KrisFlyer Spontaneous Escapes for May 2022 announced

After a two-year hiatus, Singapore Airlines brought back its highly-popular Spontaneous Escapes promotion last month, and it looks like it’s here to stay with the launch of the latest deals.

Spontaneous Escapes have been announced for May 2022, with 30% off redemptions for selected Singapore Airlines routes in Business Class, Premium Economy Class and Economy Class.

Spontaneous Escapes

Spontaneous Escapes: Ground Rules

All Spontaneous Escape awards must be booked and ticketed by 30 April 2022 and are for travel between 1-31 May 2022 (blackout dates may apply).

Singapore Airlines has rejigged its booking interface to show Spontaneous Escapes awards under a special Promo category (no, it’s not a devaluation!). This is the one you should select when making your booking.

You might recall that prior to COVID, Spontaneous Escapes were a subset of Saver awards. This created some unique problems, namely that if you wanted to book a regular Saver award (because it came with added flexibility, unlike Spontaneous Escapes awards), you couldn’t actually do it!

Now that Spontaneous Escapes are a separate Promo category unto themselves, you have the freedom to choose to pay the regular Saver prices if you so wish.

Spontaneous Escapes veterans should also know that awards are strictly non-cancellable and non-changeable. How does that translate in a post-COVID world? Singapore Airlines has made the following concession.

For (i) any flights cancelled by SIA, or (ii) if a SQ-operated flight was removed from a Participant’s booking due to Covid-19 and governmental regulatory changes, the miles redeemed in the unused portion of the ticket will be refunded into the relevant Participant’s KrisFlyer account with no additional fees charged.

However, requests to change any booking details, or to retain the ticket for future use will not be granted. Participants may submit their request via the Assistance Request form.

I want to make something clear: the above applies to regulatory changes, not conditions as they exist at the time of booking. For example, Japan is currently closed to the world. If you book a speculative Spontaneous Escapes booking for Japan (yes, it’s available) in May, and Japan doesn’t open by May, you have no basis to go to Singapore Airlines asking for a refund. 

In contrast, Bali is currently open to visitors. If you book a Spontaneous Escapes booking for Bali in May, and Bali subsequently closes, then yes, you will have grounds for a refund. 

Do note that the complimentary rebooking policy (recently extended to 31 May 2022) does not apply to Spontaneous Escapes awards! Therefore, it’s crucial that you purchase travel insurance that covers miles & points bookings.

Which travel insurance policies covers miles and points bookings?

Here’s the other things you should know about Spontaneous Escapes deals.

What if you have an existing award?

If you’ve already holding on to a confirmed award on a flight that is now under Spontaneous Escapes, you will need to:

1. Book the Spontaneous Escapes rate
2. Cancel the existing booking and pay the redeposit fee

I strongly recommend doing it in this order, in case the Spontaneous Escapes award space disappears in the meantime. It does mean you’ll need sufficient miles on hand, of course. 

On average, miles take up to a week to be re-credited to your account, but you can ask the CSO to put in a request to expedite the process. I’ve had miles returned as soon as immediately after a cancellation, but YMMV. 

My picks for this month

It’s slim pickings this month, with USA completely absent (except in Premium Economy) and Frankfurt the only European destination (in Premium and Economy Class. That said, we did see these offered during last month’s Spontaneous Escapes (which, in an usual turn of events, covered travel from 1-30 April and 1-31 May 2022), so hopefully you managed to snag something. 

Otherwise, my picks would be Bangkok for 8,750/15,050 miles for Economy/Business with no blackout dates. It’s widely expected that on-arrival PCR tests will be eliminated for arrivals from 1 May onwards, and perhaps even that pesky Thailand Pass requirement (less likely, but one can dream). This will greatly simplify the travel process, bringing it closer to pre-COVID days.

Da Nang, Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City are all available too at 8,750/15,050 miles for Economy/Business. Matthew recently travelled to Vietnam, so if you’re curious about the pre-departure checklist and on arrival experience, do check out his post below. 

Vietnam travel: Pre-departure checklist and on-arrival experience

If you don’t mind the first chills of winter, I’d consider Darwin and Perth, available at 14,000/25,500 miles for Economy/Business. Or venture slightly further with Adelaide, Brisbane, Cairns, and Sydney (no Melbourne, though) at 19,600/43,400 miles for Economy/Business. Here’s a recap of the testing requirements you’ll need for travel to Australia

Singapore-Australia travel: Summary of COVID-19 testing requirements

Full list of Spontaneous Escapes

Business & Economy Class

South East Asia

North Asia

West Asia & Africa

Australia

Europe

Premium Economy Class

Premium Economy awards are also available, but honestly, I think you’re better off avoiding these. The comfort gap between Premium Economy and Business Class is wide (a recliner seat, no matter how good it is, will never beat a full flat bed), whereas the comfort gap between Economy and Premium Economy is marginal. Therefore, I’d rather look for a destination offering 30% off Business Class awards. 

North Asia

West Asia & Africa

Australia

Europe

USA and Canada

Conclusion

Spontaneous Escapes have been announced for May 2022, and while it’s a slimmer list than the previous month’s, there’s still value to be found for short trips around the region or to Australia. Do remember to ticket your awards by 30 April 2022 (waitlists don’t count!), and purchase travel insurance with COVID-19 coverage should the worst happen. 

What will you be booking for Spontaneous Escapes?