Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer has announced some changes to the program, so prepare to brace yourselves. A devaluation is coming Dec. 7.
Award Tickets on Star Alliance
Let’s start with the good news first. At the moment, you can book Singapore awards online and have to call KrisFlyer Membership Services to book Star Alliance and other partner awards. Effective Dec. 7, you will be able to book those award flights on the website. You can save a lot of time by eliminating phone calls and wait times and dealing with sometimes inexperienced phone agents, so this is a good change.
Phone-Booking Fee
Now that most awards will be available for booking online, Singapore is introducing a phone-booking fee. It will cost $25 or 2,500 KrisFlyer miles to change a ticket, upgrade class of service or passport details, and book award flights that can be booked on the website. The fee will be waived for actions that cannot be completed on the website.
Star Alliance Award Chart Devaluations
Usually, when there’s a program update, there’s a program devaluation. Singapore KrisFlyer program has increased some redemption rates for Star Alliance awards, which also will take effect Dec. 7.
Here’s a current award chart.
And here’s the updated award chart, which will be in effect next month.
As you can see, some regions are affected mostly for premium redemptions, and some remain the same. One of the most lucrative redemptions from the United States to Hawaii on its partner United Airlines will remain at 35,000 KrisFlyer miles in economy class, 60,000 miles in business class and 80,000 miles in first class.
Award flights from North America to South America also will remain at the same redemption levels—30,000 miles in economy, 50,000 miles in business class and 70,000 miles in first class.
Awards that are affected include the following regions and classes of service:
North America to Southeast Asia 1
- 112,500 miles to 135,000 miles in first
North America to Southeast Asia 2
- 110,000 miles to 135,000 miles in first
North America to North Asia 1
- 45,000 miles to 48,000 miles in economy
- 87,500 miles to 105,000 miles in business
- 100,000 miles to 125,000 miles in first
North America to North Asia 2
- 45,000 miles to 54,000 miles in economy
- 87,500 miles to 105,000 miles in business
- 100,000 miles to 125,000 miles in first
North America to Southwest Pacific
- 55,000 miles to 60,000 miles in economy
- 97,500 miles to 117,000 miles in business
- 127,500 miles to 152,000 miles in first
North America to Europe
- 80,000 miles is going up to 95,000 miles in first
North America to North Africa and the Middle East
- 37,500 miles to 45,000 miles in economy
- 57,500 miles to 69,000 miles in business
- 75,000 miles to 90,000 miles in first
North America to Central and South Africa
- 45,000 miles to 52,000 miles in economy
- 72,500 miles to 87,000 miles in business
- 110,000 miles to 132,000 miles in first
North America to Central and South Asia
- 52,500 miles to 55,000 miles in economy
- 97,500 miles to 110,000 miles in business
- 132,500 miles to 145,000 miles in first
Bottom Line
Although some redemption rates will stay the same, others are going up by as much as 25 percent. This is the second recent change for Singapore KrisFlyer. Earlier this year, the program made revisions to some Saver Award levels on its own metal, eliminated discounts for online redemptions and fuel surcharges on its own awards.
KrisFlyer is a program that partners will multiple transferable point programs, including American Express Membership Rewards, Chase Ultimate Rewards, Citi ThankYou Points and Starwood Preferred Guest. I wonder if this is the reason for the devaluation—too many transfer opportunities into the same program. Still, it’s good to see that not all routes were affected negatively.
Do you have frequently use Singapore KrisFlyer miles? What are your thoughts on the program changes?
[Image: Singapore Airlines]