In order to qualify for Krisflyer elite status, you need to earn 25,000 or 50,000 elite miles within a 12 month period for Silver and Gold respectively.
Krisflyer Silver has fairly few benefits but Gold is a decent enough proposition for the frequent traveller. You get priority check-in, luggage and boarding, plus lounge access. You also get to say you’re part of the same (non-swimming) club as Joseph Schooling.
I can’t say the Krisflyer Gold lounge in Singapore is anywhere near my list of favourite lounges (no toilets, showers, champagne or happiness), but you are able to access the Silverkris lounges outside of Singapore, including the very nice “Home” themed ones they’re gradually rolling out.
50,000 miles, however, is a hefty target to meet especially if you only do regional travel (Singapore to SFO- 8,440 miles. Singapore to Bangkok- 890 miles).
So what if you’re just short of that target? This was the case of my colleague who was 70 miles short of re-qualifying for Krisflyer Gold.
She asked me whether she could write in and ask for an exception. I laughed. Loudly. Tears streamed down my face as I chortled at her naivety. “Do we remember the man who almost climbed Mount Everest?” I said in my most condescending tone. “Or the guy who almost discovered America?” (I’m not an easy colleague to have). I patted her on the head and told her that there was no way on earth an airline that doesn’t upgrade its highest tier Solitaire PPS members unless it absolutely positively has to would make an exception.
She said something to the tune of “up yours” (we’re a flat organization) and went to write in to membership services. And got an email a few days later congratulating her on re-qualifying.
To say I’m surprised she got an exception is beyond an understatement. But I asked around and found another friend who had managed to get a waiver of a 150 mile difference a few years back. Another reader wrote to me and said that SQ had given him an additional 2 months to requalify for PPS when he was a few hundred dollars of PPS value short and had imminent business travel planned.
So credit where it’s due, it does appear that SQ has some degree of flexibility in renewing memberships. If you’re just short of a little bit, I’d encourage you to write in and try your luck.
Remember that if you’re working for a fairly large-ish firm and have existing status with a competing airline + a lot of forward travel booked with SQ, you might be able to apply for a status match on a case by case basis.
Krisflyer membership services is humane. They typically give a buffer of 500 for silver and 1000 for gold for requal. Beyond that buffer and first time failure to requal, you can typically ask for 2 more months.
how can they then be the same people who yanked lifetime solitaire pps 🙁
KMS is slightly different from policy making LMD. The LMD peeps who yanked LPP are no longer around =x
Heard about the 380 seats upgrade. Don’t expect too much la. Haha
I did do the same literally just two days ago and, with less than a week to go before requal deadline and just over 1000 miles to go, I was granted the extension.
Just goes to show how far a brief email and some modicum of politeness can get you.
By extension I mean another year of KF Gold.
Hi, i would like to do the same in order to maintain my Elite Gold status, i’m shy of 800 Elite miles. Would you mind telling me at which email address i should address them?
Thanks in advance.
Does this work for initial qualification? Will be about 200 miles short for Silver (alas, infrequent flier).
They gave me two additional months to qualify for gold — I was 9K miles short. Unfortunately I still won’t qualify … but it feels good to cut the cord and just go for the best deal. Nice fares on CX/AA to the US these days.
My experience with PPS is that if you are short by $500 PPS$ or less they’d accommodate you. Couple of Agents at the call Centre did share this sentiment as well.
short by 236 elite miles to become gold tier by 30 april 2017. I wrote in (just before your post) and today I received an email to welcome me to the gold membership. many years ago i also short by few thousand miles, they extended one month for me to clock the few thousand miles. so 1st try asking for chance and 2nd if not successful try asking for extension.
love your a350 review man. beautiful stuff.
thanks. credit goes to your informative website. your review is always entertaining as well.
The year before I qualified for Gold, SQ wrote me and offered me 1.5 times the miles for flights in the two months leading up to an anniversary date, in a bid to encourage me to qualify for Gold. I thought that was very clever and took advantage of it.
Another time (more recently) a friend was short of a couple thousand miles, and I was able to make a request on his behalf. SQ gave him an extra month to qualify.
Yes, SQ does have its less mercenary moments.
I was short on renewing PPS by $99 and they waived it. Yay.