[Anonymous]

[Hktbound]

I travel 3 or 4 times a year to Phuket in Business Class and live on the COsta del SOl with easy access to Gibraltar and Malaga.

Im Star Alliance Gold so usually book Swiss via Zurich into Bangkok but the layover is horrible despite and being a Swiss fan I really want to go back to SIA but the fares are massively higher than other carriers.

Although Barcelona is easy for me I have to get on a plane anyway so many european hubs are a possibility for me to get to Phuket on SIA via Singapore.

My question is are there agencies who specialise in cheaper Singapore Airlines Business Class Fares or Consolidators where I can get to Singapore (or Phuket using a Silkair connection) at a comparable fare with say, Swiss or Turkish. I am happy to pay a small premium but all fares I have seen have been a lot more than double and Ive looked at UK, Italian and German departures and Ive remembered to look at Codeshares using LH from Frankfurt – but all without success!

Can anyone offer me any pointers?

[Bucksnet]

How about trying Air Berlin?

Fly AGP to TXL and then a very short connection to the BKK flight. Even better would be the direct TXL – HKT flight, but this is only seasonal.

[Hktbound]

Thanks for that advice, Id like to stick with a Star Alliance carrier and in particular Id like to Grab an SIA in Raffles class but at a fare similar to those of TK and LX even a bit more for the superior beds/service
Edelwiess Air also do a direct flight to HKT from Zurich but if I can find an SIA fare at a good price im going to be very happy. Any ideas?

[Bucksnet]

Maybe Thai Air from ZRH, but I think they still have the ski ramp seats in business. However, Thai first class could well be less than SIA business and a much shorter route via BKK.

Swiss still have the old A340s on the BKK route, but could be an option when they upgrade to the new A330s with flat beds in business.

[Hktbound]

LX have the new business class on the bkk soon and we travel in November but the layover from agp is 7 hours. If I could get SIA from a European hub it would be great but why are they double or triple LX or TK. Incidentally MS have business from MAD at half the cost and a new plane on the BKK but i really do want an SIA, a companion fare would also be great

[BA319131]

Incidentally MS have business from MAD at half the cost and a new plane on the BKK but i really do want an SIA

– Indeed they do, not sure if it matters to you but don’t forget MS are a ‘dry’ airline, I like a glass of champers or 2 on a long trip…..

[Hktbound]

Your correct. I’m one of those whose flight is a major part of any trip and I’m going to have to be more flexible if I want to keep my star alliance gold status, but, can anyone tell me why SIA are double or triple the price of other star alliance partners on routes from Europe? Surely not everyone on board these planes are paying a massive premium and there must be some tricks of the trade to get a ticket at a smilier price to, say Swiss? I’m happy even to pay a bit more. Aside from award tickets can anyone answer my question? I can fly from most European hubs to get the lowest SIA Raffles fare

[Bucksnet]

SIA only have a 4 across seating arrangement in business, but BA, EK and others have 8 across, so can offer lower fares. I have not seen any deals on SIA and this might be the reason.

[LPPSKrisflyer]

SIA rarely have deals on C seats. They are very clever marketeers and in the main, those in their premium seats are paying premium prices. I am not a fan of the C seats they use at present and it’s interesting that no one else has produced even the most remote copy of the concept. There are better seats out there.

BTW they did away with Raffles Class about five years ago and it’s now called Business Class!

[Hktbound]

Thanks PPSKrisflyer – I thought I was missing something with the high SIA fares but appreciate knowing its more of a norm yet still surprised these an airline out there attracting clients with fares of double or more than the competitors, particularly after your comments about the seats. Really useful advice and maybe I should stick with TK who are still Star Alliance and have a quick connection in IST
Many thanks again

[Swissdiver]

David,

A couple of things:

SQ is always much more expensive. No tricks I am afraid. We (those being lucky enough to be able to) are usually all traveling on discounted business class fares without really noticing it. SQ does not enter this game.

But SQ offers a great seat only on A380s and B777-300. On other aircrafts, it is a mere lie-flat bed… So be careful when paying the premium…

If you really want to stick to the very average Star Alliance and don’t want to pay the SQ premium, LX might be the best option. Their new seat is a coffin you go down into but at least it is a flat bed.

[Hktbound]

Thanks Swissdiver, have used the old style Swiss Business on the BKK route for some time now and pleased the new Business is being launched soon as havent tried that yet. Thanks for your advice, im a fan of Swiss so defiantely have them in mind. I appreciate your comments

[cityprofessional]

In general the previous posters are correct. SIA does not discount ex-Europe. I have checked on pretty much every combination of European cities (you could try ex-IST and ex-CAI, but definitely nothing ex-EU). It did discount (momentarily) during the depths of the Lehmans crisis, and during SARS, but they were tiny windows of opportunity with very limited availability

There is one possibility which I have seen (with limited availability – e.g. alternate Tuesdays). LX codeshares with SQ on the A380 ex-ZRH. ex-ZRH fares are high (naturally). However, there are some markets where LX is cheaper, and where I have historically seen some (slightly) discounted business class fares on the A380 flight. It’s the same markets where LX in general has good ex-EU fares (e.g. AMS, UK, Nordics)

Otherwise, if you are considering MS and TK, then you may as well look at OS, which I use several times a year for LHR-BKK. Slopey bed, but good food, and always great availability of discounted business fares

[LPPSKrisflyer]

Seats in C on an LX booking code on the A380 do occur at reasonable prices but they are a bit like finding needles in hay stacks. Availability from ZRH in C is one of the hardest to get, it was fairly full when there were two 773ERs a day, the one A380 has made it very tight but you might find something if you book far enough out.

An additional caution of booking a fare which is discounted with SIA is remember that if they get caught with an oversold flight in C with availability in F & Y, they will often downgrade to Y before upgrading anyone to F. At the front of the queue for a downgrade will be anyone on a discounted ticket so please be careful of what you book with them.

As an LPPS member of Krisflyer – the very top drawer and now closed to new members, the infrequent upgrades from C to F – maybe one or two a year at most have dried up in the last two to three years and although it wouldn’t happen to me, downgrades of non-status passengers (SIA do not see *G as status, only PPS) are becoming more apparent and when it happens it seems to happen at check in and you then don’t get in the lounge either unless you have a gold card.

[Author]

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