Turning your Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer miles into a business class seat and first class suite will require more miles from this month, with the Singaporean flag-carrier boosting the cost of Saver-category award flights out of Australia.
The 15% discount for making your frequent flyer redemption booking online rather than over the phone has also been axed.
However, fuel and insurance surcharges will no longer be added to KrisFlyer award bookings.
The changes kick in on March 23, 2017, although miles-based award bookings made and ticketed before March 23 will escape the hike.
There's no change to the Standard award rates for flights from Australia to Singapore or Europe – but if you're looking to snare a cheaper Saver award flight, here's the uplift.
Who'll pay more, and how much...
Business class flights between Australia (excluding Perth and Darwin) and Singapore bump from 55,000 KrisFlyer miles to 58,000 miles, with first class and A380 suites bookings nudging from 75,000 miles to 80,000 miles.
Economy Saver awards rise from 25,000 miles to 28,000 miles, with no change in the number of KrisFlyer miles needed for a premium economy booking.
No change either for flyers from Perth or Darwin, whose redemption rates remain the same if they're headed to Singapore.
Going all the way to the UK or Europe?
First class and Suites awards from Australia (excluding Perth and Darwin) and Singapore go from 132,500 KrisFlyer miles to 148,000 miles; business class rates are up from 95,000 miles to 105,000 miles; and economy from 47,500 miles to 53,000 miles.
Perth and Darwin don't escape that increase, with a business class bump from 85,000 KrisFlyer miles to 95,000 miles, and economy up from 40,000 miles to 43,000 miles.
The changes are part of a broader overhaul of SQ's fare structure which will also see fuel and insurance surcharges progressively folded into base fares from late March through to May 2017.
You'll find more information on the Singapore Airlines website here, where you can also download the current and new KrisFlyer Award charts.
David Flynn is the Editor-in-Chief of Executive Traveller and a bit of a travel tragic with a weakness for good coffee, shopping and lychee martinis.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
04 Nov 2011
Total posts 363
Well that hurts. Double whammy with the increase in points and no discount. I have mixed feelings about this. I think the removal of the surcharges and the points increased would have been enough....
16 Dec 2016
Total posts 18
I assume the 15% online discount will also no longer be available for upgrades. This hurts a lot, because with an upgrade redemption, you already paid the fuel surcharges in your original ticket :( very upset.
22 May 2011
Total posts 87
Fuel and insurance surcharges only - that means we still have to pay for airport taxes, etc. I initially thought it meant we didn't have to pay cash. Gets even more depressing!
Singapore Airlines - The PPS Club
19 Mar 2016
Total posts 35
13 Sep 2016
Total posts 27
AusBT rated KrisFlyer very highly in this article although things have now changed of course! It's hard to 'compare' directly because there are so many variables. Let's take Qantas Frequent Flyer for example, you have far more choices of credit cards and retail partners for earning Qantas Points than KrisFlyer Miles. Also here in Australia you need a lot more KrisFlyer Miles to do anything compared to Qantas because the shortest SQ route is basically Australia to Singapore, compared to all the domestic and AU-NZ Qantas flights.
21 Apr 2012
Total posts 3021
Time to get rid of my Westpac Singapore Airlines Gold visa/amex card!
Virgin Australia - Velocity Rewards
13 Jan 2015
Total posts 593
Good thing ive already booked mine for 161500 mikes...new price is 210000 for nothing more. Probably have to keep points for longer SQ flights to europe and fly Y on the aus leg.
Virgin Australia - Velocity Rewards
20 Jan 2016
Total posts 61
This directly also devalues Velocity. The conversion to Singapore rewards were one of the few bright spots in their portfolio. With no 15% online discount , and the increase in redemption rates this makes Singapore a borderline proposition. Given the other limited international options and the lack of VA LAX availability, not seeing much point to holding velocity going forward.
QF
02 Oct 2012
Total posts 46
These changes bring the points levels closer to QF on the Oz-Europe route for business class but have you ever tried finding seats on QF to London? SQ have amazing availability and their hard and soft products are top class
22 Mar 2013
Total posts 7
No changes to points expiry conditions in this change?
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
08 Jul 2016
Total posts 22
Starts to make Asia Miles look like a decent scheme for the APAC region. 45K o/w or 80K return to Japan with taxes a lot lower than QFF.
Singapore Airlines - KrisFlyer
22 Dec 2016
Total posts 4
I have been flying SQ since 1983 what ever rewards there were over the years have gradually been eroded. I used to fly First Class to Europe every year. Singapore Airlines used to give great presents. I stayed for 2 nights at the Raffles Hotel , and the next year 3 nights at the Grand Hotel in Paris. Also, on every flight we used to get a beautiful present. There was a limo to pick me up from home, none of that anymore. When I flew last August, I showed a few things that I still take with me when I travel, like a leather bag with the logo. These were the times SQ wanted to attract flyers. As to the points, they have always been just under what you needed to get a flight. Clever !
Anyway, none of that will stop me from being loyal to Singapore Airlines , they are simply the best!
QF
13 Feb 2015
Total posts 4
Phew - got in just in time. Converted VF points and booked SYD/CDG return in the first suites on a saver fare and thought it was an absolute bargain points wise. Use those points while you can kids, because every day they are worth less and less!
Virgin Australia - Velocity Rewards
13 Nov 2015
Total posts 10
Any news on a points increase on RTW redemption?
Emirates Airlines - Skywards
11 Mar 2015
Total posts 194
seems that everyone on this planet tries to book the last of those saver fares,could hardly get a suit seat to Europe -no luck from Melbourne so found one from Sydney than coming back to Mel in December that is the best you get unless wait listed like 99% of those seats are.
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