While KrisFlyer may not be the most generous frequent flyer programme out there, one of the unspoken rules was that it would always offer the best Singapore Airlines award space. In fact, if you wanted to redeem long-haul First or Business Class seats on Singapore Airlines, the only way to do so was via KrisFlyer.
However, that rule appears to have changed in recent times, to the point that partners sometimes see even better award space than KrisFlyer members! This is bound to raise their ire, especially when Saver awards are harder to come by than ever before.
SIA has historically blocked partner redemptions for long-haul premium cabins
First, some context: airlines can and do make subsets of their award space available to partners.
For example, SWISS only allows Miles & More Senator members to redeem its First Class awards, while Air France only allows Flying Blue Platinum members to redeem its La Premiere cabin.
Singapore Airlines has historically gone one step further and blocked entire aircraft types from partner redemptions, at least in First and Business Class. That policy began in 2006, and while it’s softened somewhat in recent years, the general rule is that partner programmes like Avianca LifeMiles and United Mileage Plus can book:
- Economy Class awards on any route
- Business and First Class awards on selected short-haul/regional routes, such as Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur, Jakarta and Perth
For a detailed history on how this “rule” came into being, refer to the post below.
Understanding SQ’s restrictions on Business and First Class award seats for partners
| ❓ What about Miles & More? |
| Lufthansa Miles & More members were exempt from the blocking. However, given how hard it was to earn miles in that programme (it’s not a transfer partner of any major points currency in the USA), the impact on award space for KrisFlyer members was minimal. |
Selected partners can now book these seats
Singapore Airlines announced a frequent flyer partnership with Alaska Airlines in 2017, and in October 2019, Alaska Mileage Plan added the ability to book Singapore Airlines awards- including the so-called “forbidden cabins”. You could even redeem A380 Suites on flights to Hong Kong!
Needless to say, this was bad news for KrisFlyer members since it meant more competition from miles chasers in the USA, who generally speaking have easier access to miles thanks to generous sign-up bonuses and avenues for manufactured spend. Yes, KrisFlyer was already a transfer partner of American Express, Capital One, Chase and Citi at the time, but all things equal, a USA-based miles chaser was more likely to have a ready stash of miles in Mileage Plan than KrisFlyer.
But at the very least there was parity: whatever Mileage Plan members saw, KrisFlyer members saw too. It was a case of fastest fingers first.
Not anymore.
Over the past few months, MileLion readers have been spotting numerous instances where Singapore Airlines Business Class awards are available through Mileage Plan, but not KrisFlyer.
Here’s an example on the Singapore to Sydney route. Notice how Mileage Plan members can redeem seats on SQ231…
…while KrisFlyer members have to make do with the waitlist. I should also point out that I’m running this search from a Solitaire PPS Club account, which should theoretically have access to the most award space of all.
Or consider Singapore to Melbourne. Mileage Plan members can instantly redeem seats on SQ237…
…but KrisFlyer members (even Solitaire PPS Club!) have to make do with the waitlist, and at Advantage prices, no less.
Suite Smile documents a few other instances where availability through Mileage Plan is superior to KrisFlyer.
As if that weren’t bad enough, the problem is set to be further compounded by the fact that Aeroplan members are now getting in on the party too.
A few weeks ago, One Mile at a Time (OMAAT) wrote about how Aeroplan was seeing a ton of long-haul Singapore Airlines award space from Singapore to the USA, up to four seats depending on route. People initially had issues booking these awards, which raised questions as to whether this was just phantom space. But OMAAT later clarified that a temporary glitch was interfering with bookings; that glitch has since been resolved and Singapore Airlines awards are very much bookable through Aeroplan again.
While I can’t guarantee that Aeroplan’s award availability on Singapore Airlines will always be as good as it is now, I have been able to confirm that this award availability isn’t a mistake. That’s to say that someone at Aeroplan obviously worked hard to make this happen.
While I don’t know how Aeroplan negotiated this, all I can do is use my imagination, and point out that the folks at Aeroplan are both really committed to building a great program, and also somehow really convincing with their airline partners.
-OMAAT
TPG carries the following quote from an Aeroplan official:
“We have indeed worked with Singapore to strengthen our partnership behind the scenes,” said Scott O’Leary, Air Canada’s vice president of loyalty and product, in a statement to TPG. “As a result, our members will enjoy better redemption availability on Singapore flights going forward.”
-TPG
Based on my searches so far, Aeroplan members do not have the same kind of “preferential space” that Mileage Plan does. However, MileLion readers have found instances where space is available through Aeroplan but not KrisFlyer. For example, Aeroplan members can book two Business Class seats from Singapore to Los Angeles on SQ36.
That doesn’t even show up as an option for KrisFlyer members.
What’s also interesting is that there are certain days where only Advantage awards are available through KrisFlyer, yet Aeroplan members can still book seats. It used to be that partners only had access to Saver space, but apparently no longer.
To be clear: I’m not saying this is a regular pattern. I’ve found other instances where award seats are only available via KrisFlyer, not Mileage Plan or Aeroplan. But on the other hand, it’s also undeniable that there are numerous dates where KrisFlyer members don’t get the seats offered to members of other programmes.
What are the implications?
Now, I obviously don’t blame Alaska Mileage Plan and Aeroplan members for booking up SQ seats. I’d be doing the same if I were in their position.
Moreover, my gripe isn’t so much that partner programmes can book SQ’s premium cabins. Objectively speaking, this should have happened a long time ago. While it was nice that KrisFlyer members historically had privileged access to these seats, it’s not something I can defend because being part of an alliance entails opening up your seats for redemption by members of other programmes. I can’t say that I should be able to book ANA’s First and Business Class with KrisFlyer miles, but ANA Mileage Club members shouldn’t be able to do the same with Singapore Airlines.
That said, this development is clearly bad for KrisFlyer members. It’s hard enough to find Advantage awards on some routes, let alone Saver space. And ultimately there’s only so many seats on each flight, so each seat redeemed by a partner programme is one less seat for KrisFlyer members.
Where I do have a gripe is why partner programmes sometimes enjoy more award space than KrisFlyer members. It just doesn’t seem right to me that Mileage Plan members get award seats that even Solitaire PPS Club members don’t get. Parity, fine. Preference, I don’t think so.
Some might characterise this as a money grab by Singapore Airlines, but I’m not so sure. From what I understand, reimbursement rates for award seats aren’t very high, so unless those economics have changed recently, I don’t see what the upside is for Singapore Airlines by making more seats available to partners than its own members.
If anyone has an inkling as to why this is happening, I’m all ears.
Conclusion
Singapore Airlines long-haul premium cabin awards, which were once the exclusive domain of KrisFlyer members, can now be booked through partner programmes like Mileage Plan and Aeroplan. Not just that, but in certain situations, partners have even more access than KrisFlyer!
With award seats so hard to come by these days (unless you’re able to book a year in advance), this is bound to be a sensitive issue for KrisFlyer and PPS Club members.
Have you observed other cases where award space is available to partners, but not KrisFlyer?
There may be some positive though. Partner award availability is pretty poor for kirsflyer members (many times I’ve seen seats available in united website but not sq website for star alliance partners). Maybe with SQ playing nicer with their partners, the partners will play nicer with SQ.
That is more the case that the SQ website sucks. Normally if you see an award on United you can call up SQ to manually book the award.
But it’s not the same, even if partner availability opens up in the same way to Krisflyer. So many Krisflyers are fiercely loyal to SQ that we won’t fly other airlines, whereas for United members they’re better off flying SQ.
That is more the case that the Sq website sucks. Normally if you see an award on United you can call up Sq cso to manually book.
I am hoping it will be a positive. It will be if we can get more partner redemption options available through KF. At the moment it is rather dismal. It would be great to be able to try especially, other airlines’ premium cabins using KF miles.
You’re not missing out. Plenty of other airlines’ premium cabins are worse than SQ Economy. The hard product might be better, but poor maintenance and lesser service plague them.
SQ economy is significantly worse than qatar and Emirates, and pretty much the same as the US carriers. Comparing them to any type of premium cabin is ridiculous, both in terms of hard and soft product.
Of course it’s ridiculous to compare to Qatar and Emirates, arguably premium cabin to premium cabin these airlines are great competition to one another. On the other hand I’d take SQ Economy over Thai Airways Business any day thank you very much. Importantly to note, every person might rate each trip differently and have different preferences. I am not at ease on some regional airlines business class after experience with dirty seats, but my preference doesn’t invalidate yours and vice versa. To compare United business to SQ business is a total joke however, or Qantas business where in older times… Read more »
I booked SIN FRA on SQ 4 years ago in business class with LH miles when KrisFlyer had no availability.
But that was a very rare exception, not the rule.
What the flying f ? Esp when KF members can’t even get any decent seats in any of the partner airlines?
Seriously SQ is treating their own members like shit after the pandemic and it won’t change in the next 2 years
Saw multiple availability for SQ Biz KIX-SIN flights in November on Alaska milageplan (but not on SQ). Tried multiple times and different permutations to book that but failed. Seems like it was phantom availability.
Would caution against making plans purely based on screen availability on Alaska!
Same thing happened to me with alaska air trying to book Finnair business class. Website showed it was available, but couldn’t book even when calling in.
This has been happening for ages! 10 years ago I was able to book business saver SIN-TPE-SIN with United Mileage Plus, when Krisflyer was showing zero availability.
There is different “I” class availability for Krisflyer members vs. Star Alliance partners, and this is confirmed by SQ
Wth what’s the point of being PPS? Can you please get an official reply from SQ? Thanks
Agree with Gordon – @Aaron this really begs for reaching out to SQ and seeing what they have to say about it
And it seems that Krisflyer didn’t bother to negotiate for reciprocal award space…still very hard to find UA J space and basically impossible to find AC space.
Now I personally hate the saying “sinkie pwn sinkie” but I can’t help but thought of this
This is screwy. No wonder I am force to redeem Advantage on non-preferred dates & times as partner airline members are allocated the biz class seats.
Coz a good big portion of Krisflyer members are just Krisflyer members and will continue to just redeem blindly with Krisflyer. SQ wins both ways
I had similar experience after waiting list for two months and had to go for cash payments. Now understand
This country and its national carrier never fails to get worse and worse. Counting down the days till I can abandon this f*ed up country and start flying with ANY One World partner instead. Shame on this sh*thole country and their absolute disregard for consumer protection.
Feeling entitled much? If you hate it so much here, please pack up and leave, the sooner the better.
Good riddance,
A fellow expat
Feel free to leave. Bye thanks to your useless comment.
This is just a plan to get rid of useless filth like you, J.A.
Their plan is to continue fleecing dumbass suckers like you who happily allow them to treat you like sh*t and be happy about it
Don’t fly SIA if you are not happy with it. I will continue to fly SIA cause I don mind paying more for mediocre and subpar service.
This is a disturbing news.
Have / would you ask their PR for comments on this practice?
Angry
Because they have too much KF miles in the system. With the hard 3 year expiry it’s in their interest to let as much of it expire as possible.
My guess is that SQ is trying to boost short term revenue. Due to covid and recent bonus transfers, existing KF members accrued a huge chunk of unredeemed miles on SQ’s balance sheet. Any redemption will basically reduce balance sheet but limited impact on bottom line. When miles were accrued in the past 2 years, SQ may have already expensed the cost in prior year P&L, or it may be ammortised over 3 years (miles validity period), regardless members have redeemed the miles. Same concept as how manufacturers accrue cost of providing warranty for faulty goods. Now, opening additional partner… Read more »
This is probably true although good luck proving it or getting people who promote mile-chasing to say this. This is de facto devaluation of KF miles when one cannot book seats despite having miles. And not every person in Singapore has the luxury of being a full-time ‘traveller’ able to book holidays or travel without regard to work, school holidays or other schedule limitations.
Then the way to do it should be to release more award space, regardless the membership program/alliance/airline.
That should clear things out pretty fast
Supply is limited. Airlines can’t just magically “release” more award space. Converting revenue to award tickets means reducing profit. If an airline is willing to do that at the expense of own profit, might as well axe the route? That’s something we don’t want to see. Also it’s not that there aren’t ways to burn miles, just that we felt it’s not worth it. Eg., we want to maximise value and thus only looking to redeem long-haul flights. When miles are expiring, regardless of whether they are still “worth it”, people will still redeem whatever they can. Eg., I redeemed… Read more »
Disgusting. TPG is right. Time to be a free agent and vote with your wallet
To add insult to injury: 87.5k miles for a J ticket to the US is like 20% cheaper than Krisflyer Saver (!).
Really not much reason to credit flights to SQ anymore (if you have a solid amount of business trips else we’re talking orphan miles).
Been like this for years on CX. Alaska MileagePlan members flooded the CX lounges and were able to reserve premium cabins using miles. Now Alaska is part of OW probably getting even worse when Americans start to fly to HK and China again.
It’s definitely a joke. As a regular flyer to Perth can’t even get Economy seats on krisflyer, let alone any Business under Advantage…I don’t do red eye flights
What about comparing cost of redemption on KF vs other FFP
Wouldnt it simply be explained by;
While there is a larger pool of reward seats for KrisFlyer members, there are so many KF members that these seats get sild out faster.
So, it would be innacurate to say that “Partners get more space”
It simply means, that oartners have a different pool of seats that are not redeemed as quickly as the KF seat pool.
Yes, that is one possibility. However, it assumes that award seats are split into two different pools and not comingled. Based on my understanding that is not the case. Even if that were the case, there are days where you can find up to 7 j class Awards through Alaska mileage plan, whereas Singapore Airlines generally allows up to 4x saver Awards before it requires waitlisting or switching to advantage. Assuming that space is available and not just phantom, then it does suggest that partners may sometimes get more award seats Keep in mind this does not suggest active malice… Read more »
But do you know if you can book 4 seats on one account then another 3 on another? a.k.a. system limitation vs hard award space cap
On the other hand, SQ’s partner award booking website is such a joke. The search results are so limited.
Yes. I also realized some partner airlines have tried to move away from the programme with Sq. For example ANA which you can redeem using Sq miles, today I called and cos the flight that I wanted is operated under Air Japan, the entity is different so nope cannot redeem. And they are increasing their redemption next year.. so I used both my own miles and Sq krisflyer miles to offset via cash and via another Sq flight (max as much krisflyer miles redemption that I could). I think all airlines are trying to increase their revenue now and have… Read more »
SIA is getting worse and worse in its treatment of it’s Solitaire customers in my experience. …… time to diversify and pay money to other airlines instead of SQ.
Hey Guys, I am trying to redeem Krisflyer miles for ANA tickets in Dec. However, I am unable to locate any tickets on Krisflyer other partners airlines. Should I give Krisflyer a call? What’s the best approach here?
It probably means there is no space, period. Ana is very stingy about award space release
Got you, thanks Aaron