Spontaneous Escapes have been announced for November 2022, with 30% off redemptions for selected Singapore Airlines routes in Business Class, Premium Economy Class and Economy Class.
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| Spontaneous Escapes |
You can now book these awards on a first-come-first-serve basis up till 31 October 2022.
Do note that Spontaneous Escapes awards may not appear on the Singapore Airlines mobile app (this issue seems to affect Android users more than iOS). If you’re encountering this issue, try using the desktop website instead.
Spontaneous Escapes: Ground Rules
| โ Spontaneous Escapes: The Basics |
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All Spontaneous Escape awards must be booked and ticketed by 31 October 2022 and are for travel between 1-30 November 2022 (blackout dates may apply).
Singapore Airlines has rejigged its booking interface to show Spontaneous Escapes awards under a special Promo category. 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 a problem, namely that if you wanted to book a regular Saver award (because it comes with a cancellation option, unlike Spontaneous Escapes awards), you couldn’t actually do it!
Now that Spontaneous Escapes are a separate category unto themselves, you have the freedom to choose to pay regular Saver prices if you so wish.
Spontaneous Escapes awards are strictly non-cancellable and non-changeable (SIA’s free rebooking policy doesn’t apply here, and in any case ended on 31 July 2022). 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 Participantโs 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 Participantโs 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.
-Spontaneous Escapes T&Cs
The above applies to regulatory changes, not conditions as they exist at the time of booking. If you make a speculative booking to a country that hasn’t reopened, and it still hasn’t reopened by the time of travel, you won’t be entitled to a refund. In contrast, if you make a booking to a country that is currently open and it subsequently closes its borders, then you will be able to seek assistance.
Since no concession is made for travellers who cannot fly due to COVID-19, the onus is on you to purchase travel insurance that covers miles & points bookings.
Which travel insurance policies covers miles and points bookings?
My picks for this month
The Spontaneous Escapes list has been rather thin for the past few months, and with November marking the start of the year-end travel period, nothing much has changed this month.
The only Business Class awards available are to:
- Hanoi (16,800 miles)
- Ho Chi Minh (16,800 miles)
- Manila (16,800 miles)
- Colombo (30,100 miles)
- Dhaka (30,100 miles)
It is possible to fly to New York JFK in Business Class for 56,700 miles, but that’s only if you originate in Frankfurt (and before you ask, redeeming a one-way award from SIN-FRA at regular prices and a one-way award from FRA-JFK at Spontaneous Escapes prices still isn’t a good deal).
If you don’t mind sitting at the back of the plane, I think the following might be worth a punt:
- Frankfurt (29,400 miles)
- Male (14,000 miles)
Some Male flights in November and December have been upgraded from narrowbody B737-8s to widebody A350-900s, which should mean a more comfortable experience in Economy.
Full list of Spontaneous Escapes
Business & Economy Class
South East Asia
West Asia & Africa
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 prefer to look for a destination offering 30% off Business Class awards.
Europe
USA & Canada
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:
- Book the Spontaneous Escapes rate
- Cancel the existing booking and pay the redeposit fee (US$75 for Saver, US$50 for Advantage)
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.
Depending on your luck, miles may be recredited immediately to your account, but can take up to 4-6 weeks. If you need them urgently, the CSO can put in a request to expedite the process, but YMMV.
Conclusion
With Singapore Airlines filling airplanes like the pre-COVID days, Spontaneous Escapes for November continue to be slim pickings. There’s almost nothing available for long-haul premium cabin travel, and quite frankly, I wouldn’t expect that to change for December either.
If long-haul Economy isn’t an issue (and if so I salute you), then Frankfurt could be a good deal at 29,400 miles, especially since you can connect to most of Europe within two hours from there.
What will you be booking for Spontaneous Escapes?
