How to make the most of your SIA KrisFlyer miles after devaluation in redemption rates

SINGAPORE – Singapore Airlines (SIA) will raise the number of KrisFlyer miles needed to redeem award flights from Nov 1, following the latest revision of its frequent flier programme.

While the changes mean

higher costs for members on several popular routes

, travel experts say there are still redemption opportunities that make sense. These include economy flights to destinations in China, Japan and Australia.

Miles redemption rates increased by between 5 and 20 per cent for many of SIA’s routes.

The airline has two categories of award flights: Saver and Advantage. Saver redemptions can cost around 50 per cent of Advantage ones. Flights on four cabin classes – Economy, Business, First and Suites – are available in both categories, while the Premium Economy class is available only in the Saver category.

The steepest increases of between 10 and 20 per cent apply to flights to Africa, the Middle East and Turkey. For example, a round-trip Business Saver ticket to these regions will jump from 113,000 to 136,000 miles.

The majority of the Advantage category’s redemptions have increased by at least 10 per cent.

Flights to Europe on Advantage premium classes are among those that will be more expensive, with an increase of around 15 per cent. For instance, a round-trip Business Advantage ticket to London, which now costs 246,000 miles, will soon require 283,000 miles.

Despite the hikes, industry watchers note that the devaluation is modest compared with past rounds.

Some, like Mr Fairuz Sallim, founder of travel hacks website Suitesmile, say the announcement was inevitable. He adds: “It’s been three years since the last round (of devaluation), and historically, devaluations happen in two- to five-year cycles.”

Worthwhile redemptions

He says that Premium Economy and Business class award tickets still offer good value, especially to destinations in North China, South Asia, Australia and the United States.

In addition, on Asia and Australia routes under Economy Saver, redemptions will be cheaper than before, with a decrease of 5 per cent. For instance, a round-trip flight to destinations like Osaka and Sydney will cost 3,000 miles less from Nov 1.

Lawyer Daniel Lim, 33, who averages 100 flights a year for leisure and is an avid miles strategist, says while he typically uses his miles on premium class redemptions, there are exceptions in which redemptions in the lower classes of travel can be worthwhile.

“Redemptions on Economy and Premium Economy can make sense if the revenue fares are very high, like if you need to book a popular route last minute or during peak season,” he says.

“I typically aim for the flights I redeem to be worth at least 4 to 8 cents per mile. That’s when I feel like I’m getting good value for my miles.”

The worth of a mile can be calculated by dividing the cash fare of a flight with the number of miles needed to redeem it.

For brand strategy director Edmund Tan, 37, his focus remains on aspirational travel – redeeming miles for premium classes.

“Entry-level airfare can typically be afforded in cash by the average traveller, while premium classes come at a higher cost and may be out of reach if not for miles to cushion the high price point,” he says.

Mr Tan, who earns most of his miles through credit card spending, calls the devaluation a “double-whammy”, as banks have also trimmed monthly caps on bonus miles accrual.

For example, from Aug 1, the DBS Woman’s World Card lowered its 4 miles-per-dollar online spending cap from $1,500 to $1,000, while the UOB Lady’s Solitaire Card cut its cap from $2,000 to $1,500.

“It’s now more expensive and takes longer to accumulate miles for travel,” Mr Tan says.

Even so, he continues to find Business Saver redemptions on longer routes – such as to Australia or Europe – worthwhile. Prior to the announcement, he and his wife booked round-trip Business Saver seats for August 2026 to Melbourne at 137,000 miles each.

Scepticism around dynamic pricing

One of the most significant changes is the introduction of a new Access category, described in SIA’s online frequently asked questions as an additional option to redeem miles for any available seat on a flight. Access awards will use dynamic pricing, which means the number of miles needed will vary based on demand.

Mr Fairuz calls it “every frequent flier programme member’s biggest fear”, and speculates that Access rates may spike up to 300 per cent more than Advantage rates.

He adds that with other frequent flier programmes that run on dynamic pricing models, it is common to see the last Business class seat command over a million miles.

Asked if the Access category could be a genuine value-add for members, Mr Fairuz says: “Definitely not. Unless one is earning air miles easily through consistent large spending such as under one’s company’s expenditure, redeeming over 200,000 to 500,000 miles for a Business class seat simply doesn’t cut it as good value.”

Mr Lim shares similar sentiments, calling the introduction of Access a “slippery slope”.

He says: “With airlines like Air France, for example, which are using dynamic pricing, I’ve seen a Business class flight from Singapore to Paris cost around 600,000 to 700,000 miles, which is ridiculously expensive.

“We can only hope that Singapore Airlines doesn’t take the same approach, but I think there’s always a possibility because these days, more airlines are reducing their reliance on fixed charts and looking to dynamic pricing to boost profitability.”