One of my goals for 2018 was the finally make it to Australia. At this point I’ve been to most continents, but I have been unable to make it to Australia in years past. The reason I haven’t been to Australia is that prices tend to be quite expensive. Thankfully, over summer 2018 I found some incredible fares both to and from Australia or New Zealand. Well, kind of.
The fares themselves weren’t exactly from the US to Australia. Instead, the one fare was from Auckland to Los Angeles for just over $300 one-way. The second fare I found was from Los Angeles to Hong Kong in American’s new Premium Economy class for about $450. Then, I found a decent award space from Hong Kong to Sydney in Singapore Airlines Suites Class. All together, it was a pretty interesting and amazing itinerary. The only thing is that it required quite a few flights and stops, but it was an adventure and one that I was happy to take.
What made this trip even more fun was that I somehow convinced my girlfriend to join me. It wasn’t hard to get her to come with me to Australia, but I wasn’t sure how willing she would be to fly to Hong Kong to get there. While we booked everything I downplayed just how far out of the way we were actually going. On top of that, I emphasized that while we were going “a bit” out of the way, we would be doing so to fly Singapore Airlines Suites all the way from Hong Kong to Sydney. That seemed to help convince her that flying to Hong Kong first was a great plan.
American Airlines Business Class To Hong Kong
The trip began in Los Angeles where we booked a very cheap American Airlines Premium Economy fare. Right after booking we then requested a miles and co-pay upgrade. There was plenty of business class space when we booked so I thought we would have a decent chance at the upgrade clearing. I hoped that the upgrade would clear days before our trip, but that wasn’t the case. Instead, the upgrades didn’t clear until we were at the gate. That meant that until we arrived at the gate area we thought we’d be in Premium Economy.
Thankfully, when we arrived at the gate area we saw our names clear on the upgrade list and we approached the podium. This is where things got a bit confusing. See, American has only recently introduced Premium Economy. This meant that the gate agents weren’t all that familiar with a PE upgrade to Business Class. Originally we were told that the upgrade would only cost 25,000 miles each. We happily agreed to pay that price and then boarded the aircraft.
Once on-board a gate agent came down and told me that the price was actually $300 + 25,000 miles each. Although I wasn’t excited about the extra cost, the thought of sitting in a chair for 15 hours instead of a bed wasn’t all that appealing. In the end we paid the co-pay and flew in Business Class to Hong Kong.
Singapore Airlines New/Old Suites To Sydney
From Hong Kong we then boarded the Singapore Airlines A380 with New Suites. The New Suites were absolutely incredible. Once onboard and in my seat I quickly forgot that I was on an airplane. The only issue with this flight was that it was far too short. We only just had enough time to eat our in-flight meal and take a quick nap. That being said, the new suites are simply amazing and I hope to fly in them at least once more before the A380 disappears.
Next, we stopped in Singapore for a few hour layover. During our layover we visited Singapore Airlines’ The Private Room. The Private Room is effectively a lounge within a lounge and represents the best lounge Singapore Airlines has to offer. While we welcomed the private and quiet space the lounge is extremely dated. You can tell this lounge was designed around the same time as the old suites based on the similarities in finishes. That’s not to say that the lounge wasn’t nice, it’s just that it’s not quite as awe-inspiring as more modern lounges.
After a quick stop in The Private Room we then boarded our Old Suites flight from Singapore to Sydney. While the old suites are a bit dated as well I was happy to fly both products back to back. By flying both in quick succession we were able to uncover several things we liked and disliked about each. Overall we found that Singapore old suites are much better suited for couples while the new suites are best for those traveling alone.
Sydney To Auckland In Qantas Economy Class
We spent just a few days in Sydney before boarding an economy class flight with Qantas to Auckland. While economy doesn’t sound all that exciting we were pleasantly surprised by the flight. The Qantas crew was fantastic and far superior to anything offered in the US.
What made this trip extremely memorable was that we also were able to visit the iconic Qantas First Class lounge in Sydney. This was among the most beautiful lounges I’ve ever visited. I’m also not sure I’ve ever been in a lounge that has offered better views of the surrounding airport. Even better, the lounge isn’t all that far away from downtown, so you can sit there and plane watch with the iconic Sydney skyline as a backdrop.
American Airlines Business Class Home
To get home I booked a one-way economy class ticket for both of us for just over $300. At booking I was also able to confirm a systemwide upgrade and we were quickly confirmed in business class. So, for a bit over $300 we flew in business class from Auckland to Los Angeles. That’s not a bad deal if you ask me.
What made this flight memorable was that the flight was operated by the 787-9. While the plane itself isn’t that rare these days the seating arrangement is on American. I’d say that the American Airlines 787-9 offers the best business class seat in their fleet. It’s far superior to the seat offered on the 787-800 and marginally better than the seat found on the 77W. Overall the flight was great for most of us onboard. Unfortunately the passenger in front of me had issues with his seat throughout the flight.
Final Thoughts
Of all the trips I’ve taken so far this was without a doubt the best. What made this trip so amazing, besides the company, was that we got to not only see Sydney and Auckland, but also that we got to fly some of the best cabins in the airline industry and visit some of the best lounges in the world. It was the perfect mix of an airline review trip and an actual vacation.
In the coming days I’ll be pushing out many of the reviews mentioned above so there is plenty more detail to come. This was an incredible trip and one that I wish I could take all over again. If I had the choice I wouldn’t change a single aspect of this trip. Flying to Hong Kong first was totally worth the detour to fly Singapore Suites once again.
