Getting to Europe this summer could cost you a small fortune – especially in lie-flat business class seats. And even a stash of points and miles is no guarantee as award space to book business class has all but disappeared. But here's your chance to fly business class to Europe on points this year or next … on one of the world's best airlines.
Singapore Airlines operates two awesome fifth-freedom routes from the U.S. to Europe: One from New York City (JFK) to Frankfurt (FRA) and another between Houston-Intercontinental (IAH) and Manchester (MAN). And we unearthed an absolute goldmine of award availability on both routes, with two-plus seats available many days starting later this summer all the way into spring 2023! You can book these saver award seats for just 72,000 Singapore miles each way – and don't worry, those miles are incredibly easy to earn.
Some of the best peak summer seats have been nabbed since we first sent this to our Thrifty Traveler Premium members last week. But you can still find seats for two on the flight to Germany and the U.K. on many days in August. Planning something for this fall … or even next spring or summer? The floodgates are open, with two or more seats available almost every day from October all the way through mid-June 2023!
You might need to be more flexible to snag seats on the flight to Manchester, as award space is a bit more sparse and Singapore doesn't operate that flight every day. But return availability is fairly solid on both routes, too, if you want to make a roundtrip of it for 144,000 Singapore miles apiece.
Get award alerts like this one to use your miles – plus cheap domestic and international fares, too – with Thrifty Traveler Premium!
You can only book these flights with Singapore's own KrisFlyer miles, as Singapore doesn't allow partner airline mileage programs like United MileagePlus, Air Canada Aeroplan, or ANA Mileage Club to book its premium seats. At 72,000 miles each way, it may not be the cheapest way to get to Europe in business class…
But any award space to fly to Europe in business class this summer is a unicorn these days. And more importantly, it's easy to get the Singapore miles you need to book: They’re a Chase transfer partner, Amex transfer partner, Capital One transfer partner, and even a Citi transfer partner. That means you can transfer points from cards like the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card, American Express® Gold Card, or the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card straight to your Singapore account and book! In our experience, Amex and Capital One points transfer instantly while Chase and Citi points may take 12 to 24 hours.
Thrifty Tip: Worried while waiting for your points to clear? Singapore allows you to hold awards – just call the airline at 1-800-742-3333 to place a hold. You may be asked to pay a $25-per-ticket fee to hold an award.
Booking is simple: Just head to Singaporeair.com, select the option to redeem flights, log into your KrisFlyer account, and start searching. And you'll want to book soon, as award rates on these routes are set to increase early next month thanks to Singapore's looming devaluation. Come July 5, these same seats will cost 81,000 miles instead.
Singapore's daily flights to and from Frankfurt are on their mammoth Airbus A380s, equipped with the airline's latest and greatest business class seats on the upper deck. The airline flies the equally fancy Airbus A350 to Manchester – plus you get access to the excellent United Polaris Lounge in Houston before you cross the pond.
Either way, Singapore offers one of the best ways to get to Europe. The center seats on the A380 even turn into a double bed! And Singapore offers an incomparable “Book the Cook” menu on flights to Frankfurt, allowing travelers to pre-select from a much wider list of top-notch meals.
Read our full review of Singapore Airlines business class!
Both Germany and the U.K. are wide open to American travelers today, with no COVID-19 testing nor proof of vaccination requirements in place to enter any more. Best of all, Americans no longer need a negative COVID-19 test in order to fly back to the states – that requirement ended June 12.
If you need to change your flights or cancel, Singapore has some of the most customer-friendly policies you'll find. The airline charges a flat $25 fee to change your dates and $75 to cancel your ticket to get the miles back to your account. Just keep in mind that Singapore KrisFlyer miles expire three years after they're earned.
Bottom Line
Award space to fly lie-flat to Europe has been hit-or-miss lately as transatlantic travel demand explodes. This Singapore Airlines business class award availability isn't just a hit: This is a home run.
For 72,000 miles apiece, you can fly one of the world's best airlines to Europe this summer, this fall, or next year. While our Thrifty Traveler Premium members got dibs on it first, there are still plenty of dates available this August to fly lie-flat to either Frankfurt or Manchester.
Get the next great award alert in your inbox with Thrifty Traveler Premium!
Lead photo courtesy of Singapore Airlines
Singapore Airlines customer-friendly, Kyle???
Are you aware that since at least March 2022 (or earlier), Singapore Airlines will NOT let you redeem Krisflyer Miles to book a flight online (i.e.: JFK-FRA in business)?
Tried numerous times, with different browsers, cleared cookies, etc., etc., to no avail.
They tell you to call them to redeem, then after waiting an hour on the phone, they tell you their redeem team will call you back, so you can redeem over the phone – guess what? they NEVER called back yet, since March, and I called them many a times.
We’ve sent over a dozen emails since March, and one month ago, we received a reply, with the answer “sorry, but send us detailed info” (as if we didn’t originally write 2 pages of info to them already, to begin with)!
BUT if you want to use cash & miles (at a miserable rate, to book), or just cash, then yes, you can do it online instantly.
They just want your cash and make it impossible to redeem online (saver & advantage)!
Has anyone looked at the zillion complaints against them on their Facebook page???
This airline is a joke.
Why are they still flying it’s beyond me (supposedly great service in the sky, but horrible to non-existent customer service on the ground)!!!
Avoid at all costs!!!
George M.
Sorry to hear about your horrible experience with redeeming Singapore miles, George. That is quite odd. I myself have recently booked Singapore award tickets with no issue, as have other members of our team.
Thank you, Kyle!
Not saying you’re lying, but what would you have me believe, since I’m PROOF of who they are and what they’re doing to their customers (again, did you read the ENDLESS complaints against them on their Facebook page? You’ll be shocked and appalled (you won’t review them in the future, I guarantee you))!
My wife and I are disgusted with them, to the point that we don’t want to fly them any longer!
If you want to fly to Europe right now, using cash only for example, you’d have to fly with them, and no one else, on their site!
You cannot book cash with partner airlines – just with them.
And don’t bother calling … 1) they never get back to you, and 2) you’ll never get a true real answer from them.
We’ve deposited the miles instantly with them, from our Cap One Venture card, in March.
BIG mistake!!!
Thank you again, Kyle!
George M.
Nor am I accusing you of lying, George. I just have no idea how to advise you because it seems like such an oddity. Again, my apologies for your troubles. I hope you can work something out with them to put those miles to use.
I hope so too, thank you Kyle!
No need to apologize – not your fault!
“Funny” though … we did book a hotel with them via their vRooms (at the horrible rate of $.007 per mile, just like their cash&miles for booking flights (better than nothing, unfortunately)), then changed our minds, and we were shocked when they gave us back our used miles, within 3 days!
Again, read their Facebook page!
Thank you much again, Kyle!!
George M.
Correction … “gave us back our used miles” – obviously, unused miles.
George M.
Thanks so much for this post, Kyle! I just booked a one way (JFK-FRA) for Memorial Day Weekend next year. It will be my first time traveling in a premium cabin, and I am SO EXCITED! Once in Frankfurt, I’ll hop over to Paris and watch some Roland Garros tennis for the first time. This is a dream come true, and I’m so grateful you helped make it happen for me. Thank you, thank you!
Look at the email I sent them over a month ago, Kyle – they just replied yesterday (this was the 9th. email that I’ve sent out to them, so far … I blew up – these people are unbelievable – never help, never a straight answer):
“————— Original Message —————
From: George M [[email protected]]
Sent: 19/05/2022, 7:00 pm
To: [email protected]
Subject: Re: FEEDBACK: Flying with us – Special assistance
CAUTION ! External Email. Do not click on links or open files if unsure of sender.
My reply to your answer to my original question …
Contact you in order to make a booking?????????
You people are a joke – a bunch of criminals and thieves, you are!!!!!!!!
You always respond a month later, so if I want to book in 2 weeks, I can’t.
Your people on the phone are useless – can’t help at all.
You just don’t want to let people use their miles – you want people to use their cash, you bastards!!!!!!!
You criminals orchestrated an impossible way for people to redeem miles!!!!!!!!!!
Sure, if you pay cash online, then you’re good to go instantly, you bastards, right????????
Did you look at your Facebook page recently, with a million complaints against you from all over the world???????????
You are supposedly among the best airlines in the sky, but you treat customers like garbage, when not in the air!!!!!
How come you’re still flying, is beyond me, with this kind of criminal service on the ground!!!!!!!!!!!
I don’t believe I just wasted my time writing a letter to a bunch of crooks!!!!!!!
AND THEIR REPLY, AS ALWAYS:
Jun 24, 2022, 11:17 AM (18 hours ago)
to me
Dear George,
Thank you for your email. We do apologize for the late response due to higher volume of the email we received.
I understand your frustration and we do apologize for the inconvenience.
In order to book please contact us directly so that we can check for the availability since redemption booking is limited only.
Thank you for choosing Singapore Airline.
Yours sincerely,
Gabby Quisimundo
Service Representative Officer
Singapore Airline”
I’ve already wrote about contacting them in my original post above – they’re useless, Kyle!
I am not asking you for help with them – just wanted you to see who they are!
Thanks again, Kyle!
George M