Star Alliance Gold fast-track with Singapore Airlines, Shangri-La

Fancy perks like priority check-in and boarding, a boosted baggage allowance and access to airport lounges of Virgin Australia, Singapore Airlines and also others across the Star Alliance including with Air Canada, Air New Zealand, ANA, Thai Airways and United?

Then take a look at ‘Infinite Journeys’: a newly-launched tie-up between Star Alliance carrier Singapore Airlines and Shangri-La’s Golden Circle hotel loyalty program.

Under the deal, Shangri-La hotel Jade- and Diamond-tier members receive instant KrisFlyer Silver status, and after taking three Singapore Airlines flights as a Jade member or just one flight as a Diamond guest, will be bumped up to KrisFlyer Gold, equivalent to Star Alliance Gold.

Better yet, some high-end Australian credit cards come with a free and instantaneous boost to Shangri-La Jade or Diamond status, so you can use your credit card to get the Shangri-La status you need without even leaving home, and then use that status to breeze on up to KrisFlyer Gold.

Star Alliance Gold fast-track: what you need

This offer is open only to Shangri-La Jade and Diamond members, but if you have an American Express Platinum charge card you’re entitled to a free boost to Shangri-La Jade membership: simply contact your bank to make the arrangements.

(Not already a member of Shangri-La Golden Circle? Make that your first step and register online here.)

If your wallet wields an invitation-only American Express Centurion card, contact the Centurion Concierge to request a free Shangri-La Diamond card.

There’s no requirement with any of these credit cards to actually stay at a Shangri-La hotel before your complimentary status is unlocked, either: just request it and wait for your account to tick over.

If you don’t have one of these credit cards, you could also net Shangri-La Golden Circle Jade status from as few as 10 individual overnight stays in Shangri-La, Kerry, Hotel Jen and Traders hotels, or at least 20 nights in total over a calendar year.

Star Alliance Gold fast-track: how to register

Once you’ve got your Shangri-La Jade (or Diamond) status sorted, you’ll need to pair it with your existing KrisFlyer frequent flyer account – or a new account which you can create online for free, if you’re not already a member.

To get linked up, login to KrisFlyer, browse to ‘profile’, then ‘partner programmes’ and then select ‘non-airline partner’, ‘Shangri-La Golden Circle’ and then enter your Golden Circle membership number:

Your accounts should then be linked and shortly upgraded to KrisFlyer Silver status – but if you encounter any difficulties, you can also confirm the link via the Golden Circle website, or request it from there instead by adding your KrisFlyer number to the account.

Star Alliance Gold fast-track: moving up from KrisFlyer Silver

Now that your Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer account has been registered for the deal and has you at the Silver tier, you’ll just need to take the required number of flights to upgrade that status to Gold for an entire year.

If you’re a Shangri-La Jade member, you’ll need to take three Singapore Airlines or SilkAir flights within four months of linking your accounts – and if you’re a Shangri-La Diamond guest, you’ll only need to take one Singapore Airlines or SilkAir flight.

These flights can be booked in any paid class of travel whether up the front or down the back, with the exception of large group bookings in economy class, reserved under the ‘G’ fare code.

Flights booked using KrisFlyer miles or frequent flyer points from other schemes also don’t qualify, nor to codeshare flights: such as booking a Virgin Australia flight number but travelling on a Singapore Airlines aircraft.

Keep in mind that while Singapore Airlines flies between Singapore and a number of Australian cities, the airline also now flies between Canberra and Wellington and will launch Sydney-Jakarta flights by year’s end, so take your pick.

Star Alliance Gold fast-track: what you get

Once you’ve taken your flights and your status has been boosted to KrisFlyer Gold, you’ll be free to enjoy all Star Alliance Gold privileges including airport lounge access, priority check-in, priority boarding and a boosted baggage allowance whenever travelling with a Star Alliance airline.

In Singapore, that means you’ll use the KrisFlyer Gold lounges unless booked in business or first class, while in most other airports, you’ll use the same lounges as fare-paying business class passengers.

Separately from Star Alliance Gold, Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer Gold also provides access to Virgin Australia’s network of Australian domestic lounges whenever travelling with the airline, along with those familiar perks of priority check-in and boarding too.

For more information on the Infinite Journeys tie-up between Singapore Airlines and Shangri-La, click here.

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Chris C.

Chris is a a former contributor to Executive Traveller.