Calculating Whether a Singapore-Departure Air Pass Saves You Money

An Air Pass from Singapore Breakeven is 4 to 6 Sectors on Full Service Carriers

Air passes from Singapore start to beat separate full service carrier bookings when you fly 4 to 6 sectors. Below that, booking individual low cost carrier flights costs less. The math depends entirely on which carriers you fly, which cities you visit, and whether you already hold a long haul ticket to Asia. If you do not already have an intercontinental ticket to or from Asia, most air passes are not available to you at all.

The 2024 breakeven point published by Skyscanner data shows that air passes rarely beat low cost carrier separate bookings on routes where LCCs compete, like Singapore to Bangkok (SGD 50 to 120 one way in 2024) or Singapore to Hong Kong (SGD 80 to 200 one way in 2024). On short Asian legs with full service carriers, a pass can save you 30 to 50 percent. On long legs like Singapore to Tokyo, where LCC one way fares ran SGD 200 to 500 in 2024, the pass margin disappears for itineraries under four flights.

Singapore Airlines Multi City Stopover vs Separate Bookings

Singapore Airlines offers a multi city stopover fare when you fly in and out of Singapore on a single ticket. The price advantage comes from the stopover rule: you can break a long haul itinerary with a free or heavily discounted stopover in Singapore for up to seven days. Book a return from London to Sydney via Singapore, for example, and you pay the same fare as a direct London Sydney ticket, then add a stopover in Singapore at no extra airfare cost. The catch is that your long haul flights must all be on Singapore Airlines or its codeshare partners.

Compare this to booking three separate tickets: London to Singapore, then Singapore to Sydney, then Sydney to London. That scenario routinely costs 40 to 60 percent more than the single multi city ticket. The failure case here is a traveller who books a cheap long haul carrier like Scoot to Singapore, then tries to add a Singapore Airlines multi city fare later. The pass requires the international long haul ticket to be issued before the air pass booking, and not all carriers qualify.

ASEAN Options from Changi: the Bangkok Airways Discovery Pass and Alliance Passes

Bangkok Airways Discovery Pass

This pass is for passengers holding a confirmed international long haul ticket to or from Thailand on any airline. You must book it before arrival in Thailand. The 2024 rate per leg runs USD 50 to 80 for Thailand domestic flights, USD 90 to 140 for routes like Yangon or Siem Reap, and USD 140 to 200 for Dhaka or Mumbai. Minimum three coupons, maximum six, valid two months from the first coupon date. No backtracking permitted on the same leg. One stopover per city allowed. Change fee after first coupon issued is USD 50 per change. No show means the coupon is forfeited with no rebooking.

From Singapore, the utility is limited. You would need to fly into Bangkok on a qualifying long haul ticket, then use the pass for onward flights from Bangkok to Siem Reap, Hanoi, or Bali. The pass does not start from Singapore. For a traveller who flies from Europe to Bangkok, then wants to visit Siem Reap and Yangon before returning, the per leg cost of USD 90 to 140 beats separate full service bookings on Bangkok Airways, which can run USD 180 to 300 on those routes. Against Air Asia or other LCCs, the pass loses. The surface sector rule does not apply here, but note that surface sectors count as one coupon each on some alliance passes, so you cannot use ground transport as a free connection.

Star Alliance Asia Airpass

For passengers resident outside Asia who hold a Star Alliance intercontinental ticket to Asia. Book before departure from your country of residence. Minimum three coupons, maximum ten, valid three months from first coupon date. The 2024 per leg rates: short haul like Singapore to Kuala Lumpur USD 100 to 150, medium haul like Singapore to Bangkok USD 150 to 250, long haul like Singapore to Tokyo USD 250 to 400. Participating carriers from Singapore include Singapore Airlines, ANA, Asiana, EVA Air, Thai Airways, Air China, and Air India.

Run the math on a three city itinerary: Singapore to Bangkok to Tokyo to Singapore. Three legs. Separate full service bookings on Singapore Airlines and ANA in 2024 run roughly SGD 350 for SIN BKK, SGD 800 for BKK NRT, SGD 600 for NRT SIN, total SGD 1,750. The Star Alliance Asia Airpass at the medium and long haul band rates (USD 150 to 250 for SIN BKK, USD 250 to 400 for the other two) gives you a ceiling of about USD 1,050 or roughly SGD 1,400. You save about SGD 350, or 20 percent. Against LCCs on those same routes: Scoot SIN BKK one way runs SGD 70, Zipair BKK NRT runs SGD 250, Scoot NRT SIN runs SGD 220, total SGD 540. The pass loses by SGD 860. The breakeven only appears when you avoid LCCs entirely.

Oneworld Visit Asia Pass

For residents outside Asia holding a oneworld intercontinental ticket to Asia. Book before departure from your country of residence. Minimum two coupons, maximum sixteen. Validity 21 days to 3 months depending on total trip duration. The 2024 per leg rates by distance: 1 to 600 miles USD 120 to 160, 601 to 1200 miles USD 180 to 240, 1201 to 2400 miles USD 260 to 340, 2401 plus miles USD 360 to 480. Participating carriers from Singapore: Cathay Pacific, Malaysia Airlines, Qantas, SriLankan Airlines, Japan Airlines, Finnair.

From Singapore, this pass works best for a trip to Japan with a stop. Singapore to Hong Kong on Cathay Pacific (distance 1,600 miles, band 3) costs USD 260 to 340 per leg, then Hong Kong to Tokyo (1,800 miles, same band) again USD 260 to 340. Separate Cathay Pacific bookings on those two legs in 2024 ran roughly SGD 350 each, total SGD 700. The pass at the high end of the band is SGD 460, a 34 percent saving. Add a third leg like Tokyo to Manila on Japan Airlines (1,800 miles) and the pass still beats separate full service. But add a surface sector and note that surface sectors count as one coupon each, so you lose a flight slot if you take a train or bus between cities.

Oneworld Circle Pacific

No residency restriction. Book before departure of first international leg. Minimum three coupons, maximum sixteen. Valid 12 months from first coupon date. Priced by total miles flown in four 2024 bands: up to 22,000 miles USD 2,800 to 3,600, 22,001 to 26,000 miles USD 3,600 to 4,400, 26,001 to 29,000 miles USD 4,400 to 5,200, 29,001 to 34,000 miles USD 5,200 to 6,000. The geographic rule: you must circle the Pacific Ocean in one direction, crossing both the South and North Pacific, eastbound or westbound with no backtracking across the Pacific.

From Singapore, this means flying east to the Americas, then north to Asia, or the reverse. A sample itinerary: Singapore to Sydney, Sydney to Los Angeles, Los Angeles to Tokyo, Tokyo to Singapore. Separate full service bookings on Qantas and JAL for those four legs in 2024 ran roughly SGD 3,500 combined. The pass at the midpoint is about SGD 4,300. The pass loses. Only when you push mileage toward 26,000 with more legs does the per mile cost drop, but the absolute dollar figure stays high. For anyone who can fly all four legs on a single full service carrier's round the world fare, that option is often cheaper.

Star Alliance Round the World

No residency restriction. Book before departure of first leg. Minimum three coupons, maximum sixteen. Valid 12 months from first coupon date. Priced by total miles flown in four 2024 bands: up to 29,000 miles USD 3,000 to 4,000, 29,001 to 34,000 miles USD 4,000 to 5,200, 34,001 to 39,000 miles USD 5,200 to 6,400, 39,001 to 44,000 miles USD 6,400 to 7,600. Direction rule: eastbound or westbound only, one Atlantic and one Pacific crossing required. Minimum one stopover per continent, maximum 15 stopovers total.

From Singapore, this is a serious multi continent itinerary, not a weekend trip. An eastbound plan: Singapore to Frankfurt, Frankfurt to New York, New York to Los Angeles, Los Angeles to Tokyo, Tokyo to Singapore. Separate full service bookings on Singapore Airlines and ANA for those five legs in 2024 ran roughly SGD 4,500. The pass at the midpoint saves about SGD 1,000. The catch: you must fly eastbound or westbound only. If you want a triangular route that doubles back, the pass disallows it.

Japan Explorer Pass (ANA and JAL)

For non Japanese passport holders visiting Japan on an international ticket. Book before arrival in Japan. Minimum one coupon, maximum five. Valid 72 hours to 3 months from first coupon date. Flat rate per leg 2024: HND CTS, HND FUK, HND OKA at JPY 7,700 to 11,000 per leg; other domestic routes JPY 5,500 to 7,700 per leg. No same day round trip on same route.

From Singapore, fly into Tokyo on an international ticket, then use the ANA or JAL pass for domestic hops. A four leg itinerary: Tokyo to Sapporo, Sapporo to Osaka, Osaka to Fukuoka, Fukuoka to Tokyo, runs JPY 7,700 per leg for the first three plus JPY 5,500 for the last. Separate same carrier bookings on ANA for those four legs in 2024 ran JPY 15,000 to 25,000 per leg, meaning you save 50 to 80 percent. The pass wins decisively when you do three or more domestic Japanese flights. The failure case: arriving at Narita and forgetting to buy the pass before arrival. Once you clear customs, the pass is unavailable. Buy it from the ANA or JAL website before you leave Singapore.