KrisFlyer for Beginners: A Simple Guide

Ask anyone serious about miles in Singapore where to start, and the answer is KrisFlyer. It's Singapore Airlines' frequent-flyer programme and the centre of gravity for the local miles game. Here's what it is and how to begin. New to miles entirely? Read How Air Miles Work first.

What KrisFlyer is

KrisFlyer is the loyalty programme for Singapore Airlines and its sister airline Scoot. You collect KrisFlyer miles and redeem them for flights, cabin upgrades, and seats on partner airlines. It's free to join, and for many Singaporeans it's the programme their credit-card rewards ultimately feed into.

How you earn KrisFlyer miles

There are three main routes:

• Flying Singapore Airlines, Scoot, or Star Alliance partner airlines.
• Converting bank points. This is how most cardholders in Singapore actually earn — you spend on a rewards card, collect the bank's points, then transfer them to KrisFlyer (see Transferable Bank Points Explained).
• Partners and promotions — shopping, dining and other partners that award miles.

For everyday life, the bank-points route does most of the heavy lifting.

What you can redeem for

KrisFlyer miles are most valuable on flight redemptions — especially premium cabins and longer routes, where the value per mile tends to be highest. You can also use them for upgrades and for flights on Star Alliance partners, which widens where you can go. As always, the value is in the redemption, not the earning — that's the heart of Air Miles vs Cashback.

Miles expiry

This catches people out: KrisFlyer miles generally expire three years after you earn them, with only limited ways to extend. Don't treat miles as a long-term savings account — earn with a trip in mind and redeem before the clock runs down. Check the current KrisFlyer terms for the exact rules.

Elite tiers, briefly

Frequent flyers can reach KrisFlyer Elite tiers — and, for premium-cabin spend, PPS Club — which add perks like priority services and lounge access. These are earned by flying, not by card spend, so for most beginners they're a "later" concern rather than a starting goal.

How to start

1. Create a free KrisFlyer account on the Singapore Airlines website.
2. Add your KrisFlyer number to your flight bookings so you earn on trips.
3. When you're ready to redeem, transfer your bank points across — and transfer late, only once you've found a flight worth booking.

Beginner tips

• Don't hoard. Expiry and devaluation both eat idle miles.
• Book award seats early. Premium-cabin award availability goes fast.
• Value before you redeem. A great redemption can be worth far more than a mediocre one.

The takeaway

KrisFlyer is the natural home for miles in Singapore: free to join, fed by your everyday card spend through point transfers, and most rewarding on premium flight redemptions. Open an account, earn deliberately, and redeem before your miles expire — that's the whole beginner playbook.