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Using aeroplan pts for business class flight from Toronto to Singapore

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Deal Addict
Dec 24, 2001
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Toronto

Using aeroplan pts for business class flight from Toronto to Singapore

I planning a YYZ to SIN vacation using my aeroplan points for Business class.

I notice Air Canada has 2 routes to SIN . Which route would you take?

1) Toronto to Hong Kong 15 hr + wait 3 hrs + HKG to SIN 4hrs

2) YYZ to NRT (narita Japan) 13Hrs + 1.5Hr wait + NRT to SIN 7Hrs

If I don't see the route I want on aeroplan.ca. Can I call in and get the exact flight I want?
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Mar 13, 2012
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It would depend on what airline serves the second leg.
I'm guessing NRT-SIN is served by NH(maybe NH801?) and that the HKG-SIN flight is served by SQ.
I would go with the HKG connection the NRT connection involves taking an UA flight.

Personally, I would take the NRT connection, it breaks the flying time up, and you will be able to use the showers at the NH lounge to freshen up.

Also, remember that calling in and booking invokes an additional booking fee. Try using KMStool or something similar to see if there is reward availability for your flight.
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Oct 24, 2009
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lurker99 wrote: I planning a YYZ to SIN vacation using my aeroplan points for Business class.

I notice Air Canada has 2 routes to SIN . Which route would you take?

1) Toronto to Hong Kong 15 hr + wait 3 hrs + HKG to SIN 4hrs

2) YYZ to NRT (narita Japan) 13Hrs + 1.5Hr wait + NRT to SIN 7Hrs

If I don't see the route I want on aeroplan.ca. Can I call in and get the exact flight I want?
Availability that you see online is almost always what the Aeroplan agents can see. Only caveats on that route is that the website doesn't recognize a connection that involves landing at Tokyo Haneda and departs Tokyo Narita airport which may give you more options.

Keep in mind availability on NH flights to Singapore are very hard to come by and you cannot redeem for Singapore Airlines flights on the Tokyo - Singapore route. Other options would be Seoul, Shangahi, Beijing or Hong Kong with onward connections on Singapore Airlines.

If you have the time, keep in mind that Aeroplan redemptions to Asia can include 2 free stopovers and unlimited transits. I booked the fights for my honeymoon like this:

Vancouver - San Jose Air Canada
Overnight Stop for Sightseeing
San Jose - Tokyo ANA
Stopover 1 For 2 Weeks
Tokyo - Hong Kong ANA
Stopover 2 for 1 Week
Hong Kong - Singapore Singapore Airlines
Turnaround Point for 1 Week
Singapore - Shanghai Singapore Airlines
Daytime Layover for New Disneyland
Shanghai - Vancouver Air Canada

You must call in to do a 2 stopover booking and as always, each flight has a limited number of seats available to Aeroplan (typically 3 or less for business class)
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Sep 19, 2004
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lurker99 wrote: I planning a YYZ to SIN vacation using my aeroplan points for Business class.

I notice Air Canada has 2 routes to SIN . Which route would you take?

1) Toronto to Hong Kong 15 hr + wait 3 hrs + HKG to SIN 4hrs

2) YYZ to NRT (narita Japan) 13Hrs + 1.5Hr wait + NRT to SIN 7Hrs

If I don't see the route I want on aeroplan.ca. Can I call in and get the exact flight I want?
Singapore is now Asia 2, 155K for Business class
https://www3.aeroplan.com/use-your-mile ... anguage=en

I'd choose whichever has lower tax/fees
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Sep 23, 2008
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Best route would be YYZ -> TPE -> SIN if you can find it. You get the awesome Royal Laurel flights on Eva Air, and then either Singapore Air or Eva Air for the asia leg. However, Eva air flights don't usually show up until about 2-3 weeks beforehand. In my experience, Asian airlines >>>>> Air Canada in terms of service. Last time I flew Air Canada business, there was hair all over my pillow, I told the flight attendant and she just exchanged my pillow with another seat's and left it there lol.
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Dec 24, 2001
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Don't know what KMStool and google doesn't come up with anything related to flights
blind56 wrote: It would depend on what airline serves the second leg.
I'm guessing NRT-SIN is served by NH(maybe NH801?) and that the HKG-SIN flight is served by SQ.
I would go with the HKG connection the NRT connection involves taking an UA flight.

Personally, I would take the NRT connection, it breaks the flying time up, and you will be able to use the showers at the NH lounge to freshen up.

Also, remember that calling in and booking invokes an additional booking fee. Try using KMStool or something similar to see if there is reward availability for your flight.
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Dec 1, 2004
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What about going through LAX or SFO and then taking SQ to SIN? SQ has one of the best business class products out there. Availability might be tough though as those are very popular. You could also go "the other way" and go through almost any point in Europe which SQ would from nonstop to SIN. I think SQ flies the new A350 from AMS to SIN so that would be the best business class experience.
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steveng wrote: What about going through LAX or SFO and then taking SQ to SIN? SQ has one of the best business class products out there. Availability might be tough though as those are very popular. You could also go "the other way" and go through almost any point in Europe which SQ would from nonstop to SIN. I think SQ flies the new A350 from AMS to SIN so that would be the best business class experience.
SQ doesn't release those J award seats to others
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Deal Fanatic
Jan 12, 2005
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I woulf take the YYZ-HKG route only because it has a longer layover. 1.5hr layover on a international flight seems a bit tight. Also, you're flying in J. Enjoy the lounges and showers before moving on to your next flight. The only benefit I see flying to NRT is the you'll prob. get a 787 instead of the 777.
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Feb 25, 2007
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Just making sure you're aware (maybe you are) - Aeroplan business class redemptions, especially if there is more than one of you travelling, are extremely hard to come by. Unless you are booking 11 months out, or then very close to flight time, and have a lot of flexibility as to day of travel, you may find you have a lot less choice than you might expect. Or one of your party flies over 100,000 paid miles with Star Alliance a year and therefore has Altitude S100K status, in which case you have access to additional availability via Priority Rewards.

If you've genuinely found availability for Aeroplan redemption on your chosen day of travel on both of the options you specify, I would primarily choose by time of day of departure and arrival. Do you prefer to arrive/leave beginning or end of the local day? The connection via NRT will probably get you in early morning to SIN, while the HKG one in the evening, I expect. Second, if given a choice I would pass on HKG-SIN if it is on a United Airlines plane vs the Tokyo flt on ANA or SQ.

However, in several years worth of periodic travel on Aeroplan points to South East Asia, even with Altitude S100K status I've found that it's much more about "what routing can I find that would be fine and give me business class on all legs" rather than "what would be my preferred routing". (Which leads me to my last pt: if you're seeing this on Aeroplan.com when you plug in your desired dates, make sure the flight routing says just "business" and not "business and economy" on it. The Aeroplan website is quite happy to play well-intentioned bait and switch with you and sell you a ticket for business class point levels, seating you for one flight in business class and the rest in economy.)

Have a good trip!
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Oct 25, 2003
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houska wrote: Just making sure you're aware (maybe you are) - Aeroplan business class redemptions, especially if there is more than one of you travelling, are extremely hard to come by. Unless you are booking 11 months out, or then very close to flight time, and have a lot of flexibility as to day of travel, you may find you have a lot less choice than you might expect. Or one of your party flies over 100,000 paid miles with Star Alliance a year and therefore has Altitude S100K status, in which case you have access to additional availability via Priority Rewards.
I find this to be an extremely broad statement that does not ring true at all in my experience. You just really need to know what you are doing.

For example you could fly YYZ-IST-SIN with TK in J without much of an issue. This would also give you a great opportunity to check out IST depending on your layover or just hang out in the CIP Turkish Airlines Lounge (voted best lounge in the world by SkyTrax).

OP. Give us some dates and let's see about availability instead of just talking theoreticals

I'm actually flying YYC-YYZ-YUL-IST tonight then onto CPT and GIG. All on Aeroplan in J for a party of 3. I booked in March. The above statement certainly does not hold true
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Oct 18, 2014
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I would go with Singapore over Asiana in J. Both were Aeroplan so inventory were available, as oppose to what is stated above.
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Oct 25, 2003
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McKinsey wrote: I would go with Singapore over Asiana in J. Both were Aeroplan so inventory were available, as oppose to what is stated above.
SG does not release J inventory to anyone except KrisFlyer members except for very specific routes. Asiana charges YQ
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llcooljayce wrote: I'm actually flying YYC-YYZ-YUL-IST tonight then onto CPT and GIG. All on Aeroplan in J for a party of 3. I booked in March. The above statement certainly does not hold true
Nice find and have a good trip. Indeed, TK J service (on long haul planes) and the IST lounge are great. And TK and SA Aeroplan availability can apparently randomly run the gamut from great to maddeningly unavailable when you need it (for instance, I've never found YYZ-IST available when I could use it).
I still maintain that while (as you wrote) with diligence, flexibility, and attention you can often get great routings on Aeroplan in J, you have to go with the flow and accept nonstandard routings (like your YYC-YYZ-YUL tango) and stopovers as a part of the adventure rather than expect you can pick and choose to suit your convenience. I'd be very surprised if on their chosen date of travel, the OP could get availability fully in J on both YYZ-HKG-SIN and YYZ-NRT-SIN and thus have that as a real choice. Or be able to try going via TPE (as someone suggested) or IST instead. Even with Priority Rewards access, I'd be delighted to get fully-J availability on a chosen date of travel for any one of these 4 routings.
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Oct 18, 2014
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llcooljayce wrote: SG does not release J inventory to anyone except KrisFlyer members except for very specific routes. Asiana charges YQ
Are you sure you are not talking about F inventory? I guess the other key you stated is "very specific route", which you may be right. OP is stating HKG-SIN and NRT-SIN, which I am assuming it part of the "routes" they release.

Also didn't realize YQ is a factor for the OP.
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Oct 25, 2003
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I would agree to your point but in having that flexibility and understanding what hubs to route out of, you have a much better chance at finding your J availability.

For those that are just relying on Aeroplan's website to find the J availability, it will be sad times indeed but if you know the airlines that release J in advance and which airlines charge for YQ, you can find plenty of availability in my experience. You might not fly out Friday after work and return the following Sunday just in time to get into bed but ... hey, you're saving a ton of money.

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