KrisFlyer Spontaneous Escapes for May 2023 announced

Spontaneous Escapes have been announced for May 2023, with 30% off redemptions for selected Singapore Airlines routes in Business Class, Premium Economy Class and Economy Class.

Spontaneous Escapes

You can now book these awards on a first-come-first-serve basis up till 30 April 2023.

Do note that Spontaneous Escapes awards may not appear on the Singapore Airlines mobile app (this issue seems to affect Android users more than iOS). If you’re encountering this issue, try using the desktop website instead.

My picks for this month

After a long, long dry spell, we finally have a Spontaneous Escapes worth getting excited about.

Singapore to Sydney, Melbourne and Christchurch are available in Business Class for 47,950 miles, albeit with significant blackout dates. 

You can fly from Copenhagen to Singapore in Business Class for 72,450 miles, or London to Singapore in Economy Class for 29,400 miles, though the taxes and fees will be high on that route thanks to the UK’s Air Passenger Duty. 

Otherwise it’s more of the same: discounted awards to and from India are plentiful (30,100 miles in Business Class), and closer to home you can visit Hong Kong (with relaxed entry requirements) at 11,550/23,800 miles for Economy/Business. 

Full list of Spontaneous Escapes

Business & Economy Class

South East Asia

North Asia

West Asia & Africa

Southwest Pacific

Europe

USA

Premium Economy Class

North Asia

West Asia & Africa

Southwest Pacific

Europe

USA

Spontaneous Escapes: Ground Rules

❓  Spontaneous Escapes: The Basics

Tickets must be booked online; no bookings via phone are permitted Tickets cannot be changed or cancelled. Be sure about your travel plans or buy a travel insurance policy that covers miles bookings Travel must be completed within the Spontaneous Escapes promotion period to qualify. For example, if you fly on the last day of the month but land on the first day of the following month, no discount applies Awards must be ticketed within the Spontaneous Escapes promotion period Waitlisting is not permitted for Spontaneous Escapes awards Blackout dates apply. If you’re not seeing discounts, this may be why Discounts may apply in one direction only e.g. SIN-BKK may be on discount but BKK-SIN may not. Be sure to read the offers carefully

All Spontaneous Escape awards must be booked and ticketed by 30 April 2023 and are for travel between 1-31 May 2023 (blackout dates may apply).

Singapore Airlines has rejigged its booking interface to show Spontaneous Escapes awards under a special Promo category. This is the one you should select when making your booking.

You might recall that prior to COVID, Spontaneous Escapes were a subset of Saver awards. This created a problem, namely that if you wanted to book a regular Saver award (because it comes with a cancellation option, unlike Spontaneous Escapes awards), you couldn’t actually do it!

Now that Spontaneous Escapes are a separate category unto themselves, you have the freedom to choose to pay regular Saver prices if you so wish (thereby enjoying additional flexibility).

Spontaneous Escapes awards are strictly non-cancellable and non-changeable (SIA’s free rebooking policy doesn’t apply here, and in any case ended on 31 July 2022). Singapore Airlines has made the following concession:

For (i) any flights cancelled by SIA, or (ii) if a SQ-operated flight was removed from a Participant’s booking due to Covid-19 and governmental regulatory changes, the miles redeemed in the unused portion of the ticket will be refunded into the relevant Participant’s KrisFlyer account with no additional fees charged.

However, requests to change any booking details, or to retain the ticket for future use will not be granted. Participants may submit their request via the Assistance Request form.

-Spontaneous Escapes T&Cs

The above applies to regulatory changes, not conditions as they exist at the time of booking. If you make a speculative booking to a country that hasn’t reopened, and it still hasn’t reopened by the time of travel, you won’t be entitled to a refund. In contrast, if you make a booking to a country that is currently open and it subsequently closes its borders, then you will be able to seek assistance.

Since no concession is made for travellers who cannot fly due to COVID-19, the onus is on you to purchase travel insurance that covers miles & points bookings.

Which travel insurance policies covers miles and points bookings?

What if you have an existing award?

If you’ve already holding on to a confirmed award on a flight that is now under Spontaneous Escapes, you will need to:

1. Book the Spontaneous Escapes rate
2. Cancel the existing booking and pay the redeposit fee (US$75 for Saver, US$50 for Advantage)

I strongly recommend doing it in this order, in case the Spontaneous Escapes award space disappears in the meantime. It does mean you’ll need sufficient miles on hand, of course. 

Depending on your luck, miles may be recredited immediately to your account, but can take up to 4-6 weeks. If you need them urgently, the CSO can put in a request to expedite the process, but YMMV.

Conclusion

Singapore Airlines Spontaneous Escapes for May 2023 are out, and this time there’s Business Class awards to Sydney, Melbourne and Christchurch to look forward to, as well as Copenhagen to Singapore. 

Don’t forget to ticket your awards by 30 April 2023 to enjoy the discounts. 

What will you be booking for Spontaneous Escapes?