Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer is undoubtedly the most popular Frequent Flyer Program (FFP) for Singapore-based travellers, but not all routes offer good value for your miles. Let’s have a look at the best ways to redeem KrisFlyer miles for maximum value.
At a Glance: Best ways to redeem KrisFlyer miles in 2025
KrisFlyer beats many other Frequent Flyer Programs with great award rates to these regions. For even bigger savings, look out for these routes in the latest KrisFlyer Spontaneous Escapes promo.
- Europe Gateway Sweet Spot:
Fly to Istanbul in Business Class with just 56,500 miles. - Down-Under Sweet Spot:
Fly to New Zealand and Australian cities like Sydney and Melbourne in Business Class with just 68,500 miles. - South Asia Sweet Spot:
Fly to India, Nepal, the Maldives and Sri Lanka in Business Class for 43,000 miles and First Class for 58,500 miles. - North China Sweet Spot:
Fly to Shanghai and Beijing in Business Class for 43,000 miles and First Class for 58,500 miles.
How to accumulate KrisFlyer miles?
Let’s start by looking at the best ways to accumulate KrisFlyer miles.
1) Credit card spending
All miles/rewards credit cards in Singapore have KrisFlyer as a transfer partner. This makes KrisFlyer miles really easy to earn, if you are based in the country.
Note: While HSBC has KrisFlyer as a transfer partner, it comes with a poor transfer ratio.
2) Credit paid flights to KrisFlyer
Members can credit their paid flights on Singapore Airlines or partner airlines to KrisFlyer at these accrual rates.
Every KrisFlyer elite member (Silver, Gold, PPS, Solitaire PPS) receive a flat 25% bonus miles on paid flights.
3) Kris+
Members can make purchases at selected merchants through Kris+ to earn additional KrisFlyer miles, on top of credit card miles.
Sign up for Kris+ through my affiliate link to get 750 KrisPay miles (worth $5).
4) Buy KrisFlyer miles through UOB Payment Facility
UOB cardholders can buy an unlimited amount of KrisFlyer miles through UOB Payment Facility. No actual bill is required to use this service and cardholders can even pay themselves.
Check the latest promo for UOB Payment Facility here.
Pros and Cons of KrisFlyer
Here’s a quick run down of the best and worst benefits/features of Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer.
Pros:
- Miles transferrable from all miles/rewards credit cards in Singapore
- Singapore Airlines offer direct flights between Singapore and 70+ popular destinations
- Good onboard service and seats on Singapore Airlines
- Free WiFi for all Singapore Airlines passengers
- Pre-select Book the Cook meals when flying in premium classes
- Monthly Spontaneous Escapes deals on selected routes (usually a 30% award discount)
- One of few FFPs that still uses zone-based award charts
Cons:
- Fixed 3 years miles validity (can pay for one-time extension of 6/12 months)
- Long haul Business Class seats are mostly old (2013 edition)
- Poor award rates to/from popular destinations (i.e. Japan, S. Korea, Europe)
- Poor value Star Alliance award chart means that KrisFlyer miles are generally only good for SQ flights
- Fuel surcharges are applicable (except on airlines with no fuel surcharges like Singapore Airlines, United, Air India, Ethiopian, Avianca, Alaska and Malaysia Airlines)
- Only 25% bonus mileage accrual for all Elite members
- Unfair waitlisting feature
- Miles do not go on sale, unlike some FFPs
Related: Singapore Airlines & KrisFlyer Tips, Tricks & Secrets, to stay ahead of the game
KrisFlyer Award Redemption Charts
There are 3 main award redemption charts to look at, when redeeming KrisFlyer miles:
- Saver
- Advantage
- Star Alliance
In this article, I am only looking at the Saver and Star Alliance award charts, because this is a travel-hacking blog, and there is nothing travel-hacky about booking “Advantage” rates. 😝
Note: View award charts for non-alliance partner airlines here (e.g. Malaysia Airlines, Garuda, Alaska etc.).
Saver Award Chart
The Saver award chart states the amount of miles required for one-way redemptions on Singapore Airlines-operated flights only.
Star Alliance Award Chart
The Star Alliance award chart states the amount of miles required for roundtrip redemptions on Star Alliance airlines-operated flights only (not for non-alliance partners).
Singapore Airlines Star Alliance award chart (pinch to zoom)
Best ways to redeem KrisFlyer miles
These sweet spots are chosen based on the following factors:
- How KrisFlyer award rate compares to other FFPs
- Typical cash fare for each route, including on other full-service airline (not just SQ)
- Flight duration
Note: In most cases, flights to/from Southeast Asian cities (Zones 2, 3) cost the same amount of miles as flights to/from Singapore. In other words, flying from Hanoi to Istanbul (via Singapore) costs the same amount of miles as flying from Singapore to Istanbul.
1) Zone 10: Istanbul, Dubai, South Africa
Flight duration: 7.5 to 11.5 hours
Miles required for one-way travel between Southeast Asia and Zone 10 cities:
| Zone 10 | Economy | Premium Economy | Business | First |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Istanbul, Dubai, South Africa | 29k | 43k | 56.5k | 86.5k (N/A) |
| Spontaneous Escapes (if any) | 20.3k | 30.1k | 39.55k | – |
My favourite KrisFlyer sweet spot is Zone 10. Specifically, Istanbul.
This is because, Istanbul is located right at the “front door” of Europe and requires about 45% fewer miles in Business Class! That’s 56.5k vs 103.5k. From Istanbul, travellers can easily find cheap flights into a European city of choice.
Related: Cheapest ways to fly between Singapore and Europe using Miles
However, because of how popular the Istanbul route has got, travellers may need to book them 355 days in advance.
Additional note: Economy Class flights to Dubai, Johannesburg and Cape Town can be very cheap. Value-wise, redeeming miles for Economy Class to these destinations may not be a good idea.
2) Zone 9: New Zealand, South/East Australia
Flight duration: 7 to 10 hours
Miles required for one-way travel between Southeast Asia and Zone 9 cities:
| Zone 9 | Economy | Premium Economy | Business | First |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Auckland, Christchurch, Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide | 30.5k | 51k | 68.5k | 93.5k (if any) |
| Spontaneous Escapes (if any) | 21.35k | 35.7k | 47.95k | – |
3) Zone 8: Perth, Darwin
Flight duration: 4.5 to 5 hours
Miles required for one-way travel between Southeast Asia and Zone 8 cities:
| Zone 8 | Economy | Business | First |
|---|---|---|---|
| Perth, Darwin | 21.5k | 40.5k | 57.5k (N/A) |
| Spontaneous Escapes (if any) | 15.05k | 28.35k | – |
4) Zone 6: South Asia
Flight duration: 4 to 6 hours
Miles required for one-way travel between Southeast Asia and Zone 6 cities:
| Zone 6 | Economy | Premium Economy |
Business | First |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mumbai, New Delhi |
20k | 34.5k | 43k | 58.5k |
| Bengaluru, Chennai, Kolkata, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad, Kochi, Kathmandu, Dhaka, Colombo, Male |
N/A | N/A | ||
| Spontaneous Escapes (if any) |
14k | 24.15k | 30.1k | – |
Singapore Airlines flies its Airbus A380 to/from New Delhi and Mumbai regularly (not all the time) and it is easier to find Suites Class availability on these flights.
Flights to this region are also regularly included in Spontaneous Escapes deals, making them even better redemptions.
5) Zone 5: North China
Flight duration: 4 to 6 hours
Miles required for one-way travel between Southeast Asia and Zone 5 cities:
| Zone 8 | Economy | Premium Economy | Business | First |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beijing, Shanghai | 21.5k | 34.5k | 43k | 58.5k |
| Spontaneous Escapes (if any) | 15.05k | 24.15k | 30.1k | – |
Singapore Airlines flies its Airbus A380 to/from Beijing and Shanghai regularly (not all the time) and it is fairly easy to find Suites Class availability.
Flights to this region are also regularly included in Spontaneous Escapes deals, making them even better redemptions.
6) Zone 11: Europe (Suites only)
Flight duration: 13 hours
Miles required for one-way travel between Southeast Asia and Zone 11 cities:
| Zone 11 | Economy | Premium Economy | Business | Suites |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Frankfurt, London | 42k | 71k | 103.5k | 141k |
| Spontaneous Escapes (if any) | 29.4k | 49.7k | 72.45k | – |
Zone 11 probably offers the poorest value in KrisFlyer’s award chart (for Economy, Premium and Business). However, because of how unique Singapore Airlines Suites are, it is definitely a sweet spot!
Singapore Airlines flies its Airbus A380 to/from popular European cities like London, Frankfurt and Paris.
However, it is pretty much impossible to find Saver award availability without waitlisting, other than the super rare opportunity that I shared some time back. If another one comes along, you might want to jump on it quickly.
Additional note: I get asked a lot if I would spend the “Advantage” rate of 225.5k miles for these routes. The answer is NO. While the Suites are beautiful and unique, the beds are really hard and uncomfortable. It is definitely not worth 225.5k miles for a 13-hour flight, to me at least. If you would like to experience it at least once in your life, consider the Zone 6 sweet spot for just 58.5k miles or Zone 9 sweet spot for 93.5k miles
Related: Singapore Airlines Suites Frankfurt to Singapore
7) Fifth Freedom: Frankfurt – New York
Flight duration: 9 hours
Miles required for one-way travel between Frankfurt and New York:
| Zones 11 & 13 | Economy | Premium Economy | Business | First |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Frankfurt, New York | 25k | 52k | 81k | 97k |
| Spontaneous Escapes (if any) | 17.5k | 36.4k | 56.7k | – |
Singapore Airlines flies fifth freedom flights between Frankfurt, Germany and New York, USA. Although spending 81k miles for Business Class on this route does not give you good value, the award rates for the other 3 classes are pretty good. This route is also regularly featured in Spontaneous Escapes.
8) Star Alliance: South West Pacific
Flight duration: 1 to 12 hours
Miles required for one-way travel between South West Pacific cities:
| South West Pacific | Economy | Business | First |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tahiti, Nadi, Rarotonga, Niue, Nouméa, Auckland, Sydney, Perth and more! | 13.5k | 34.5k | 47k (N/A) |
The South West Pacific region in Singapore Airlines’ Star Alliance award chart is 7 time zones wide. This gives you the opportunity of redeeming just 13.5k KrisFlyer miles for a total flying time of up to 12 hours (Perth to Tahiti).
There’s a catch, though. Air New Zealand is quite an uncooperative alliance member, when it comes to releasing award seats to partner FFPs, even in Economy Class! Thus, the opportunity to book Air NZ Business Class with KrisFlyer miles is rarer than a unicorn.
Summary
Here’s a quick summary of the sweet spots that I’ve shared above:
| Region 1 | Region 2 | Class | Miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| Southeast Asia |
Istanbul, Dubai, South Africa |
Economy | 29k |
| Premium | 43k | ||
| Business | 56.5k | ||
| New Zealand, South/East Australia |
Economy | 30.5k | |
| Premium | 51k | ||
| Business | 68.5k | ||
| First | 93.5k | ||
| Perth, Darwin |
Economy | 21.5k | |
| Business | 40.5k | ||
| South Asia |
Economy | 20k | |
| Premium | 34.5k | ||
| Business | 43k | ||
| First | 58.5k | ||
| North China |
Economy | 21.5k | |
| Premium | 34.5k | ||
| Business | 43k | ||
| First | 58.5k | ||
| Europe | Suites | 141k | |
| Frankfurt | New York | Economy | 25k |
| Premium | 52k | ||
| First | 97k | ||
| South West Pacific (Air New Zealand) |
Economy | 13.5k | |
| Business | 34.5k | ||
Bottom line
Japan, South Korea and Europe remain as poor value regions to redeem KrisFlyer miles, especially when other FFPs require 30 to 40% fewer miles for the same routes.
As a Singapore-based traveller, these sweet spots keep me interested in KrisFlyer, in addition to other FFPs.
Related: My Miles & Credit Card Strategy for 2025, as a Singapore-based traveller
This is so good post.
I am really trying to find any availability to the pacific islands and find nothing. One year ago was able to find Manila-Pohnpei flight which was best value for money (as it is crazy expensive flight in cash). Now cannot find that or actually anything to the Pacific…
At 52k for the fifth freedom flight from JFK to FRA in Premium Economy, is this really a sweet spot?
Hi, I’ve never redeemed krisflyer miles before. May I know what are the chances of securing a saver flight tickets?
You can check the Saver availability on singaporeair.com.
Thank you so much for these tips! Really learnt alot from these zones in terms of value!
Your summary table for South Asia is wrong, Fai 🙂
Thanks! I’ve made the correction. 🙂
Probably time to revisit the Krisflyer miles redemption sweet spots after July 2022 devaluation!
I’m working on an update to this page! 🙂
Is the Perth to Papeete sweet spot still available on Singapore Air? Can’t seem to find it. I can find Perth to Papeete on Air NZ website though.
Hi Najib, yes it is! As of today, I am seeing availability on 7 and 11 August for 12,500 Krisflyer miles.
AKL to IST was great at 76,000 miles before the devaluation a year to two ago. now its 83,000?. still good but not great.
Hi, will you have a post for sweet spots under Etihad Guest as well? Thanks
Hey, I have plans for it! 🙂
Can you clarify how you define ‘earning miles at an extremely slow rate’? Would be beneficial for newbies to the miles game. Thanks!
Hi Fahmi, I was referring to very low spending (under $200 a month). Hope that helped!