Singapore KrisFlyer

Use it for

• US West Coast to Singapore nonstop in business Saver: 112,500 miles one-way (East Coast 117,000), plus about USD 50 in taxes (one observation)
• Singapore to London or other European cities in business Saver: 108,500 miles one-way; Suites Saver 148,000 where the A380 flies; about USD 100 in taxes (one observation)
• Singapore to Sydney or Melbourne in business Saver: 72,000 miles one-way (Suites Saver 98,000 on A380 routes), plus about USD 80 in taxes (one observation)
• Short business hops from Singapore at Saver: Tokyo or Seoul 54,500, Hong Kong 35,500, Bangkok 25,000 one-way; Spontaneous Escapes cut selected Saver business by 30 percent each month (Singapore to Bangkok 17,500 in October 2026), plus airport taxes and no fuel surcharges

Do not use it for

• Access awards when Saver is gone: they are priced at about 1.3 to 2.1 times Advantage (Singapore to London business Access was 182,500 one-way in March 2026) and cannot be waitlisted
• Star Alliance partner awards: business is 114,000 to Europe and 131,000 to North America one-way, and Lufthansa and Swiss surcharges are passed on
• Transferring points only to sit on a waitlist you might never clear: transfers cannot be reversed, so keep a confirmed backup

Where to search

Search on singaporeair.com (or the app) while logged in to KrisFlyer; since 21 July 2026 the website requires a minimum mileage balance to search (widely reported as 1,000 miles, SQ does not publish the figure). Results show Saver, Advantage and Access prices per flight and a waitlist option where Saver or Advantage is full. Aeroplan, United and other partners see mainly regional SQ space, so long-haul business and Suites availability is visible here and in tools that index KrisFlyer such as seats.aero (cached, recheck live); the KrisFlyer partner search is temperamental.

How to book, step by step

1. Open a KrisFlyer account and get the minimum balance needed to search (reported as about 1,000 miles); a small transfer from Capital One, Citi, Amex or Chase does it.
2. Add anyone you will book for as a redemption nominee before you need them: up to 5, free to add, locked for 6 months, and a newly added nominee cannot be booked on a flight within 72 hours.
3. Search one-way or return in Business (or First for Suites) and look for Saver; awards open 355 days out at about 8 AM Singapore time.
4. If Saver is full, waitlist Saver or Advantage at least 3 weeks before departure; you can waitlist several flights and only need miles for the most expensive, nothing is deducted until it clears, and the outcome comes at least 14 days before departure.
5. Transfer points when you are ready to book or to back a waitlist: Capital One posts almost instantly, Citi within a day, Amex about a day, Chase up to 48 hours in 1,000-point steps, Marriott about 4 days.
6. Book online and pay the taxes by card; there are no fuel surcharges on Singapore Airlines flights.
7. If a waitlist clears, confirm it inside the deadline in the notification (72 hours per One Mile at a Time; MileLion reports longer) or the seat is released.
8. For changes: Saver date change USD 25, route or cabin change USD 25, cancellation USD 75 for Saver and USD 50 for Advantage or Access; a no-show adds USD 300 in business.

When you need to phone

Not needed for Singapore Airlines bookings or waitlists, which must be done online (the call center reportedly refuses waitlist requests). Call for mixed-cabin or long-connection itineraries, partner awards the site will not price, or to ask for a hold; a phone fee of USD 25 or 2,500 miles is reported, not confirmed for 2026.

Fees

No booking fee for online Singapore Airlines awards. Date change USD 25 on Saver, free on Advantage and Access; route, cabin or award-type change USD 25. Cancellation USD 75 Saver, USD 50 Advantage and Access. No-show USD 100 economy, USD 200 premium economy, USD 300 business and First, on top of the cancellation fee. Spontaneous Escapes cannot be changed or canceled.

Surcharges

None on Singapore Airlines flights. Partner surcharges are passed on: heavy on Lufthansa and Swiss, none on United, TAP or LOT.

Getting points in

US: Amex MR 1:1, Chase Ultimate Rewards 1:1, Citi ThankYou 1:1, Capital One 1:1 (Bilt is not a partner). Marriott 3:1 plus 5,000 bonus per 60,000 points (about 4 days). UK: Amex MR 3:2. Australia: Amex MR 3:1, or Velocity at 1.55:1 (minimum 5,000, posts in minutes). Singapore: Amex Platinum Charge 500:250 per MileLion (600:250 per Mainly Miles) and other Amex cards 550:250 since 23 February 2026; HSBC, UOB, DBS, Citi, OCBC and Standard Chartered points also transfer, with fees around SGD 25 to 27 per transfer (free on some cards); the KrisFlyer co-brand cards earn directly. India: HDFC Infinia and Diners Black 1:1, Regalia 2:1; Axis Atlas 1:2. Germany: Amex 3:2. Hong Kong: HSBC Premier Mastercard (about 2 weeks).

Booking for other people

No pooling between adults. Book for up to 5 redemption nominees; removing one costs USD 30 or 3,000 miles (USD 15 for Elite Silver, free for Elite Gold, PPS and Solitaire). KrisFlyer for Families lets a parent use a child's miles, up to 50,000 a year, at USD 5 or 500 miles per 5,000, until the child turns 16. Miles expire after 36 months; an extension costs USD 12 or 1,200 miles per 10,000 miles, once per batch.