For most travelers, flying business or first class, especially on an international flight, is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
A business class ticket costs up to five times more than an economy ticket on Singapore Airlines, and a first class ticket costs a whopping 13 times more.
As a result, these cabins are often booked by wealthy people, including big-time business travelers and, to borrow the movie’s title, crazy rich Asians.
An economy class flight from Singapore to London on Singapore’s flag carrier, booked about six months in advance, will cost S$1,700 ($1,303.68) round-trip. A business class ticket will jump to S$6,300, while a first class ticket will cost just over S$13,000.
Admittedly, the difference can be smaller on short-haul flights. For example, a comparable flight from Singapore to Tokyo Haneda costs around S$1,300 in economy class, just over S$4,200 in business class, and S$7,600 in first class.
“You don’t have to be rich to enjoy these things,” said Aaron Wong, who flies first and business class when he travels.
Source: Aaron Wong
However, Singaporean Aaron Wong, a former management consultant who founded the travel website The Milelion in 2015, says he takes about eight to nine business and first class flights a year. spoke.
There are regional flights and there are long-haul flights. But what’s the best part? He lets me fly for almost free.
“The best mileage card”?
Wong said the key is to maximize the points you earn on credit card spending and convert those points into airline miles. However, he says it’s not as simple as choosing a credit card that earns miles and spending a lot of money.
First, he says, “There is no such thing as the best card.” “it depends.”
Instead, Wong said so-called “mile chasers” should sign up for a card that fits their spending habits.
He recommends having multiple credit cards that offer “bonus” miles that cover a person’s main spending categories. One card may give you bonus miles on online purchases. You can also use a separate card for meals. You may also receive additional miles for groceries and transportation.
Aaron Wong at Singapore Airlines’ private “First Class Check-in Reception” area at Singapore Changi Airport.
Source: Aaron Wong
He said this could make a big difference, as the typical “bonus” rate in Singapore is 4 miles per dollar spent, which is higher than the 1.2 to 1.4 miles on other credit cards.
“It’s like having all the tools in your toolbox, right? You don’t use a beer cutter for wine. So if people only want one card… it’s the beer tap. It’s like trying to open all kinds of cards with a drawer.” There’s the drink. ”
Mr Wong said spending $30,000 on a credit card that earns 1.4 miles per dollar could earn you around 45,000 miles on Singapore Airlines, enough for a round-trip economy class flight to Perth. It is said that
But if you invest the same $30,000 in multiple cards that give you “bonus” miles, you could earn 120,000 Singapore Airlines miles and potentially fly business class to Cape Town and back.
If someone pays for a meal with a card that earns 1.3 miles per dollar, rather than a card that earns 4 miles per dollar, they’ll say, “There’s 2.4 miles left on the table, right? “It’s free value,” he said. Said.
“Key points”
Mr Wong acknowledged that unlike holding a cashback card, which refunds a portion of spending to credit card holders, the miles game could be “very substantive”.
Miles card users need to not only track which cards earn them the most miles, but also understand details such as bonus categories, exclusions, and factors such as points pooled from different cards from the same bank. there is.
For example, in Singapore, you can combine points earned on your DBS credit card, but the Citibank Singapore credit card does not work that way.
Mr Wong said he would not pay to fly business class or first class. “But you don’t have to pay because you have miles.”
Source: Aaron Wong
Some credit card points never expire, while others have an expiration date. Some cards automatically convert your spending into miles, while others give you bank points that you need to redeem for miles.
“I know a lot of people are a little bit intimidated,” he said, adding that many people think they need at least 10 credit cards to earn the most points. Ta. “The truth is, unless you spend a lot of money each year, three, maybe four, cards are enough for most people.”
Most cards that offer bonus miles in Singapore have a cap on how much you can spend for which you can earn bonus miles. For example, Singapore’s Citi rewards card only gives you 4 miles per dollar on your first $1,000 of monthly spending.
But despite the hardships, Wong says it’s worth it: “The rewards are good. I think that’s why people are willing to put in that much time (and) mental capacity.” spoke.
He added that he would not spend more than S$6,000 to S$7,000 to fly business class. “But with Miles, you don’t have to pay to unlock those experiences.”
Mr Wong advises aspiring ‘mile chasers’ not to spend money just to earn more miles. “Some people may try to justify spending more to get more compensation, but I don’t support that,” he said.
Rather, his view is that miles are simply a reward for what a person originally intended to buy, a reward that provides a “5-star experience on a 1-star budget.” is.
Correction: This article has been amended to remove an inaccurate reference to the year that Aaron Wong retired.