Back in December 2017, Singapore Airlines made it possible for flight redemption on partner airlines to be done online. Initially, the number of partner airlines available online was limited. Then in January 2018, the situation improved significantly with a lot more partner airlines bookable online. A month and a half has passed since then, and the situation largely remains the same as per our January 2018 post.
When searching for partner award space online, this disclaimer still appears:
To refresh your memory, here’s the list of airlines that were still missing from the Singapore Airlines engine as per our January post:
- Air India
- Asiana
- Shenzhen Airlines (economy class seats are available as of January 2018)
- TAP Portugal (It only appears if you search for a First Class routing. Which is odd because TAP doesn’t operate F)
Air India (AI)
Award space on Air India is available as per a search with KVS Tool via Aeroplan. However, going over to the Singapore Airlines website only returns me results for a flight from Singapore to Delhi on a combination of SQ and TG flights in the Star Alliance tab. So if you want to fly Air India desperately, you’d still have to call in to redeem. Not that Air India is a particularly aspirational product, but still… strike one for SQ.
Asiana (OZ)
Similar to Air India, award space is available but not searchable via SQ’s website. This time round, both Lifemiles and Aeroplan shows space on Asiana to Incheon. Even when I tried searching from Ho Chi Minh to Incheon, SQ still insisted on routing me through Singapore to Incheon. Strike 2 for SQ.
Shenzhen Airlines (ZH)
For Shenzhen Airlines, the situation largely remains the same where only economy class seats are available for redemption. If you tried searching for business class seats with SQ’s, the page will just time out and return you to the main menu. Award space is actually available via Aeroplan on Shenzhen Airlines on the dummy search I made from SZX to PEK. So if you’re planning to fly intra-China, I guess you’d have to call in again. Strike 3.
TAP Portugal
Normally after 3 strikes, you’re out. I was hoping for TAP to be available online as previously, I saw some award space on TAP which was classified under a first class ticket but was unable to reproduce the result here. This time round, award space on TAP is non-existent while searching with SQ but available on you guessed it, Aeroplan.
(Edit :
TAP is indeed showing up only when you search under first class. Kinda weird if you ask me especially since Aeroplan codes it correctly)
Intra-Japan flights now available online
There is a silver lining. Previously, to book an intra-Japan flight on ANA you had to call in to do it, even when ANA was bookable online. SQ has since updated their engine to allow intra-Japan flights to be bookable online (hurrah). Prices are rather exorbitant though, and I personally would book my intra-Japan flights using Avios on JAL.
One month on, no improvement still
A month has passed and the situation remains largely the same, granted the caveat is still there when you’re trying to search for flights using SQ’s engine, but really that caveat has been there way too long. Here’s hoping that SQ can finish what it started and integrate the remaining airlines into their engine as I really really want to fly Air India first class to San Francisco.
Let me know if you guys can find otherwise.
Matthew, I have always seen “There is no award availability” message whenever I searched for award redemption on partner airlines for SIN-JFK, SIN-LHR, SIN-SFO, and many other such long distance combos. Such poor award output coupled with SQ’s famed stinginess with releasing award space makes this one feel like masochist with KF miles that can be accumulated easily but not redeemed! Star Alliance partners like United and ANA are miles ahead in this area. Honestly, I fail to understand how SQ for its much feted and carefully managed public image can provide deign to offer such lousy digital service to… Read more »
KrisFlyer online search engine for *A awards is still pathetic compared to their other alliance counterparts… If you want to book *A awards then you’d have better chances via LifeMiles. I still believe KF is better left for SQ awards only, considering this search functionality (or lack/incompleteness thereof) and redemption rates.
Does this mean that availability for non listed flights on SQ website is non existent by phone too, especially for J/FCL? I found a lot of availability for JCL SIN-Japan on AC AP, but nada on SQ. I fear now SQ is using *A award availability online as an excuse for denying KFers *A redemptions, by presenting a (false, and normalised) impression that this is all KF miles can get you
I don’t know, haven’t tried it yet. Traditionally whatever I’ve found on ua/aeroplan the SQ agents can see too though
Also, while Avianca (Brazil) flights are available, Avianca (Colombia) flights are not.