In January last year, Singapore Airlines announced their final extension of expiring KrisFlyer miles to Jan-Jun 2023. Given that we had a substantial stash of 450,000 miles, I came up with a redemption strategy to burn them all, starting from Jan 2023.
What I didn’t fully appreciate was the fact that every other KrisFlyer member would be thinking along the same lines, resulting in a severe shortage. The situation was particularly acute at the most cost-effective Saver rates, and especially so for Business class seats.
Singapore Airlines must have realised this somewhere along the way, and announced a *final* final extension to Jul-Dec 2023. I was inclined to believe them this time, and instead of leaving things to the very last minute, I started seriously searching for seats in Dec last year.
KrisFlyer Redemption
For our very first post-pandemic flight, we decided to stick with a familiar city within the Asia Pacific region and narrowed it down to either Seoul, Tokyo, Osaka or Taipei.
As we had a significant amount to redeem within a short period of time, Business class seats made the most sense. Since we didn’t want to squander our hard-earned miles, and had some flexibility when it came to dates, I focused exclusively on Saver rates.
Which kind of ruled out Taipei, since it was quite a short flight and Business class would be a waste. Japan ruled itself out because finding two Business Saver seats was close to impossible without waitlisting, and I had close to zero confidence that any waitlist would clear.
Seoul it was, and after searching on the Singapore Airlines website, I managed to snag two return Business Saver seats on SQ 600 (SIN to ICN) and SQ 601 (ICN to SIN).
The total cost was 208,000 KrisFlyer miles plus S$180 in fees and taxes. Given that cash fares for the exact same flight started from S$5,000 for 2 adults, the value for this redemption came in at a respectable 2.40 cpm (cents-per-mile).
Flight timings were friendly and would see us landing in Incheon at 3.35pm, and for our return leg, departing at 4.45pm. Giving us ample time for immigration, customs and airport transfers while avoiding rush hour crowds.
With our air travel confirmed, the rest of the planning for our free-and-easy trip was relatively easy.
Pre-flight Preparation
Our pre-travel checklist was straightforward, with just a few additional steps arising from the pandemic.
For South Korea, we had to apply for immigration K-ETAs (which has since been relaxed) and submit health declaration Q-Codes. And while not totally necessary, we registered our travel details with the Singapore foreign ministry.
They emailed back with office and emergency contacts for the embassy in Seoul, conveniently located downtown. I immediately pinned it on my Naver Maps app, so that we know exactly where to evacuate to in the event of, well, an outbreak of a novel coronavirus. It’s been known to happen.
When it came to packing our luggage, in addition to our usual list, we also included an ample supply of surgical masks (not mandatory but good-to-have), N95 masks (for days with horrible fine dust), an infrared thermometer and Covid ART kits (just in case).
And since we were flying Business class, we logged into our KrisFlyer accounts to “Book the Cook”. The choices available for our flight out of Singapore was quite extensive, so it took quite some time to decide which main course to choose. In the end, and unsurprisingly, we both went with the lobster thermidor.
With food sorted, I turned my attention to inflight entertainment. Scanning through the large library of available movies, and conscious of the fact that our flight was slightly more than six hours, I shortlisted four movies — two each for the outbound and inbound flights.
I’m hopelessly behind on the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The last MCU movie I watched was “Avengers: Endgame”, in a cinema four years ago. I’ve been meaning to subscribe to Disney+ to catch up on the franchise, but I can at least (re)start with “Black Widow” and “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” on the plane.
I was, and still am, a huge fan of “Top Gun” and the long-awaited sequel was an obvious pick. It would be interesting to see how Tom Cruise plays Maverick, 36 years later. The trailers look awesome and Tom looks to have really aged well.
Everything that I’ve seen and read about “Everything Everywhere All at Once” indicates that it’ll be a wild and crazy ride. It appears to be similar in concept as “Rick and Morty”, one of my favourite cartoons of all time.
In one iconic episode, Rick transforms into a pickle, gets washed into the sewer, makes an exoskeleton out of dead rats and finally manages to escape via helicopter. If the movie that won Michelle Yeoh an Oscar is even half as crazy, I think I’d really enjoy it.
Singapore (SIN) to Incheon (ICN)
Over the past few decades, I must have taken more than a few hundred domestic, regional and international flights, primarily for work. Except for the first few years, it’s always felt more like a chore and not particularly pleasant. Especially since most of those flights were in Economy, with just a small sprinkling of Business thrown in.
These three plus years have been the longest stretch that I’ve gone without being airborne, and even the taxi ride to the airport felt like a mini adventure. I wouldn’t say that I’ve started to enjoy flying per-se, but I did feel a tingle of excitement as we approached Changi.
After we checked in at Terminal 3 and were issued our boarding passes, we cleared immigration and headed over to the newly refurbished and pretty SilverKris lounge for some coffee and a light breakfast.
It was still very early in the morning, around 6.30am, but the lounge was totally jam-packed. We still managed to find seats, but everywhere we turned, we saw mostly bleary-eyed travellers shuffling around with their food and drinks.
Soon, it was time to board and we made our way to the departure gate. Just before security clearance, my muscle memory kicked in and I quickly removed my belt, watch and wallet, stashed them into my backpack.
My flying pants started sliding down since I’d lost more than 5kgs over the years, and I had to physically hold them up to prevent a wardrobe malfunction. And before you ask, yes, I have pants that I wear exclusively when flying. In fact, I have two pairs that are exactly the same.
They are really old and baggy khakis from Dockers, and are super comfortable. I also have a flying long-sleeved dark blue polo t-shirt from Massimo Dutti. It’s soft and has just the right thickness to be cool enough when I’m on the ground, and comfortably warm when the plane reaches 30,000 feet.
Priority boarding was a breeze, despite the flight being almost full. As we were walking down the aerobridge, I had to nudge The Wife to turn left. She was heading towards the Economy entrance out of habit.
The plane we took was a Boeing 787-10 and the middle seats alternated between “couple” and “divorce” modes. I had checked the seating plan to choose ours, but the couple in front of us were clearly taken aback when they saw how far apart they were.
I took some time to familiarise myself with the various features of the seat, including the new three-point seatbelts, similar to what you’d find in cars. It had to be fully secured during take-off and landing, but the shoulder strap could be detached otherwise.
Our tray tables were set after the plane reached altitude and leveled off. The breakfast service that day started with yoghurt, fruits, a choice of breads and coffee (or tea), followed by a choice of three mains that included scrambled eggs with sausage, soy sauce chicken noodles or beef gomtang.
If you don’t already know, you can actually check your specific inflight menu by specifying the flight number, cabin class and date. The three inflight choices weren’t particularly appealing, so it was great that we had gone down the “Book the Cook” route.
I’ve ordered the lobster thermidor a couple of times in the past, and the way it was prepared has varied widely. There were times when they were really heavy on the cheese, resulting in a gooey mess.
This time, the sauce had a more delicate touch. A mustard-infused Béchamel lightly coated the lobster chucks, together with a dusting of oven-browned cheese. The roasted mushrooms, peppers and beans provided a nice complement, with fondant potato cylinders providing the finishing touch.
The Wife and I were initially thinking about choosing two different mains to share. We decided otherwise, and after our first few bites, we unanimously agreed that we had made the right choice.
It was a pity that the lobster thermidor was not available during our return flight. Otherwise, it would have been a no-brainer to book it again. Hopefully they’ll stick with this recipe for the foreseeable future.
Between the meal, drinks and movies, time flew by quickly (pun intended) and we landed at Incheon Terminal 1 right on schedule. There was a fairly long queue at immigration but it moved quite quickly.
We picked up our luggage from the carousel, activated Giga data roaming on our mobile phones, charged up our T-Money cards and took the Airport Express (AREX) train to our hotel in Hongdae and began our vacation.
Incheon (ICN) to Singapore (SIN)
Before we knew it, ten days had gone by and we found ourselves back at Incheon Airport Terminal 1. The SilverKris Lounge had been closed since the pandemic started and I was hoping that it would be open by the time we were due to fly home.
Unfortunately it wasn’t and we were routed to the Asiana Lounge. It was plain but functional and more importantly, not too crowded. The food available was limited but the quality was decent, especially the fried chicken that was cooked in small batches and replenished frequently.
Once we boarded and found our seats, we were served pre-takeoff apéritifs (Champagne and Bellini) and the stewardess took our post-takeoff drink orders.
The Wife chose the Grand Pineapple Daiquiri, “a refreshing blend of rum, orange liqueur, topped with pineapple juice”. I went with the SilverKris Sling “…made with gin, orange liqueur, orange juice, pineapple juice, topped with Champagne.”
Soon after that was the highly-anticipated Satay Service — three chunky and juicy sticks of chicken satay, served with raw onion, cucumber and peanut sauce. Among all the dishes I’ve eaten on Singapore Airlines, this ranks easily at Number One. Yes, even higher than the lobster thermidor.
It’s definitely pre-cooked the day before and re-heated during the flight, but it somehow still manages to retain its moisture. The rempah used to marinate the chicken is bold and robust, and the satay sauce is delightfully thick and spicy.
Stopping myself from licking the plate clean, I managed to wipe out every last morsel of the sauce by skillfully using the cucumber and sticks as a makeshift utensil. It was that good. Of course not as good as the chicken satay at Rahim Muslim Food, but it came pretty close.
While waiting for the remaining dinner courses to be served, I decided to test out the free on-board Wifi. Being spoilt by the super fast connection at home, the speed and latency in the cabin were not great. Ironically, I couldn’t even get www.singaporeair.com to load properly. I guess they must be using too many high-definition images on their homepage.
Singapore Airlines has since announced that they’ll be offering free Wifi for all KrisFlyer members, regardless of cabin class flown. I anticipate traffic to increase exponentially, so don’t get your hopes up on having a decent connection. Also, if you were planning to check your 4D or Toto lottery results while in the air, you’re out of luck.
Because, computer says no.
“Book the Cook” choices were very limited ex-Seoul, so we went with the safe choices of salmon steak and beef tenderloin for our main courses. A Nicoise salad was served as an appetiser, and since The Wife doesn’t eat tuna (because dolphins), I had double portions of the seared tuna.
The fish and beef tasted alright, though both were clearly overcooked. But after ten days of delicious hansik including samgyetang, jjukkumi, galbijjim, kalguksu, agujjim and countless banchan, our tastebuds were willing to look the other way.
I managed to finish watching all four movies on my shortlist, and even got half-way through “Confidential Assignment 2: International”.
It was the first movie that The Wife watched on our way to Seoul and she gave it two thumbs up. I’m sure it was because it had an interesting plot and exciting action scenes, and not because it starred Hyun Bin and Daniel Henney, the two ridiculously handsome oppas.
We landed late at night and managed to reach home just before midnight. It was a wonderful trip and a great (re)start of our overseas travels. I’ll be blogging more about what we ate, drank, saw and bought over the coming weeks, so stay tuned.
The SQ Business class food and service contributed no small part to the overall positive experience, and I’m already looking forward to booking the next flight. The clock is ticking, and we have 242,000 more Krisflyer miles to burn before the end of this year.
Seoul Spring 2023
Trip planning: Hansik, sijang and hanok (Seoul Spring 2023)
Our flights are booked, hotel rooms are reserved and all that’s left is to count down to the day that we finally take to the skies again.
Ryse Hotel is right in the heart of bustling Hongdae
During our previous trips to Seoul, we stayed in Myeongdong, Dongdaemun and City Hall. This time, I decided to try a new neighbourhood in the Western part of Seoul.
Comforting pork soup at Donsubaek for our first meal in Seoul
After a six plus hour flight and faced with an unexpected drop in temperature, a piping hot bowl of pork soup really hit the spot.
Masan Seafood and their ugly delicious agujjim
Monkfish may possibly be the ugliest fish in the world, but it also happens to be one of the most delicious.
A relaxing afternoon interlude at Tteuran Teahouse in Ikseondong
As you step through the heavy wooden doors, you can’t help but feel a sense of serenity sweep over your entire body.
For jeongmal delizioso Korean fusion food, head to Banjoo Iksun
Beautifully browned potato dumplings and generous chunks of smoky bacon floated on a pool of vibrantly green perilla leaf cream.
Traditional Korean rice cakes and pour over coffee for breakfast
Rice is a staple in many Asian countries. Besides being the main source of carbohydrates, it’s also used to make different types of sweets.
Lotus Lantern Festival at Gwanghwamun Square
The lantern displays were just one component of the week-long festival leading up to the Buddha’s birthday celebration, a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
Baek Nyeon Baekse just took the top spot in our samgyetang shortlist
Samgyetang, or ginseng chicken soup, is easily one of our favourite Korean dishes. It’s great on cold, rainy days and even better when we’re feeling under the weather.
When Korean executives need a quick meal, Hanilkwan is where they go
Bibimbap is a dish that requires audience participation, and it’s always fun to mix all the ingredients into a beautiful mess.
Strawberry tea and desserts at bright and breezy Mil Toast
The Wife went with a hot Strawberry Tea, not knowing exactly what to expect but confident that it was a good choice. South Korea was, after all, famous for their high quality strawberries.
Watching the Lotus Lantern Parade from our seats at Jongno 3-ga
You know that an event is a huge deal when a 3km stretch of road, right in the heart of a major city, is shut down for several hours on a busy Saturday night.
Bus ride to Mangwon Market for our Korean street food fix
Dessert was in the form of spicy eomuk skewers, from the very first stall we saw when entering the market. Just look at that fiery and luscious sauce!
The hanjeongsik at Hangaram was easily our best meal in Seoul
Despite being mentally prepared for the large number of incoming items, when the food started arriving, we were hopelessly overwhelmed by the non-stop cascade of dishes.
Mall hopping at The Hyundai Seoul and Starfield Coex
Given a choice between hiking up a mountain or wandering around an airconditioned mall, I choose the latter. Any time of the day, any day of the week, any week of the year.
Jeon and makgeolli at John Makgeolliano in Yeonnamdong
One mission of our recent vacation in Seoul was to drink as much makgeolli as possible. And since jeon is the perfect accompaniment to makgeolli, we found an interesting place to have both.
Wandering the jinjja yeppeuda alleys of Ikseondong Hanok Village
Of all the neighbourhoods we’ve been to in Seoul, Ikseondong is the prettiest by far. Here are five memorable places that we visited.
There’s a reason why Myeongdong Kyoja is so popular
After mixing everything into a beautiful mess and taking in a big mouthful, the first thing that hit me was a pleasant nuttiness, followed by deep umami. The noodles were firm and chewy, releasing flavour with every bite.
From now on, Novotel Dongdaemun is where we’ll stay in Seoul
Five months before check-in, I booked a 53sqm Residence Deluxe Room on a fully flexible rate. Our four night stay in May had an average daily rate of ₩256,000.
The Wife walked into Pleats Mama and almost didn’t make it out
I could tell that she was very pleased with her purchases, and I was pleased that she was pleased.
The complete Hanwoo K-BBQ experience at Majang Meat Market
Our 422g platter with four different cuts of Grade 1++(9) Korean beef cost ₩71,000 at the butcher’s shop. The total bill after adding the table charge, drinks and transport came up to only ₩89,800.
Buying African beans from Blue Bottle Coffee in Samcheongdong
A wide selection was on display, together with their origins, tasting notes and prices. They were sold in unusually large 300gm bags, with blends going for ₩25,000 and single-origins for ₩35,000.
Our very first taste of ganjang gejang, courtesy of Keun Giwajip
I found out the hard way that ganjang gejang is an acquired taste. One that, unfortunately, I wasn’t able to acquire.
Strolling down Gyeongdong Market for a truly local sijang experience
One thing we like to do when visiting a foreign city is to explore grocery stores and traditional markets. It gives us a chance to glimpse into the lives of people going about their day-to-day activities.
The tragic fate of the jjukkumi at Najeongsun Halmae
Somewhere in the Yongdu-dong neighbourhood, within the Dongdaemun-gu district, a brass octopus stands at attention, solemnly saluting all who walk past.
Jeolla-do grilled eel two ways at Songgang Freshwater Eel
In South Korea, jang-eo (장어) is considered a health food that boosts energy, and is especially popular during the hot summer months.
Shopping for souvenirs at Emart Cheonggyecheon
Grocery shopping is probably not on the minds of most tourists. But coming from a non-agricultural country like Singapore, the opportunity to bring home fresh, tasty and cheap produce was simply too good to miss.
Last minute dash for Goraesa Eomuk just before boarding our flight
The Wife had a look in her eyes that hinted that she was thinking about buying one of everything. But she managed to restrain her impulses and only picked out three pieces.
Our 10 day Seoul itinerary and how much we spent
We spent a total of ₩5,450,000 for our entire trip. Here’s the cost breakdown by flight, hotel, food & drink, shopping, transport and other travel-related expenses.
And just like that, The Wife turned into a kkaennip addict
I can still remember the precise moment that it happened. We were having dinner at Hanilkwan and one of our banchan was a simple salad of shredded cabbage and kkaennip, tossed in a light vinaigrette.
StarHub Giga data roaming works like a charm
We used gigaRoam in Seoul and had no issues with mobile data access throughout our entire trip. It was easy to buy, seamless to activate and convenient to extend, making it the default choice for our future travels.
Lotte Mart Seoul Station is a Korean snack food paradise
Our extensive haul only lasted us a few weeks. We could have stretched it out a bit longer, but when faced with a convenient stockpile of addictive Korean snacks, the first thing that goes out the window is self-control.
