The best ways to use Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer miles

Upgrades to business class or first class are usually considered one of the best ways to use frequent flyer points, but Singapore Airlines’ KrisFlyer program proves the exception to that rule.

Certainly, you can use KrisFlyer miles to upgrade on Singapore Airlines or its regional subsidiary SilkAir, but you’ll find much better value in making your bookings using miles outright – especially when travelling at the pointy end.

However you fly and wherever you’re headed, here are five of the best ways to use your hard-earned Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer miles to travel the world in style.

1. Whatever you do, redeem your miles online

Be it first class, business class, premium economy or even economy, booking your Singapore Airlines reward flights via the KrisFlyer website requires 15% fewer miles than making the same booking over the phone.

That could get you flying sooner or even further than you’d originally planned, as the reward rates shown on the airline’s website – both in its ‘award charts’ and during the online booking process – don’t include this discount in the initial mileage prices shown...

... instead appearing only in the booking summary after choosing a particular flight:

KrisFlyer reward bookings on Singapore Airlines’ web of airline partners, such as Virgin Australia and Air Canada, can’t be made online: instead charged at the full published rate and secured via the contact centre.

2. Fly Singapore Airlines first class, ‘Suites Class’

Using KrisFlyer miles to fly in Singapore Airlines first class (or ‘Suites Class’ on the A380s) is a favourite of many travellers – and what’s more, the number of miles you’ll need for a standalone flight to Singapore is the same as to connect onwards to many destinations across Asia.

Welcome aboard Singapore Airlines Suites Class: bookable using miles...

That means you could fly Sydney-Singapore-Hong Kong for the same number of KrisFlyer miles as only Sydney-Singapore, being 63,750 miles including the 15% online booking discount. The same rates also apply to journeys from Australia to Taiwan and Thailand, among others.

Making the trek from Sydney or Melbourne through to London or elsewhere in Europe costs a precise 112,625 KrisFlyer miles: less in number than other frequent flyer programs levy to make the same trip in business class!

3. Book yourself in Singapore Airlines business class

Speaking of business class, it’s not a bad way to fly – and unlike some loyalty programs which can only nab business class rewards on Singapore Airlines’ oldest aircraft, KrisFlyer members can secure seats on SQ’s flagship A380s and Boeing 777s too, not to mention the newer A350s.

Review: Singapore Airlines A380 business class, Singapore-London

For a one-way trip from Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide or also Canberra from September 20, you’d need 46,750 KrisFlyer miles to reach Singapore, Hong Kong and other hotspots across Asia, while Australia-Japan is also an attractive option at 65,875 miles.

Fly from those Australian cities through to Europe and you could be perched in business class on the entire journey for only 80,750 KrisFlyer miles.

You’ll need even fewer miles when flying from Perth on SQ or Darwin aboard SilkAir, with 27,625 miles connecting you with much of Asia; 44,625 miles with Japan or 72,250 miles with the UK and Europe, one-way in business class, including online booking discounts.

4. Convert KrisFlyer miles into Velocity points

Even if Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer isn’t your main frequent flyer program, it’s a great way to earn Virgin Australia Velocity points when travelling on Star Alliance airlines such as Air Canada, Air China, Air India, ANA, EVA Air, Thai Airways and United.

While these airlines aren’t direct partners of Virgin Australia, you’d do this by first earning KrisFlyer miles when with travelling with those airlines (and more), before converting those KrisFlyer miles into Virgin Australia Velocity points on a 1.35:1 basis.

Just 5,000 KrisFlyer miles buys 3,704 Velocity points, while a balance of 30,000 KrisFlyer miles would deliver 22,222 Velocity points. That’s handy if you already have some Velocity points up your sleeve from previous journeys and want to combine the two to book a flight.

Read: How to convert KrisFlyer miles into Velocity points

5. Fly trans-Tasman, trans-Pacific

Singapore Airlines’ broader network of Star Alliance partners also makes for some great options to use your miles en route to New Zealand, Fiji, Canada and the USA, without detouring via Singapore.

From Australia to New Zealand or Fiji, a mere 17,500 KrisFlyer miles could take you there in business class on Air New Zealand, one way, while from Australia to Canada or the USA on Air Canada or United, you’d need 97,500 KrisFlyer miles.

Fly on Air Canada's new Boeing 787 Brisbane-Vancouver services...

Better yet, it costs no more miles to fly to North America’s east coast than the west coast – so you could jet from Sydney all the way through to New York or Toronto for the same number of miles as when flying to Los Angeles or Vancouver.

Also read: KrisFlyer: best program for reward flights?

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Chris C.

Chris is a a former contributor to Executive Traveller.