Does KrisFlyer Elite Silver even warrant a guide?
That’s a fair question. Singapore Airlines’ entry-level elite tier is a far cry from KrisFlyer Elite Gold, much less the rarefied air of the PPS Club. The list of benefits is shorter than a pair of Daisy Dukes, though I’m ashamed to admit that in my younger and more vulnerable years, I once pulled a DYKWIA, believing my mighty KrisFlyer Elite Silver status should warrant additional compensation for a malfunctioning IFE system.
But since I’ve already written comprehensive guides for the PPS Club and KrisFlyer Elite Gold, I might as well complete the trifecta.
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| ❓ KrisFlyer Elite Silver Guide | |
So here goes: the complete guide to KrisFlyer Elite Silver benefits, woohoo!
If you’re looking for the benefits of Solitaire PPS, PPS Club or KrisFlyer Elite Silver, you can refer to the comprehensive guides below.
| ❓ Solitaire PPS & PPS Club Guide | ❓ KrisFlyer Elite Gold Guide |
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| Details | Details |
At a glance: KrisFlyer Elite Silver benefits
Here’s a summary of KrisFlyer Elite Silver benefits, with KrisFlyer Elite Gold added for comparison.
| ✈️ Overview: KrisFlyer Elite Silver & Gold | ||
| KrisFlyer Elite Silver |
 KrisFlyer Elite Gold |
|
| Elite Miles Req. (in 12-mth period) |
25,000 | 50,000 |
| Mileage Bonus | 25% | 25% |
| Priority Waitlist | ✅ | ✅ |
| Advance Seat Selection | ✅ (Standard) |
✅ (Forward and Standard) |
| Birthday Bonus | ✅ (1,500 miles) |
✅ (1,500 miles) |
| 20kg Extra Baggage | ✅ | |
| Priority Check-in | ✅ | |
| Priority Baggage | ✅ | |
| Priority Boarding | ✅ | |
| Lounge Access | ✅ | |
| Waived Service Fees | ✅ | |
| Shangri-La Jade Fast Track | ✅ | |
| Heathrow Express Upgrade | ✅ | |
Qualification
KrisFlyer Elite Silver requires accumulating 25,000 Elite miles within a 12-month period.
Upon meeting 25,000 Elite miles, your status will be upgraded within the next day, and your membership will last for a 12-month period. Do note that any Elite miles earned in excess of the 25,000 required for qualification before the upgrade takes place will not count towards membership renewal.
However, unlike qualification for KrisFlyer Elite Gold, your Elite miles total will not reset to zero upon qualification for KrisFlyer Elite Silver. Instead, you’ll continue to earn Elite miles above and beyond the 25,000 mark until the end of the membership year.
- Should you accumulate 25,000-49,999 Elite miles, you will requalify for KrisFlyer Elite Silver in the following membership year
- Should you accumulate 50,000 Elite miles or more, you will qualify for KrisFlyer Elite Gold
| ❓ Example |
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John has 24,500 Elite miles and completes a flight that awards him 2,000 Elite miles. He will be upgraded to KrisFlyer Elite Silver the following day, with a balance of 26,500 Elite miles. The 1,500 “extra” Elite miles will not count towards requalification for Elite Silver (they’re deemed to be earned in the previous membership year), though they will count towards qualification for Elite Gold. |
Fast-track for KrisFlyer UOB Credit Card
KrisFlyer UOB Credit Cardholders can also enjoy a fast-track to KrisFlyer Elite Silver if they spend at least S$5,000 on SIA Group transactions (Singapore Airlines, Scoot, KrisShop) within the first card membership year.
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| Review |
Even though it’s called a “fast track”, in reality it’s anything but! Qualifying cardholders will receive their status upgrade within 6 weeks from the last month of the first membership year. You could hit the qualifying spend on your first day, and still have to wait 13+ months to get your status!
| 💳 Fast Track T&Cs |
| Cardmembers, with card opened date from 1 May 2022, who meet a minimum Singapore Five Thousand Dollars (S$5,000) Singapore Airlines Group Related Card Transaction on the Card within the first Card Membership Year, will be upgraded to the KrisFlyer Elite Silver membership tier within six (6) weeks from the last calendar month of the first Card Membership Year |
This benefit is only valid for the first year of membership; subsequently, you’ll have to requalify by flying at least 25,000 Elite miles in a 12-month period, just like everyone else.
Also, this benefit cannot be used to renew KrisFlyer Elite Silver. If you’re already a KrisFlyer Elite Silver, the fast-track offer does not apply to you.
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:
| ✈️ 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 in the previous section, and on Scoot sectors based on a percentage of the actual miles flown and your Scoot booking class.
| ✈️ 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
KrisFlyer Elite Silver members are eligible to earn KrisFlyer Milestone Rewards, per the table below. On the road to qualification (or requalification), you’ll pick up some freebies like a 20% discount voucher on Scoot, S$10 worth of KrisPay miles, and a S$20 KrisShop promo code.
| 🏆 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 |
KrisFlyer Milestone Rewards are awarded based on Elite miles accumulated with a given calendar year (not membership year!). Do note that 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 Silver 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 Silver 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 Silver should have higher priority than KrisFlyer members when it comes to clearing waitlists, be it revenue or award tickets.
In practice, it’s really hard to tell, since you’re so low down the pecking order anyway.
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 | Complimentary (Standard) |
| Economy Flexi | Y, B, E | Complimentary (Forward Zone & Standard) |
| Premium Economy (all types) |
L, P, R, S, T | Complimentary (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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| 💺 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 Silver member, you can choose any Standard seat in Economy Class for free, regardless of fare type. This saves you between US$8 to US$25, depending on route.
KrisFlyer Elite Silvers are still required to pay for:
- Forward Zone seats (US$15-50)
- Extra Legroom seats (US$25-120)
- Premium Economy Solo seats (US$140; only available on the A350-900 ULR flights to the USA)
However, they will receive a 10% discount off the cost. Unlike KrisFlyer Elite Gold, there is no discount on seat selection fees for travelling companions booked on the same itinerary.
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 from 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.
| ✈️ 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 can’t fly in the near future, there’s still ways of getting some value out of them.
Discounted Service Fees
KrisFlyer Elite Silver members will receive a discount on 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!
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 | 🎂 Birthday Gift |
 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.
Scoot Perks
KrisFlyer Elite Silver members enjoy the following benefits on Scoot:
- BoardMeFirst (priority check-in and boarding at selected airports)
- Additional 5kg baggage allowance with a minimum purchase of 20kg
- Automatic assignment of best available standard seat
Unfortunately, there’s no lounge access or free checked bag. And beware- the automatic standard seat selection is a perk you might be better off not having!
Benefits (except baggage upgrade) are also extended to companions on the same booking reference.
Conclusion
KrisFlyer Elite Silver is the entry rung of the Singapore Airlines status ladder, and it shows. Members don’t really have much to look forward to, except perhaps a 25% mileage accrual bonus, complimentary standard seat selection, and some additional perks when flying Scoot.
If you want priority check-in, additional baggage or lounge access, you’ll need to work your way up to KrisFlyer Elite Gold, where benefits start becoming more substantial.
What’s your favourite KrisFlyer Elite Silver perk?
My gold just expired . Any way to buy gold or get from credit card? Or are fewer miles required to qualify for good on other star alliance carriers?