Hi,
Im flying from LHR (heathrow) approx 23 September 2017 with my wife and daughter (5) and I have some points saved (see below) and am contemplating the ‘once in a lifetime experience’ of flying 1st class/suites. I need your help to decide with who; SIA, Etihad or ???
We would like a stop over on the way back from heathrow for 4-5 days to sit in a resort But its Not critical.
I have:
KrissFlyer 368 300
Marco Polo 173 000
and another 80K in Westpac (approx 31k Krisflyer)
LHR to SYD with KrisFlyer for 3 is 444 000 though Im not sure what other airlines are.
So, if you were me, what airline would you fly given the above balances - Im happy to move balances as needed (if permitted) and yes I totally accept that this is exuberant to traveling in this class w/my 5 yr old though its once in a lifetime…
PS - we are planning on traveling to Central America e.g. Mexico in 2019 so maybe its best if we just fly economy LHR to SYD and save points for that trip…but it does seem Im not getting maximum points value
So in essence which airline offers the BEST value for class/suites from LHR to SYD given where my points are held??
thanks!!
Opps forgot to mention that while the WBC points 80k. (approx 31K) + existing KrisFlyer (368 300) wont get me the SIA 1st LHR to SYD Im keen to understand if I can achieve 1st with other airlines with Comparable 1st class ??
Or should i just go 1st for only one leg ??
In terms of whether it’s good value or not, that’s subjective so couldn’t comment. For example most would agree that business on a 1/2 hour flight is a waste of points you could save for a long flight, but then again depending on how you personally value your own comfort and travelling experience you might disagree.
Both airlines have an exceptional first class product, however with kids in tow I’d probably say Singapore may be the better one for you. In Etihad’s first apartments the sliding doors make it virtually impossible to be in any sort of contact with your kids whilst they’re seated. Whereas by comparison Singapore’s is quite open for a first class seat, which would enable you to be in greater contact with your family seated elsewhere.
On top of Jimmy’s good / practical advice on travelling with kids, here are my 2 cents.
Personally, since most of your pts are already in Krisflyer, it will be a waste to transfer to Velocity to fly Etihad. 203k velocity per person +usd 600 per pax. Availability would be another issue too.
Another issue I forsee is availability for 3 passengers on SQ. Usually only 2 seats are available (if still available) on SQ. If you are lucky, they may release more at a later stage but dont count on that happening.
For a trip of a lifetime experience (one off and all), personally I would fly SQ. You are a wee bit short of 444k so you may have to make it up quickly or compromise with business class.
First things first, i would check availability on the dates you are considering.
Flying out of LHR would involve a hefty APD tax too. If you have a choice, choose to fly SQ F into London instead of out.
Good luck.