Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer

KrisFlyer is the loyalty program of Singapore Airlines, widely heralded as one of the best airlines in the world. KrisFlyer miles can be very useful for accessing discounted travel on Singapore Airlines’s premium products both to or from Singapore, as well as on the airline’s many fifth freedom routes.

KrisFlyer is also the only key to unlocking Singapore Airlines’s famous Suites Class, which is more accurately described as a hotel room in the sky rather than just a seat on an airplane.

In this guide, we’ll look at everything that is the KrisFlyer loyalty program, including how to earn and redeem miles in the best-possible fashion.

Earning Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer Miles

While Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer doesn’t have as many earning options as other loyalty programs, there are a few reliable ways to pad your balance on both sides of the border.

Transfer Partners

The easiest and quickest way to earn KrisFlyer miles is to transfer from another loyalty program. In Canada, there are only two viable options: HSBC Rewards and Marriott Bonvoy.

HSBC Rewards can be transferred at a ratio of 25:9, which means that for every 25,000 HSBC Rewards you transfer, you’ll get 9,000 KrisFlyer miles. You have to make an initial transfer of 25,000 points, and then in increments of 10,000 thereafter.

Marriott Bonvoy points can be transferred at a rate of 3:1, with an additional 5,000 KrisFlyer-mile bonus if you transfer 60,000 Bonvoy points. So, for every 60,000 Bonvoy points you transfer, you’ll receive 25,000 KrisFlyer miles.

If you have access to US credit cards, there are quite a few more options. Chase Ultimate Rewards, American Express US Membership Rewards, Citi ThankYou, and Capital One miles can all be transferred to KrisFlyer at a ratio of 1:1.

Capital One transfers are instant, while transfers from the other programs are usually completed within a day.

Singapore Airlines runs promotions from time to time offering 15–20% transfer bonuses from bank programs to KrisFlyer miles. So, it may very well be worth your while to hold off for such a promotion if you aren’t in a particular hurry to add to your KrisFlyer balance.

Flying

You can also earn KrisFlyer miles by actually flying on paid flights with Singapore Airlines and other Star Alliance carriers, as well as a select few other airlines who aren’t members of Star Alliance.

In addition to Singapore Airlines and all Star Alliance airlines, you can earn KrisFlyer miles by flying with Alaska Airlines, JetBlue, Olympic Air, Virgin Atlantic, Virgin Australia, Vistara, and Scoot.

The amount of KrisFlyer miles you’ll earn depends on the airline you’re flying with, and the particular fare you’ve booked. All of the detailed information about earning can be found on the Singapore Airlines website.

If you’d like to earn KrisFlyer miles from your upcoming paid Singapore Airlines flight, you can use a mileage calculator to figure out just how many miles you’ll earn based on your route and cabin class.

Simply enter your routing and class of service, and the number of KrisFlyer miles you’ll earn is clearly displayed.

Shopping Portal

In addition to transferring points into the KrisFlyer program and crediting miles from paid flights, you can earn KrisFlyer miles by shopping through krisshop.com. KrisShop is Singapore Airlines’s online store, with which you can earn 2–4 KrisFlyer miles per Singapore dollar spent.

The exact amount you earn on items depends on your KrisShop member status.

While KrisShop provides free shipping to Singapore, you’ll have to pay shipping and import tax if you’d like to purchase and ship anything internationally.

Other Ways to Earn KrisFlyer Miles

KrisFlyer Miles can also be earned by staying at hotels or by renting cars.

Just how many KrisFlyer miles you can earn for staying at hotels and renting vehicles depends on which hotel you stay at or which car rental company you book through.

Most hotels and car rental companies will give you 500 KrisFlyer miles per booking, while others will give you KrisFlyer miles based on how much you spend.

Redeeming Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer Miles

As is the case with all airline loyalty programs, the best value with Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer program is to redeem your miles for flights.

Redeeming Miles for Flights with Singapore Airlines

There are two options when redeeming KrisFlyer miles for Singapore Airlines flights: Saver awards and Advantage awards.

Saver awards cost less; however, there’s also much less availability. On the other hand, Advantage awards have far greater availability, but require more KrisFlyer miles to book.

In fact, Advantage award seats tend to cost almost twice as much as Saver award seats, which is just the premium you’ll have to pay for more options at your disposal.

Other than Saver and Advantage awards, the KrisFlyer miles required to book a flight are based on zones, rather than the total distance flown. There are a total of 13 zones, with North America occupying zones 12 and 13, and requiring the greatest number of miles.

The entire chart can be found on the Singapore Airlines website, but here is the chart that includes Saver flights from Singapore (Zone 1) to Europe (Zone 11) and North America (Zones 12 and 13):

For flights between North America and Singapore on Singapore Airlines, the costs in KrisFlyer miles are as follows:

As you can see, while the difference between Zone 12 and Zone 13 isn’t very substantial, the difference in miles required for Saver and Advantage awards most definitely is.

Singapore Airlines Suites Class

One of the best uses for KrisFlyer miles is to book Singapore Airlines Suites Class. This ultimate First Class experience can only be booked by paying an exorbitant amount of money, or it can be unlocked by redeeming KrisFlyer miles.

Only 97,000 miles are required to book Suites Class on the fifth freedom route from New York (JFK) to Frankfurt, which is definitely cheaper than paying cash. Indeed, this is one of the best uses of KrisFlyer miles, as long as you’re able to find Saver award space.

Finding Saver awards is likely going to be the most difficult part of your journey with KrisFlyer. Be sure to book a Saver award seat as soon as you can find it, as it tends to go very quickly.

Redeeming Miles for Star Alliance Partners

Aside from redeeming miles for Singapore Airlines flights, there is an award chart for redeeming KrisFlyer miles for Star Alliance partners, too. Note that the prices listed here are for round-trip flights.

There really isn’t anything that stands out as a great deal in the above chart that makes it more appealing than redeeming points for the same flights with other partner programs.

Having said that, a one-way economy class flight from North America to Hawaii for 19,500 KrisFlyer miles isn’t terrible, especially since there are very minimal taxes and fees.

There is also certainly value to be found in intra-North American flights for 14,000 miles one-way, as well as economy flights from North America to South America and Europe for 33,000 and 30,500 miles, respectively.

Despite the potential, the real hidden gem isn’t in redeeming miles for Star Alliance partner flights.

Rather, aside from Singapore Airlines flights, there are some great ways to redeem KrisFlyer miles for other partner airline flights, and you might even find better ways of getting to Europe and cheaper ways of getting to Hawaii.

Redeeming Miles with Other Airline Partners

In addition to Singapore Airlines and Star Alliance partners, you can redeem KrisFlyer miles for the following airlines:

• Alaska Airlines
• Virgin Atlantic
• Virgin Australia
• Vistara
• Juneyao Airlines

All of the above follow separate zone-based award charts, and while not all offer good deals, there are some that stand out. Most notable among these are Alaska Airlines and Virgin Atlantic.

Redeeming KrisFlyer miles for flights with Alaska Airlines to Hawaii is the real winner here. From the US West Coast, a one-way flight to Hawaii can be booked for only 13,500 KrisFlyer miles in economy. You can also fly to Alaska for the same number of miles.

Looking at the Virgin Atlantic award chart, the best value lies in flying from North America to Europe. For 29,500 miles you can fly in economy between the two continents, or for 58,500 miles, you can fly Virgin Atlantic Upper Class across the Atlantic.

In order to redeem KrisFlyer miles for a non-Star Alliance partner, you’ll have to call in to make the booking.

Upgrades

You can also use your KrisFlyer miles to upgrade your seat on eligible Singapore Airlines flights. The upgrade chart can be a bit complex, and really isn’t worth it.

For example, a one-way Economy (Standard) flight from North America to Singapore costs you between 90,000–125,500 miles to upgrade to business class, depending on where you’re located in North America, and whether you’re flying on a Saver or Advantage award.

Upgrades are also allowed on Star Alliance partner flights using KrisFlyer miles, but similar to upgrading on Singapore Airlines, the miles required just doesn’t make it worth the price of admission.

KrisFlyer Experiences

The KrisFlyer program also offers experiences that can be booked with KrisFlyer miles.

There are plenty of package deal experiences that include flights and accommodations at luxury locations.

For example, there is one available for five days and four nights at The Residence in the Maldives that includes a $200 (USD) resort credit, flights to and from Malé, breakfast and dinner, one private in-villa dining or dolphin cruise, and unlimited use of snorkeling equipment, all for 320,000 miles.

Other experiences include private dining options, and other events like the Sydney Zoo and Singapore’s Grand Prix.

While your miles will still go the furthest when booking flights, there are certainly some experiences that are worth checking out if you have a lot of KrisFlyer miles to burn.

Other Ways to Redeem KrisFlyer Miles

Aside from flights and other travel experiences, KrisFlyer miles can be redeemed in a number of different ways, although none of those provide particularly intriguing value:

• Shopping with your miles at KrisShop.com
• Booking hotels and car rentals at KrisFlyer vRooms
• Transferring your miles to Shangri-La Golden Circle at a terrible rate of 12:1
• And a host of other options

KrisFlyer Sweet Spots

When it comes time to redeem KrisFlyer miles, there are a number of routes which offer outstanding value.

Redeem on Fifth Freedom Routes

Singapore Airlines operates a number of fifth freedom routes, which are flights between two countries that don’t include the airline’s country of origin.

By far the most interesting fifth freedom route is between Frankfurt and New York (JFK), on which Singapore Airlines typically operates the behemoth Airbus A380.

If you can keep an eye out for Saver award availability in Suites Class, this represents the best way to book arguably the best product in the skies. Should you be lucky enough to find two award seats on the same flight, you can enjoy the unparalleled experience of the double bed in the sky with your travelling partner.

While it’s not often when you can find one or especially two award seats, the possibility certainly comes every now and then. If you have enough KrisFlyer miles in your account, you’ll want to pounce on the opportunity as soon as possible before someone else does.

For a flight in Suites Class between New York (JFK) and Frankfurt, you’ll need to have 97,000 miles in your account for a Saver award, or 143,500 miles for an Advantage award. The taxes and fees should come to around $5.60 (USD), which is an absolute bargain.

Another fifth freedom route connects Manchester to Houston. One-way Saver awards in business class price out at 81,000 miles, or 97,000 miles if First Class is offered on the aircraft.

If you’d rather visit Japan instead of Europe, keep an eye out for the fifth freedom route between Los Angeles and Tokyo Narita. A one-way flight in First Class prices out at 120,500 miles.

Just keep in mind that Singapore Airlines First Class is different than Singapore Airlines Suites Class, with the latter product being significantly better.

Zone 10 Flights

On the Singapore Airlines Saver award chart, there are some compelling options for long-haul business class flights specifically between Singapore and Zone 10. Zone 10 areas include Africa, the Middle East, and Türkiye.

In the above chart, pay attention to the number of points in the first column, which indicates the amount of KrisFlyer miles required for a one-way flight between Singapore and any of those destinations.

For 56,500 KrisFlyer miles, you can fly in business class on flights of up to 11.5 hours, which is a great deal.

Even though First Class pricing is listed, Singapore Airlines isn’t currently offering the cabin class on any routes to Zone 10.

Spontaneous Escapes

KrisFlyer Spontaneous Escapes are promotional discounts on Singapore Airlines flights that offer reduced KrisFlyer redemptions on select routes. In a sense, they’re similar to the monthly Air France/KLM Flying Blue Promo Rewards.

The class of service and destinations available through Spontaneous Escapes differ each time, and are subject to a number of conditions. There are a limited number of seats available with the promotional pricing, which are available on a first-come first-served basis.

If you’re lucky, you’ll find a Spontaneous Escapes deal in business class on a route that you’d like to fly. If it’s available, you’ll see the promotional pricing reflected online when you’re searching for flights.

In the above example, the Spontaneous Escapes deal offers a 30% discount compared to Saver pricing, and a 35% discount compared to the Advantage pricing.

 

Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer Tips & Tricks

Here are a couple of tips and tricks to keep in mind for earning and redeeming KrisFlyer miles at maximum value.

Pooling Miles

If you have children, you can create a KrisFlyer account and link it to your own for each child under 16 years old. Once linked, KrisFlyer miles can be freely transferred from your child’s account to yours, but you aren’t able to transfer from your account to theirs.

If you want to share miles with other family members or friends, you’re allowed to pick up to five people as your redemption nominees. Under the nominee program, you can use your miles to book them award tickets and apply for flight upgrades with your miles.

It’s free to add nominees, and there aren’t any restrictions as to who can join as a nominee. However, you won’t be able to change your nominee for six months, and deleting someone will cost you 3,000 miles or $30 (USD) if you don’t have KrisFlyer status, so you’ll want to be picky when it comes to choosing your nominees.

Stopovers

If you book a round-trip Saver award ticket, you can add a stopover of up to 30 days for no additional cost. Unfortunately, a one-way Saver award doesn’t offer any complimentary stopovers.

If you book an Advantage award, you can add one complimentary stopover of up to 30 days for a one-way flight, and two complimentary stopovers up to 30 days each for a round-trip flight.

Status

Singapore Airlines offers two elite status programs to keep frequent flyers engaged: KrisFlyer Elite and PPS Club.

KrisFlyer Elite status can be earned by flying on Singapore Airlines as well as on select partner airlines, while the PPS Club can only be accessed by flying with Singapore Airlines.

KrisFlyer Elite Status

All members who join KrisFlyer can work towards earning KrisFlyer Elite Silver or Elite Gold statuses.

KrisFlyer Elite Silver is reached by earning 25,000 Elite miles within 12 consecutive months.

Elite miles are earned when you fly on Singapore Airlines, a Star Alliance airline, or with other partner airlines, which include Alaska Airlines, JetBlue, Olympic Air, Virgin Atlantic, Virgin Australia, Vistara, Juneyao Air, or Scoot.

You’ll need to credit the miles to your KrisFlyer account, and the amount of miles you earn on your flight depends on your booking class.

KrisFlyer Elite Silver members can enjoy the following benefits:

• 25% tier bonus on actual miles flown on Singapore Airlines and Scoot
• Star Alliance Silver membership
• Complimentary seat selection when you fly economy with Singapore Airlines
• Priority reservation waitlist if the flight is full
• Priority airport standby

KrisFlyer Elite Gold status is achieved by earning 50,000 Elite miles within 12 consecutive months.

KrisFlyer Elite Gold members can enjoy the following benefits:

• Lounge access at over 1,000 Star Alliance lounges worldwide, as well as Virgin Australia and Virgin Atlantic lounges
• Star Alliance Gold membership
• Extra check-in baggage allowance
• Complimentary seat selection when you fly economy on Singapore Airlines
• Priority airport check-in
• Priority boarding
• Priority baggage handling
• Complimentary Shangri-La Golden Circle Gold membership

The most valuable here is with Star Alliance Gold, and all of the perks access that comes with that membership, including lounge access and alliance-wide priority benefits.

The KrisFlyer program also has KrisFlyer Milestone Rewards. Starting at just 1,000 Elite miles, and moving all the way up to 100,000 Elite miles earned, there are a total of 10 rewards to be had.

Examples of Milestone Rewards include advance upgrades, bonus miles earned on your next flights, and other discounts and promos. The full list can be found on the Singapore Airlines website.

PPS Club

Singapore Airlines’s PPS Club is much more exclusive. Similar to KrisFlyer status, there are only two tiers: PPS Club and Solitaire PPS Club.

You can only join the PPS Club by earning a total of 25,000 PPS Value within 12 consecutive months.

Instead of earning miles based on distance flown, PPS Value is earned based on how much money you spend on Singapore Airlines Suites Class, First Class, or business class.

So, in order to enter, you’ll have to spend 25,000 Singapore Dollars on the total airfare and applicable surcharges for a seat in one of these cabins within 12 consecutive months.

PPS Club members get the following benefits:

• 25% tier bonus on KrisFlyer miles when flying with Singapore Airlines or Scoot
• Guaranteed reservation in economy class with Singapore Airlines
• Increased check-in baggage allowance
• Complimentary advance seat selection
• Priority airport services
• Priority immigration and security at select airports
• Access to Singapore Airlines SilverKris, Star Alliance Gold, Virgin Australia, and Virgin Atlantic lounges
• Complimentary Wi-Fi

Solitaire PPS Club membership is achieved by earning 50,000 PPS Value within your PPS Club membership year. In addition to all of the benefits offered to PPS Club members, Solitaire PPS Club members will get the following:

• Special check-in services at Changi Airport
• First Class check-in at other airports
• Access to the First Class area of Singapore Airlines SilverKris Lounges
• Access to the Plaza Premium Arrivals Lounge at London Heathrow
• Priority redemptions

Similar to KrisFlyer Milestone Rewards, there are five PPS Rewards that can be reached by earning between 30,000–100,000 PPS Value.

With these, members can earn double KrisFlyer mile rewards to be redeemed on a future flight, a 50,000 KrisFlyer miles redemption discount on an award flight, and advance upgrade vouchers to be used on a future flight.

Conclusion

Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer is a great loyalty program with enough sweet spots to make it worth your while.

While KrisFlyer miles may not be as easy to come by as other miles, it’s still worth it to earn KrisFlyer miles wherever you can, perhaps by crediting eligible flights or by transferring from HSBC Rewards or US credit cards. By doing so, you might be able to score a cheap flight to Hawaii with Alaska Airlines, or even experience perhaps the best First Class flight in the world in Singapore Airlines Suites Class.

Whether you’re looking to renew your elite status, or if you’re just hearing about KrisFlyer for the first time, there is certainly something for everyone with this program.