Singapore wasn’t high on my bucket list, but flying Singapore Airlines Business Class definitely was. So when I got the notification from Thrifty Traveler Premium about open award space out of San Francisco, I pounced. A Saturday night departure on February 22nd meant one thing: we had a golden opportunity to explore a brand-new city before heading across the world.
🛫 Getting There: A Quick Hop to the Bay
To maximize the experience, Katy and I decided to fly to San Francisco a day early. Neither of us had ever been, and what better excuse than a long layover to explore a city for the first time?
I booked Delta First Class from Minneapolis for just 4,800 SkyMiles and $100 each—an absolute steal. We arrived late, landing around 1:00 AM, and thankfully we were staying nearby at the Hyatt Regency SFO, booked with just 12,000 Hyatt points. Super convenient, especially when you’re tired and still running on central time.
🛍 Amazon Saves the Day
The next morning, after sleeping in, I realized I’d left behind my sling bag—the one I usually carry my phone and passport in. In a first for me, I ordered a new one via Amazon Same-Day Delivery to a locker near our hotel. It actually worked out seamlessly, and I might use that trick again in the future.
🌉 Exploring San Francisco 02.22.2025
We grabbed a cab into the city and made a spontaneous stop at a cannabis café—something I thought only existed in Amsterdam. Nope! California has them too.
Wanting to cover as much ground as possible without stressing, we booked a Hop-On Hop-Off City Sightseeing Tour (typically around $55 per adult). The route was perfect for first-time visitors, looping past many of the city’s most iconic landmarks:
- Union Square – The city’s retail and cultural hub
- Chinatown – The oldest in North America
- North Beach – San Francisco’s Little Italy
- Pier 39 & Fisherman’s Wharf – Seafood, sea lions, and souvenir shops
- Haight-Ashbury – Ground zero for the 1960s counterculture
- Golden Gate Park – Larger than NYC’s Central Park
- Golden Gate Bridge – The crown jewel and our main stop
We made sure to hop off at the Golden Gate Bridge, of course. Seeing it in person hits different—it’s one of those landmarks that actually lives up to the hype. The fog was rolling in just perfectly to give it that classic, mysterious vibe you see in postcards.
🧳 Next Stop: Singapore
After wrapping up our city tour and grabbing dinner by the water, we headed back to the airport to begin the next leg of our adventure—Singapore Airlines Business Class, which deserves a blog post of its own (and yes, that’s coming next).
📝 Tidbit: Did You Know?
- The Golden Gate Bridge was once called “the bridge that couldn’t be built.” It opened in 1937 and was the longest and tallest suspension bridge in the world at the time.
- San Francisco’s Chinatown is not only the oldest in North America but also one of the largest Chinese communities outside Asia.
Cheers!