Air miles cards let you earn miles through card transactions and welcome gifts. You can earn between 1 mile to 5 miles per S$1 spent on various cards. These miles can be redeemed to get free tickets on your preferred airlines. You also get to enjoy free airport lounge entry, free travel insurance cover of up to US$2 million, concierge services, expedited immigration clearance, discounts on hotel reservations, golfing privileges, free airport transfers in a limo, complimentary stays at five-star properties, and promotional airfares. Singapore Airlines, SilkAir, Scoot and Etstar Asia Airways are top airline brands operating out of Singapore
American Express Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer Ascend Credit Card – Up to 3.2 KrisFlyer Miles for Every S$1 You Spend
With this card as well, you can earn Krisflyer miles directly without any conversion. You also earn bonus miles up to 48,000 miles when your card application is made online, approved, and you spend up to S$10,000 on the card in the first three months. This will get you free tickets for a return trip to Thailand in Economy class.
Card highlights:
- 1.2 KrisFlyer miles per S$1 spent on all eligible spends.
- 2 KrisFlyer miles per S$1 spent in foreign currencies during June and December.
- 3.2 KrisFlyer miles per S$1 spent on Grab rides (up to S$200 spent per month).
| Annual Fee | Miles earned locally | Miles earned overseas | Bonus Miles |
| S$337.05 | 1.2 KrisFlyer Miles | 2 KrisFlyer Miles | Up to 53,000 |
UOB PRVI Miles Cards - 6 Miles on Hotel and Airline Bookings
This card comes in three variants – American Express, Visa, and Mastercard. UOB PRVI Miles American Express Card users also earn 20,000 loyalty miles on spending S$50,000 a year. The miles earned can be redeemed for more than 40 selected mileage programmes, including the popular KrisFlyer Miles and Asia Miles plans. The miles can also be redeemed for cash, reward vouchers (such as Scoot vouchers, UOB Travel vouchers, and Jetstar e-vouchers), and travel packages.
Card highlights:
- 1.4 miles with every dollar spent in Singapore.
- 2.4 miles for every dollar spent on transactions made abroad.
- 6 miles for every dollar spent on hotels and airlines through partner websites (includes Agoda, Expedia, and UOB Travel).
| Annual Fee | Miles earned locally | Miles earned overseas | Bonus Miles |
| S$256.80 | 1.4 miles | 2.4 miles | Up to 20,000 |
Standard Chartered Visa Infinite Card – Up to 3 Miles per Dollar Spent
This card allows you to earn air miles for local and overseas purchases. As part of the welcome gift, when you apply for this card, you can choose either 35,000 miles, or 15,000 miles and a Samsonite suitcase worth S$950. With the 35,000 air miles, you can redeem an Economy Saver one-way air ticket to Taiwan. The miles are credited in the form of rewards points, and can be redeemed through the bank’s Online Rewards portal. Standard Chartered Visa Infinite Card users get a better redemption rate than other SCB cardholders.
Card highlights:
- 1.4 miles for every S$1 spent on local purchases and 3 miles per dollar on overseas purchases, if monthly spend is equal to or more than S$2,000.
- 1 mile for every S$1 spent on local and overseas purchases, if monthly spend is less than S$2,000.
- Earn rewards points on paying income tax through this card.
| Annual Fee | Miles earned locally | Miles earned overseas | Bonus Miles |
| S$588.50 | Up to 1.4 miles | Up to 3 miles | 35,000 |
American Express Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer Credit Card – Up to 3.1 KrisFlyer Miles for Each S$1 Spent
This card lets you earn Krisflyer miles directly, without needing to convert them through any frequent flyer miles programme. You also earn bonus miles up to 30,500 miles when your card application is made online, approved, and you spend up to S$5,000 on the card in the first three months. With this, you could fly for free to and from Brunei in Economy class.
Card highlights:
- 1.1 KrisFlyer miles per S$1 spent on all eligible transactions.
- 2 KrisFlyer miles per S$1 spent in foreign currencies in the months June and December.
- 3.1 KrisFlyer miles per S$1 spent on Grab rides (up to S$200 spent per calendar month).
| Annual Fee | Miles earned locally | Miles earned overseas | Bonus Miles |
| S$176.55 | 1.1 KrisFlyer Miles | 2 KrisFlyer Miles | Up to 35,500 |
DBS Altitude Card - 3 Miles on Online Flight & Hotel Transactions
This card comes in two variations – American Express and Visa. Currently, the card is running a promotion until 31 December 2018, under which you have a chance to win a pair of Singapore Airlines Suites tickets to London, New York, Sydney, Paris or Shanghai. If you spend S$500 on participating hotels, travel agency, and airlines, then you get 5 chances to win the tickets. You will earn 1 chance if you spend S$500 on any other local or overseas transactions. The miles are awarded in the form of DBS Points, where 1 DBS Point = 2 miles. These miles have no expiry date. Furthermore, each time you renew your membership by paying the annual fee, you get 10,000 miles.
Card highlights:
- 1.2 miles for every dollar spent locally.
- 2 miles per dollar spent overseas or in a foreign currency.
- 3 miles per dollar spent on selected online hotel transactions and flight bookings. The earnings are capped at S$5,000 spent per month (applicable on Singapore Air, Agoda, Expedia, and Airbnb, among others).
| Annual Fee | Miles earned locally | Miles earned overseas | Bonus Miles |
| S$192.60 | 1.2 Miles | 2 Miles | Up to 10,000 |
UOB Visa Infinite Card – 2 Air Miles per Dollar on Foreign Spends
This premium card gives you miles in the form of UNI$, which can then be converted to miles from your chosen airline mileage plan. There is no minimum spend requirement to earn miles or any restriction on how many miles you can earn in a year. If you’re a new applicant, you’ll get a complimentary TUMI V3 Luggage and Packing Cube valued at S$1,010. If you’re an existing UOB customer, you can get either 25,000 miles as welcome bonus or the TUMI luggage. You need to apply before 30 September 2018, and meet other terms and conditions outlined by the bank.
Card highlights:
- 2 air miles per dollar spent outside Singapore.
- 1.4 air miles per dollar spent in Singapore.
- 25,000 air miles every year upon payment of annual fee.
| Annual Fee | Miles earned locally | Miles earned overseas | Bonus Miles |
| S$642 | 1.4 miles | 2 miles | 25,000 |
Citi PremierMiles American Express Card – Up to 2 Citi Miles per Dollar Spent
This card lets you earn 15,000 bonus Citi Miles every year when you pay your annual fee. The miles you earn can be redeemed at Hotel Loyalty and Frequent Flyer Programmes (FPP), where 1 Citi Mile is equal to one frequent flyer mile or IHG Rewards Club point. Some of the FPPs include KrisFlyer, Asia Miles, Royal Orchid Plus, and Enrich. You can also redeem for hotel bookings, activities, flight tickets, and car rentals. The miles can also be exchanged for cash rebates, which can be used to offset purchases from participating merchant outlets. There is no minimum spend requirement if you want to earn these miles and they do not expire.
Card highlights:
- 1.3 Citi Miles for every dollar spent in Singapore.
- 2 Citi Miles with every dollar spent in a foreign currency.
- 2 Citi Miles when you make purchases from SilkAir and Singapore Airlines.
| Annual Fee | Miles earned locally | Miles earned overseas | Bonus Miles |
| S$267.50 | 1.3 Citi Miles | 2 Citi Miles | Up to 15,000 |
Maybank Horizon Visa Signature Card – Up to 3.2 Air Miles per S$1 Spent
With this card, you can earn extra miles on petrol and overseas transactions, and travel bookings. To earn these TREATS Points or air miles, you must spend at least S$300 per month. The TREATS Points you earn is capped at 30,000 per month. You can transfer the air miles you accumulate as part of the Maybank Frequent Flyer Programme to other frequent flyer programmes such as Asia Miles and KrisFlyer miles. You can also redeem them when you eat out, to get shopping vouchers or for cash credits.
Card highlights:
- 3.2 air miles (in the form of 8 TREATS Points) per S$1 spent on petrol at all fuel stations, taxi fares, hotel bookings on Agoda and on dining.
- 2 air miles (in the form of 5 TREATS Points) per S$1 spent on flight tickets, travel packages and foreign currency transactions.
| Annual Fee | Miles earned locally | Miles earned overseas | Bonus Miles |
| S$180 | 3.2 air miles | 2 air miles | None |
American Express Singapore Airlines Solitaire PPS Credit Card – Up to 3.3 KrisFlyer Miles per Dollar
This is another Amex card that credits miles directly into your Krisflyer account. The welcome bonus on this card is up to 27,000 miles. To earn this, you need to apply online and spend S$6,000 in three months from card approval. You also earn 2 KrisFlyer miles per dollar spent on valid transactions made on KrisShop (in-flight and online), silkair.com, SingaporeAir mobile app, and singaporeair.com.
Card highlights:
- 3.3 KrisFlyer miles for each S$1 spent on Grab rides, up to S$200 spent every month.
- 1.3 KrisFlyer miles per S$1 spent locally on all valid transactions of up to S$3,800 each month. In case you spend more than S$3,800 in a month, earn 1.5 KrisFlyer miles.
- 1.3 KrisFlyer miles for each equivalent S$1 in a foreign currency spent abroad on valid transactions of up to S$3,800 every month. In case you spend more than S$3,800 that month, earn 2.4 KrisFlyer miles.
| Annual Fee | Miles earned locally | Miles earned overseas | Bonus Miles |
| S$551.05 | 1.5 KrisFlyer Miles | 2.4 KrisFlyer Miles | Up to 27,000 |
American Express Singapore Airlines PPS Club Credit Card - Up to 3.3 KrisFlyer Miles per Dollar
Another card with direct Krisflyer miles credits, this one comes with a welcome bonus of up to 25,000 miles. You also earn 2 KrisFlyer miles for each S$1 spent on valid transactions made at KrisShop (in-flight and online), silkair.com, SingaporeAir mobile app, and singaporeair.com. There is no cap on how many miles you can earn either.
Card highlights:
- 3.3 miles for each dollar spent on booking Grab rides, worth up to S$200 spend per calendar month.
- 1.3 KrisFlyer miles per S$1 spent locally on all valid transactions worth up to S$3,800 each month. In case you spend more than S$3,800 that month, earn 1.4 KrisFlyer miles.
- 1.3 KrisFlyer miles for each equivalent S$1 in a foreign currency spent abroad on valid transactions worth up to S$3,800 every month. In case you spend more than S$3,800 in a month, earn 2 KrisFlyer miles.
| Annual Fee | Miles earned locally | Miles earned overseas | Bonus Miles |
| S$551.05 | 1.4 KrisFlyer Miles | 2 KrisFlyer Miles | Up to 25,000 |
OCBC VOYAGE Card - 2.3 VOYAGE Miles per Dollar Spent in Foreign Currency
VOYAGE Miles are special in a way – they can be used on any airlines without having to convert to or subscribe to any mileage programme. The bookings, though, will have to be done through the VOYAGE Exchange consultant. These miles can be redeemed for flights on any desired airline, without any blackout dates. The miles can also be redeemed for cash or vouchers on branded goods. You can exchange the VOYAGE Miles for KrisFlyer miles as well, where 1 VOYAGE Mile is equal to 1 KrisFlyer mile. In this case, you’ll have to pay a conversion fee of S$25 per redemption. Additionally, VOYAGE Miles have no expiry date.
Card highlights:
- 2.3 VOYAGE Miles for each dollar spent in a foreign currency.
- 1.6 VOYAGE Miles for every dollar spent on dining in Singapore.
- 1.2 VOYAGE Miles for every dollar spent on other retail spend in Singapore.
| Annual Fee | Miles earned locally | Miles earned overseas | Bonus Miles |
| S$488 | Up to 1.6 VOYAGE Miles | 2.3 VOYAGE Miles | 15,000 |
HSBC Visa Infinite Card – Up to 2.25 Miles per S$1 Spent
With this premium card, you can earn miles in the form of HSBC Rewards points. There is no limitation on how many points you can earn in a year. The miles earned will become invalid after a 37-month duration from the time they are credited to your card account. New applicants can earn 35,000 air miles as a welcome gift.
Card highlights:
- 1 air mile and 2 air mile per S$1 spent locally and overseas respectively, if your annual spend in the previous year is less than S$50,000.
- 1.25 air mile and 2.25 air mile per S$1 spent locally and overseas respectively, if your annual spend in the previous year is S$50,000 or more.
| Annual Fee | Miles earned locally | Miles earned overseas | Bonus Miles |
| S$650/S$488 | Up to 1.25 air miles | Up to 2.25 air miles | 35,000 |
Citi PremierMiles Visa Card - 1.2 Citi Miles on Local Spends
This Visa iteration of the Citi PremierMiles Card is slightly different from the Amex version in its miles-earning rate. If you pay the annual fee at the time of joining, instead of choosing the waiver, you will earn 30,000 Citi Miles as bonus. Paying the annual fee every year thereafter will give you 10,000 bonus Citi Miles. Other conditions stay the same – the Citi Miles never expire and there is no cap on the number of miles that can be earned. Redemptions for hotel loyalty programmes, frequent flyer programmes, Citi ThankYouSM Rewards, and cash rebates are also the same.
Card highlights:
- 1.2 Citi Miles for every S$1 when you spend locally.
- 2 Citi Miles for every S$1 on foreign currency spend.
- Up to 10 Citi Miles per S$1 spent on Kaligo, Agoda and Expedia.
| Annual Fee | Miles earned locally | Miles earned overseas | Bonus Miles |
| S$192.60 | 1.2 Citi Miles | 2 Citi Miles | Up to 30,000 |
BOC Elite Miles World Mastercard – Up to 5 Miles Per S$1
This is the latest entrant in the miles card market, and it has one of the highest miles-earning potential as well. The miles are credited as BOC Rewards Points, and there is neither any minimum spend criteria to be met, nor any limit on how many miles you can earn in a year. However, the earned points in the first year (from card approval) are valid until 30 June the next year. The points earned from the second year onwards will expire on 30 June of the next year.
Card highlights:
- 5 air miles per S$1 spent overseas and 2 air miles per S$1 spent in Singapore, until 31 December 2018.
- 3 air miles per dollar on overseas spends and 1.5 air miles per dollar on local spends from 2019 onwards.
| Annual Fee | Miles earned locally | Miles earned overseas | Bonus Miles |
| S$190 | 5 air miles | 2 air miles | None |
How Air Miles Work
Most major airline companies operating in Singapore have their own loyalty programmes in the form of Frequent Flyer Programme (FFP). The air miles that you earn with your credit cards and convert to different airline miles such as Asia Miles or KrisFlyer miles are part of these Frequent Flyer Programmes (FFP). As part of these programmes, you will be able to redeem the miles you earn with your cards for air tickets on partner airlines.
You can also exchange these miles for dining vouchers, cash rebates and shopping vouchers. If you have enrolled yourself with a loyalty programme, you will be eligible to receive loyalty points that you can use in the form of air miles to get free air travel and hotel stays. Additionally, you can also use these miles to upgrade your flight to Business Class, Premium Economy Class, Singapore Airlines Suites or First Class. You will get more benefits if you opt for co-branded cards such as the American Express Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer Credit Card series to purchase merchandise from participating brands or flight tickets. Often these cards will offer KrisFlyer miles when you sign up online or fulfil a spend criteria. The miles you earn will be directly credited to your account without any conversion fee. The air miles can be used for Singapore Airlines or SilkAir flight tickets or hotel bookings on Agoda.
The DBS Altitude Card provides air miles in the form of DBS Points. Here, you will have to pay a conversion fee if you want to convert these points to KrisFlyer miles or Asia Miles. You will also have to collect a minimum number of points if you want to convert and redeem them for flight tickets. There are credit cards that offer air miles once your credit card annual fee is paid. For example, the Citi PremierMiles Visa Card gives you 10,000 bonus Citi Miles when you renew your credit card membership. You can use the Citi Miles to redeem for flight tickets and merchandise through Citi ThankYouSM Rewards.
Best Air Miles Programmes in Singapore
Singapore has several loyalty programmes, Frequent Flyer Programme being one of them. Some of the travel cards let you earn KrisFlyer miles directly, while others offer air miles in the form of reward points or Citi Miles. Some of the air miles as part of the Frequent Flyer Programme never expire and do not have a cap on the number of miles you can earn in a month/year.
Asia Miles Programme
Several travel cards in Singapore will let you convert your reward points to Asia Miles. You may have to pay a nominal conversion fee. These Asia Miles can be redeemed for flight tickets from more than 20 participating airlines worldwide.
You can also use Asia Miles to book hotel rooms (close to 150 of them), online and offline shopping at retail stores (close to 1,000 of them). You just have to purchase an Asia Miles membership and quote the membership number at the time of payment. Your Asia Miles will be credited to your Asia Miles account that you can manage online. Once the miles are credited, you can use them to pay for lifestyle awards, hotel stay, car rentals, travel experiences and flights. Some of the partner airlines are British Airways, Finnair, Japan Airlines, Cathay Pacific, Qantas, and more.
If you choose to stay at any participating Novotel Hotels and Resorts, you can earn Le Club AccorHotels points on all valid spendings. You can convert these hotel points to Asia Miles. These miles can be used for your next booking. If you book a room at Doubletree by Hilton, you can earn Hilton Honors Points that you can convert to Asia Miles through the Hilton Honors website. The earned Asia Miles can also be converted to reward points for other loyalty programmes. If you are a Plus! member, you can convert your miles to LinkPoints (600 LinkPoints = 800 Asia Miles). At Esso, you can earn 1.5 Smiles Points, which is equivalent to 1 Asia Mile as part of the Smiles Driver Rewards Programme.
KrisFlyer
The KrisFlyer programme offered by Singapore Airlines is among the popular miles and loyalty programmes in Singapore. Make use of the miles that you earn to redeem flight tickets on SilkAir, Singapore Airlines, Scoot and all participating Star Alliance airlines and partner airlines such as Vistara. American Express offers a few co-branded cards in association with Singapore Airlines. With these cards, you will earn KrisFlyer miles at an accelerated rate.
Different banks offer different rewards points, for example, with Maybank you will get TREATS Points, with Citi you get Citi Miles, with DBS you get DBS Points and with UOB you get UNI$ that can be converted to KrisFlyer miles for a nominal conversion fee. In case of American Express travel cards, the KrisFlyer miles you earn are credited to your KrisFlyer account directly without any transfer fee. Earn more KrisFlyer miles when you book hotels on Agoda, shop on singaporeair.com and from KrisShop and KrisFlyer Spree or book cabs from Grab. Convert your Smiles Points to KrisFlyer miles at Esso under the Smiles Driver Rewards Programme. If you are a Club 21 member, you can convert your Club Points to KrisFlyer miles in blocks of 5,300 Points.
All Nippon Airways (ANA) Mileage Club
When you become a member of the ANA Mileage Club, you will get the following benefits:
- Earn miles and get flight tickets by redeeming those miles with ANA Group-operated flights as well as by those operated by other ANA partner airlines and Star Alliance members. The miles you earn can also be used for other services in addition to your travels, such as shopping at partner merchants, hotels, rental car services, and more.
- If you often book your air tickets with ANA Group-operated flights, you will get a wide range of ANA Premium Member services and benefits.
- When you become a member of the ANA Mileage Club, you will get a card that can register the miles you earn which is a very convenient way to book tickets. The miles are valid only for 36 months from the month a service was used.
- Earn more miles if you stay at any of the partner hotels of Star Alliance which is operated by the ANA Group.
Members can redeem Value Vouchers after a specific number of miles have been flown. The miles can not only be used to buy flight tickets, but also at ANA FESTA airport shops. You can use accrued miles by redeeming them when booking hotel rooms, cab rides, paying for extra baggage, and more.
Emirates Skywards
Emirates offer two types of air miles, Skywards Miles and Tier Miles. You can redeem Skywards Miles for numerous rewards that you can earn through promotions, flights, and partner offers. On the other hand, you will be able to accumulate Tier Miles only when you book an Emirates flight. When you have collected enough miles, you will reach the next tier of membership that offers wider benefits.
Earn Skywards Miles
The Skywards Miles that you earn when you fly with Emirates are computed based on four parameters: tier, class, fare type and route. You will earn accelerated miles based on the fare you choose and the class you fly in. As soon as you qualify for the Silver tier you will start to accumulate additional miles depending on your tier status. There are other ways to earn more miles. Here is a list:
- Earn more miles when members of your family fly on Emirates.
- Refer any of your friends to join Emirates Skywards.
- Transfer miles between different Emirates Skywards accounts.
- Purchase more Skywards Miles.
Earn Tier Miles
- Get bonus tier miles when you opt to fly on First Class or Business Class.
- Earn more tier miles on Flex fare than Saver fare.
- Earn only when you book an Emirates flight.
How to Make the Most of Your Air Miles Credit Card
Air miles credit cards can also be beneficial to you in many other ways in addition to earning miles. So, if you want to make the most of your air miles credit cards, you can do so in the following ways:
Use Your Card When You Eat Out
Most air miles credit cards offer discounts when you eat out especially if you are overseas. The discounts will be even more if you choose to eat out at partner restaurants. For instance, American Express have cards that offer discount of up to 50% at over 60 restaurants worldwide. Often, these offers are also applicable with supplementary cards.
Make Use of Online Card Payment Platforms
Making use of online card payment platforms is another way to take advantage of your miles card. For example, with CardUp, you can shift the payment carried out through bank transfer to a card, irrespective of whether the recipients accept card payments. With CardUp, you will be able to earn reward points on large payments such as tuition fees, insurance payments, monthly rents and more.
Charge the Card for Other Spends
Do not forget to use these cards for your other daily expenses, especially if you do not have any other cards. For example, with the Citi PremierMiles Visa Card, you will get additional benefits such as discounts on car rentals when you are away. With this card you will also get 2 Citi Miles for each S$1 you spend in foreign currencies and 1.2 Citi Miles for every S$1 you spend locally. You also have cards that offer discounts when you refuel your vehicle. Using your card for your daily spends will help you accumulate miles at a faster rate.
Use the Free Travel Insurance
Most of the miles credit cards in Singapore offer customers complimentary travel insurance of up to S$1 million in the event of permanent disability or death. Often, this travel insurance will offer protection to you along with your family members travelling with you (conditions applied). However, to be eligible for this insurance, you will have to charge the total travel fare to you card. Most travel insurance policies will also provide coverage for travel inconveniences such as missing/loss of luggage and missed flights. With this feature on your credit card, you can save a lot more than usual. However, the terms and conditions may vary from one card to another.
Make Use of Regional Benefits
Many credit cards in Singapore offer lifestyle benefits and deals when you travel in and around the Asia Pacific region. These cards offer savings on participating restaurants, golf courses, hotel bookings, resort stays and privileges, and more. Some miles cards are also included in the bank’s travel programme. As part of this programme, you will get access to numerous travel benefits. For example, with DBS Travel Privileges, you will not only get discounts on travel packages, you will get additional benefits such as additional KrisFlyer miles, access to KrisFlyer Gold Lounge and more. In a nutshell, miles cards not only offer miles on eligible spends but also additional benefits and privileges including complimentary travel insurance, airport lounge access, expedited immigration clearance, limousine transfers to/from the airport, global dining and lifestyle privileges, and more.
How Can You Maximise Your Air Miles?
In order to maximise your air miles, choose the right card for the right kind of expenditure. You can now earn air miles in ways other than booking flights. Some of the tips are:
- Look for offers on co-branded cards.
- Look for special offers for first-time card applicants and users.
- Choose your miles card meticulously after identifying your main area of spending.
- Convert rewards points into miles, wherever possible.
- You can earn more miles by dining at select restaurants, staying at select hotels, and taking rides with select taxi operators among other ways.
Things You Should Consider When Choosing a Miles Card:
- Are you looking to accumulate points for yourself or do you want to transfer it?
- What are the joining benefits?
- Does your card offer complimentary benefits like free lounge access, faster immigration clearance, and airport transfers among other things?
- Can you transfer points from one card to another?
- Is a co-branded card offering more value?
- Is your credit score good enough to fetch you the card you want?
Can You Pool Your Miles with Those of Someone Else?
In Singapore, the KrisFlyer miles programme is arguably the most popular air miles programme. Singapore Airlines doesn’t allow you to pool your miles with that of your family or transfer your miles to an account belonging to someone else.
However, up to five redemption nominees can be chosen. If you want to change/remove a nominee, you can do it six months after they were added, by paying a fee.
Children, aged two and above, will earn the same number of KrisFlyer miles as their adult companions, in the same booking class and under the same rewards program.
How to Get the Complimentary Lounge Access Pass
- Choose the right miles rewards card.
- See how many passes you’re eligible for in a year.
- Keep an eye on the benefits that your guests can enjoy when travelling with you.
