American Express has launched a new flash deal for the AMEX KrisFlyer Ascend, which is valid for approvals from 26–31 October 2022.
New cardholders who apply via The MileLion and spend S$3,000 will receive the public offer of up to 30,000 bonus miles, plus a Samsonite Sigma Spinner Expandable 76cm Graphite luggage (worth S$600).
They will also enjoy the standard AMEX KrisFlyer Ascend benefits such as four lounge vouchers and a 1-night Hilton voucher redeemable at more than 250 hotels across Asia Pacific.
AMEX KrisFlyer Ascend flash deal
 Apply Here | ||
| Spend | Miles | |
| First Spend | Any | 5K |
| Pay Annual Fee | – | 10K |
| Sign-Up Bonus | S$3K (First 3 mo.) | 15K |
| Base Miles | 3.6K (S$3K @ 1.2 mpd) | |
| Total Spend | S$3K | |
| Total Miles | 33.6K | |
All first-time American Express KrisFlyer cobrand cardholders will enjoy 5,000 miles on their first spend of any amount. This is a once per lifetime bonus, so if you’ve previously held an American Express KrisFlyer cobrand card before, you won’t receive this a second time.
Cardholders will receive 10,000 miles upon paying the mandatory S$337.05 annual fee and making their first spend of at least S$1 within 30 days of approval.
Cardholders who apply via The MileLion and spend S$3,000 in the first 3 months of approval will receive 15,000 miles plus a Samsonite Sigma Spinner Expandable 76cm Graphite.
| ❓ Who is eligible? |
10,000 + 15,000 miles: This offer is open to anyone who has not cancelled a principal AMEX KrisFlyer Ascend card in the past 12 months. If you currently hold other AMEX cards, you will still be eligible. Samsonite luggage: This offer is open to anyone who has not cancelled a principal AMEX KrisFlyer Ascend card in the past 12 months, and does not currently hold a principal AMEX credit card (DBS/UOB-issued cards and corporate/business cards (e.g. HighFlyer) don’t count). Note: An earlier version of this article stated the same eligibility criteria for both sets of gifts. Not to worry- if you applied before this article was updated, you’ll still receive the Samsonite luggage as promised, notwithstanding the fact you already hold another AMEX credit card. If you have any concerns, drop me a note via the Contact Us form. |
To summarise the offer, by spending S$3,000 in the first 3 months of approval, you’d receive the following:
- 5,000 miles (first spend bonus)
- 10,000 miles (annual fee bonus)
- 15,000 miles (sign-up bonus)
- Samsonite luggage
- 3,600 miles (base miles earned for S$3,000 spend @ 1.2 mpd)
For avoidance of doubt, there is no further stacking with any MGM bonuses.
Terms & Conditions
The T&Cs for the 30,000 miles sign-up offer can be found here.
The T&Cs for the Samsonite luggage gift can be found here.
Do note that even though point (6) in the Samsonite T&Cs says that the offer is not valid with any other promotions, I’ve confirmed with AMEX that customers will still enjoy the regular sign-up bonus of up to 30,000 miles.
All bonus miles and a redemption letter for the luggage will be processed within 12 weeks after the eligibility criteria is met. Any questions about the promotion should be directed to American Express (and if the CSOs say to contact The MileLion, they’re mistaken- all fulfilment is from the AMEX side).
What spending is eligible?
A minimum spend of S$3,000 must be met within the first 3 months (defined as 90 calendar days from the date of card approval).
American Express provides a list of excluded spending categories here, but the key ones to note are:
- GrabPay top-ups
- Insurance
- Public hospitals and polyclinics
- SPC transactions
- Utilities
CardUp, private and non-profit hospitals, donations, and anything else not explicitly stated in the exclusion list will count as eligible spend.
All spending on supplementary cards will pool with principal cards when determining whether the minimum spend has been met.
Overview: AMEX KrisFlyer Ascend
| Apply Here | |||
| Income Req. | S$50,000 p.a. | Points Validity | 3 years |
| Annual Fee | S$337.05 | Min. Transfer | N/A |
| Miles with Annual Fee | None | Transfer Partners |
|
| FCY Fee | 2.95% | Transfer Fee | None |
| Local Earn | 1.2 mpd | Points Pool? | N/A |
| FCY Earn | 2.0 mpd (Jun & Dec) | Lounge Access? | Yes |
| Special Earn | 2 mpd on SIA and KrisShop, 3.2 mpd for Grab | Airport Limo? | No |
| Cardholder Terms and Conditions | |||
The AMEX KrisFlyer Ascend has an annual fee of S$337.05, which includes:
- 4x lounge passes to participating Plaza Premium Lounges worldwide (including SATS Premier Lounge in Singapore)
- One-night stay at participating Hilton Hotels across Asia Pacific
- Hilton Silver status (which allows you to enjoy the 5th night free on award redemptions- very valuable if you’re buying Hilton points)
Cardholders earn 1.2 mpd on all local spend, and 2 mpd on foreign currency spend in June and December (1.2 mpd otherwise). Grab Singapore transactions earn 3.2 mpd, capped at S$200 per calendar month.
Cardholders who spend at least S$15,000 on eligible Singapore Airlines tickets within the first 12 months of approval will be automatically upgraded to KrisFlyer Elite Gold. This upgrade is valid for one year, after which they will need to requalify through regular means.
Spending S$15,000 on eligible purchases on Singapore Airlines tickets between 1 July to 30 June of the following year also gives a double miles accrual voucher, which can be applied to a booking to earn up to 5,000 bonus miles.
A further 500 bonus miles can be enjoyed for making a first telco recurring bill payment at participating merchants.
Don’t forget to check out my full review of the AMEX KrisFlyer Ascend below.
Conclusion
New AMEX KrisFlyer Ascend members who spend S$3,000 and pay the first year’s S$337.05 annual fee can get up to 30,000 bonus miles plus a Samsonite luggage. This is a great opportunity to stack another gift on top of the public offer, but you’ll need to act fast if you want to get it.
Remember: your application must be approved by 31 October 2022 to be eligible. Same-day approvals are possible, but I wouldn’t leave it till the last minute.
