Natalie sent in this reader success story to Singapore and Australia. Here is her story:
Flights
For our big trip in August 2024, my boyfriend and I had long set our sights on visiting Singapore. We are big horse racing fans, and Singapore had announced that their famous Turf Club would cease operations in October 2024. My boyfriend really wanted to go, and I hadn’t been to Singapore in 20 years, so I was excited to see the changes!
We each booked our tickets differently. My boyfriend paid cash for his tickets. But I opened a JetBlue Business Card to book one way on Qatar for 68,000 miles in economy and two American Airlines cards (AAdvantage® Aviator® Red World Elite Mastercard® and Citi® / AAdvantage Business™ World Elite Mastercard®) to book Qatar home for 65,000 points. I’d also originally planned to pay cash for a SCUBA diving trip elsewhere in Asia but could not find an itinerary that worked for me, so I decided to pivot to include Australia on this trip instead. I booked a $250 ticket on a low-cost Jetstar from Singapore to Melbourne. I also changed my return ticket booked with American Airlines points to fly home in economy on AA metal instead of Qatar. But I consistently checked what was available even after I booked my economy ticket and noticed a flight in business class from Sydney home to Washington Dulles for 65,000 points on AA!
All information about the JetBlue Business Card has been collected independently by Travel Mom Squad. The JetBlue Business Card is no longer available through Travel Mom Squad.
All information about the Advantage® Aviator® Red World Elite Mastercard® has been collected independently by Travel Mom Squad. The Advantage® Aviator® Red World Elite Mastercard® is no longer available through Travel Mom Squad.
All information about the Citi® / AAdvantage Business™ World Elite Mastercard® has been collected independently by Travel Mom Squad. The Citi® / AAdvantage Business™ World Elite Mastercard® is no longer available through Travel Mom Squad.
Singapore
I left my Qatar flight to Singapore a bit tired but certainly well-fed (yes, even in economy). My boyfriend had arrived the day before, so we dropped bags at his hotel and explored the Joo Chiat neighborhood and colorful Peranakan houses of Singapore. We took a taxi to the
Four Points by Sheraton Riverview. Rooms there were available for 35,000 points per night; I had booked one night with a free-night certificate and used points for the other night.
I have Marriott Gold status, which got us an upgrade to a penthouse-level room plus early check-in and late check-out, which we took advantage of (we stayed in our room until 4 p.m.!!). There is a great pool, and it’s close to a bus stop and the metro. I’d highly recommend this hotel!
That afternoon we toured the Battle Box in Fort Canning Park—a must for history buffs. We walked to the Raffles and had a Singapore Sling before walking home past Merlion Park and eating at a hawker center. Then we tried to visit
Atlas, but sadly, there was a long wait, so we took some pictures and had a drink at
Nutmeg and Clove, which was lovely.
Day Two Singapore
We explored the famous Buddha Tooth Temple and Sri Mariamman Temple before getting ready for the races. It was a long but comfortable ride to the races on the metro, and we had a fabulous day. It’s a pity it’s closing! Upon returning to town, we visited the Smoke and Mirrors bar on top of the National Gallery. Honestly, I liked the view better than the drinks. We stopped for food and sadly missed the Gardens by the Bay light show.
The races—the reason for the trip!
Day Three Singapore
The day started with a brunch at the hotel, which we paid for but considered worth the money—so many delicious options! We walked first to Gardens by the Bay and explored the free options in the area, including spotting some otters! Walking via Marina Bay Sands, we visited the historic Fullerton Hotel and ate along the Singapore River. I wish we’d have had time for some museums at this point, but I guess I’ll have to go back! After a quick swim in the beautiful hotel pool and a shower, we certainly maximized our late checkout and made our way to the airport. The airport is big and took a while to walk through, so we hardly had time to eat and see the waterfall.
The beautiful Singapore Gardens were amazing.
On to Australia with Credit Card Points and Miles
Melbourne
My flight to Melbourne on Jetstar was not luxurious, but the price was right ($250), and I enjoyed “poor woman’s business class”— a row to myself in economy!
At this point, my boyfriend had headed home, so I was alone navigating the airport shuttle bus to the city center of Melbourne (easy) and then the trams (initially confusing; do yourself a favor and download a map!). I made my way to the
AC Hotel Melbourne Southwick. This hotel is outside of the free tram zone, but I had great city views back to the center of Melbourne, and there’s an infinity pool that could have been warmer but would be lovely in summer!
Because of my Marriott status, I was gifted a bottle of wine, and all Bonvoy members were treated to a free gin and tonic at happy hour. After a long day exploring the city, I loved this! This hotel isn’t a bad spot for 24,000 Marriott points per night. For the haters who claim to be unable to use their 35,000-point free-night certificates, I hope this report shows you otherwise.
AC Hotel Melbourne.
Nice welcome gift and letter at AC Melbourne.
Sadly, I was out of Marriott points after booking this stay and had to transfer Chase Ultimate Rewards® to Hyatt for my next stay at the
Hyatt Centric Melbourne. At 12,000 points per night, this hotel is super mod, has a nice pool, and is within easy walking or free tram distance of all things in Melbourne. I spent my second day exploring a little before a great tour of Phillip Island, home of the penguins. My third day was all about seeing the museums before a sunset tram ride to St. Kilda’s beach, where I had dinner. The final day was dedicated to the Great Ocean Road!
Hyatt Centric Melbourne.
Hyatt Centric lobby.
The Twelve Apostles, along the Great Ocean Road.
Adelaide
My next stop was Adelaide for more racing, museums, gardens, and an excellent zoo (they have the only pandas in the southern hemisphere!). The points hotel options didn’t align with the points I had, so I did a cash stay in a simple motel over a pub, which is a reasonable and safe option in Australia. But if you want to use points, there are Hiltons, and a new Marriott should now be open.
Adelaide Beach at sunset.
Flight Home
I flew to Sydney and stayed a night in the
Marriott Moxy by the airport, paying with cash. There was a lot to like about this hotel, as the Moxy brand is super-fun, and I got a free cocktail at their restaurant. However, I overlooked the lack of a free airport shuttle, which was a huge disappointment!
What was not a disappointment was my business-class flight home. American Airlines uses the Qantas lounge, so that’s the one I visited. I ate from the breakfast buffet and had two final flat whites before it was time to head to my plane. Once on board, the flight attendants were super-friendly and confirmed my pre-ordered food with me.
The seat was comfy and had lots of storage. My fancy headphones didn’t work at first, but I was quickly sorted out and given a new pair. The food was all fine—nothing great, nothing bad. My only real annoyance was getting one blanket that you had to choose to put over you or under you. I decided I needed padding more than warmth, so under me it went! I’m a terrible plane sleeper, and this was a daytime flight, but lying down for 14 hours still made it really comfy and enjoyable, even if I hardly slept.
Once we landed at LAX, I had some food at the
lounge before taking a flight to Dallas. Domestic first class is nice, but after international business, it’s a hard act to follow! In Dallas, I went to the lounge in my terminal but was advised another terminal had nicer showers, so I moved there. If I remembered which lounge it was, I’d tell you! I could have eaten a sit-down meal, but having just been fed on my flight, I preferred to snack at the buffet after my shower. Then I had one more flight—on which I was fed again—and then I was home to Washington Dulles.
Bottom Line
Australia and Singapore are two fabulous destinations, and points and miles took care of a huge chunk of the price. I hope to see more of both in the future, but now I’m spoiled and only want to get there for free using miles in business class!
Thanks, Natalie for your reader success story to both Singapore and Australia. And we get it, after business-class seats, it’s hard to go back!
Related Posts
be the first to comment
Responses are not provided or commissioned by the bank advertiser. Responses have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by the bank advertiser. It is not the bank advertiser’s responsibility to ensure all posts and/or questions are answered.