Here's how Singapore Airlines' KrisFlyer changes will affect you
By Brandon Loo, January 3 2019
Singapore Airlines is increasing the number of KrisFlyer miles required to book a points-based trip in business class, first class and even premium economy as of Thursday 24 January 2019.
However, the rates for economy-class bookings remain unaffected, and the airline is also introducing a number of frequent flyer-friendly measures such as:
- direct upgrades from economy to business class, even if your flight features a premium economy cabin, compared to the current one-class-only upgrade policy (upgrade rates are also getting revamped as part of this change)
- a more generous 'seven-day view' for checking award availability online, covering three days before and three days after your intended travel date rather than the current single-day view (this will be active from 31 January 2019)
- waitlisted redemptions will now be confirmed no later than 14 days prior to departure, in order to provide more certainty for waitlisted passengers
Here are how many KrisFlyer miles you'll need under the new system to book a 'premium' reward seat on flights from Australia (except Perth and Darwin, which are detailed in the next table) and New Zealand to Singapore and beyond.
Most notably, flights to South China, Hong Kong and Taiwan now attract a slightly higher rate than other nearby destinations in southeast Asia, whereas they previously required no extra miles to fly onwards from Singapore.
|
Saver Awards from Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide, Canberra and NZ to: |
Current miles required |
New miles required from 24 Jan 2019 |
|---|---|---|
|
Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam, Philippines, Thailand |
|
|
|
South China, Hong Kong and Taiwan
|
|
|
|
India, Sri Lanka, Maldives |
|
|
|
Europe |
|
|
|
USA (east coast + Houston) |
|
|
Here are how the new numbers pan out for travellers from Perth and Darwin (on Singapore Airlines' regional partner SilkAir).
|
Business Saver Awards from Perth or Darwin to:
|
Current miles required |
New miles required from 24 Jan 2019 |
|
Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam, Philippines, Thailand, South China, Hong Kong, Taiwan |
32,500 | 36,500 |
|
Shanghai, Beijing |
50,000 |
57,000 |
|
India, Sri Lanka, Maldives |
55,000 |
63,000 |
|
Europe |
95,000 |
106,000 |
|
USA (west coast)
|
102,000 |
113,000 |
|
USA (east coast + Houston)
|
110,000 |
121,000 |
These changes come days after the exchange rate between Virgin Australia's Velocity points and Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer miles was cut from 1/1.35 to 1/1.55, and effectively applies a double-whammy to the number of Velocity Points needed to transfer to KrisFlyer for booking an award flight.
Based in Perth, Brandon enjoys tucking into local delicacies, discovering new cocktails, and making aeroplane food look good on camera.
09 Jul 2016
Total posts 29
With those improvements I don't mind the slight increase TBH
20 Nov 2015
Total posts 401
A bit of a jump for some segments, but not too bad for say Sydney or Melbourne, and the positive changes really make sense.
Virgin Australia - Velocity Rewards
13 Jan 2015
Total posts 595
absolute bollocks...2 years ago it was 161500 for return in J to europe and 225k in Suites...now 232k for J.
Virgin Australia - Velocity Rewards
10 Nov 2011
Total posts 135
Pretty happy that direct upgrades from Y to J are back even when premium Y is available.
Virgin Australia - Velocity Rewards
15 Nov 2017
Total posts 56
It's not about how much you fly any more... It's about how many credit cards that can apply for and cancel for three months later...
11 May 2018
Total posts 14
Thanks for laying out these changes in a very readable and easy to understand format. The 7 day calendar is certainly a welcome improvement. The one by one, day by day searching made sq awards almost too time consuming to carry out.
04 Nov 2018
Total posts 2
Lost a bit of trust in kriflyer here. Clearly timed to catch out people who transfered full balances from velocity before the change in transfer rate.
13 Sep 2016
Total posts 35
I don't agree that these changes are 'Clearly timed to catch out people who transfered full balances from velocity before the change in transfer rate.' SQ is a massive international airline, Velocity transfers would be a drop in the ocean here.
04 Nov 2018
Total posts 2
Pretty sure they internally planned both devaluations at the same time and scheduled them. Would have been a lot fairer to announce at the same time.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
06 Nov 2014
Total posts 362
I feel sorry for people who transferred VA to KF just before 2019. The new KF award chart is not that far off from VA's chart. So the loss of 35% is just not worth it, especially KF expires. I hope not too many people got caught.
13 Sep 2016
Total posts 35
Replacing the one-day awards availability view with a 7-day view is great, I never understood why SQ didn't have this before.
QF
02 Oct 2012
Total posts 46
It's always disappointing when the points levels increase and I'm surprised as it doesn't seem like long ago since SQ did this. But as a program you cannot beat it - they have a great network, excellent availability for premium classes and no nasty fuel surcharge. You can't really go wrong with SQ in my opinion.
15 Mar 2016
Total posts 18
What disappointed me was the way, at the very end of the email, the "Adjustments" (i.e. Redemption rate increases) were mentioned.
Nothing like trying to hide bad news in what was an otherwise good news message.
23 May 2012
Total posts 35
Now the only program we use for biz class redemptions. VA and QF are (almost) impossible.
04 Jan 2019
Total posts 2
Hi...Is it possible to book a reward business class and then amend the date of travel without incurring the higher points cost?
Singapore Airlines - KrisFlyer
18 Jun 2018
Total posts 4
SQ is not alone in this regard. Plenty of businesses delivering bad news and trying to be too clever by pretending its good news to minimize customer backlash.
Singapore Airlines - KrisFlyer
06 Feb 2014
Total posts 71
The executives at Singapore Airlines hate FF miles being used to make premium cabin bookings and clearly have a strategy to make redemption bookings more difficult, thereby forcing Krissflyer members into paying for flights. What they don’t realise is that resentful customers will not reward them, in fact they will respond by either making commercial bookings with other carriers , to punish Singapore Airlines or travel less often. I for one will NOT reward them with paid bookings to send them a message. I will select another airline for those bookings. With other airlines ramping up their Aircraft quality and service, there are lots of other options. Wrong move Singapore Airlines
04 Jan 2019
Total posts 3
One of the galling aspects of this change is that it comes on top of the AMEX decision to reduce their conversion rate to half.
04 Jan 2019
Total posts 3
Having just posted on my disappointment, I have to say I have just booked return business to europe for 2019.my status is now back to basic , but I still received my flights, even though showing as waitlisted and everytime I speak to the help line they are remarkably helpful and courteous.
Singapore Airlines - KrisFlyer
06 Feb 2014
Total posts 71
Cannot go back to cattle class
30 Apr 2013
Total posts 20
Is anybody aware the reason why redemption ticket from Sydney to JFK (via SIN and FRA) is not coming up in search anymore?
Virgin Australia - Velocity Rewards
20 Dec 2011
Total posts 18
The relentless devaluations ("enhancements") by CC companies and airlines (and hotels) is very wearying and worrying. Couple this with harder to get credit cards and my looming retirement is all a bit much !
Im still travelling as much as i can (in J of course) whilst I can but will rue the day ....
26 Mar 2016
Total posts 20
we pay credit card annual fees, we pay a surcharge each time use our cards.... we do this because we have calculated that there will be some reward in it. If airlines change the rates to redeem for flights AFTER we have incurred those expenses, its pretty immoral of them to change it
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