Airlines flight awards between Singapore and the corresponding regions, and are approximated.

A 5% increase is one thing, but 20% is outrageous.  

 

Another Spring Break 2026 Adventure

I'm looking forward to getting back to the Maldives for Spring Break/Anniversary 2026!  And as part of that adventure, I just booked a fun flight option home using Chase Ultimate Rewards Points transferred to United which will get us on Singapore Airlines for the first time.  And the best part: all business class!  Value of the seats: $17,653 according to Point.me.

Routing will be MLE-SIN-SFO-US

Singapore Airlines Restarting Flights to Newark

During my recent trip to Singapore for the Next Gen Learning Spaces conference, my flight plan included a stop at LAX followed by the 17+ hour jaunt to SIN.   There were no issues, per say, though a direct flight would have made things a bit easier.

I was excited to read today that Singapore Airlines is bringing back flights to the New York area, specifically Newark (!).  You can find the update from Reuters here.

I'm especially intrigued that (a) they will be using an ultra-long haul version of the A350 for the route; and (b) the plane will only have business and premium economy seating.

19 hours of sitting/sleeping on the plane!   I wonder what award redemption availability will be...

New Premium Economy on Singapore Airlines

Flying on non-US airlines has always been a treat for me - from my first time flying British Airways, I've always found the experiences to be top-notch overall.  Which is why I was excited to receive an update from Singapore Airlines about their new Premium Economy offering:

I haven't had the chance to fly them yet but it's on my list of airlines to try.  If you want to find out more information, you can visit their link here.  They're also including new food choices as well as some extras for boarding and baggage handling.  Not bad.

What to do with United flights? Credit to Singapore!

I've been trying to decide what to do about flying United in the future - the prospects of getting status back are slim, given the recent addition of spending requirements for each level.  Even though I've been flying American primarily, I'm sure that United flights are in my future.  What to do with the earning though?

I think the best way might be to credit the flights to Singapore - they allow for 100% earning across all fare buckets:

As a reminder, KrisFlyer miles are valid for three years before they technically expire.  An extension is possible upon request.

Are you currently crediting your UA flights to SQ?  What has your experience been?