Spontaneous Escapes have been announced for January 2023, 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 December 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
| ❓ Spontaneous Escapes: The Basics |
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All Spontaneous Escape awards must be booked and ticketed by 31 December 2022 and are for travel between 1-31 January 2023 (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 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.
-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
Spontaneous Escapes has gone through something of a drought in recent months, and while January is marginally better than December, it’s still slim pickings all round. The early Chinese New Year holiday probably doesn’t help either.
Hong Kong is an interesting one at 11,550/23,800 miles for Economy/Business, especially given the relaxed entry requirements. Bali could also be a good shout at 5,950 miles for Economy Class, assuming the cost of revenue tickets is disproportionately high.
Seoul is available for 18,900 miles in Economy Class, but only one-way with the last week of January mostly blacked out.
And if you don’t mind the Australian summer, 47,950 miles for Business Class from Adelaide to Singapore is worth a bite too.
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 for Spontaneous Escapes, 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.
North Asia
West Asia & Africa
Europe
USA
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
Singapore Airlines Spontaneous Escapes for January 2023 are out, but the list continues to be thin. Hong Kong is potentially an option, but that depends on how you feel about on-arrival and post-arrival PCR testing. Otherwise Adelaide could be a good call, although the discount only applies for flights into Singapore.
Don’t forget to ticket your awards by 31 December 2022 to enjoy the discounts.
What will you be booking for Spontaneous Escapes?
