Compare KrisFlyer reward cards

KrisFlyer is the Singapore Airlines Group’s rewards program. Frequent flyers can earn and redeem KrisFlyer miles by booking flights and travel, but also by using a rewards credit card for your everyday shopping and more.   

Keep in mind that while branded KrisFlyer credit cards can be found in Singapore, none are available in Australia at the time of writing. It’s still possible to use other credit card rewards programs to earn points that can be converted to KrisFlyer miles.

You can become a KrisFlyer member simply by applying online and providing your details. You don’t need to live in Singapore and there are no application fees to pay.

There are three main tiers in the KrisFlyer rewards program:

1. KrisFlyer – Yours when you sign up
2. KrisFlyer Elite Silver  - Yours with 25,000 Elite miles
3. KrisFlyer Elite gold – Yours with 50,000 Elite miles

You can also earn value toward membership in the Priority Passenger Service (PPS) Club. Spending enough on first or business class Singapore Airlines flights and travel can let you access the following levels of membership:

1. PPS Club
2. Solitaire PPS Club
3. Solitaire PPS Club Life

You can earn KrisFlyer miles by booking flights on Singapore Airlines and other partner airlines. The miles you earn will often match the number of miles you travel – longer routes will earn more points.

You may earn more or fewer KrisFlyer miles depending on the class of fare you book. For example, if you choose an economy class plane ticket, you may get to enjoy cheaper flights, but you may not earn as many KrisFlyer miles from your travel. But on the other hand, if you splash out the cash on a first-class ticket, you may earn twice as many miles as you normally would.

You can also use rewards credit cards to earn KrisFlyer miles. Because there are no Krisflyer branded credit cards in Australia at the time of writing, this usually involves putting eligible spending on another credit card to earn rewards points, which can then be transferred to the KrisFlyer program as miles. 

Keep in mind that different rewards credit cards may earn points at different rates, and have different transfer rates of points to KrisFlyer miles. This means that not every rewards credit card will offer a convenient or efficient way to earn KrisFlyer miles.

While KrisFlyer rewards are associated with Singapore Airlines, booking travel on this service isn’t the only way to earn and redeem KrisFlyer miles.

At the time of writing, some of your airline options include:

• Singapore Airlines
• Scoot
• Star Alliance and Star Alliance Connecting Partner airlines
• Alaska Airlines
• JetBlue
• Olympic Air
• Virgin Atlantic
• Virgin Australia
• Vistara

Much like with Singapore Airlines, the number of KrisFlyer miles you earn from travel may depend on the type of tickets you book. Generally, travelling First or Business Class will get you more KrisFlyer miles than travelling Premium Economy or Economy class.

It’s also possible to transfer KrisFlyer points to partner airlines, such as Virgin Australia’s Velocity program. The rate of points transfer may vary between programs – check with your preferred airline for the details.

As well as booking flights, you may be able to use your KrisFlyer miles on the following services:

• KrisShop
• Pelago
• KrisFlyer Experiences
• KrisFlyer vRooms
• The SIA Group Carbon Offset Programme
• CapitaStar
• Esso
• Fliggy
• Infinite Journeys with Shangri-La Circle
• Link Rewards
• Marriott Bonvoy
• Velocity

KrisFlyer miles expire after three years. To get the most value from your points, it may be worth keeping an eye on their expiry date and transferring or spending the miles on travel rewards or other benefits before they are gone for good.

An alternative option could be to keep the rewards points you earn from your credit card spending attached to the credit card’s own reward program, and only convert these points into KrisFlyer miles as you need to use them.

Travellers

Because the majority of Singapore Airlines flights travel via Singapore as a stopover point, if you regularly fly from Australia to destinations in Asia, Europe, the Middle East, and so on, Kris Flyer membership could potentially offer you significant value.

However, if you more frequently travel on routes that see fewer Singapore Airlines flights, you may not enjoy as much value from KrisFlyer membership.

Big spenders

Like other rewards programs, you may get more value from a KrisFlyer membership if you can comfortably afford to spend and repay money on your credit card. The more you spend on travel and other eligible purchases, the more KrisFlyer points you can earn, and the more rewards you may be able to redeem. First and business class tickets are more likely to earn you more points too, which come with higher price tags.

But if your credit card spending is typically more modest, you may not get as much value from a KrisFlyer rewards credit card. These cards generally have higher interest rates and fees than other credit card options, so you may not always enjoy as much value for money if you aren’t earning points and redeeming rewards.

Points chasers

Selected KrisFlyer rewards credit cards may offer bonus miles when you sign up as a new member. If you like to strategically apply for credit cards to get the most value from introductory offers and rewards, these cards could play a part in your plans.

Additionally, you may be able to find ways to manage your regular credit card spending to maximise the number of KrisFlyer miles you can earn, and the rewards you can claim in turn.

It’s always important to compare credit cards before making an application. If you’re hoping to use a rewards credit card to help you earn and redeem KrisFlyer miles for travel and other spending, you may want to consider the following:

• Earn rate: How many reward points you can get from a card per dollar on eligible spending
• Transfer rate: The rate at which points from the card’s rewards program can be converted to KrisFlyer miles.
• Benefits: May include introductory bonus points and access to other features
• Interest rate: Most rewards credit cards have higher interest rates on purchases than more basic credit cards.
• Fees: You may find that a rewards card may charge a higher fee than a more basic credit card.
• Interest free days: How many days you’ll have each billing cycle to pay off your credit card purchases before you’ll start being charged interest.

Like many other credit cards in Australia, you’ll likely need to fulfil the following requirements before applying:

• Be at least 18 years old
• Be an Australian permanent resident
• Have an Australian residential address and phone number 

Other eligibility requirements, terms and conditions may also apply for selected rewards credit cards. For example, some premium credit cards may require you to be earning a minimum income to successfully apply. Generally, the more features and benefits a credit card offers, the stricter the eligibility requirements may be.