Singapore Airlines to hike award seat prices, adds status earning on the ground
Expect a modest 5% increase in most Saver award prices with KrisFlyer miles.
Posted:
August 25, 2025 - 1:00 pm
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Singapore Airlines’ KrisFlyer program is set for another major overhaul, and while new earning options are on the way, travellers will face higher award redemption rates for many flights starting 1 November 2025.
New KrisFlyer award chart from 1 November 2025
The airline confirms that Saver award rates for Business and First/Suites cabins within Asia and the South West Pacific will rise by 5%, while long-haul routes to Europe and the United States will see a 5% increase across all classes. However, Economy Saver awards will decrease by 5%.
| Example Routes (Saver Award) | Current Rate (up to 31 Oct 25) | New Rate (from 1 Nov 25) |
| Perth-Singapore-Hong Kong | Economy: 21,500 miles Business: 40,500 miles | Economy: 20,500 miles (-4.7%) Business: 42,500 miles (+4.9%) |
| Sydney-Singapore-Bangkok | Economy: 30,500 miles Business: 68,500 miles | Economy: 30,500 miles (0%) Business: 75,500 miles (+10.2%) |
| Brisbane-Singapore-Istanbul | Economy: 54,500 miles Premium: 75,000 miles Business: 99,000 miles | Economy: 62,500 miles (+14.7%) Premium: 92,500 miles (+23.3%) Business: 124,000 miles (+25.3%) |
| Melbourne-Singapore-London | Economy: 58,500 miles Premium: 101,000 miles Business: 130,500 miles First/Suites: 183,500 miles | Economy: 63,000 miles (+7.7%) Premium: 109,000 miles (+7.9%) Business: 141,000 miles (+8.0%) First/Suites: 198,000 miles (+7.9%) |
| Adelaide-Singapore-New York | Economy: 66,000 miles Business: 145,500 miles | Economy: 71,500 miles (+8.3%) Business: 157,000 miles (+7.9%) |
The biggest hit comes to Zone 10 for flights to Africa, the Middle East, and Turkey – currently known as a ‘sweet spot’ in the KrisFlyer program – where award costs will rise between 10% and 20%.
Advantage awards will also become more expensive, climbing 10-15% across most regions and cabins, with even steeper hikes – up to 18% in Business Class – on those same Zone 10 routes to Africa, the Middle East and Turkey.
For travellers sitting on a KrisFlyer miles balance, this means it’s time to lock in redemptions: all bookings ticketed by 31 October 2025 will be honoured at current rates.
View the new award chart below.
Dynamic pricing is on the way with Access
Alongside the award chart increases, KrisFlyer will debut a new “Access” redemption. This feature allows members to secure confirmed seats on Singapore Airlines flights using miles, with dynamic pricing based on demand.
Singapore Airlines says that Access awards will run alongside Saver and Advantage categories, effectively offering more availability at a premium. At this stage, we don’t yet have an indication of what Access pricing could look like.
New ways to earn status without flying
On the status side, KrisFlyer is expanding how members qualify for elite status. Starting 1 September 2025, spending on non-flight activities such as Kris+ dining and shopping, KrisShop purchases, and Pelago experiences will count toward PPS Value or Elite miles:
- PPS Club members: 1 PPS Value per S$3 spent
- KrisFlyer members: 1 Elite mile per S$1 spent
Caps will apply – for example, KrisFlyer Elite Gold members can earn up to 10,000 Elite miles, and PPS Club members can earn up to 2,500 PPS Value annually through non-flight spending. The move provides new flexibility for members who might not rack up enough status from flights alone.
Summing up
While some of these changes are “enhancements,” the reality for most frequent flyers is a devaluation of KrisFlyer awards, particularly for premium cabins on long-haul routes. Thankfully, the changes are relatively modest, with most Saver awards across the network increasing by 5%. The last award chart change was back in 2022.
The ability to earn status through everyday spending and the introduction of Access awards may add value for some high-spending members. Still, travellers looking to maximise their miles would be wise to book redemptions before the 31 October 2025 cutoff.
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Singapore Airlines to hike award seat prices, adds status earning on the ground was last modified: August 25th, 2025 by
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In this document, (https://www.singaporeair.com/content/dam/sia/web-assets/pdfs/ppsclub-krisflyer/krisflyer/progupdates/AdjustmentstoAwardRatesForFlightRedemptionsandUpgrades.pdf), they said that Business Advantage award redemption would go up by 20% max. The below itineraries have gone up by 32 and 33%.
Grrrrrrr!!
Last week, I priced MEL – LAX (stopover NRT) at 338K for 2 ppl. in Business Advantage. Today it’s 448K.
I also priced JFK – MEL (stopover FRA) at 380K for 2 ppl. in Business Advantage. Today it’s 502k.
I had moved away from QF due to limited reward availability and subsequent reward price hike and have now 2 credit cards (Citi & Westpac) that I am converting to Kris miles (when required). Luckily I am also a Velocity FF and can convert my credit reward points to them.
I’ll definitely move away from KrisFlyer also and am looking to spread my wings more towards the wider Asian airline market…
Annoyingly most credit cards in Australia focus their highest sign up bonuses on Qantas points, but there are still good options. I might be looking into Avios, as they seem quite flexible.
In times like these a really clever airline can scoop up PLENTY of disappointed frequent travellers, if they have the right program with good earning and reward potential.
Goodbye, KrisFlyer
United keeps asking me 300K for Sfo/Mel in J and 140K in PE for Oct25. Alaska is an availability desert. JAL, like SQ, is waitlist only when 10 weeks out. Velocity may spring a surprise but not holding my breath.