Best Ways To Redeem KrisFlyer Miles

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.

How to earn lots of KrisFlyer miles?

Let’s start by looking at the best ways to accumulate KrisFlyer miles.

1) Credit card spending

The best miles 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. In other words, HSBC Revolution cardholders can earn 4 miles per dollar on online shopping if the points are transferred to FFPs like EVA Infinity MileageLands or BA Club, but if transferred to KrisFlyer, the earn rate would effectively drop to 3.3 mpd.

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.

New to Kris+? Sign up using referral code A394501 to receive 500 KrisPay miles (worth S$5) after your first transaction.

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:

1. Miles transferrable from all miles credit cards in Singapore
2. Singapore Airlines offer direct flights between Singapore and 70+ popular destinations
3. Good onboard service and seats on Singapore Airlines
4. Free WiFi for all Singapore Airlines passengers
5. Pre-select Book the Cook meals when flying in premium classes
6. Monthly Spontaneous Escapes deals on selected routes (usually a 30% award discount)
7. One of few FFPs that still uses zone-based award charts

Cons:

1. Fixed 3 years miles validity (can pay for one-time extension of 6/12 months)
2. Long haul Business Class seats are mostly old (2013 edition)
3. Poor award rates to/from popular destinations (i.e. Japan, S. Korea, Europe)
4. Poor value Star Alliance award chart means that KrisFlyer miles are generally only good for SQ flights
5. Fuel surcharges are applicable (except on airlines with no fuel surcharges like Singapore Airlines, United, Air India, Ethiopian, Avianca, Alaska and Malaysia Airlines)
6. Only 25% bonus mileage accrual for all Elite members
7. Unfair waitlisting feature
8. 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:

1. Saver
2. Advantage
3. Star Alliance
4. Access (dynamic pricing)

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	32k	51.5k	68k	95k (N/A)
Spontaneous Escapes 30% off (if any)	22.4k	36.06k	47.6k	–

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	29k	53.5k	72k	98k (if any)
Spontaneous Escapes 30% off (if any)	20.3k	37.45k	50.4k	–

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	20.5k	42.5k	60.5k (N/A)
Spontaneous Escapes 30% off (if any)	14.35k	29.75k	–

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	19k	36k	45k	61.5k
Bengaluru, Chennai, Kolkata, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad, Kochi, Kathmandu, Dhaka, Colombo, Male		N/A		N/A
Spontaneous Escapes 30% off (if any)	13.3k	25.2k	31.5k	–

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	20.5k	36k	45k	61.5k
Spontaneous Escapes 30% off (if any)	14.35k	25.2k	31.5k	–

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.

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.

6) 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!	14.5k	38k	52k (N/A)

The South West Pacific region in Singapore Airlines’ Star Alliance award chart stretches across 7 time zones. This gives you the opportunity of redeeming just 14.5k 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 rare.

Worst ways to redeem KrisFlyer miles

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