After flying in from Sydney onboard Singapore Airlines Airbus A380 Business Class, spending the night at the Aerotel transit hotel and catching up with a friend in town the next morning, I headed back to Changi Airport to catch my onward Airbus A350 flight to Bangkok. Talk about a whirlwind transit!

This flight would ordinarily cost 24,000 KrisFlyer miles + $69 on its own, but I paid only $12 in additional taxes by including it in my Singapore Airlines redemption from Sydney to Singapore.

That’s a magnificent redemption because:

• Sydney-Singapore is 68,500 miles + $92 in Business, but
• Sydney-Singapore-Bangkok is 68,500 miles + $104 overall for Business.

It’s a no-brainer to fly onwards to South East Asia for ‘free’ (paying a little in extra taxes) if your schedule allows – the transit between flights just needs to be under 24 hours. The same trick works on flights from Perth and Darwin to Singapore, which only cost 40,500 miles in Business.

Like me, you can leverage this to enjoy an extended transit (a mini-stopover, if you will), where you can stay the night and see a bit of Singapore before heading back for your next flight. Refreshed, recharged and ready for more travel – that’s the Point Hacks way.

Check-in, lounge and boarding

A note on changing flights

In my case, I was initially booked on SQ714 (the 5:10 pm departure). Luckily, Singapore Airlines will consider requests to change to an earlier flight if you ask at the check-in or transfer counters. After all, it’s a win-win as they have a better chance of reselling the seat on the later flight.

I asked in Sydney and was unsuccessful because all the earlier flights were full. But by the following morning, a seat had opened up and I was able to switch to SQ710 (the 1:05 pm departure) by asking at the transfer counter at Singapore Changi Airport. Of course, for this to work mid-transit, it’s best to not have checked luggage.

Check-in at Singapore Changi T2

As my Singapore-Bangkok flight was booked as part of a Sydney-Singapore-Bangkok itinerary, I’m already checked in for this flight. But either way, you should head to the renovated Terminal 2, as this is where most Singapore Airlines regional flights operate from.

Visiting the SilverKris Business Lounge, T2

While the check-in area of T2 is shiny and new, the rest of the terminal itself is a confusing mess of hoardings – renovations are clearly still underway. Straight after immigration, you should spot some signs directing you upstairs to the T2 SilverKris Lounge.

It’s still a reasonably decent place to hang out before the flight. Notably, Piper-Heidsieck Champagne, a laksa station and a basket of steamed dumplings are just what I need for a fancy early lunch.

If you have more time, a visit to the gleaming new SilverKris Lounge in T3 could be on the cards. Just be mindful of the time needed to get back to Terminal 2 via the internal SkyTrain.

Boarding

Today’s flight leaves from the furthest depths of the terminal at Gate F59, but that provides a good opportunity to stretch out the legs one final time. Business Class passengers have priority access through security screening at the gate, and priority boarding is called shortly after I get through.

Singapore Airlines Airbus A350 Business seating

Business Class cabin overview

Singapore Airlines operates a few different variants of the Airbus A350. The two types you’ll see on the Bangkok route are the ones with ‘regional’ Business Class (more common) and jets with ‘long haul’ Business Class (less common).

In a stroke of luck, I’ve managed to book myself on a ‘long haul’ variant Airbus A350 for this flight. This means an older but wider Business Class seat at the front. Premium Economy isn’t offered on these flights, but savvy Economy passengers can also book the Premium Economy seats for a fee (or for free if any seats remain at online check-in, 48 hours before departure).

Also read: A comprehensive guide to Singapore Airlines’ many Business and First Class seats and suites

Business Class seat features

The Airbus A350 ‘long haul’ Business Class seat has been covered extensively in our review of Singapore Airlines Business Class from Brisbane to Singapore. It’s a bespoke and elegant design with plenty of storage space. Buttons on the side will adjust the seat and lighting to your liking – but you’ll need to flip the seat down to turn it into a bed. I don’t do it for this flight, though.

A cool feature of this seat is the ability for two people to sit together and watch a movie. It’s wide enough to do so and if you peruse the photos below, you’ll spot a headphone socket on each side.