For many people, KrisFlyer Elite Gold is the highest status they can realistically aspire towards. That’s because the pearly gates of the PPS Club are only open to those who fly in First or Business Class, on cash tickets. You could fly a million miles in Economy Class and never get close!
That’s unfortunate, but if it’s any consolation, KrisFlyer Elite Gold has its perks too. It’s not quite white-glove service, but most people would take anything that makes Economy Class less painful. It’s certainly better than KrisFlyer Elite Silver, at least!
Moreover, thanks to an opportunity to earn status credits on the ground during COVID-19, I imagine there’s a good number of readers out there who earned this status for the very first time.
In this article, I’ll walk you through all the benefits of KrisFlyer Elite Gold.
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| โ KrisFlyer Elite Gold Guide | |
If you’re looking for the benefits of Solitaire PPS, PPS Club or KrisFlyer Elite Silver, you can refer to the comprehensive guides below.
| โ Solitaire PPS & PPS Club Guide | โ KrisFlyer Elite Silver Guide |
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| Details | Details |
At a glance: KrisFlyer Elite Gold benefits
Here’s a summary of KrisFlyer Elite Gold benefits, with KrisFlyer Elite Silver added for comparison.
| โ๏ธ Overview: KrisFlyer Elite Silver & Gold | ||
 KrisFlyer Elite Silver |
KrisFlyer Elite Gold |
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| Elite Miles Req. (in 12-mth period) |
25,000 | 50,000 |
| Mileage Bonus | 25% | 25% |
| Priority Waitlist | โ | โ |
| Free Seat Selection | โ
(Standard) |
โ
(Forward and Standard) |
| Birthday Bonus | โ
(1,500 miles) |
โ
(1,500 miles) |
| Discounted Service Fees | โ | โ |
| Extra Baggage | โ | โ |
| Priority Check-in | โ | โ |
| Priority Boarding | โ | โ |
| Priority Baggage | โ | |
| Lounge Access | โ | |
| Waived Service Fees | โ | |
| Shangri-La Jade Fast Track | โ | |
| Heathrow Express Upgrade | โ | |
Qualification
KrisFlyer Elite Gold requires accumulating 50,000 Elite miles within a 12-month period.
- If you’re not an existing KrisFlyer Elite Gold, your membership year starts immediately upon hitting 50,000 Elite miles. Any Elite miles earned subsequent to account upgrading will count towards next year’s requalification
- If you’re an existing KrisFlyer Elite Gold, any Elite miles earned in excess of requalification are not carried over
| โ ๏ธ Important Note |
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If you’re not an existing KrisFlyer Elite Gold, any Elite miles earned subsequent to account upgrading will count towards next year’s requalification. Note the part in bold, because it makes a difference. For example, suppose I have 45,000 Elite miles, and on 20 April I take a flight that earns me 7,000 Elite miles. My account gets upgraded to KrisFlyer Elite Gold on 22 April, but the 2,000 extra will not be rolled over. However, if I take another flight that earns 5,000 Elite miles on 28 April, after I’ve become a KrisFlyer Elite Gold, the full 5,000 counts towards the following year’s requalification. In other words, there will be some initial “wastage” of however many Elite miles you overshoot the 50,000 Elite miles threshold by. |
Fast-track for AMEX KrisFlyer Ascend
As an alternative to earning Elite miles, AMEX KrisFlyer Ascend Cardholders can enjoy a fast-track to KrisFlyer Elite Gold when they:
- spend at least S$15,000 on Singapore Airlines ticket purchases made at singaporeair.com within the first 12 months of card approval
- tickets must be purchased in Singapore Dollars and originate from Singapore
However, based on data points I’ve seen, the “originate from Singapore” requirement is not set in stone. If you’re booking a ticket to Singapore and the SIA website lets you pay in SGD (there’s usually a dropdown box appearing on the final screen, though not always), then such transactions would count. Keep in mind that this is an unofficial loophole that could be patched at any time, so do it at your own risk.
Eligible spending includes paying for taxes and surcharges on a KrisFlyer award ticket with your card (whether the award flight is on Singapore Airlines or one of its partners). However, Scoot tickets are not included, unless they’re sold as part of a combined itinerary on singaporeair.com.
Crucially, these tickets need not be flown by the cardholder. Think about the scenario of someone who often buys air tickets for his entire family. He can’t accrue the Elite miles on their tickets (only the person whose name is on the ticket can), but can nonetheless achieve KrisFlyer Elite Gold through his total card spending.
Status earned via the fast-track offer is only valid for one year. Subsequently, you’ll have to requalify by flying at least 50,000 Elite miles in a 12-month period, just like everyone else.
This benefit cannot be used to renew KrisFlyer Elite Gold; if you’re already a KrisFlyer Elite Gold, the fast-track offer does not apply to you.
Fast Track T&Cs: AMEX KrisFlyer Ascend
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American Express Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer Ascend Credit Card Members who charge S$15,000 or more on eligible Singapore Airlines ticket purchases made directly online at singaporeair.com to their Card within the first 12-months upon Card approval, will be upgraded to the KrisFlyer Elite Gold membership tier within 6 weeks from the time that you meet the spend criteria. Eligible ticket purchases are for travel originating from Singapore only and must be purchased in Singapore Dollars. For Card Members who are already KrisFlyer Elite Silver members, you will be upgraded to the The 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 an Elite Gold member and requalification into Elite Gold status, please visit: KrisFlyer and Singapore Airlines terms and conditions apply. Singapore Airlines reserves the right to vary these terms and conditions or terminate this benefit without prior notice at their own sole discretion |
Fast-track for AMEX HighFlyer Card
As an alternative to earning Elite miles, AMEX HighFlyer Cardholders can enjoy a fast-track to KrisFlyer Elite Gold when they spend at least S$15,000 on the Singapore Airlines Group within the first 12 months of card approval.
The Singapore Airlines Group is defined as:
- Singapore Airlines
- Scoot
- KrisShop
This is a broader definition than the Ascend’s fast track offer, since Scoot and KrisShop are also included.
Status earned via the fast-track offer is only valid for one year. Subsequently, you’ll have to requalify by flying at least 50,000 Elite miles in a 12-month period, just like everyone else.
This benefit cannot be used to renew KrisFlyer Elite Gold; if you’re already a KrisFlyer Elite Gold, the fast-track offer does not apply to you.
Fast Track T&Cs: AMEX HighFlyer Card
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American Express Singapore Airlines Business Credit Card Members who charge S$15,000 or more on eligible spend with the Singapore Airlines Group within the first 12 months of Card Membership, will be eligible for an upgrade to the KrisFlyer Elite Gold membership tier (โUpgradeโ) or to nominate a registered corporate traveler to receive the Upgrade. The Upgrade will not be available to nominees of Card Members who are existing PPS Club or KrisFlyer Elite Gold members, or who have previously qualified for the Upgrade on the Card. If there is more than one basic American Express Singapore Airlines Business Credit Card Member (as determined with reference to your unique business or company registration number), only the first basic Card Member who meets all the required eligibility criteria will be entitled to receive the Upgrade (or nominate a registered corporate traveller to receive the Upgrade). The KrisFlyer Elite Gold status will be valid only for the first qualification and shall take effect from the date of successful redemption. You must comply with the redemption instructions, Terms and Conditions stipulated failing which the Upgrade may lapse. Subsequent re-qualification shall be in accordance with Singapore Airlines Terms and Conditions for KrisFlyer Elite Gold membership qualification. For current information on the benefits of being KrisFlyer Elite Gold member and re-qualification towards KrisFlyer Elite Gold membership, please visit: https://www.singaporeair.com/en_UK/sg/ppsclub-krisflyer/krisflyer/krisflyer-elite-gold/. Singapore Airlines reserves the right to vary these Terms and Conditions or terminate this benefit without prior notice at their sole discretion. |
Fast track for Shangri-La Circle elites
| Shangri-La Circle Tier | Instant Match | Accelerated Status |
 Jade |
KrisFlyer Elite Silver |
KrisFlyer Elite Gold (3 flights within 4 months) |
 Diamond |
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As part of the Singapore Airlines x Shangri-La Infinite Journeys partnership, Shangri-La Circle Jade or Diamond members can register to get instant KrisFlyer Elite Silver status for 12 months.
A further upgrade to KrisFlyer Elite Gold is granted if they complete:
- Jade: Three qualifying flights within four months of registration
- Diamond: One qualifying flight within four months of registration
Status earned via the fast-track offer is only valid for one year. Subsequently, you’ll have to requalify by flying at least 50,000 Elite miles in a 12-month period, just like everyone else.
This benefit cannot be used to renew KrisFlyer Elite Gold; if you’re already a KrisFlyer Elite Gold, the fast-track offer does not apply to you.
Fast track for Marriott Bonvoy elites
| Marriott Bonvoy Tier | Instant Match To… | Status Accelerator Challenge |
 Ambassador |
KrisFlyer Elite Silver |
KrisFlyer Elite Gold (4 flights in 6 months) |
| Titanium |
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| Platinum |
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| Gold |
N/A | KrisFlyer Elite Silver (2 flights in 6 months) |
As part of the Singapore Airlines x Marriott Bonvoy partnership, Marriott Bonvoy Ambassador, Titanium or Platinum members can register to get instant KrisFlyer Elite Silver status for 12 months.
A further upgrade to KrisFlyer Elite Gold is granted if they complete four qualifying flights within six months of registration.
Status earned via the fast-track offer is only valid for one year. Subsequently, you’ll have to requalify by flying at least 50,000 Elite miles in a 12-month period, just like everyone else.
This benefit cannot be used to renew KrisFlyer Elite Gold; if you’re already a KrisFlyer Elite Gold, the fast-track offer does not apply to you.
Qualifying flights?
Qualifying flights include any commercial booking on Singapore Airlines in any booking class, and exclude the following:
- Award tickets
- Codeshare flights
- Group fares in the โGโ booking class
A round-trip journey will count as two flights. For more information on how qualifying flights are counted, refer to the article below (it’s written in the context of the Marriott Bonvoy fast track, but the same definition applies to Infinite Journeys as well).
Soft landing
KrisFlyer Elite Gold members who fail to earn sufficient Elite miles to requalify will be soft landed to KrisFlyer Elite Silver for the following membership year.
Frankly, the benefits of Elite Silver are a world away from Gold, but it’s better than nothing.
Elite miles
Elite miles are how KrisFlyer tracks and awards KrisFlyer Elite Silver & Gold status.
Unlike KrisFlyer miles, Elite miles cannot be redeemed for award flights, though accumulation does grant KrisFlyer Milestone Rewards which we’ll address later.
Elite miles can be earned when flying on:
- Singapore Airlines
- Scoot
- Star Alliance partners
- Juneyao Air
- Virgin Australia (for SIA codeshare flights operated within Australia, Trans-Tasman, and between Australia and the Pacific Islands)
- Vistara (for SIA codeshare flights operated within India)
No Elite miles will be awarded for flights on Virgin Atlantic, Alaska Airlines, JetBlue and Olympic Air, notwithstanding their partnerships with Singapore Airlines.
Do note that Elite miles can only be earned by the person whose name is on the ticket. Also, you will not earn any Elite miles for award tickets. If you mix KrisFlyer miles and cash for payment, the number of Elite miles earned will be in proportion to the amount paid with cash (excluding taxes).
Flying on Singapore Airlines
Here’s how many Elite miles you’ll earn for Singapore Airlines flights:
| โ๏ธ Elite Miles Accrual on SIA Flights |
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| Cabin | Fare Class | Accrual Rate |
| Suites / First | A,F | 200% |
| Business |
Flexi: Z, C, J | 150% |
| Standard: U | 125% |
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| Lite: D | 125% |
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| Premium Economy |
Flexi: S, T | 125% |
| Standard: L, P | 100% |
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| Lite: R | 100% |
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| Economy | Flexi: B, E, Y | 100% |
| Standard: M, H, W | 75% |
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| Value & Lite: Q, N, V, K, G | 50% | |
Flying on Scoot
When flying on Scoot, the accrual rate is 2.5 Elite miles for every 1 KrisFlyer mile earned.
Scoot awards 1 KrisFlyer mile for every S$1 spent on base fare and add-ons like meals and luggage (except e-Visa, travel insurance/Scoot Protect).
For flights that are partially paid with KrisFlyer miles, only the cash portion (i.e. paid by credit or debit card, etc.) are eligible for miles accrual. Flights that are fully paid with miles or Scoot vouchers are not eligible for miles accrual.
Flying on mixed itineraries
If your itinerary has a mix of Singapore Airlines and Scoot sectors, you will earn Elite miles for the Singapore Airlines sectors based on the table mentioned previously, and on Scoot sectors based on a percentage of the actual miles flown and your Scoot booking class.
| โ๏ธ Elite Mile Accrual on Scoot Flights |
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| Cabin | Fare Class | Accrual Rate |
| ScootPlus | C, D, I J, U, Z | 25% |
| Economy Class | A, F, P, R, S, Y | 20% |
| B, H, M, W | 15% | |
| N, O, X | 10% | |
When flying on Star Alliance and other eligible partners, Elite miles are based on fare code and distance flown. Refer to this chart for more information.
Earn on the ground
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| Details |
Elite miles can normally only be earned by flying, but from 5 March to 4 June 2024, Singapore Airlines is running a special campaign that allows PPS Club and KrisFlyer members to earn PPS Value and Elite miles respectively for on-ground spending made at:
- Kris+ (both in Singapore and Australia)
- KrisShop
- Pelago
Earn rates for PPS Club and KrisFlyer members are as follows:
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| PPS Club | KrisFlyer | |
| Earn Rate | 1 PPS Value per S$3 spent* | 1 Elite mile per S$1 spent** |
| Cap | 2,500 PPS Value | 5,000 Elite miles |
| *Or 1 PPS Value per A$3 spent via Kris+ in Australia **Or 1 Elite mile per A$1 spent via Kris+ in Australia |
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PPS Club members will earn 1 PPS Value per S$3 spent, with an overall cap of 2,500 PPS Value, while KrisFlyer members will earn 1 Elite mile per S$1 spent, with an overall cap of 5,000 Elite miles. Caps apply for the entire campaign period.
You will only earn PPS Value or Elite miles for cash spending, excluding any amount paid for taxes and delivery charges where applicable. Should you choose to redeem KrisFlyer miles on Kris+, KrisShop or Pelago (not a great idea in the first place), that dollar value will not be eligible to earn status credits.
Under this promotion, PPS Value can only be earned by PPS Club members, and Elite miles can only be earned by KrisFlyer members.
Therefore, for PPS Club members:
- A current PPS Club member can requalify for PPS Club, or upgrade to Solitaire PPS Club
- A current Solitaire PPS Club member can requalify for Solitaire PPS Club
And for KrisFlyer members:
- A current entry-level KrisFlyer member can qualify for either KrisFlyer Elite Silver, or KrisFlyer Elite Gold
- A current KrisFlyer Elite Silver can requalify for KrisFlyer Elite Silver, or upgrade to KrisFlyer Elite Gold
- A current KrisFlyer Elite Gold can requalify for KrisFlyer Elite Gold
In other words, if you’re currently a KrisFlyer Elite Gold member in the midst of racking up PPS Value through flying to upgrade to PPS Club, you won’t be able to earn extra PPS Value on the ground via this promotion.
KrisFlyer Milestone Rewards
To reward KrisFlyer Elite Gold members who go above and beyond requalification, SIA offers the KrisFlyer Milestone Rewards programme.
This awards you various gifts as you progress towards requalification and beyond, with 10 different Milestone Rewards on offer up to 100,000 Elite miles.
| ๐ KrisFlyer Milestone Rewards | |
| Elite Miles | KrisFlyer Milestone Reward |
| 1,000 | 1,000 bonus KrisFlyer miles on next Scoot flight |
| 2,500 | 20% discount voucher on Scoot |
| 5,000 | 1,500 KrisPay miles (equivalent to S$10) |
| 10,000 | S$20 KrisShop Promo Code |
| 20,000 | 25% Bonus KrisFlyer Miles |
| 25,000: Qualify/Requalify for KrisFlyer Elite Silver | |
| 30,000 | 50% Bonus KrisFlyer Miles |
| 40,000 | 5,000 KrisFlyer Miles Redemption Discount |
| 50,000: Qualify/Requalify for KrisFlyer Elite Gold | |
| 60,000 | Double KrisFlyer Miles |
| 75,000 | Short-haul Advance Upgrade |
| 100,000 | Premium Economy Class Advance Upgrade |
Two important things to note here:
- KrisFlyer Milestone Rewards are awarded based on Elite miles accumulated with a given calendar year (not membership year!)
- While Elite miles can be accrued when flying on Star Alliance or other Singapore Airlines partners, only Elite miles accrued on Singapore Airlines and Scoot flights will count towards the attainment of KrisFlyer Milestone Rewards.
For more on KrisFlyer Milestone Rewards, refer to the post below.
Complete Guide: Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer Milestone Rewards
25% mileage accrual bonus
Every time KrisFlyer Elite Gold members fly with Singapore Airlines or Scoot, they’ll earn a 25% bonus KrisFlyer miles on all fare classes except:
- Economy Lite (V, K)
- Economy Value (Q, N)
This applies on top of the booking class bonus, as illustrated below:
| Cabin | Fare Class | Accrual Rate |
| Suites / First | A,F | 225% |
| Business |
Flexi: Z, C, J | 175% |
| Standard: U | 150% |
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| Lite: D | 150% |
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| Premium Economy |
Flexi: S, T | 150% |
| Standard: L, P | 125% |
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| Lite: R | 125% |
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| Economy | Flexi: B, E, Y | 125% |
| Standard: M, H, W | 100% |
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| Value & Lite: Q, N, V, K, G | 50% (no bonus) |
The 25% bonus applies to KrisFlyer miles only, not Elite miles or PPS Value.
For example, if a KrisFlyer Elite Gold were to buy a return Economy Class ticket in fare class H from Singapore to San Francisco (8,440 miles distance each way), he would earn:
- 12,660 base miles (8,440 miles x 2 x 75%)
- 4,220 bonus miles (8,440 miles x 2 x 25%)
- 12,660 Elite miles (8,440 miles x 2 x 75%)
When flying on Scoot, the 25% bonus is applied to the usual rate of 1 mile per S$1 of base fare and add-ons (excluding e-Visa, travel insurance or Scoot protect), i.e. 1.25 miles per S$1 spent.
For passengers travelling on a mixed itinerary containing both Scoot and Singapore Airlines sectors, you’ll earn KrisFlyer miles for the Singapore Airlines sectors based on the table above, and for the Scoot sectors based on a percentage of actual miles flown on Scoot with a 25% bonus.
Priority reservation waitlist
In theory, KrisFlyer Elite Golds should have higher priority than KrisFlyer Elite Silver or KrisFlyer members when it comes to clearing waitlists, be it revenue or award tickets.
In reality, it’s hard to quantify just how big of a benefit this is. It may be a useful tiebreaker, but if you’re hoping to score 2x Suite Savers on the JFK or LHR route by virtue of your Elite Gold status, you’re likely to be disappointed.
My unscientific opinion is that there isn’t much of a difference.
Priority check-in
KrisFlyer Elite Gold members can check-in at Business Class or specially-designated Star Alliance Gold counters whenever they fly on Singapore Airlines, Star Alliance, Virgin Atlantic, Virgin Australia or Vistara.
This benefit is valid both in Singapore and overseas, and also applies to your travelling companions on the same itinerary. That said, the “same itinerary” requirement isn’t always strictly enforced; I’ve booked separate award tickets in the past but always managed to check-in with my travel companion at the Business Class desk.
Additional baggage & priority handling
KrisFlyer Elite Gold members receive an additional checked baggage allowance when flying with Singapore Airlines, Star Alliance, Star Alliance Connecting Partner, Virgin Atlantic, Virgin Australia or Vistara.
For countries where the weight concept is used, the extra allowance is 20kg (10kg with Vistara). For passengers on Singapore Airlines specifically, here’s what the total entitlement would look like:
| ๐งณ Weight Concept (Flights to/from all countries except Canada/USA) |
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| Regular Allowance | KrisFlyer Elite Gold | |
| Suites & First Class | 50kg | 70kg |
| Business Class | 40kg | 60kg |
| Premium Economy Class | 35kg | 55kg |
| Economy Class | ||
| Flexi | 30kg | 50kg |
| Standard | 30kg | 50kg |
| Lite | 25kg | 45kg |
For countries where the piece concept is used, the extra allowance is one more bag, which is either 32kg in First and Business or 23kg otherwise.
| ๐งณ Piece Concept (Flights to/from Canada/USA) |
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| Allowance | KrisFlyer Elite Gold | |
| Suites & First Class | 2x 32kg | 3x 32kg |
| Business Class | 2x 32kg | 3x 32kg |
| Premium Economy Class | 2x 23kg | 3x 23kg |
| Economy Class (all fare types) | 2x 23kg | 3x 23kg |
Where Virgin Australia is concerned, you will be permitted to check an extra bag of up to 32kg for Business Class passengers, and up to 23kg for Economy Class passengers, on domestic and short-haul international flights.
While this benefit generally applies across all Star Alliance partners, it does not apply to:
- “Light” fares offered by Austrian, Lufthansa and SWISS
- “Check&Go” fares offered by Brussels Airlines
- “Go light” fares offered by SAS
- “Seat” fares offered by Air New Zealand
KrisFlyer Elite Gold members also receive priority baggage handling tags, which means your bags should be among the first to come out on the belt. In my experience this happens most of the time, but there could be that rare instance (especially with connecting flights) where priority isn’t observed.
Lounge access
KrisFlyer Elite Golds enjoy lounge access every time they fly on Singapore Airlines, Star Alliance, Virgin Australia, and Virgin Atlantic, together with a guest (except on Virgin Atlantic).
| Flying On | Access | Guest? |
| Singapore Airlines |
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+1 guest1 |
| Star Alliance | Star Alliance Gold Lounge | +1 guest2 |
| Virgin Australia | Virgin Australia Lounge | +1 guest3 |
| Virgin Atlantic | Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse4 | No guest |
| 1. Must be departing on same flight 2. Must be departing on the same flight 3. Must be departing on same-day Virgin Australia flight 4. Except when departing from London Heathrow, where access is granted to the Club Aspire Lounge T3 |
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While KrisFlyer Elite Golds can access SilverKris lounges outside of Singapore, when flying from Changi they will be directed to the (inferior) KrisFlyer Gold Lounge instead. They may use either the Terminal 2 or Terminal 3 facility- definitely go with the latter, as it’s newer and better.
Review: Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer Gold Lounge Changi Terminal 2
Outside of Singapore, at airports where no SilverKris Lounge is available, KrisFlyer Elite Golds generally receive the same lounge access entitlement as a passenger travelling in Business Class.
However, some exceptions apply. For example, PPS Club, First and Business Class passengers flying out of Mumbai Airport enjoy access to the Adani First & Business Class lounge, which features table service and complimentary spa treatments. KrisFlyer Elite Golds get the very basic Loyalty Lounge.
On the flip side, there are some airports where KrisFlyer Elite Golds get a better lounge than Business Class passengers. That’s the case for the Lufthansa Group, where Star Golds get access to the Senator Lounge, the same lounge that non-Lufthansa Group First Class passengers use. Business Class passengers get access to the Business Class Lounge instead.
This creates a strange situation in airports like Frankfurt, where a Singapore Airlines Suites passenger will be occupying the same lounge as a KrisFlyer Elite Gold member in Economy, while the Business Class passenger without status gets sent elsewhere!
As far as I know, these are the Singapore Airlines destinations where Business Class and KrisFlyer Elite Golds have different lounge entitlements:
| Airport | Business Class | KrisFlyer Elite Gold (in Economy) |
| Frankfurt | LH Business Lounge or AC Maple Leaf Lounge | LH Senator Lounge or AC Maple Leaf Lounge |
| Houston | Polaris Lounge | United Club |
| Istanbul | TK Business Lounge | TK Miles&Smiles Lounge |
| Manchester | 1903 Lounge | Escape Lounge |
| Mumbai | Adani Lounge | Loyalty Lounge |
| Munich | LH Business Lounge | LH Senator Lounge |
| San Francisco | Polaris Lounge | United Club |
| Zurich | LX Business Lounge | LX Senator Lounge |
Priority security
As Star Gold members, KrisFlyer Elite Golds can enjoy fast-track security clearance at selected airports worldwide, every time they fly on a Star Alliance member airline (regardless of cabin).
Gold Track lanes are available more than 100 airports at the time of writing, including Amsterdam, Barcelona, Brisbane, New York JFK, Osaka, San Francisco, Sydney, Tokyo Narita, Tokyo Haneda, and Zurich.
While the benefit is, strictly speaking, for the Gold member only, in practice I’ve received fast track vouchers for my non-Gold companion as well.
Priority boarding
When the time comes to board, KrisFlyer Elite Golds can get a jump on overhead storage space by boarding before the rest of Economy Class.
The boarding order for Singapore Airlines is:
- Passengers who require special assistance, as well as those with infants and toddlers
- Suites and First Class passengers
- Business Class passengers and PPS Club members
- Premium Economy Class passengers, KrisFlyer Elite Gold and Star Alliance Gold members
- Economy Class passengers (further split into three zones depending on location)
Other Star Alliance carriers may have a different order of priority.
Just like fast-track security, priority boarding is meant to be for the Gold member only, but in practice a reasonable number of companions are accepted too.
Complimentary seat selection
While seat selection is complimentary for Singapore Airlines First/Suites and Business Class passengers, Premium Economy and Economy Class passengers may be required to pay.
| Fare Type | Fare Code | Seat Selection |
| Economy Lite | V, K | Chargeable |
| Economy Value | Q, N | Chargeable |
| Economy Standard | M, H, W | Free (Standard) |
| Economy Flexi | Y, B, E | Free (Forward Zone & Standard) |
| Premium Economy (all types) |
L, P, R, S, T | Free (Standard) |
| Note: Premium Economy passengers on all fare types can select standard seats for free, but must pay for Extra Legroom or Solo Seats |
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| ๐บ Seat Selection Fees | |||
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| Standard | Forward Zone | Extra Legroom | |
| Band 1 | US$8 | US$15 | US$25 |
| Band 2 | US$10 | US$20 | US$60 |
| Band 3 | US$15 | US$25 | US$80 |
| Band 4 | US$20 | US$40 | US$100 |
| Band 5 | US$25 | US$50 | US$120 |
| Band 1: Singapore to/from Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam; between Denmark and Italy, between Spain and Italy Band 2: Singapore to/from Bangladesh, Hong Kong, China, India. Japan, Korea, Maldives, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Taiwan and UAE Band 3: Singapore to/from Australia and New Zealand Band 4: Singapore to/from Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Russia, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey and United Kingdom; between United States and Germany Band 5: Singapore to/from USA |
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If you’re a KrisFlyer Elite Gold member, you can choose any Forward Zone or Standard seat in Economy Class for free, regardless of fare type. This saves you between US$8 to US$50, depending on route.
KrisFlyer Elite Golds are still required to pay for:
- Extra Legroom seats (US$25-120)
- Solo seats (US$140; only available on the A350-900 ULR flights to the USA)
However, they will receive a 15% discount off the cost. Travelling companions booked on the same itinerary will receive a 10% discount off advance seat selection.
For example, if a KrisFlyer Elite Gold makes a booking for himself and his wife in Economy Lite and selects Extra Legroom seats, he will save 15% off his seat selection fee, and 10% off her seat selection fee.
Don’t forget that all Singapore Airlines seats can be selected for free by any passenger at the T-48 hours mark, i.e. when online check-in opens.
Complimentary seat selection does not apply when flying on other Star Alliance carriers.
For a full rundown of seat selection fees, refer to the article below.
Double miles extension duration
Singapore Airlines has ended its COVID-era miles extension policy, and since July 2023, KrisFlyer miles (except those earned by Solitaire PPS and PPS Club members) expire at the end of three years once again.
While I highly advise against it, KrisFlyer members can pay a service fee of 1,200 miles or US$12 (~S$16) per 10,000 miles to extend their miles by a further six months. KrisFlyer Elite Silver & Gold members enjoy double the extension period, i.e. 12 months.
| โ๏ธ Extending KrisFlyer Miles |
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| KrisFlyer | KrisFlyer Elite Silver & Gold | |
| Fee (per 10,000 miles or part thereof) |
1,200 miles or US$12 | 1,200 miles or US$12 |
| Extension Period | 6 months | 12 months |
Should you pay the extension fee in cash or miles? It boils down to how much you value a mile:
- If your value per mile is below 1.34 cents, pay with miles
- If your value per mile is more than 1.34 cents, pay with cash
Perhaps a better question is whether you should pay to extend miles in the first place, and I lean towards no. This merely kicks the can down the road, and even if you canโt fly in the near future, thereโs still ways of getting some value out of them.
Waived service fees
KrisFlyer Elite Gold members will receive a waiver of the usual fees required to change redemption nominees for KrisFlyer awards.
| Tier |
Change of Redemption Nominee | |
| Online | Offline | |
| KrisFlyer | US$30 or 3,000 miles | US$55 or 5,500 miles |
| KrisFlyer Elite Silver | US$15 or 1,500 miles | US$40 or 4,000 miles |
| KrisFlyer Elite Gold | Waived | US$25 or 2,500 miles |
| PPS Club & Solitaire PPS Club | Waived | Waived |
| Can only be done six months after a nominee is added | ||
However, they will have to pay the usual service fees for making changes to award tickets- even top-tier Solitaire PPS Club members aren’t exempt!
Scoot perks
KrisFlyer Elite Gold members enjoy additional benefits on Scoot, as summarised below.
| โ๏ธ Scoot Privileges for SQ Elites |
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| KrisFlyer Elite Gold/Silver | Solitaire PPS/PPS Club | |
| Priority Check-in and Boarding | โ | โ |
| Extra 5kg Luggage Allowance^ (with min. purchase of 20 kg allowance) |
โ | โ |
| Free Standard Seat Selection* | โ | โ |
| One-time Booking Flexibility Waiver | โ
KF Elite Gold only |
โ |
| SilverKris Lounge Access | โ | โ
Solitaire PPS Club only |
| ^Only applies to the elite member, and not travelling companions *Only applies to bookings made directly on the flyscoot.com website |
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These benefits will be added to your booking within 24 hours after the booking is confirmed. You’ll receive an email notification when that happens. This also means that if you make your booking within 24 hours of departure, you will not be able to enjoy any elite benefits.
If you were not a KrisFlyer Elite Gold at the time you created the booking, but are subsequently upgraded to such a tier, you will enjoy the benefits provided the upgrade takes place at least 24 hours before departure. The benefits will be automatically applied, with no action required from your side. However, you will not be refunded for any previously paid ancillaries that overlap with your new benefits.
Birthday bonus
PPS Club and KrisFlyer members can earn a birthday bonus of 1,000 to 2,000 bonus miles when they travel on a commercial Singapore Airlines or Scoot flight during their birthday month, or the subsequent two calendar months.
| Membership Tier | ๐ Birthday Bonus |
 KrisFlyer Member |
1,000 bonus miles |
| KrisFlyer Elite Silver |
1,500 bonus miles |
| KrisFlyer Elite Gold |
1,500 bonus miles |
 Solitaire PPS & PPS Club |
2,000 bonus miles |
The flight must be completed within three months from the first day of the KrisFlyer member’s birthday month. For example, if your birthday is 14 April 2024, you will need to fly between 1 April to 30 June 2024 to qualify (note how the flight can be before your actual birthday).
There is no minimum duration or distance required for the bonus to be triggered, but codeshare flights (sold by another carrier and operated by SIA/Scoot) are not eligible. Also, it does not matter when the booking was made, only when it is flown.
Do note that the birthday bonus only applies to commercial flights paid fully with cash. No birthday bonus will be awarded if you:
- Redeem an award flight
- Partially or fully pay with miles
- Partially or fully pay with vouchers
The birthday bonus will be earned on a maximum of one flight segment, so even if your itinerary involves multiple segments, like SQ26 from SIN-FRA-JFK, you’ll only earn a single birthday bonus.
No registration is required for this offer; it will apply automatically to all KrisFlyer or PPS Club members.
This benefit is currently valid for all of 2024, and is subject to further extension.
Shangri-La Circle Jade fast track
Thanks to the Infinite Journeys partnership between Singapore Airlines and Shangri-La Hotels & Resorts, KrisFlyer Elite Gold members can register and earn Jade status with one single night at any Shangri-La Hotel and Resort, Kerry Hotel, Traders Hotel or Hotel Jen worldwide. This status normally requires 20 nights or 6,000 tier points a year to qualify.
The tier upgrade will take place within a week of meeting the upgrade criteria.
Shangri-La Jade members enjoy perks including free breakfast, room upgrades, and priority for early check-in (11 a.m) and late check-out (4 p.m), subject to availability.
Heathrow Express upgrade
Star Alliance has a partnership with Heathrow Express, that provides Solitaire PPS Club, PPS Club and KrisFlyer Elite Gold members with a free upgrade to Business First Class by virtue of their Star Gold tier.
According to the T&Cs, Star Gold members must purchase a full fare standard class ticket, and show their Star Gold frequent flyer card when prompted by the conductor. In practice, however, there’s no need to purchase full fare; I’ve received this benefit many times when riding on a discounted ticket as well (which can cost as little as ยฃ5.50 one way, if purchased 90 days ahead).
Frankly, it’s a modest little upgrade, since the ride is a grand total of 15 minutes. But hey, why not?
Conclusion
KrisFlyer Elite Golds will forever be second class citizens to the PPS Club, but perks like lounge access and additional baggage can help ease the pain of travelling. You’ll also enjoy priority baggage handling and boarding, plus a (theoretically) better shot at award seats!
I probably would not go out of my way to earn this, but in reality a lot of readers may already hold KrisFlyer Elite Gold status courtesy of Singapore Airlines’ COVID-era “earn on the ground” campaign. Some may have earned sufficient Elite miles via credit card points transfers to retain their status all the way till January 2025.
So yes, there’s no harm enjoying the perks in that case, and if it can make Economy Class travel a little more tolerable, why not?
Any other KrisFlyer Elite Gold perks worth highlighting?
Shame about the discontinuation of the welcome kits with luggage tags and physical cards, I’ve always been looking forward to them!
It was about time that SQ discontinued this anachronistic and extremely wasteful exercise. I bet more than 90% of them will end up in landfill sites anyway.
Hi Aaron, Happy New Year! Great summary article as always!
A question on additional baggage, do you know if it applies to redemption nominees if the KFEG holder isnโt part of the travel party?
Happy New Year! No, redemption nominees don’t enjoy any kfeg perks
So it sounds like the distinction between KF Gold and PPS/Solitaire applies only within the SQ ecosystem (apart from the three lounges you’ve mentioned). Outside that, everybody is Star Gold. Hopefully my understanding is correct
Thats a fair statement to make for the most part. Thai airways for example couldn’t care less if you’re kfeg or solitaire pps
RE: lounge differences
When flying out of many CH/DE/AT airports, KrisFlyer Gold passengers get a better lounge than SQ business class (only) passengers, given *G grants access to the more upscale Senator/Alpine lounges of the Lufthansa Group.
Can sit together with the SQ F/Suites passengers there!
Always found this policy slightly amusing where J pax are relegated to the Business lounges which kinda meh, while *G folk in Y gets the slightly better Senator lounges.
Good point but I’ve always found the differences to be marginal, at least in Frankfurt and Munich. I believe the main advantage of senator lounge over business is the presence of a manned bar?
LOT Lounge at Warsaw a few years ago, morning flight (breakfast) – business lounge had a cold breakfast, the Star Gold room inside had the hot breakfast food
That “LOT Elite” room for gold and LO long-haul business class only is great indeed! Last time I was there they had also real champagne for self service (Nicholas feuillatte). LH had also real champagne in the Senator lounge (at least the FRA B one), while business didn’t, but they seem to have switched that to prosecco now. Not that much difference with business, but the few additional SEN drinks, food and seasonal options can be nice. SK is another airline with better lounges for gold than business. Their OSL gold lounge has beer on tap and spirits, which is… Read more »
real champagne! that’s a nice touch, haven’t seen it in an LH lounge yet (well, FCT aside)
Also in FCL. And tbh, contrary to FT, I wouldn’t bother using FCT unless departing from FRA, and I have no VAT refunds. Not much difference now. There is a fee for customs to come out to FCT to validate.
Yes, FCL has duckies too – though not some are shower only rooms, while others are actual bath rooms.
SQ needs to up their ground services in FRA – LH has a big advantage over SQ in the lounge department. Even for transit.
Yep agree that the SAS Gold Lounge in CPH is better than the normal SAS Lounge. Interestingly enough when i flew with SAS in 2019, I was able to enter the SAS Gold on a J ticket with no status heh.
Senator lounge has showers, business lounge doesn’t. IIRC
Iโm currently already on KFEG (membership year ending Nov 2022). If I manage to attain 50,000 Elite miles say by Jul 2022, would my KFEG membership be extended for another year (to Nov 2023) automatically upon this trigger, and thereby making me lose out on SQโs concessionary extension of elite status for memberships expiring in Mar 2022 to Feb 2023?
Should my game plan be just to attain below 50,000 Elite miles by Nov 2022 in order to qualify for the concessionary extension? Thanks!
On “all Singapore Airlines seats can be selected for free by any passenger at the T-48 hours mark”, does that include bulkhead seats in business class too? Thanks in advance
Yes, if they’re still untaken
Any practical experiences on how long Shangri-La Jade upgrade takes after checkout?
Sure, it says many weeks, but like Aaron points out, it also says full fare for Heathrow Express BizFirst…
My experience from last year:
1) In confirmation email, they estimated 1-2 weeks after checkout
2) More than two weeks passed; nothing happened.
3) Sent chaser email
4) Upgraded the next day
Total: less than 3 weeks, but had to send additional email. Could be an anomaly!
Thanks for the tip. ๐
The reverse however is quite instant. ie from Shangri-La Jade to KF Elite Silver was approved instantly upon the click of the registration button. Now I wonder how long KFEG will click in after 3 SQ flights.
Stay tuned. ๐
I tried this last weekend and booked one night at Hotel Jen. I got immediately upgraded to Jade a day after my check out.
> While the benefit is, strictly speaking, for the Gold member only, in practice Iโve received fast track vouchers for my non-Gold companion as well. I need some information about this statement. Let’s say that I am a KF Gold member and eligible for Priority Check-in/boarding, while my family members don’t have this status. Is it possible for me to check-in/board together with my family members in the priority lane while flying Economy? Should the tickets be booked in 1 single booking or can be in separate bookings? I understand that this is not guaranteed and any perks should be… Read more »
With regards to priority boarding, The gate agents are usually obliging enough to let your partner or small family in together, as long as youโre not taking a big group with you. for priority check-in, there are instances where they will pick up that youโre not on the same booking or not immediate family members, and they have the right (of course they do, itโs stated anyway) to not serve those not included in the rules, but generally if you are polite and nice about it, showing that you also appreciate that they are showing goodwill too, things go through.… Read more »
Thank you for your information, Non ^^
I understand about the goodwill and entitlement part… there are lots of adult travelers nowadays that throw a tantrum in the airport / on the plane, just because they didn’t get what they want.
Cheers!
So I just booked a flight on Scoot to CNX and was pleasantly surprised when they included complimentary standard seats for KF Elite Gold members. The booking website says not to select your seats until you receive an email in 24 hours. The email came, with a button that says “Select my seats now”. I tried to do that and to my horror realised that in a 100% empty plane, they had assigned me to Seat 31F both ways. That is right in the corner at the end of the last row, and non-reclining–the worst seat in the plane. I… Read more »
Man, that’s really lame. I didn’t need to change my seat but realised they were still charging a fee to do so on my way back from bkk
Yup, I am currently in a similarly bad seat for my Scoot flight and experienced exactly the same problem. On my outward flight I was given the second last row, and now I am in the last, in a non-reclinable seat. I do not understand how “complimentary standard seat selection” means you are pre-assigned a really bad seat and when given the chance to select your seat, choosing any other seat incurs a fee. It seems you are better off not having this “benefit”! A passenger with no frequent flyer status who just chooses not to pay for seat selection… Read more »
I noticed that KFEG priority check-in in some overseas stations have been aligned more with Premium Economy rather than Business class, even in stations which do not offer Premium Economy class, eg. in Jakarta CGK where SQ does not sell Premium Economy class out of CGK, there is now a dedicated Premium Economy cum KFEG/StarGold queue. I have been too used to using Business Class check-in queue as KFEG pre-COVID at CGK. During my first trip from CGK after Indonesia opens up recently, I naturally pushed my trolley to join the Business Class queue. I was already halfway in the… Read more »
In Adelaide I was directed to the extremely long economy check-in line after asking about KFEG check-in. To the chagrin of the lady who said this I simply ignored her and went to the business class check-in which had no queue. No problem and I was flying on a spontaneous escapes discounted economy reward. Agent even blocked the seat next to me.
Quick question: – My Krisgold membership is from Jun 2022 to Jun 2023. – Earned 5k miles through flights in Jul 2022 – Earned 15k miles through flights in Oct 2022 – Earned 15k miles through flights in Dec 2022 – Will earn 5k miles through flights in Mar 2023 Will only hit 40k miles come Jun 2023 and fail to quality for membership come Jun 2023. Does that mean my counter will reset to zero? – Cause I will earn 15k miles through flights in Jul 2023 If SQ looks from Aug 2022 to Jul 2023, I would have… Read more »
I am curious about people’s views on having PPS versus having KFEG and maybe chasing another status say on OneWorld. I have PPS and in theory, could renew by the end of the year, KFEG renewal would be in the bag anyway. At the same time given some long-haul destinations I will start to have to MEA, I could switch to maybe Qatar for example, and chase BA Gold. As mentioned by others below when traveling to/from Germany which I do a lot, KFEG already gives me Senator access. My other major route to NYC well let’s be frank the… Read more »
if i had a choice between star gold and oneworld emerald, i’d choose the latter- first class lounge access is a huge draw for me!
are there any ways to status match Star Alliance Gold to Oneworld Emerald? ๐
during covid Qatar airways did indeed offer this, and some solitaire pps members walked away with oneworld emerald. strictly speaking, however, oneworld rules do not allow direct matching to emerald, only status challenges. but as we know, qatar doesn’t really care about oneworld rules
LATAM matched Aegean Gold (or any other *G) to their BLACK/Oneworld Emerald in 2017. Only condition was having proof of having flown LATAM before. Could’ve been even their FRA-MAD 5th freedom flight at that time.
Was fun back then, especially when visiting LHR T3.
Unfortunately they left OneWorld in the meantime.
Just fly back from Frankfurt. It seems that now they have removed the โstar alliance goldโ logo from LH Senator Lounge Signage but only have the logo appeared to Business Class Lounge signage. I havnโt triend to SEnator Lounge this time but I guess they already changed it.
if i booked my flights while i am still KFEG but will not be gold by the time i fly, will i still get gold perks or no?
Value of KFEG is shrinking considering inflated air ticket price to earn the same amount of miles post COVID.
For lounge access, better to get through credit cards.
Donโt expect any upgrades. SQ only do it when the flight is full and there is a long list off PPS life/solitare members with priority.
Hi Aaron, I recently travelled on virgin Australia flights within Australia, I booked directly on their website and I got krisflyer miles but not elite miles. I saw that you can get elite miles on codeshare flights. May I know how I can go about booking codeshare flights?
Hi, great summary but I have a question. If my collection period starts 1st of August and I reach the 25K, within 6 month, do I have to collect another 50K to reach gold or only 25k in the other 6 month? And if I understand correctly, once I reach 50k (assume 30th of March 2025), my 12 month period to requalify starts on 1st of April?
Thanks for your help.
Hi Aaron, thanks for the amazing article!
If I have accrued more than 50,000 elite miles required for requalification for Gold, am I able to carry these elite miles over to the following membership year once I have requalified?