Singapore Airlines Devalues KrisFlyer Star Alliance Award Chart
As reported by travel blog One Mile At A Time, Singapore Airlines just announced that it's making significant changes to rates for award travel on Star Alliance partner flights. Unfortunately, these changes mean that members of Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer program will most likely need additional miles starting this April if they plan on redeeming for travel on Star Alliance partner airlines in premium cabins.
Singapore Airlines maintains two separate award charts, one with rates for travel on Singapore Airlines and one with rates for travel on Star Alliance partners. While rates for award travel on Singapore Airlines will remain unchanged, members of the KrisFlyer program will notice changes to the rates for award travel on Star Alliance partners. Effective April 16, Star Alliance award travel booked through Singapore Airlines' KrisFlyer program will require additional miles for travel in business and first class. Here are some of the major changes:
| Route | Current Award Travel Rate | Award Travel Rate Beginning on April 16 |
|---|---|---|
Europe to North America in Business Class | 130,000 Miles R/T | 144,000 Miles R/T |
Travel Within North America in Business Class (Ex: Los Angeles to Toronto) | 40,000 Miles R/T | 46,000 Miles R/T |
North America to North Asia 1 in Business Class (Ex: US to Taipei) | 210,000 Miles R/T | 230,000 Miles R/T |
North America to South America in Business Class | 100,000 Miles R/T | 115,000 Miles R/T |
Europe to the Middle East in Business Class | 50,000 Miles R/T | 58,000 Miles R/T |
North America to Southwest Pacific in Business Class (Ex: US to Australia) | 234,000 Miles R/T | 260,000 Miles R/T |
The above chart is by no means an exhaustive list. The price of award travel in economy will not change. Travel in premium cabins will see an increase in the price of award redemptions globally.
If you want to access the entire Star Alliance award travel chart, both the current Singapore Airlines Star Alliance partner award travel chart and the Star Alliance award travel chart effective April 16 are available online.
The following award travel changes also address a significant loophole that allowed KrisFlyer members to redeem miles for travel on Singapore Airlines for fewer miles by adding Star Alliance partner flights to their itinerary. Historically, Singapore Airlines charged more for redemption exclusively on Singapore Airlines flights than for flights operated by Star Alliance partners.
If you want to redeem KrisFlyer miles for travel on Star Alliance at the current rate, you can book travel beyond the April 16 date and pay the current rate. However, beginning April 17 the new award chart for travel on Star Alliance will go into effect.
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