KrisFlyer Spree closing down on 1 September

Back in 2014, Singapore Airlines launched KrisFlyer Spree, a “online mall” which enabled members to earn KrisFlyer miles at more than 2,000 global brands and merchants including Adidas, Apple, eBay and Shopee.

Customers visit merchant websites through the KrisFlyer Spree portal, and shop and pay as per normal. KrisFlyer Spree tracks purchases automatically and awards miles when the transaction is confirmed. It’s basically ShopBack, with miles instead of cashback. 

KrisFlyer Spree celebrated its 8th birthday this year, but that’s as far as it’ll get as Singapore Airlines has announced its pending demise.

KrisFlyer Spree closing shop on 1 September

KrisFlyer Spree

Singapore Airlines is calling time on KrisFlyer Spree, at least in its current form. Per an update on the website: 

KrisFlyer Spree will be discontinued from 1 September 2022. KrisFlyer miles will be credited for eligible transactions made on or before 31 August 2022 23:59 SGT.

-KrisFlyer Spree

From 1 September 2022, it will no longer be possible to make purchases via KrisFlyer Spree. Any eligible transaction completed on or before 31 August 2022 at 2359 hours SGT (GMT+8) will still earn KrisFlyer miles as per normal.

Don’t forget that it may take up to five working days for a purchase to show as “pending”, and a further 90 days for merchants to acknowledge and validate transactions. Once a transaction is validated by the merchant, miles will be credited within seven working days. 

In reality, it’s very much a case of YMMV. I’ve had transactions track and credit within a week, others took almost half a year, still others never came in. 

What’s clear is that KrisFlyer Spree is not a source of quick miles. If you need to top off your account, there are much faster ways of doing so, such as transferring from Kris+ or card-issuers like American Express and OCBC. 

What card should you use for KrisFlyer Spree transactions?

It’s important to remember that payments are not made via KrisFlyer Spree. KrisFlyer Spree is only a portal through which you access the merchant’s website, where final payment is made. 

The best card to use therefore depends on the underlying merchant, and the following cards offer up to 4 mpd for online shopping.

Card	Earn Rate	Caps
Citi Rewards Apply	4.0 mpd	S$1K per s. month, excludes travel Review
DBS WWMC Apply	4.0 mpd	S$2K per c. month Review
HSBC Revolution Apply	4.0 mpd	Max S$1K per c. month. Selected MCCs only Review
OCBC Titanium Rewards Apply	4.0 mpd	S$13.3K per m. year. Selected MCCs only Review
UOB Lady’s Card Apply	4.0 mpd	Max S$1K (Lady’s) or S$3K (Solitaire) per c. month. Must choose shopping as 10X category, selected MCCs only Review
UOB Lady’s Solitaire Apply	4.0 mpd

Will KrisFlyer Spree take a new form?

Does the demise of KrisFlyer Spree spell the end of the concept altogether for Singapore Airlines? I struggle to see that happening, somehow. 

I’ll admit I’m not familiar with the underlying economics, but it seems to me that online shopping portals are a win-win for airlines. Merchants pay commissions in cold hard cash, while portals issue customers airline miles- the value of which they control. Many of Singapore Airlines’ competitors like Cathay Pacific, British Airways and Qantas all are going strong with theirs, and I doubt the concept is going out of vogue anytime soon. 

Online shopping portals are important touchpoints with customers, since they enable more frequent interactions as opposed to an occasional flight or periodic credit card points transfer. Needless to say, the data gathered also allows airlines to segment their user bases with more granularity, bolstering their marketing efforts.

If I had to bet, I’d say we’ll see similar functionality added to Kris+ sometime down the road, as Singapore Airlines continues its efforts to turn Kris+ into its super app. We’ve already seen Kris+ experimenting with in-app shopping; just look at KrisShop on Kris+ for example.

Conclusion

KrisFlyer Spree will discontinue operations on 1 September 2022, although any pending miles will still be credited as promised. While I certainly didn’t expect Singapore Airlines to shut down the site, I don’t think we’ve seen the last of the concept by far. 

Watch this space.

Do you think we’ll see KrisFlyer Spree reborn in a different form?

(HT: Alvin)