Earn KrisFlyer Elite Gold with S$5,000 spend on AMEX KrisFlyer Ascend

American Express has launched a new KrisFlyer Elite Gold fast track offer with the AMEX KrisFlyer Ascend, and it’s the easiest route I’ve seen to date. 

During the one-month campaign period, AMEX KrisFlyer Ascend members who spend at least S$5,000 (of which S$300 must be with the Singapore Airlines Group) on eligible purchases will receive an upgrade to KrisFlyer Elite Gold, valid for 12 months. 

KrisFlyer Elite Gold Fast Track

Both new and existing AMEX KrisFlyer Ascend cardholders who charge at least S$5,000 of eligible purchases to their card between 28 January to 28 February 2021 (both dates inclusive) will receive an upgrade to KrisFlyer Elite Gold, plus 3,000 bonus KrisFlyer miles. 

The S$5,000 spend must include a minimum of S$300 at any of the following:

• singaporeair.com
• flyscoot.com
• KrisShop

Eligible purchases refer to everything except the usual rewards exclusion categories. The key ones to highlight for the AMEX KrisFlyer Ascend are:

• GrabPay top-ups
• Insurance premiums (unless purchased through AMEX authorized channels)
• SPC transactions
• Utilities (from 12 Feb 2021)

Should you meet the minimum spend, your KrisFlyer account will be upgraded to Elite Gold and the 3,000 bonus miles credited within 8-10 weeks after the campaign ends on 28 February 2021, i.e by 9 May 2021 at the latest. 

KrisFlyer Elite Gold status earned through this route is valid for 12 months from the date of upgrade. Subsequently, you’ll need to requalify via the regular route (accrue 50,000 elite miles in a 12 month membership year), or hope that Singapore Airlines grants another status extension (see below). 

Is it worth it?

For the sake of perspective, here’s how the current KrisFlyer Elite Gold fast track offer compares to the evergreen one, as well as the limited-time one we saw back in February 2019.

The current offer represents the lowest spending threshold we’ve ever seen, and it helps that 94% of your spend can be on non-SIA Group transactions. I highly doubt that anyone will be buying Singapore Airlines or Scoot tickets right now, but KrisShop continues to hold regular sales events, and I’m sure you could spend S$300 if you were determined enough. 

The AMEX KrisFlyer Ascend earns 1.2 mpd on local general spending, so in terms of opportunity cost you’re looking at 11,000 miles foregone, assuming your alternative card would have earned you 4 mpd. 

The bigger question is whether you’ll realistically be able to enjoy the benefits of KrisFlyer Elite Gold membership over the next 12 months.

Let’s say your KrisFlyer Elite Gold upgrade comes at the start of May 2021. Do you see yourself traveling from May 2021 to April 2022? I’m personally hoping that travel bubbles will open up for Singapore, once we get a sizeable proportion of our population vaccinated, but who really knows? 

That said, the odds are good that if travel doesn’t open up in any meaningful way, Singapore Airlines will grant another status extension for 2022. I don’t see any reason why they’d draw a distinction between those who qualified for Elite Gold via fast track and those who qualified through the traditional route, so…

Terms & Conditions

Here’s the T&C for this offer:

1. Offer is only valid from 28 Jan – 28 Feb 2021.
2. American Express® Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer Ascend Credit Card Members who
charge S$5,000 or more on eligible purchases from 28 Jan – 28 Feb 2021 will be
upgraded to the KrisFlyer Elite Gold membership tier.
3. Spend of $5,000 can include general spend but must include a minimum spend of
S$300 at singaporeair.com, flyscoot.com or KrisShop. For non-eligible spend, please
visit amex.co/SGexclusions for full list of non-eligible purchases or transactions, which
is non-exhaustive and is subject to changes from time to time.
4. Eligible ticket purchases at singaporeair.com and flyscoot.com are for travel originating
from Singapore only and must be purchased in Singapore Dollars.
5. Bonus 3,000 KrisFlyer miles will be awarded 8-12 weeks after campaign ends on 28
February 2021.
6. Card Members who meet the promotion criteria will be upgraded to KrisFlyer Elite Gold
membership tier 8-10 weeks after the campaign ends on 28 February 2021.
7. This benefit will not be applicable to Card Members who are existing PPS Club or
KrisFlyer Elite Gold members.
8. The KrisFlyer Elite Gold status is valid for one (1) year from date of upgrade only.
Requalification is based on standard requalification terms under the KrisFlyer
programme. For information on the benefits of being a KrisFlyer Elite Gold member and requalification into KrisFlyer Elite Gold status, please visit:
singaporeair.com/en_UK/ppsclub-krisflyer/KrisFlyer_EliteGold/KrisFlyer
9. Offers cannot be exchanged for cash or in-kind, and is not applicable in conjunction with
other offers, promotions, discounts and loyalty program, unless otherwise stated.
10. KrisFlyer and Singapore Airlines’ Terms and Conditions apply. The provision of services,
activities or benefits stated is the responsibility of merchant. American Express acts
solely as a payment provider and is not responsible or liable in the event that such
services, activities or benefits are not provided or fulfilled by the merchant.
11. American Express and merchant reserve the rights to amend the Terms and Conditions
listed or terminate the Offer and/or replace the Offer with another offer of similar value
without prior notice. 

Conclusion

If you plan to take back to the skies the minute leisure travel opens up, then this is one of the easiest ways to get KrisFlyer Elite Gold I’ve ever seen. There’s an 11,000 miles opportunity cost, but I imagine most of us are pretty well-stocked with miles at the moment. 

I lost my Elite Gold in early 2019, but because I tend to redeem Business Class tickets, I haven’t really felt the pinch. However, should I be able to rustle together a S$5,000 expenditure during this window, I just might go for this. 

Fast track offer: yay or nay for you?