Complete KrisFlyer Guide for Booking Flights [2026]

Singapore Airlines premium cabins can be expensive when paid entirely in cash, but KrisFlyer miles give you another way to book them. The key is to understand the difference between Saver, Advantage, and Access redemptions, check availability before transferring points, and compare the award price with the cash fare before you commit.

Before You Begin

Prepare the following before you search for an award:

• A free KrisFlyer account: Join through the Singapore Airlines registration page. You need an account to view your balance, manage nominees, and complete a redemption.
• Your route and travel dates: Have at least one backup date and, when practical, nearby departure or arrival airports.
• Your expected cabin: Decide whether you need Economy, Premium Economy, Business, First, or Suites before transferring points.
• Miles or transferable points: Confirm your balance, transfer ratio, minimum transfer amount, and likely processing time.
• A payment card: Taxes, charges, and fees must be paid separately even when the base award is covered with miles.
• Passenger details: Make sure names match passports and that anyone traveling on your miles is already an eligible redemption nominee.

Saver, Advantage, and Access Compared

Singapore Airlines offers three main ways to use KrisFlyer miles for its own flights. Saver and Advantage use published zone-based award prices. Access uses demand-based pricing and can display a confirmed redemption when ordinary award inventory is gone.

Access is available for eligible Singapore Airlines-operated flights. It does not apply to Scoot or to Singapore Airlines codeshares operated by another airline. Access tickets cannot later be upgraded with miles or a paid upgrade product. Review the current comparison on the official KrisFlyer redemption FAQ.

Stopovers by Redemption Type

• One-way Saver: No complimentary stopover.
• Round-trip Saver: One complimentary stopover.
• One-way Advantage: One complimentary stopover.
• Round-trip Advantage: Two complimentary stopovers.
• One-way Access: One complimentary stopover.
• Round-trip Access: Two complimentary stopovers.

Eligible complimentary stopovers may last up to 30 days. Paid stopovers and extra stopovers are not available for tickets issued on or after August 1, 2022.

KrisFlyer Elite Status Levels

KrisFlyer has two main elite tiers below PPS Club:

• Elite Silver: Earn 25,000 Elite miles within 12 consecutive months. Benefits include a 25% tier bonus on eligible KrisFlyer mileage, service-fee discounts, and priority reservation waitlisting.
• Elite Gold: Earn 50,000 Elite miles within 12 consecutive months. Gold includes Star Alliance Gold status, which can provide priority airport services, additional baggage, and eligible lounge access.

Elite miles are not redeemable miles. They measure progress toward status. You can earn them through eligible Singapore Airlines, Scoot, Star Alliance, and selected partner flights.

Eligible spending with Kris+, KrisShop, and Pelago can also earn one non-flight Elite mile per SGD 1 or AUD 1. Non-flight Elite miles may supply no more than 20% of the requirement: up to 5,000 miles toward Silver and 10,000 toward Gold. Review the latest limits on the official Elite qualification page.

PPS Club is separate from KrisFlyer Elite status. Eligible Singapore Airlines Suites, First Class, and Business Class travel earns PPS Value rather than relying only on Elite-mile totals.

Earning KrisFlyer Miles

Earning Miles from Flights

You can earn KrisFlyer miles on eligible Singapore Airlines, Scoot, Star Alliance, and selected partner-airline tickets. The amount depends on factors such as operating airline, distance, cabin, booking class, and fare eligibility. Discounted or special fares may earn fewer miles or no miles.

Check the operating carrier and booking class before purchase. Codeshare booking classes can differ from those used by the airline operating the aircraft.

Earning Miles through Kris+, KrisShop, and Pelago

KrisFlyer members can earn miles through Singapore Airlines Group lifestyle partners, including dining and retail transactions in Kris+, eligible KrisShop purchases, and Pelago activities.

Earned KrisPay miles from an eligible Kris+ transaction must be moved to KrisFlyer within 21 days. The miles from each transaction must be transferred in full. After they enter KrisFlyer, the normal KrisFlyer validity rules apply.

Earning through Credit Cards and Bank Programs

Many rewards programs let eligible members convert bank points to KrisFlyer miles. Availability, ratios, minimums, and transfer times depend on the country, card, and account.

Common U.S. options include American Express Membership Rewards, Chase Ultimate Rewards, Citi ThankYou Rewards, and Capital One Miles. Not every card in each program unlocks airline transfers, so confirm eligibility inside your rewards account.

Transferring Points to KrisFlyer

Hotel programs such as Hilton may also offer airline transfers, but the conversion value is usually weak. Such transfers are generally best reserved for a small award top-up when no better source of miles is available.

You can also convert KrisFlyer miles to Marriott Bonvoy points at a current ratio of 4 KrisFlyer miles to 3 Bonvoy points. That is better than the former 2:1 ratio, but flight redemptions may still provide more value than moving miles into a hotel program.

Calculating Miles and Redemption Value

Saver and Advantage awards use Singapore Airlines’ zone-based charts. Use the official Miles Calculator and current award charts to estimate the number of miles needed for your route and cabin.

Access pricing does not follow the published Saver and Advantage chart. Its mileage price appears during the search and can change with demand.

Estimated value per mile = (comparable cash fare − award taxes and unavoidable fees) ÷ miles redeemed.

For example, suppose a comparable ticket costs $4,000 and the award requires 120,000 miles plus $100 in taxes. The estimated value is:

($4,000 − $100) ÷ 120,000 = $0.0325 per mile, or 3.25 cents per mile.

Use the fare you would realistically have paid, not an unusually high last-minute fare. Also compare cancellation rules, mileage expiration, transfer bonuses, and the value of any miles you would have earned on a paid ticket.

Finding Award Availability

Sign in on the Singapore Airlines website or mobile app and select “Redeem flights.” Search one-way journeys first when your dates are flexible; this can make it easier to identify which direction has limited inventory.

Online bookings can be made up to 355 days before departure. However, the schedule opening does not guarantee that Saver seats will appear on every flight or in every cabin.

How Waitlists Work

Saver and Advantage searches may offer a waitlist rather than immediate confirmation. You can generally join a flight-award waitlist until three weeks before departure. If it has not cleared by two weeks before departure, the unconfirmed flight redemption is canceled automatically.

An upgrade-award waitlist is different and may remain active until departure day. Access does not offer a waitlist because an available Access result is priced for immediate confirmation.

Spontaneous Escapes

KrisFlyer Spontaneous Escapes publishes monthly discounts on selected Saver routes and travel dates, commonly around 30%. Availability and restrictions change each month, and promotional tickets may have tighter change or cancellation rules.

Booking a Singapore Airlines Flight Online

1. Sign in: Log in to your KrisFlyer account on singaporeair.com or in the SingaporeAir app.
2. Select “Redeem flights”: Enter your origin, destination, dates, and number of travelers.
3. Review the calendar: Compare nearby dates and note whether each result is Saver, Advantage, Access, or waitlist-only.
4. Inspect every segment: Check the operating airline, cabin on each flight, connection time, airport changes, and whether the itinerary is mixed-cabin.
5. Compare the total price: Review the required miles plus all taxes, charges, and fees.
6. Transfer points only when necessary: Confirm the transfer ratio, processing estimate, and name match before moving rewards.
7. Select passengers: Choose yourself and any eligible redemption nominees.
8. Complete payment: Pay the required cash portion by an accepted credit or debit card.
9. Save the confirmation: Record the booking reference and verify that the ticket number has been issued.

Pay with KrisFlyer Miles Versus an Award Ticket

“Pay with KrisFlyer miles” reduces the price of a normal cash ticket at the displayed conversion rate. It is separate from a Saver, Advantage, or Access redemption and may produce a lower value per mile.

Booking Partner Awards and Booking by Phone

KrisFlyer miles can be used for Singapore Airlines, eligible Star Alliance airlines, and selected non-alliance partners. Some partner awards can be booked online, while others require KrisFlyer Membership Services.

• Star Alliance awards: Search online first. Partner waitlists are generally not offered.
• Other partner awards: Alaska Airlines, Garuda Indonesia, Malaysia Airlines, Virgin Australia, and Juneyao Air are among the carriers with separate KrisFlyer redemption arrangements. Availability may require phone assistance.
• Complex itineraries: Call when an eligible partner flight does not appear, a stopover cannot be added online, or the website cannot price the requested route.

An additional offline-service fee of $25 or 2,500 KrisFlyer miles applies to selected bookings, changes, upgrades, and membership services completed through a Singapore Airlines office or hotline. It is waived when the transaction cannot be completed online and for PPS Club members and supplementary cardholders.

Vistara ceased separate operations in November 2024, and its operations transferred to Air India. The KrisFlyer partnership with Virgin Atlantic ended after April 23, 2025, so new Virgin Atlantic earnings and awards are no longer available through that former arrangement.

Booking for Nominees, Children, and Infants

Redemption Nominees

You may name up to five people as redemption nominees and use your miles to book eligible flights or upgrades for them.

• Adding an open nominee slot is free.
• A nominee generally cannot be deleted or replaced until six months after being added.
• Deleting or replacing nominees may carry a fee based on membership tier and service channel.
• Travel for a new, additional, or replacement nominee must normally depart more than 72 hours after the nominee is added.
• The passenger name must match the traveler’s identification and travel documents.

Children and Infants

A child aged two to under 12 requires the same number of KrisFlyer miles as an adult for a Saver, Advantage, or Access booking. A single child traveling on an award may require assistance from KrisFlyer Membership Services.

An infant aged at least seven days and under two years cannot normally receive a Singapore Airlines award ticket using KrisFlyer miles. The infant ticket must be purchased with cash. For partner-operated flights, contact the operating airline about infant-ticket rules.

Stopovers, Open Jaws, Mixed Cabins, and Mileage Top-Ups

Open-Jaw and Multi-City Trips

An open jaw begins or ends in different cities, such as flying New York to Singapore and returning Singapore to Los Angeles. Use the multi-city booking tool when the itinerary can be priced online. More complicated routes may require separate awards or phone assistance.

Mixed-Cabin Results

Review the cabin shown for every segment. A result labeled Business Class may contain a shorter connection in Economy or Premium Economy. Depending on the itinerary, the mileage may be based on the highest cabin used even when that cabin is not available on every flight.

Buying Miles to Cover a Shortfall

If you hold at least 50% of the miles required for an eligible award, KrisFlyer may allow you to buy up to the remaining 50% during the redemption process. The current price is $0.04 per mile or the local-currency equivalent.

Upgrading a Singapore Airlines Flight with Miles

KrisFlyer miles can upgrade eligible paid Singapore Airlines tickets using Saver or Advantage upgrade inventory. The underlying ticket must be in an eligible Standard or Flexi booking class.

• Eligible Economy Standard booking classes commonly include M, H, and W.
• Eligible Economy Flexi booking classes commonly include Y, B, and E.
• Eligible Premium Economy and Business booking classes vary by fare family and route.
• Upgrade availability is capacity-controlled and may be waitlisted.
• Singapore Airlines-operated flights are required; codeshares operated by another airline are excluded.

Most upgrades move one cabin higher. On eligible aircraft with Premium Economy, an Economy-to-Business upgrade may also be available under the current chart. Check the current official upgrade chart before buying a paid fare specifically to upgrade it.

Saver, Advantage, and Access award tickets cannot later be upgraded. Access tickets also cannot use mySQupgrade or other upgrade products.

Managing Your Booking, Changes, and Cancellations

Use Manage Booking or the SingaporeAir app to review flights, select eligible seats, request meals, add passenger information, and check in. Award changes and refunds depend on the redemption type and whether any travel has begun.

No-show fees are additional: currently $100 in Economy, $200 in Premium Economy, and $300 in Business, First, or Suites. A missed Economy Saver award that is later refunded could therefore incur both the $100 no-show fee and the $75 redeposit fee.

Partially used awards have stricter limitations. Confirm the current amount on the official service-fee page before making a change.

Do KrisFlyer Miles Expire?

For regular KrisFlyer, Elite Silver, and Elite Gold members, miles expire three years after the equivalent month in which they were earned. Transferred bank and hotel points become KrisFlyer miles and follow KrisFlyer’s expiration rules after crediting.

Unexpired miles can generally be extended once:

• Regular KrisFlyer members: Six-month extension.
• Elite Silver and Elite Gold members: 12-month extension.
• Current fee: 1,200 miles or $12 per 10,000 expiring miles or part thereof.

Expired miles cannot be restored through the normal extension process. PPS Club miles do not expire while the member continues to hold qualifying PPS Club status; if that status is not renewed, the applicable expiration timeline begins.

Maximizing Value with Singapore Airlines Miles

• Prioritize Saver awards: These normally provide the lowest published mileage price.
• Compare cash fares: An award is not automatically a good deal, especially when paid fares are discounted.
• Use Advantage strategically: Its higher mileage can be justified by better inventory, a needed date, or complimentary stopovers.
• Evaluate Access carefully: Dynamic prices can be high, but immediate confirmation may be useful for fixed plans or expensive travel dates.
• Check Spontaneous Escapes: Monthly discounts can reduce Saver mileage on selected flights.
• Avoid speculative transfers: Keep flexible bank points outside KrisFlyer until you have a realistic redemption.
• Use miles before expiry: An adequate redemption today can be better than waiting for a perfect redemption and losing the miles.
• Price separate tickets: Two one-way awards or individual segments can sometimes reveal availability hidden by a round-trip or connecting search.

Booking Tips and Troubleshooting

The Points Transfer Has Not Arrived

• Confirm that the names on both loyalty accounts match.
• Check whether the issuer quoted calendar days, business days, or a longer maximum processing period.
• Save the transfer confirmation number.
• Contact the rewards issuer first if its stated processing window has passed, then contact KrisFlyer if the issuer confirms completion.

A Partner Flight Does Not Appear Online

• Confirm that the flight is operated by an eligible partner and not merely sold under a partner flight number.
• Search one segment and one traveler at a time.
• Check another Star Alliance program to see whether partner-level inventory may exist, but do not assume every program receives identical access.
• Call KrisFlyer Membership Services when an eligible itinerary cannot be booked online.

The Seat Disappeared Before the Transfer Arrived

Search nearby dates, other cabins, and alternate gateways. Compare Advantage or Access with the cash fare. Do not buy a large mileage top-up merely to force a poor-value redemption.

The Search Shows a Mixed Cabin

Open the flight details and verify the cabin on each segment before payment. Consider booking the long-haul premium segment separately when the connecting flight causes unfavorable pricing.

The Waitlist Has Not Cleared

Keep a confirmed backup booking when possible. A waitlist is not a ticket, and Singapore Airlines cannot guarantee that it will clear. Watch the two-week cutoff for flight-award waitlists and understand the cancellation rules for your backup plan.

Frequently Asked Questions

KrisFlyer can provide strong access to Singapore Airlines flights when you understand the program’s award types and restrictions. Search before transferring points, compare the mileage price with the cash fare, inspect every segment, and review the current fee and cancellation rules before issuing the ticket. Flexible dates remain one of the most effective ways to find a lower-priced Saver award.

Sources

1. Singapore Airlines — Redeem KrisFlyer Miles — Saver, Advantage, Access, taxes, children, and stopovers
2. Singapore Airlines — Earning and Redeeming FAQ — award conditions, Access restrictions, nominees, expiration, and partner rules
3. Singapore Airlines — KrisFlyer Service Fees — offline, change, cancellation, redeposit, no-show, and extension fees
4. Singapore Airlines — KrisFlyer Terms and Conditions — stopovers, mileage top-ups, nominee rules, and itinerary restrictions
5. Singapore Airlines — Elite Qualification — Silver, Gold, flight, and non-flight Elite-mile requirements
6. Marriott Bonvoy — Transfer Points to Miles — Marriott-to-KrisFlyer ratio and transfer bonus