Your guide to Singapore Airlines’ KrisFlyer program

Singapore Airlines’ KrisFlyer isn’t just for Singaporeans: it’s an international frequent flyer program designed for those who fly with Singapore Airlines, its Star Alliance partners, and other affiliated airlines. That includes Virgin Australia.

On the ground, KrisFlyer also serves as a useful ‘frequent buyer’ program, with KrisFlyer miles – the name of its rewards currency – easy to earn via a range of Australian and overseas credit cards.

Make sure you use your KrisFlyer miles as they will expire three years after they're earned.

As KrisFlyer operates a little differently than Australian frequent flyer programs like Qantas Frequent Flyer or Virgin Australia’s Velocity, here’s what you need to know about it.

What is Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer?

KrisFlyer is Singapore Airlines’ frequent flyer program, through which members can earn and redeem KrisFlyer miles with over 200 partners spanning flights and hotel stays, online shopping and much more.

With Singapore Airlines part of the global Star Alliance network with 25 other airlines, members of KrisFlyer aren’t limited to earning and redeeming miles on Singapore Airlines alone.

In fact, those miles can be used to fly with a range of Star Alliance member airlines (pictured below) including Thai Airways, United Airlines, Swiss International, Scandinavian Airlines, plus Air Canada, Air New Zealand, Lufthansa and more.

How to join Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer

It’s easy to sign-up to the KrisFlyer frequent flyer program: simply visit the Singapore Airlines website, complete the online form and you’re on the first leg of your rewards journey.

KrisFlyer is free to join and there’s no ongoing fee to remain a member.

How and where to earn KrisFlyer miles

Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer miles can be earned around the world – and even if you don't fly with Singapore Airlines, you’ll find plenty of ways to earn miles, including the below:

Earn KrisFlyer miles on flights, hotels, ground transport

KrisFlyer members can amass miles when travelling with a number of airlines on eligible fares and flights. Naturally, this includes Singapore Airlines, as well as its low-cost offshot Scoot, on which you can earn one KrisFlyer mile and 2.5 KrisFlyer Elite miles for every Singapore dollar spent on your fare.

Singapore Airlines’ Star Alliance partner airlines include Air Canada, ANA, Lufthansa, Thai Airways, United Airlines, and many others. Plus, miles can also be earned on partners such as Alaska Airlines, JetBlue, Virgin Atlantic, Virgin Australia and Vistara.

On the ground, KrisFlyer miles can be collected when booking hotel stays through Agoda, plus a number of hotel loyalty programs including Accor Live Limitless (ALL), IHG One Rewards, World of Hyatt and more. Hilton Honors points can also be converted to KrisFlyer miles. 

KrisFlyer miles can be earned on stays at IHG Hotels and Resorts properties, such as InterContinental Melbourne.

Travellers staying at more than 60 TFE Hotels worldwide can also earn 500 KrisFlyer miles per qualifying stay. In Australia, that lengthy list includes the fabulous A by Adina Sydney, Quincy Melbourne and the Vibe Gold Coast, to name a few. 

Hiring a car in Singapore or around the world? KrisFlyer miles may be up for grabs on eligible bookings with Avis, Budget, Europcar, Hertz and Sixt.

Earn KrisFlyer miles on credit cards and shopping

Beyond various Singaporean credit cards linked to the KrisFlyer program, Singapore Airlines maintains partnerships with banks and card issuers around the globe, allowing shoppers to convert their credit card points into KrisFlyer miles.

In Australia, those with credit or charge cards from American Express, ANZ, Bank of Melbourne, BankSA, Citibank, Diners Club, HSBC, NAB, St George and Westpac may have a bounty of KrisFlyer miles waiting for them, simply by converting their credit card rewards.

In addition, every time you shop online could be an opportunity to earn KrisFlyer miles and with the KrisShop. 

Earn KrisFlyer miles on tours and attractions with Pelago

Pelago is a tour and activities platform – owned by Singapore Airlines – allowing KrisFlyer members to earn and redeem miles on thousands of holiday experiences.

Whether you fancy a day cruise on Sydney Harbour or discounted tickets to Movie World, entry to the Louvre in Paris or maybe a tour of Windsor Castle, buying through Pelago allows you to boost your KrisFlyer balance or spend your miles for an experience you’ll never forget.

From time to time, Pelago runs promotions with discounts available on the number of miles needed to book an experience, which can make for a handy saving.

Pelago has experiences in 60+ countries.

Miles are accrued at the rate of three miles for every Singapore dollar spent on Pelago, although experiences can also be priced in some 18 different currencies to avoid conversion fees.

Once confirmed, the amount spent is converted to Singapore dollars to determine the exact mileage earned.

There are plenty of other ways to earn KrisFlyer miles, too – head to the Singapore Airlines website to explore all your options. 

How many KrisFlyer miles can I earn?

In the air, you’ll typically earn KrisFlyer miles based on the distance of your flight, influenced also by the type of fare you’ve purchased.

For the most part, more expensive tickets such as business and first class fares, and fully flexible bookings, earn more points than lower-cost experiences, even though your mileage haul isn’t directly based on the cost of the ticket.

Other factors such as whether or not you’re flying with Singapore Airlines itself, Scoot or one of its Star Alliance partners, then which fare you’ve booked, will determine exactly how many KrisFlyer miles you’ll earn for your journey.

Singapore Airlines provides a handy guide to the number of points you’ll earn on its website. 

Accrued miles vary depending on fare type.

On the ground, the number of KrisFlyer miles you can earn from other activities is instead more closely tied to the number of dollars spent.

These transactions are typically subject to a ‘conversion rate’ – for example, two credit card reward points may equal one KrisFlyer mile, depending on your bank.

Of course, the number of credit card reward points you earn in the first place is closely tied to how much you spend (excepting any sign-on bonus offers), meaning those poised to get the most benefit out of KrisFlyer are those regularly making moderate to high spends.

In the KrisFlyer program, there’s no limit to the number of miles you can earn in your account, although an earning partner may have its own limits: such as a points cap or transfer limit on a credit card.

What are KrisFlyer Elite miles?

Members of the KrisFlyer program can earn two types of miles: ‘KrisFlyer miles’ and ‘Elite miles’.

KrisFlyer miles are those we’ve discussed above. That is, miles earned which can later be spent on things such as flights and upgrades.

Elite miles, on the other hand, are KrisFlyer’s equivalent of Qantas status credits, and are used solely for progressing up the Krisflyer membership ladder, from the base level to KrisFlyer Elite Silver and KrisFlyer Elite Gold.

The new KrisFlyer Gold Lounge at Singapore's Changi Airport.

As such, Elite miles can never be spent, nor can they be converted into KrisFlyer miles.

Normally, Elite miles can only be earned on eligible flights with Singapore Airlines and its Star Alliance partners – not from things such as credit card points conversions or online shopping.

What is the PPS Club?

Singapore Airlines’ PPS Club serves its highest-flying travellers, with membership levels above the standard Silver and Gold ranks.

PPS Club is bolted on to KrisFlyer, but isn’t achieved by earning Elite miles. Instead, travellers earn ‘PPS Value’ when travelling with Singapore Airlines in business class and first class.

Travellers in the PPS Club program enjoy benefits over and above those offered to KrisFlyer’s Elite members, detailed further below.

What are the Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer membership tiers?

Above entry-level membership, KrisFlyer members can work towards a higher status level by taking flights with Singapore Airlines and its eligible partners.

Here’s a list of those tiers, how you can earn them to begin with, and how you can retain them once you already hold that membership level.

KrisFlyer and PPS Club programs work on a rolling 12-month period, meaning memberships level are regularly assessed with a view to upgrading your tier as your miles and PPS value accrues.

Once upgraded, status is valid for 12 months. To retain that status, you need to earn the appropriate number of Elite miles or PPS Value during that fresh 12-month period.

However, when it comes to climbing the status ladder – such as from entry level to KrisFlyer Silver and then up to KrisFlyer Gold – all the travel taken in the 12 months prior to your status upgrade is considered.

The Private Room at Changi Airport features a variety of comfortable seating options.

This means if you start with no status in January and reach KrisFlyer Elite Silver in April (requiring 25,000 Elite miles), you’ll only need to earn 25,000 extra Elite miles before the following January to go all the way up to Gold.

(You don’t need to earn 25,000 Elite miles for Silver, then start again at nothing, and earn a further 50,000 Elite miles for Gold – 50,000 Elite miles in total over a 12-month period will have you covered.)

What are the benefits of KrisFlyer and PPS Club status?

With each boost to your KrisFlyer or PPS Club status, you’ll unlock new privileges when you travel with Singapore Airlines and its partners.

Here are just some of the benefits you can look forward to – at least, on Singapore Airlines flights:

• KrisFlyer Elite Silver: An extra 10kg baggage (or one piece) on Singapore Airlines or Scoot flights, 25% bonus miles and complimentary seat selection on Singapore Airlines, plus priority waitlist and standby, and Star Alliance Silver recognition. Priority check-in and boarding are offered at select airports. 
• KrisFlyer Elite Gold: Benefits of Silver, plus airport lounge access – including to the KrisFlyer Gold lounges at Changi and most Star Alliance business class lounges (and Virgin Australia lounges) – plus extra checked baggage, Star Alliance Gold, and more.
• PPS Club: Benefits of Gold, plus upgraded lounge access (SilverKris business class), no expiry of KrisFlyer miles, complimentary extra legroom seating, and more.
• Solitaire PPS Club, and Solitaire PPS Club Life: Benefits of PPS Club, plus Solitaire PPS Club status for a partner, first class check-in with Singapore Airlines, fast-track immigration in Singapore (via APEC queue), first class lounge access, and more.

For the full list of privileges extended to KrisFlyer Elite and PPS Club members, including with partner airlines such as Virgin Australia and others, head to the Singapore Airlines website.

Do KrisFlyer miles expire?

Unlike some frequent flyer programs, Singapore Airlines’ KrisFlyer miles have a fixed expiry, which is normally 36 months from the month each individual mile was earned. 

Of course, when you spend miles from your KrisFlyer account, KrisFlyer discharges your oldest miles first. This means you can’t accidentally spend miles you earned just one month ago, when you have miles earned 35 months ago about to expire.

Those primarily earning KrisFlyer miles via credit card spend would be wise to keep their points in their credit card rewards program account until needed, to avoid converted miles from expiring. 

(Naturally, if a bank is preparing to worsen its conversion rate to KrisFlyer, or the bank’s loyalty program has its own points expiry rules, it may instead be wise to convert those points to KrisFlyer even without a specific use in mind, provided they're spent before expiry.)

How do I spend and redeem KrisFlyer miles?

KrisFlyer miles are made to be redeemed – and many of the methods used to earn KrisFlyer miles are also ways to use them.

As an example, you can spend miles on flights with Singapore Airlines and its various partner airlines, as well as to book hotel stays and car hire.

It’s also possible to use KrisFlyer miles to upgrade to premium economy, business class or first class on eligible Singapore Airlines flights.

The upgrade options available to you will depend on the type of fare originally purchased, and the cabins offered on your flight.

Upgrade options may include:

• Economy to premium economy
• Economy to business class
• Premium economy to business class
• Business class to first class

Upgrades from economy and premium economy straight to first class are not available, and nor can you ‘double upgrade’, such as by swapping an economy class seat for business class, and then upgrading again from business class to first class.

Upgrading to Singapore Airlines is something worth raising a glass to, whatever your chosen drink may be.

KrisFlyer miles can also be used to upgrade to business class or first class on eligible Star Alliance partner airline flights.

Virgin Australia frequent flyers can also enjoy access to Singapore Airlines cabins through its Velocity-to-KrisFlyer points transfers, as well as the ability to book business, premium economy and economy seats with Velocity points.

What’s the best way to spend KrisFlyer miles?

When it's time to put your KrisFlyer miles to good use, some of the ways you can spend them provide better value than others.

For instance, when it comes to flying, the number of miles needed to book a flight outright isn't much more than the asking price for an upgrade: and of course, an upgrade requires you to have purchased a full-fare ticket first.

On the other hand, outright flight bookings on Singapore Airlines have minimal fees and charges attached, as Singapore Airlines doesn't levy fuel surcharges and carrier surcharges on these reward bookings. 

First class upgrades on Singapore Airlines are the ultimate in inflight luxury.

Many members prefer to save their miles to book business class or even first class with Singapore Airlines, given the availability for those using miles tends to be good, and fees quite low.

KrisFlyer also runs 'Spontaneous Escapes' promotions from time to time as well, significantly reducing the number of KrisFlyer miles needed for eligible journeys.

Miles can also be redeemed through Singapore Airlines' tours and activities platform Pelago, where you can use them to find exciting things to see and do during your next holiday.

Frequently asked questions

Can you link two Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer accounts?

While two travellers cannot share a single frequent flyer account, KrisFlyer has a system called ‘redemption nominees’, which allows a KrisFlyer member to use their miles to book flights and upgrades for another person.

For example, if one member of a household tends to earn more KrisFlyer miles than the others, that member can use those miles to book flights for the people nominated as their redemption nominees.

Depending on your KrisFlyer membership tier, fees may apply if you decide to change your nominees, as limits apply.

Can you use KrisFlyer miles to upgrade on other airlines?

Yes! As above, you can use KrisFlyer miles to upgrade both on Singapore Airlines and on other airlines around the globe – typically those belonging to the Star Alliance family.

The number of miles needed for an upgrade depends on the airline, route and upgrade type.

Note, however, that while upgrades from business class to first class may be appealing, upgrades from economy to business class are quite difficult, and are normally possible only from the highest-cost economy class fares.

Can you convert credit card points into KrisFlyer miles?

Yes! Singapore Airlines' KrisFlyer program is a popular transfer partner of many Australian and international credit card issuers, allowing cardholders to earn rewards via their credit card that can later become KrisFlyer miles.

For the most up-to-date information about transfer opportunities, conversion rates, minimum transfer amounts and waiting times for transfers to be processed, contact your credit card issuer.