South East Asia is a traveller’s paradise with hotspot locations like Singapore, Indonesia, Thailand, the Philippines, etc. What if you could fly to these locations without spending from your pocket through airmiles converted from your credit card reward points? KrisFlyer, Singapore Airlines Group’s rewards programme, lets you do that. In this article, we will understand what is the KrisFlyer programme, earning miles, elite statuses and their benefits, transferring reward points from credit cards, redeeming miles, etc.
What is the KrisFlyer programme?
KrisFlyer is the frequent flyer programme (FFP) of Singapore Airlines, one of Asia’s and the world’s biggest and premium airlines. The programme lets you earn airmiles with various activities. With higher spends, you can achieve a higher elite status and enjoy its benefits. The programme allows you to redeem airmiles for booking award seats, upgrading flight seats, and transferring them to other partners. As Singapore Airlines is a Star Alliance member, you can book flights on partner airlines through KrisFlyer.
Elite Tiers
When you join the programme, you join as a KrisFlyer, with an opportunity to earn and redeem miles. A member can enjoy benefits such as complimentary in-flight Wi-Fi, discounts on advance seat selection, discounts on additional baggage allowance, etc.
For various activities under the programme, a member earns two types of miles: KrisFlyer miles and Elite miles. The Elite miles help you reach or retain your Elite status. The Elite status also helps you earn KrisFlyer miles at an accelerated rate and priority treatment when you fly with KrisFlyer. The programme has two elite statuses. Let us discuss them.
KrisFlyer Elite Silver
A member must earn 25,000 Elite miles within 12 consecutive months to qualify as a KrisFlyer Elite Silver. Once a member qualifies, they will continue to be a KrisFlyer Elite Silver for the next 12 months. To retain the Elite status, a member must earn 25,000 Elite miles again. The benefits of the Silver tier include the following.
- An Elite Silver enjoys a 25% bonus on actual miles flown whenever they fly with Singapore Airlines or Scoot.
- On Singapore Airlines, an Economy Class passenger can select a standard seat for free regardless of the fare type purchased. On Scoot, the airline will assign the best available Standard Seat to the customer.
- An Elite Silver will be placed first on priority reservation and airport standby lists for Singapore Airlines and Star Alliance member airline flights. The facility is not applicable to flights with closed waitlists or to award tickets and flight upgrades.
- Priority services at designated check-in counters, subject to availability. Priority boarding after KrisFlyer Elite Gold and Star Alliance Gold members.
- Can check-in an extra piece of baggage or 10 kg more. A member can purchase additional baggage allowance in advance at discounts of up to 35%.
- Enjoy Star Alliance Silver status, which entitles you to priority service around the world on Star Alliance partner flights.
- Link your KrisFlyer and Marriott Bonvoy memberships and enjoy a status match to Marriott Bonvoy Silver Elite status. To qualify, you must stay 3 nights within 6 months at participating Marriott hotels and resorts worldwide.
KrisFlyer Elite Gold
A member must earn 50,000 Elite miles within 12 consecutive months to qualify as a KrisFlyer Elite Gold. Once a member qualifies, they will continue to be a KrisFlyer Elite Gold for the next 12 months. To retain the Elite status, a member must earn 50,000 Elite miles again. A KrisFlyer Elite Gold gets Star Alliance Gold status when they fly with Star Alliance or connecting partner airlines. The benefits of the Gold tier include the following.
- All the KrisFlyer Elite Silver benefits discussed above
- The member gets complimentary airport lounge access to the following 1000+ lounges worldwide: KrisFlyer Gold Lounge at Singapore Changi Airport and SilverKris Lounges worldwide, Star Alliance Gold Lounges worldwide, and Virgin Australia-operated lounges in Australia. The member, along with a guest who is departing on the same flight, can get access.
- The member is entitled to check in an extra 20 kg or another piece of baggage, depending on their destination and the airline they are flying with.
- Priority service at counters designated for KrisFlyer Elite Gold or Star Alliance Gold members. A member gets priority boarding, and their baggage will be given priority handling.
- When you fly in Economy Class on Singapore Airlines, you can select a Forward Zone or Standard Seat for free, regardless of the fare type purchased.
- Purchase additional baggage allowance in advance at discounts of up to 40% off.
- Link your KrisFlyer and Marriott Bonvoy memberships and enjoy a status match to Marriott Bonvoy Gold Elite status. To qualify, you must stay 10 nights within 6 months at participating Marriott hotels and resorts worldwide.
Earning KrisFlyer miles
A member can earn KrisFlyer miles for various activities like flying with Singapore Airlines and their partners, co-branded credit cards, car rental services, staying at hotels, shopping at retail partners, etc. Let us look at the details of each of these.
- Flying with KrisFlyer
Members can earn miles when they fly with Singapore Airlines and their partners. While flying Singapore Airlines and partner airlines, the booking class determines the number of miles a member will earn for each flight.
For Singapore Airlines, the member will earn miles for flying as follows.
| Booking class | Miles percentage |
| Suites / First Class (A, F) | 200% |
| Business Class (C, J, Z) | 150% |
| Business Class (D, U) | 125% |
| Premium Economy (S, T) | 125% |
| Premium Economy (R, L, P) | 100% |
| Economy Class (B, E, Y) | 100% |
| Economy Class (H, M, W) | 75% |
| Economy Class (K, N, Q, V, G) | 50% |
For Scoot, the member will earn miles for flying as follows.
| Booking class | Miles percentage |
| Business Class (C, D, I, J, U, Z) | 25% |
| Economy Class (A, F, P, R, S, Y) | 20% |
| Economy Class (B, H, M, W) | 15% |
| Economy Class (N, O, X) | 10% |
For details of earning miles on Star Alliance and Star Alliance connecting partner airlines, refer to the Star Alliance and connecting partner websites.
- Car rental services
KrisFlyer has partnered with various companies through which a member can earn KrisFlyer miles when they hire cars. Some of these include Avis, Europcar, Hertz, etc. For example, with Avis, a member can earn up to 500 KrisFlyer miles by renting a car. Similarly, with Hertz, a member can earn up to 500 KrisFlyer miles for car rentals and 2 KrisFlyer miles for every 1 USD spent on chauffeur-drive services.
- Hotel stays
Members earn KrisFlyer miles for every stay at partner hotels. Some examples include the following.
- Earn KrisFlyer miles when you book online hotel stays with Agoda.com
- Earn 500 KrisFlyer miles per qualifying stay at Anantara, AVANI & Tivoli, Banyan Tree Hotels & Resorts, Hyatt Hotels and Resorts, The Leela, etc.
- Earn up to 4,000 KrisFlyer miles per qualifying stay at Evolve Back Resorts.
- Earn 2,000 KrisFlyer miles per qualifying stay at The Postcard Hotel
- Earn up to 2 KrisFlyer miles per US $1 of eligible spends at InterContinental Hotels (IHG) Group, Marriott Bonvoy, etc.
- Converting points from other loyalty programs. For example, a member can convert their Accor Live Limitless (ALL) points, or Hilton Honors points, Wyndham reward points, etc., into KrisFlyer miles in a specified ratio.
- Co-branded credit cards
Singapore Airlines has partnered with various banks across the globe to offer co-branded credit cards. In India, they have a tie-up with SBI Card for 2 co-branded credit cards. The KrisFlyer SBI Card offers 5 KrisFlyer miles for every Rs. 200 spent on Singapore Airlines, Scoot, Pelago, Kris+, KrisShop website, and overseas spends.
The KrisFlyer SBI Card Apex offers 10 KrisFlyer miles for every Rs. 200 spent on Singapore Airlines, Scoot, Pelago, Kris+, and KrisShop website. To know more about both the co-branded cards, visit the SBI Card website.
- Transferring credit card reward points
Some Indian banks allow credit cardholders to transfer reward points to the KrisFlyer programme in a specified ratio. Some of these include the following:
| Bank and credit card | Transfer ratio |
| American Express cards (Gold Charge, Platinum Charge, Platinum Travel, Membership Rewards Credit Card, etc.) | 2 reward points = 1 KrisFlyer mile |
| Axis Bank Atlas Credit Card | 1 Edge Mile = 2 KrisFlyer miles |
| Axis Bank Burgundy Private and Magnus for Burgundy credit cards | 5 Edge reward points = 4 KrisFlyer miles |
| Axis Bank Reserve & Magnus credit cards | 5 Edge reward points = 2 KrisFlyer miles |
| Axis Bank Horizon Credit Card | 1 Edge Mile = 1 KrisFlyer miles |
| Axis Bank Olympus Credit Card | 1 Edge Mile = 4 KrisFlyer miles |
| Axis Bank Select, Privilege and REWARDS credit cards | 10 Edge reward points = 1 KrisFlyer mile |
| Other Axis Bank eligible credit cards | 20 Edge reward points = 1 KrisFlyer mile |
| Federal Bank Celesta Credit Card | 7 reward points = 1 KrisFlyer mile |
| Federal Bank Imperio Credit Card | 9 reward points = 1 KrisFlyer mile |
| Other Federal Bank eligible credit cards | 13 reward points = 1 KrisFlyer mile |
| HDFC Bank Infinia and Diners Black | 1 reward point = 1 KrisFlyer mile |
| HDFC Bank Regalia Gold | 2 reward points = 1 KrisFlyer mile |
| Fi Money | 4 Fi points = 1 KrisFlyer mile |
| HSBC Premier Credit Card | 1 reward point = 1 KrisFlyer mile |
| HSBC Prive Credit Card | 1 reward point = 1 KrisFlyer mile |
| HSBC TravelOne Credit Card | 1 reward point = 1 KrisFlyer mile |
| HSBC Visa Platinum and RuPay Platinum credit cards | 2 reward points = 1 KrisFlyer mile |
| IndusInd Bank Celesta, Crest, Heritage Metal, Pinnacle, and Solitaire credit cards | 2 reward points = 1 KrisFlyer mile |
| IndusInd Bank Tiger Credit Card | 10 reward points = 3 KrisFlyer miles |
| IndusInd Bank Pioneer Credit Card | 1 reward points = 1 KrisFlyer mile |
| IndusInd Bank Platinum Aura and RuPay credit cards | 4 reward points = 1 KrisFlyer mile |
Milestone rewards
As members earn Elite miles in a calendar year, they can earn rewards when they cross specific milestones. The rewards start on reaching 1,000 Elite miles and continue with milestones all the way up to 1,00,000 Elite miles.
A member can earn Elite miles through Singapore Airlines and Scoot flights, or purchases from Kris+, KrisShop, and Pelago. For KrisFlyer or KrisFlyer Elite Silver members, up to 5,000 Elite miles earned through non-flight spending can count towards KrisFlyer Milestone Rewards. For KrisFlyer Elite Gold members, up to 10,000 Elite miles can count. Elite miles earned through flying with Star Alliance and selected partner airlines are not eligible for KrisFlyer Milestone Rewards.
A member can track their progress in earning KrisFlyer milestone rewards by logging in to their KrisFlyer account and checking the account summary. A member can earn the following milestone rewards on their journey to earning 1,00,000 Elite miles.
| Elite miles milestone | Milestone rewards |
| 1,000 | 1,000 bonus KrisFlyer miles on the next flight with Scoot, in addition to the miles earned for a single flight segment. |
| 2,500 | 20% discount voucher for next Scoot booking on selected fare types. |
| 5,000 | 1,000 KrisPay miles Kris+. Can be used to spend over 1,500 dining, retail, wellness, and other partner outlets in Singapore. |
| 10,000 | Singapore $20 discount promo code that can be used on KrisShop.com on a minimum spend of Singapore $150. |
| 20,000 | 25% more KrisFlyer miles, on top of the miles earned for a single flight segment. |
| 30,000 | 50% more KrisFlyer miles, on top of the miles earned for a single flight segment. |
| 40,000 | A discount of 5,000 KrisFlyer miles when you redeem your miles for an award ticket or redemption upgrade. |
| 60,000 | Earn twice the number of KrisFlyer miles for a single flight segment. |
| 75,000 | Cabin class upgrade for eligible short-haul flight segments when flying from Zones 1 to 2, Zones 1 to 3, Zone 11 to 11, or vice versa. Subject to availability at the time of applying the reward. |
| 1,00,000 | Upgrade from Economy to Premium Economy Class, subject to availability at the time of applying the reward. |
Redeeming miles
In the earlier section, we saw the various ways in which a member can earn KrisFlyer miles. Now, it is time to explore the various ways in which you can redeem them and get the best value. Some use cases include redeeming them for award tickets, cabin class upgrades, shopping, transferring to other loyalty programmes, donations, etc. Let us explore the details.
- Award tickets
You can use the KrisFlyer miles to book saver award or advantage award tickets. A saver award requires fewer KrisFlyer miles. However, the availability of saver awards is limited as they are popular and get filled quickly. To increase your chances of getting a saver award, book well in advance and be flexible with your travel dates and times.
An advantage award requires more miles. However, it offers a choice of more seats on all flights and complimentary stopovers per round-trip ticket.
For the redemption of KrisFlyer miles for booking award seats on flights to various countries, the entire globe has been divided into 13 zones based on distance. The KrisFlyer miles requirement for booking an award seat depends on the zone you want to fly into, the type of award seat (saver or advantage), and the cabin class.
For example, India is in Zone 6 and Singapore is in Zone 1. To fly from Zone 6 to Zone 1 on an advantage award ticket, the KrisFlyer miles requirement is as follows:
- Economy class – 37,000 KrisFlyer miles
- Business class – 65,000 KrisFlyer miles
- Suites / First class – 98,000 KrisFlyer miles
Redemption chart for one-way advantage awards
Source: www.Singaporeair.com
The above chart shows the various zones, the countries in each zone, and the KrisFlyer miles requirement for various cabin classes. The miles requirement is for a one-way advantage award.
Award seats are limited in supply, and booking is subject to availability. Taxes, charges, and fees are applicable in addition to the required KrisFlyer miles. These charges must be paid separately in the applicable currency.
In the above section, we looked at the KrisFlyer miles requirement for advantage award tickets. Let us now look at the KrisFlyer miles requirement for saver award tickets. For example, to fly from Zone 6 (India) to Zone 1 (Singapore) on an saver award ticket, the KrisFlyer miles requirement is as follows:
- Economy class – 20,000 KrisFlyer miles
- Premium economy class – 34,500 KrisFlyer miles
- Business class – 43,000 KrisFlyer miles
- Suites / First class – 58,500 KrisFlyer miles
To check the KrisFlyer miles requirement for a saver award seat for various zones, refer to the following link:
Singapore Airlines has a ‘miles calculator’ on their website. You can use it to know the redemption miles required to book an award ticket for travel from one location to another. The calculator can also be used for calculating the miles required for a flight upgrade and to calculate the KrisFlyer miles you will earn on taking a flight.
You can add a complimentary stopover of up to 30 days on www.singaporeair.com bookings on eligible award redemption ticket types. Round-trip award tickets are available at twice the number of KrisFlyer miles as one-way award tickets. All taxes, charges, and fees are applicable and payable by credit/debit card.
KrisFlyer miles cannot be used to book an award ticket for an infant (child less than 2 years old). Children between 2 and 12 years require the same number of KrisFlyer miles as an adult for award tickets.
You can use your KrisFlyer miles to book an award ticket on a Star Alliance member airline. The KrisFlyer miles requirement depends on the destination you want to fly to and the cabin class. You can check the KrisFlyer miles requirement chart at the following link:
KrisFlyer miles can be used to book award tickets on partner airlines. These include Alaska Airlines, Vistara, Virgin Atlantic, Virgin Australia and Juneyao Airlines. You can check the KrisFlyer miles requirement for each partner at the following link:
- Book award tickets for others
You can use your KrisFlyer miles to book award seats for other people, like your family members, friends, colleagues, neighbours, etc. You can even do ticket upgrades for tickets booked for others. You must add them as your redemption nominees. You can add up to 5 people as your redemption nominees. Once a nominee is added, it cannot be changed for six months. The addition of names is free. However, deletion requires money or miles.
- Cabin class upgrade
A confirmed ticket can be upgraded to premium economy class, business class, first class, or Singapore Airlines Suites. You can choose from saver and advantage awards on Singapore Airlines. Refer to the upgrade award chart or use the miles calculator to calculate the KrisFlyer miles required for a class upgrade. You can access the chart from the following link:
KrisFlyer miles requirement for class upgrade: India to Singapore
| Class upgrade | KrisFlyer miles required |
| Saver: One-way Economy Standard to Premium Economy Class | 22,000 |
| Saver: One-way Economy Flexi to Premium Economy Class | 14,000 |
| Saver: One-way Economy Standard to Business Class | 35,000 |
| Advantage: One-way Economy Standard to Business Class | 60,000 |
| Saver: One-way Economy Flexi to Business Class | 29,500 |
| Advantage: One-way Economy Flexi to Business Class | 50,000 |
| Saver: One-way Premium Economy Standard to Business Class | 26,500 |
| Advantage: One-way Premium Economy Standard to Business Class | 44,000 |
| Saver: One-way Premium Economy Flexi to Business Class | 19,500 |
| Advantage: One-way Premium Economy Flexi to Business Class | 35,000 |
| Saver: One-way Business Standard / Flexi to Suites/First Class | 35,500 |
| Advantage: One-way Business Standard / Flexi to Suites/First Class | 62,000 |
- Miles + cash
A member can use a mix of miles + cash for booking an award ticket or a flight upgrade. In the case of insufficient KrisFlyer miles, a member can complete the transaction partly with KrisFlyer miles and the remaining with cash (credit/debit card). A minimum of 1,000 KrisFlyer miles is required per transaction. For the amount paid with a credit/debit card, the member will earn KrisFlyer miles.
- Shopping
You can redeem your KrisFlyer miles for shopping on KrisShop.com and pay fully/partly with KrisFlyer miles. The redemption rate is 100 KrisFlyer miles = 1 Singapore Dollar. A minimum of 1,000 KrisFlyer miles must be used per transaction. If a part of the transaction is paid with a credit/debit card, you will earn 1.5 KrisFlyer miles for every 1 Singapore Dollar spent.
KrisFlyer miles can be redeemed for booking unforgettable travel experiences on Pelago or KrisFlyer Experiences. They can be used to pay for hotel and car rental bookings on KrisFlyer vRooms.
- Other redemption options
The KrisFlyer miles can be transferred to other loyalty programs in a specified ratio.
| Loyalty programme | Conversion ratio for transfer of KrisFlyer miles |
| CapitaStar | 1 KrisFlyer mile = 7 STARS |
| Esso | 6 KrisFlyer miles = 1 Smiles Point |
| Shangri-La Circle | 12 KrisFlyer miles = 1 Shangri-La Circle Point |
| Link Rewards | 3,000 KrisFlyer miles = 1,800 Linkpoints |
| Marriott Bonvoy | 2 KrisFlyer miles = 1 Marriott Bonvoy point |
| The Club | 1 KrisFlyer mile = 0.15 Clubpoints |
| Velocity | 1.55 KrisFlyer miles = 1 Velocity Point |
| Accor Live Limitless (ALL) | 4,500 KrisFlyer miles = 1,000 ALL points |
| yuu Rewards Club | 1 KrisFlyer mile = 1.325 yuu points |
| ONESIAM Coin | 3,000 KrisFlyer mile = 620 ONESIAM coins |
- Donation
KrisFlyer has tied with non-profit organisations like kidSTART, Make-A-Wish Singapore, etc. You can donate your KrisFlyer miles to these organizations and help support a meaningful cause. The minimum contribution must be 1,000 KrisFlyer miles.
KrisFlyer FFP: Your gateway to South East Asia and the rest of the world
Among Indians, some places in South East Asia, such as Indonesia, Singapore, Philippines, Thailand, etc., are favourite tourist hotspots. Singapore Airlines has good connectivity to all these locations from India. Singapore Airlines’ frequent flyer programme KrisFlyer helps you accumulate KrisFlyer miles and achieve Elite status, which has several benefits. Some Indian banks allow credit cardholders to transfer reward points to the KrisFlyer programme. Singapore Airlines is a Star Alliance member. Hence, KrisFlyer miles can be redeemed on a Star Alliance partner flight to fly to almost any part of the world. The KrisFlyer miles can be redeemed for Award tickets on a Singapore Airlines flight or Star Alliance member airline. Thus, the KrisFlyer FFP can be your gateway to South East Asia and the rest of the world.