POINTS: Singapore Airlines ups the cost of points redemptions from 5 July 2022

Singapore Airlines has alerted members of its KrisFlyer program via email that – in PR speak – there will be an ‘upward adjustment’ averaging 10% to the miles needed for Award and Upgrade redemptions on SIA flights and those operated by Star Alliance members and partner airlines. So the increase applies to basically all uses of KrisFlyer points.

Stopover length curbed

From 1 August, Singapore Airlines has also changed the conditions for stopovers when using redemption bookings. They are now limited to 30 days. This is probably in reaction to some redeemers based in Singapore playing the system by booking one award flight, say from New York to Sydney with a months long layover in Singapore. Essentially this was a quirk of the system allowing the ‘combination’ of two awards flights, but using the stopover rules to combine the trips for a cheaper redemption.

Award Charts

There are 3 Award charts that come into effect from 5 July 2022, depending what type of booking you are making and with what airline using KrisFlyer points:

• Award Chart – Saver awards are higher and some other levels have also been ‘adjusted upwards’ on Singapore Airlines
• Upgrade Chart – upgrade award redemptions on all sectors on Singapore Airlines
• Star Alliance Award Chart – this applies to awards on Star Alliance members or any ticket that combines a Star Alliance carrier and Singapore Airlines
• Star Alliance Upgrade Chart – for awards on Star Alliance members or any ticket that combines a Star Alliance carrier and Singapore Airlines

Just remember that the figures on the award charts are expressed in thousands, and are for one-way awards and upgrades. Australia is in Zone 9, or Zone 8 if you are travelling from/to Darwin or Perth.

2PAXfly Takeout

This is another timely reminder to wear your seatbelt when seated. Holding you close to your seat will protect you from the sort of injuries sustained on this flight, when unsecured passengers flew to the ceiling of the aircraft, and then came crashing down once the ‘drop’ ceased.

The hope will be that this is an anomaly – a ‘freak accident’ in casual parlance. If it is a systemic error either mechanical or electronic, then this is a larger concern for the airlines that fly Boeing Dreamliner 787 aircraft. Let’s hope it isn’t. If it is, it will pile on the woes to Boeing’s existing stack.

This is a moderate increase in the cost of points redemptions and is the first in a couple of years for Singapore Airlines. You can book most of these via the Singapore Airlines website, although it can be a bit clunky at times. The last time I did a redemption – for First Suites from London to Sydney on the A380, I had to use the call centre, and they were very helpful, and since the transaction couldn’t be completed online, they didn’t charge me any points.