More KrisFlyer miles will soon be needed to redeem flights or upgrade seats on certain flights
From Nov 1, more miles will be required to redeem tickets and upgrade seats on flights to and from Europe, the United States, Africa, the Middle East and Turkey.
The SingaporeAir and Kris+ apps, which use KrisFlyer miles, are displayed on a mobile phone on May 28, 2025. (Photo: CNA)
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On Monday (Aug 25), Singapore Airlines (SIA) announced that it will be introducing several "key enhancements" to its frequent flyer programme, KrisFlyer.
Among the changes is an adjustment in miles redemption and upgrade award charts across Singapore Airlines, Star Alliance airlines and partner airlines' flights, starting from Nov 1.
Significantly, more miles will be required to redeem tickets and upgrade seats on certain flights, namely to and from Europe, the United States, Africa, the Middle East and Turkey.
Saver award redemptions for flights to and from Europe and the United States (Zones 11 to 13) will rise by 5 per cent across all cabin classes, while for travel to and from Africa, the Middle East and Turkey (Zone 10), increases will range from 10 to 20 per cent.
Advantage award rates across all zones and cabin classes – except Economy Advantage in Zone 10 – will also increase by 10 to 15 per cent. For Zone 10, Economy Advantage rates will go up by 5 per cent, Business Advantage by 18 per cent and First Advantage by 15 per cent.
On the other hand, Economy Saver award rates for Zones 1 to 9, which include Asia and the South West Pacific, will decrease by 5 per cent. However, Business and First/Suites Saver awards for the same zones will see a 5 per cent increase.
Current redemption rates will continue to apply for bookings confirmed and ticketed by Oct 31.
Nov 1 will also see SIA launching a new redemption option called Access, which lets KrisFlyer members use their miles to secure confirmed seats on their preferred flights.
Do note that mile requirements will differ based on the demand for seats and timing.
On the bright side, SIA has also announced that KrisFlyer members will have greater flexibility to earn status credits.
From Sep 1, shoppers who spend on SIA's non-flight platforms – Kris+, KrisShop and Pelago – will earn status credits that go towards the qualification or renewal of their KrisFlyer Elite or PPS Club statuses.
PPS Club members will earn 1 PPS Value for every S$3 spent, while KrisFlyer members will earn 1 Elite mile for every S$1 spent.
These status credits will also count towards KrisFlyer Milestone Rewards and PPS Rewards. Solitaire PPS Club and PPS Club members can retain excess PPS Value as Reserve Value, up to a specified tier cap.
The breakdown is as follows:
In a statement, Bryan Koh, SIA's divisional vice president of loyalty marketing, said: “These enhancements demonstrate our commitment to delivering greater value and flexibility to our PPS Club and KrisFlyer members.
“Expanding the ways our members earn PPS Value and Elite miles beyond flights and introducing our new Access flight redemption option, creates more opportunities for members to qualify for or renew their tiered membership status and secure seats for travel.”
