8 Simple Ways To Get Cheaper Flights And Fly Better

Air tickets can mean burning a hole in your wallet to spend hours cooped up in a metal tube with cramped, swollen feet and other distractions. But it doesn’t have to be expensive, or uncomfortable at all — if you know what to do.

Accumulating miles is a great way to travel better, and there’s even one new method to do so introduced by Standard Chartered that you’ve probably not heard of. We’ll get to that soon.

Here’s a list of 8 simple ways you can make your flights much cheaper and better.

1. Earn KrisFlyer Miles By Depositing Money

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Citizens of the world, listen up. Standard Charted Bank has devised a brilliant way for you to rack up those miles even when you have your feet on the ground. Their new SGD Miles Time Deposit awards 10,000 Krisflyer miles with every $27,000 of fresh funds placed in a 6-month Time Deposit, up to a maximum of 60,000 miles, in lieu of monetary interest.

Earning without spending, basically. If you’ve got idle cash and want to travel, the SGD Miles Time Deposit is a great option.

For your reference, 60,000 miles can net you a business class flight to Hong Kong or Taipei, or a economy class return flight  to Tokyo, Sydney, Christchurch or Johannesburg. Or you can space them out and use them for seat upgrades over multiple trips, and buy a thing or two from KrisShop.com.

This promotion ends on 30th September 2016, so cash in on this great opportunity while you can. For more information, head over to Standard Chartered’s Miles Time Deposit site and find out more.

2. Fly When Nobody Else Wants To

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The first and last flights of each day are usually the ones at ungodly, awkward hours that nobody wants to be on. But if you’re the type who doesn’t mind rushing to the airport when everyone else is in bed, a less-than-full flight and cheaper air fares are just some of the benefits that await you. Emptier flights mean shorter boarding queues, better service and free-seating (admit it, we’ve all seized the chance to change up our seats if there are vacant, better ones).

3. Skip third party agents

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It’s tempting to let travel agents and third-party websites handle all the grunt work, but that also means that you’ll lose out on all the miles that you could’ve accumulated just by clicking the buttons yourself on the airline’s website directly. A little goes a long way, and missing out on those miles can cost you a fully redeemable flight down the road.

4. Book Last Minute

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It is common knowledge that booking your tickets early allows you to call dibs on choice seats, but getting them late can, if done correctly, net you cheaper fares.

Contrary to popular belief, ticket prices are volatile as they are subject to daily or even hourly changes such as demand and competitive pricing from rivals. Kayak.co.uk or Skyscanner.net are two websites that help you track air fares, and notify you when prices hit a certain amount.

5. Know Your Carriers

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There’s a lot more airline options than just SIA if you’re looking to pick up Krisflyer miles as you fly. In addition to subsidiaries like Scoot and SilkAir, there’s an entire fleet of partner carriers that let you rack up those miles, such as one of the world’s largest airline network, Star Alliance, which includes other major airlines such as Air Canada and Thai Airways.

6. Share Miles Amongst Family and Friends

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Did you know you can actually share miles with other people you nominate? Krisflyer members can list up to five redemption nominees that their miles can be used on behalf on. Make the full use of this by putting important names up on the list.

So the next time you need to tompang a little bit of miles for a full redemption here and there, you know which sibling or BFF to look for.

7. Take Transit Flights with Relaxing Pit Stops

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Total travelling time seems like a terrible evil of vacationing – who wants to waste two days of precious leave stuck in a metal tube in the air? But that’s only when you’re stranded at airports over long transits with nowhere to go. If you’re looking to travel comfortably, pit stops are recommended.

Sometimes, business class transit flight costs is just a teeny weeny more than an uncomfortable direct trip on economy. And when you have access to the lounge, you’d wish your transits were longer instead.

8. Fly With Native Airlines

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If you’re feeling generous and decided to splurge on an upgrade, pay attention to your airline of choice. Having a stopover in Hong Kong on your way to Seoul? Take Cathay. Heading to Tokyo via Bangkok? I suggest you get your tickets from Thai Airways. Lounges in their home cities are always a guarantee to the best service possible.


*This article was produced in conjunction with Standard Chartered Bank (Singapore) Limited. All information provided is on an “as is” basis and for informational purposes only, not intended for trading purposes or advice.  It is not an offer, recommendation, or solicitation to anyone to enter into any investment transaction. It has not been prepared for any particular person or class of persons and does not constitute and should not be construed as investment advice nor an investment recommendation. It has been prepared without regard to the specific investment objectives, financial situation or particular needs of any particular person. You should seek advice from a financial adviser on the suitability of an investment or financial product for you, taking into account these factors before making a commitment to invest in an investment or financial product. Standard Chartered and SethLui.com are not liable for any informational errors, incompleteness, or delays, or for any actions taken in reliance on information contained herein. For the most updated information on SGD Miles Time Deposit promotion, please click here.

Deposit Insurance Scheme: Singapore dollar deposits of non-bank depositors are insured by the Singapore Deposit Insurance Corporation, for up to S$50,000 in aggregate per depositor per Scheme member by law. Foreign currency deposits, dual currency investments, structured deposits and other investment products are not insured.

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