Singapore Airlines will devalue its award prices November 1. They’re also introducing some credit towards elite status for spending through its partners. The award price changes are in many but not all cases modest – and meaningful for a program whose redemptions are already expensive.
- Chase, American Express, Citibank and Capital One points all transfer to Singapore Airlines Krisflyer so this is relevant for American frequent flyers.
- I rarely consider them for redemption on Star Alliance partner airlines, however I do look at them for access to Singapore Airlines premium cabin flights because their members get much better inventory than partners do. You’ll rarely see a premium cabin Singapore Airlines award using United miles, but they are often very available in business class using their own KrisFlyer miles.
- Air Canada Aeroplan offers a middle ground, with good access – but not as much as KrisFlyer members receive – and usually at better pricing.
Award Chart Devaluation November 1
Effective November 1, 2025, saver award prices for Singapore Airlines flights mostly increase. Flights between Singapore and Southwest Pacific do drop in coach about 5% while business and first class goes up 5%. For Europe and the U.S. you don’t even get the coach reduction – prices go about 5% higher in all cabins.
Things are much worse to Africa and Middle East with coach awards going up 10%, business 20% and first 10%.
Meanwhile higherpriced ‘Advantage’ awards go up 10% – 15% across all cabins and zones, except for zone 10 which goes up 5% in coach, 18% in business and 15% in first.
Star Alliance awards awards are also going up and so do upgrade prices. And new prices lock in for all tickets issued after October 31, 2025. That includes waitlists that aren’t ticketed by that date, however date changes on existing awards that do not involve a reprice or route/cabin/award-type changes will keep pre-existing pricing.
New Dynamic Award Prices
An additional, dynamically priced redemption option is being introduced to offer additional availability. This does not replace saver and advantage awards (although since those are capacity controlled we don’t know this will remain true, those could become less available). It’s spending miles as a currency to buy seats based on current pricing.
Date changes are complimentary, there’s a $50 redeposit fee, and and one stopover is permitted per one-way.
Earn Status From Non-Flight Spend
Singapore KrisFlyer status will introduce 1 elite mile per S$1 spent on Kris+, KrisShop, and Pelago with annual caps for non-flight accrual set at 5,000 for Silver and 10,000 for Gold.
PPS Club will introduce 1 PPS Value per S$3 on the same channels with annual caps of 2,500 PPS Value (PPS Club), 5,000 (Solitaire PPS).
How Significant Are These Changes?
Ultimately the devaluations are modest, for instance Singapore to London Heathrow business class goes from 103,500 points to 108,500 and Singapore New York JFK goes from 111,500 to 117,000 in business class. But these awards were expensive to begin with!
When I see devaluations like this, I’m reminded of this sage advice:
“Freak the F out and panic sell everything right now. It’s F-ing over.”
—Warren Buffet.
@ Gary — Indeed, SQ awards were already a bit of a ripoff. Now, they are even worse.
@Gene — For real, and regardless of the devaluation, it’s often ‘Waitlist’ for long-haul Business Class anyways.
First of all I guess it is semantics but I don’t call it a “devaluation” when award prices go up due to demand or increases in cash cost of underlying tickets. The miles are still worth about the same per mile. Everything goes up (called inflation) and it does no good to lament the “good old days”. In addition to cost inflation points and miles are also subject to increases in the “money supply” due to large sign up bonuses so that also fuels award cost increases. They would stop going up so use up those points and miles while you can.
Frankly their product is worth more than almost any other airline so it warrants a premium. I’m flying them fifth freedom LAX-NRT r/t in J next February. Around 220,000 miles but well worth it IMHO.
@AC — That’s a decent redemption and a nice route (safe travels!) However, on your other points, you may be conflating award charts (set rates) with dynamic pricing (variable, usually attached to relative cash price). Either way, prices tend to go up, not down, over time. And, ultimately, most airlines are a business, not a charity, so I guess we should expect them to attempt to maximize profits. Still, as a consumer, I’m not gonna cheer for higher prices…
At this point, we need a blouse that just says ‘devaluation news’. That is all we have gotten in the last few years, after other programs, keyboard and evaluating their offerings.
@1990 – I’ve never heard of that one by Warren Buffet. I think in this case you’ve confused him with Jimmy Buffet.
Jimmy Buffet, Warren Buffet, what’s the difference….. 😉
@Christian — I’d settle for a… cheeseburger in paradise.
@Thing 1 — The oracle of…Margaritaville.
For 117k points, are there any comparable airlines that will get you non stop or even one stop from JFK to SIN in business class?
(shrug) Don’t you have to have availability for this to really matter? Singapore rarely has availability, especially from the west coast in Business Class. Oh, you might get out there one way but good luck finding a return in the timeframe you need….or vice verse.
Waitlist is a penalty box. Fuhgeddaboudit…
@Doug Swalen — Agreed; availability has been an issue lately (mostly Waitlist from NYC area as well, and speaking of, isn’t ‘Fuhgeddaboudit’ more of a NY/NJ thing, and less of a ‘west coast’ thing, oh, whatever, you can have it, too… besides, they sell those NY/LA baseball hats now…)
Is it possible to transfer United mileage credits to the SQ program, & then, redeem the miles for bus. class award tics on SQ ?