Singapore KrisFlyer Increases Mileage Award Costs

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Changes are coming to the Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer program, and it’s not good news.

Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer 2022 devaluation

The Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer program will be devalued as of this summer. With this, we’ll see award redemption and upgrade rates on Singapore Airlines increased across the board, as well as on Star Alliance partners. On top of that, Singapore Airlines will be modifying its stopover policy for the worse.

Note that the devaluation applies based on the booking date, and not based on when you travel, so you can still lock in travel for the future at the old rates. Waitlisted awards maintain their current pricing as long as they clear before the changes kick in, while if they clear after, the new pricing will apply.

There’s nothing here that’s earth shattering, but it’s bad news. Let’s go over all the details.

ward rates on Singapore Airlines increasing

Saver award rates are increasing on Singapore Airlines across the board:

Here’s the KrisFlyer award chart for bookings through July 4, 2022Here’s the KrisFlyer award chart for bookings as of July 5, 2022

As you can see, KrisFlyer continues to have zone based award charts. Nothing is changing about the 13 different zones, but rather just the pricing is being adjusted. With these changes, we’re seeing award costs increase anywhere from 8-16%, depending on the region and class of service.

Just to give an example, one-way between New York and Frankfurt:

Before the devaluation you’d pay 22,500 miles for economy, 47,000 miles for premium economy, 72,000 miles for business class, and 86,000 miles for first classAfter the devaluation you’d pay 25,000 miles for economy, 52,000 miles for premium economy, 81,000 miles for business class, and 97,000 miles for first class

One-way between New York and Singapore (nonstop):

Before the devaluation you’d pay 73,000 miles for premium economy and 99,000 miles for business classAfter the devaluation you’d pay 80,500 miles for premium economy and 111,500 miles for business class

Those are just a couple of examples, though you can take a look at all the combinations directly on the charts (just scroll down to the “Saver” section if you want to see the lowest pricing).

Singapore Airlines award costs are increasingward rates on Star Alliance partners increasing

Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer Star Alliance award costs will be increasing as of July 5, 2022:

Here’s the KrisFlyer Star Alliance award chart for bookings through July 4, 2022Here’s the KrisFlyer Star Alliance award chart for bookings as of July 5, 2022

The award cost increases largely follow those for travel on Singapore Airlines, and you can expect that on average award costs are increasing around 10%. Singapore KrisFlyer has never been that lucrative of a program for partner awards, so I don’t view this as that huge of a loss.

For example, for one-way awards within North America:

Before the valuation you’d pay 12,500 miles for economy and 23,000 miles for business classAfter the devaluation you’d pay 14,000 miles for economy and 26,000 miles for business class

Star Alliance award costs are increasing as well

Upgrade rates on Singapore Airlines increasing

Singapore Airlines upgrade rates are increasing on Singapore Airlines across the board as well:

Here’s the KrisFlyer upgrade chart for bookings through July 4, 2022Here’s the KrisFlyer upgrade chart for bookings as of July 5, 2022

Upgrade costs are increasing an average of around 10%. In general I consider it a much better value to outright book an award ticket than to upgrade, so I won’t get into too much more detail on that.

Singapore Airlines is increasing upgrade costs

Stopover policy being devalued

Historically Singapore Airlines has had an awesome award stopover feature. On a one-way award ticket you could pay $100 to have a stopover enroute without paying additional miles. For many based in Singapore, this was used as a way to essentially combine two separate awards and save a lot of miles.

For example, you could book a business class award from New York to Sydney via Singapore, with a 10 month stopover in Singapore (just to give an example).

As of August 1, 2022, Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer will be eliminating paid stopovers altogether, so unfortunately this will no longer be possible.

Singapore Airlines is devaluing its stopover policy

My take on Singapore KrisFlyer program changes

Singapore Airlines almost exclusively makes long haul premium cabin award seats available to members of its own KrisFlyer program. This means that if you want to fly Singapore Airlines in a long haul premium cabin, you have to book through KrisFlyer, rather than through a partner program.

The good news is that Singapore KrisFlyer is transfer partners with Amex Membership Rewards, Capital One, Chase Ultimate Rewards, and Citi ThankYou, so there are lots of easy ways to earn points that can be redeemed for these flights.

Obviously this devaluation is bad news, no matter how you slice it. However:

It has been a few years since KrisFlyer has increased award costsAt least we’re seeing consistent and relatively mild award increases, so it’s not like there’s some award costs increased by 50%, as we sometimes see during devaluations

This devaluation is negative, no matter how you slice it. But it’s also something we have to live with, given that it’s not like there’s really an alternative to KrisFlyer if you want to fly Singapore’s premium cabins.

KrisFlyer is still the best program for booking Singapore Airlines

Bottom line

The Singapore KrisFlyer program is devaluing as of July 2022. Award costs are increasing an average of somewhere around 10-15% in all cabins for travel on Singapore Airlines and Star Alliance. Furthermore, Singapore Airlines’ generous $100 stopover policy is being eliminated, which is something I know many won’t be happy about.

What do you make of this Singapore KrisFlyer devaluation?

(Tip of the hat to Mainly Miles)

By: Ben Schlappig
Title: Singapore KrisFlyer Increases Mileage Award Costs
Sourced From: onemileatatime.com/news/singapore-krisflyer-increases-award-costs/
Published Date: Tue, 07 Jun 2022 12:21:42 +0000

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