Flying business and first class may seem out of reach for most travelers, but a mix of credit cards can put them in coveted cabins without high costs.
A Singapore-to-London economy class ticket on Singapore's flag carrier, booked about six months in advance, costs 1,700 Singapore dollars for a round trip. A business class ticket jumps to SG$6,300, and a first-class ticket just over SG$13,000. Wong said the key is to maximize points earned on his credit card expenditures, which are then converted to airline miles. However, it's not as simple as just picking up any mile-earning credit card and spending a bunch of money, he said.Instead, Wong said so-called"miles chasers" should sign up for cards that match their spending habits.
Wong said a $30,000 expenditure on a credit card earning 1.4 miles per dollar would earn one about 45,000 miles on Singapore Airlines — enough for a round-trip economy class ticket to Perth. For example, in Singapore, points earned on DBS credit cards can be combined, but credit cards from Citibank Singapore don't work that way.Wong said he would not pay to fly in business or first class."But because miles exist, I don't have to pay."