Getting to Southeast Asia from the US takes a while. Our full journey from Las Vegas to Singapore clocked in at almost 30 hours across multiple days. Here is the whole trip.
We knew going in that this was going to be a long haul. Las Vegas to Singapore is not a route you can cover in a single hop. The routing we took: Las Vegas to San Francisco, overnight at SFO, then ANA Business Class from San Francisco to Tokyo Narita, a layover at the Narita ANA Lounge, and the final connection to Singapore. We had planned every segment carefully, and things still went sideways in the first two hours. That is travel.
This post covers the full 30-hour journey from start to finish: the lounge access, the delay, the overnight hotel hack, the transpacific ANA business class experience, the Tokyo layover, and what it felt like to finally land at Changi after all of that.
Las Vegas: Centurion Lounge and a Delay
We started in Las Vegas. We were hungry, so we skipped the Escape Lounge and went straight to the Centurion Lounge near Gate D.
The Centurion Lounge at LAS is one of the better Amex Centurion properties in the US. The food spread is real food: actual hot dishes, not just sad cheese and crackers. We got there with enough time to eat properly, which turned out to matter more than we knew. The seating is comfortable, the bar is solid, and it is a genuinely nice place to start a big trip.
Right as we finished and headed to the gate for our flight to San Francisco, we got a text: two-hour delay. Southwest's fault. Not ideal when you have a tight connection on the other end. We turned around and went back to the lounge to wait it out. Not the worst problem to have when you have lounge access. We ordered another round of food, found a quiet corner, and settled in.
The Centurion Lounge is accessible with the American Express Platinum Card and most Amex Business Platinum holders. If you travel through Las Vegas regularly, the card's lounge access benefit pays off fast. Having a comfortable place to absorb a delay instead of sitting at a crowded gate makes a tangible difference in how the rest of your trip starts.
Overnight in San Francisco
We landed in San Francisco (my first time at SFO) and decided to stay overnight before the big international leg the next morning.
We booked a simple hotel room using the hotel credit from my Delta credit card. Clean, functional, exactly what you need for a quick overnight. No frills, no regrets. When you are going to be in a room for seven hours and then leave before sunrise, you do not need a spa suite. You need a bed that works and a shower you can find in the dark. This delivered.
We also managed to catch the very last free hotel shuttle of the night, which saved about $30 on a rideshare. This was pure luck, the driver was closing the door as we walked out of arrivals. We made eye contact and ran for it. Small wins on long trips feel disproportionately satisfying.
SFO as an airport gets a mixed reputation, but the international terminal is actually quite well-organized for early morning departures. We got there with time to spare, checked in without issues, and made our way to the ANA lounge before boarding.
SFO to Tokyo on ANA Business Class
The main event. We were flying ANA Business Class from San Francisco to Tokyo Narita on what would be the longest single flight of the trip: roughly 10 to 11 hours across the Pacific.
I was hoping for the Pokémon-themed plane. We did not get the Pokémon plane. But Business Class made up for it.
Welcome drinks: Champagne to start. ANA's cabin crew brought it while we were still at the gate, before the door closed. That is a good sign. It means the crew is ready and the service has already begun. We settled into our seats, raised a glass, and watched San Francisco get smaller through the window.
The food: Sashimi at 30,000 feet is a genuinely surreal experience. The quality was there. Fresh, cold, properly presented. I ordered the Japanese meal for the same reason I always do on ANA: the Japanese kitchen is where the effort goes. The main course was a grilled fish with a savory glaze, served with rice and miso soup. I ate everything. We also ordered a bowl of hot ramen mid-flight, which is one of ANA's signature mid-flight offerings. The broth was savory and warming. It is exactly the kind of thing you want during the long, quiet middle hours of a transpacific night flight.
In-flight skincare: We always put on a collagen face mask on long-haul flights. It does not dry out, you can sleep in it comfortably, and it actually works. Highly recommend. The cabin air on long-haul flights is notoriously drying. Applying a hydrating mask after the meal service and before your sleep block makes a noticeable difference when you wake up. I started doing this a few trips ago and I will never go back.
The sleep: ANA The Room has a fully flat bed with a proper mattress topper, and on a 10-hour overnight flight, that matters. I slept for about 5 hours in the middle of the flight, woke up for breakfast, and landed feeling functional rather than wrecked.
Layover at Tokyo Narita
We had a 3-hour layover at Narita before the final leg to Singapore.
ANA Lounge at Satellite 5: We walked about 10 minutes past the United Club to reach the ANA Lounge. The space is clean, well-lit, and quieter than a lot of international transit lounges. I ordered hot noodles. The broth was not super rich, but it was solid and definitely better than airplane noodles. There is a noodle bar in the ANA lounge where they make them fresh, which was a nice way to spend part of the layover. We also refilled on water, found seats by the window, and watched the ground crews work the tarmac for a while.
Access to the ANA Lounge at Narita is included with ANA Business Class tickets, as well as for Star Alliance Gold status holders. If you are connecting through Narita regularly, Star Alliance Gold through United MileagePlus or Singapore KrisFlyer is worth looking into.
Starbucks Japan: We found a Starbucks in the terminal and ordered the "Sunshine Pineapple" drink. Unique flavor. Not overly sweet or sour, with little pieces of jelly at the bottom. This does not exist in the US and it should. Japan's Starbucks seasonal menu is consistently better than the US menu and I will defend that stance. We took our drinks back to a gate-area seating section and people-watched for the last 30 minutes before boarding.
Final Leg: Tokyo to Singapore
We boarded the last ANA Business Class flight, made mimosas, and I slept for almost 5 hours straight.
The Narita to Singapore leg is about 7 hours on this routing. After 20+ hours of travel already in our system, neither of us was interested in doing anything except eating one more good meal and sleeping. We ordered the Japanese menu again (obviously), and then I was out before the meal trays were cleared.
We touched down at Changi Airport just past midnight. Even arriving at that hour, the airport was beautifully air-conditioned. I had been nervous about the famous Southeast Asian heat and humidity. Changi gave us a gentle introduction: cool, immaculate, calm. The immigration lines were manageable even at midnight. The signage was clear. The whole arrival experience was smoother than most domestic US airports at noon.
That first breath of cool Changi air after 30 hours of travel is something I still think about.
Tips for Planning a Multi-Leg Journey Like This
If you are planning a similar routing from the US to Southeast Asia, a few things we learned:
Build in buffer time at Narita: A 3-hour layover is the minimum we would recommend for an international connection at Narita. Immigration, clearing security to the satellite terminal, and walking to the ANA Lounge takes time. If something goes sideways on your inbound flight, a 90-minute connection is going to be very stressful.
Use credit card benefits to cover the overnight hotel: If you have a Delta, Chase Sapphire, or Amex Platinum card with travel credits or hotel benefits, an SFO overnight is a completely free or near-free stop. We paid almost nothing for the hotel room.
Order the Japanese meal on every ANA segment: It is better at every course on every flight. This is not a preference statement, it is a pattern across multiple trips.
Pack a face mask for the transpacific leg: Collagen sheet masks, specifically. Long-haul cabin air is brutal on your skin. You will thank yourself when you land.
Is It Worth It?
Flying ANA Business Class across the Pacific is genuinely one of the best ways to get to Asia from the US West Coast. The service is exceptional, the Japanese food is outstanding, and the flat bed on The Room makes a long overnight flight feel manageable rather than punishing.
The 30-hour journey from Las Vegas to Singapore is a lot of hours, but with lounge access, a comfortable overnight hotel, and two solid business class segments to carry you through, it is a very different experience from grinding it out in economy. The delay in Las Vegas was frustrating, but having a Centurion Lounge to return to turned it into an inconvenience rather than a disaster.
If you are doing a similar multi-leg trip to Southeast Asia, this routing works. Build in the buffer, book the Japanese meal, get the lounge access, and take the nap.
Verdict
Almost 30 hours from Las Vegas to Singapore, with a delay, an overnight hotel, two ANA business class segments, a Narita lounge stop, and a Starbucks Japan detour. We arrived tired but in good shape, which is the best you can ask for at the end of a journey that long.
For what happened after we landed, see Landing at Singapore Changi Airport After Midnight.
