UOB PRVI Miles is, on paper, the best general spending card in Singapore with 1.4/2.4 mpd on local/overseas spending respectively.
In addition to the good general spending rates, it offers 6 mpd on airtickets bought through Expedia with certain airlines. This promotion expired on 31 March 2017 but has since been renewed to 31 March 2018.
The catch is they’ve taken away the big daddy. Singapore Airlines bookings no longer get 6 mpd with Expedia (although, strangely, Silkair bookings do). This is definitely a big loss given that the majority of bookings people here will make will probably be with SQ.
With this change I’d say the best you can do now for SQ bookings is 4 mpd with your usual online spending cards eg HSBC Advance/ DBS WWMC. I know that from time to time DBS might do something with Expedia for 6 or even 8 mpd but I’m not aware of anything going on at the moment.
Hi Aaron,
I have this card, and use it frequently to make flight bookings on Expedia. This may be a newbie question, but how do I keep track to make sure UOB has given me 6 mpd for spends on Expedia? They have this complicated system of assigning UOB$ instead of straightforward miles.
Thanks!
Mayur,
UOB rewards you with UNI$ as UNI$ are not limited to air miles redemption only. 1UNI$ = 2 miles, so in this case under the T&C it is stated:
“Cardmembers will earn UNI$15 for every S$5 spent (equivalent to 6 miles for every S$1 spent) at expedia.com.sg/prvimiles (“Expedia Booking Site”) for hotels.”
UOB gives u UNI$15 (30miles) per S$5 spent (i.e $100 & $104 both earns 60 miles), which breaks down to 30/5=6miles per S$1.
Not sure why my previous posted comment wasnt posted.. anyway, I think the problem here is to know exactly which transaction is earning the bonus miles.
I applied the DBS WWMC trying to maximize the mileage earning. But I realized that i do not have the time to scrutinize each transaction.. thus I only use it for relatively safe online transaction like Google play, taobao, Qoo, Amazon, Uber etc also to save my headache… the rest I usually directly use my PRVI.
I would warn people against using OTAs for airline tickets. If something goes wrong, you are screwed. Last year, I got ‘your itinerary was modified by the airline’ notification from Expedia when I booked my LH flight with them. That modification completely screwed up my plans and when I called LH, they refused to make any changes, because booking was done with Expedia and it was weekend her in Singapore and no-one was at Expedia’s customer service line. Even when I was able to call in, it took them a week to put my original ITIN in place – I… Read more »
what you’ve stated is true but there is one upside- no need for credit card verification at the check in desk. If you’re buying a ticket for someone else via the airline’s official website, they may demand the travelling person present the original credit card used at check in, failing which they will not issue a boarding pass. you don’t have this issue if you buy via an OTA
Correct. However I can tell that people who book budget airlines – these are usually who require credit card verification- via third party OTAs put themselves (or people who they buy tickets for) in great danger because in case something goes wrong, the airline won’t even bother to accommodate pax in distress – it will send them to deal with OTA.
Hi, does anyone know how long it usually takes to convert hsbc points to krisflyer/asiamiles?
Does anyone experienced how long it took for Expedia to refund money?
Thanks
3 months. After calling them a dozen times.
Avoid booking through OTA if you have even a small doubt about the travel plans.
I have checked the Expedia|UOB PRVI site and noticed that routes served by both SQ and MI (eg Male) may be sold under MI, but operated by SQ (hence eligible for 6mpd). So it is still possible for people to explore other codeshare routes to fly on an SQ operated aircraft but sold under the list of participating airlines on the Expedia|UOB PRVI site while earning 6mpd.
Yes! that’s a very clever workaround but of course only possible in some cases