Complete Guide: KrisFlyer Spontaneous Escapes promotion

Spontaneous Escapes are one of the most eagerly-anticipated events each month, with 30% off redemptions for selected Singapore Airlines flights in Business Class, Premium Economy Class and Economy Class.

Spontaneous Escapes

By way of history, KrisFlyer experimented with ad-hoc discounts on Singapore Airlines and SilkAir awards throughout 2015 and 2016, but this only became a regular feature in August 2017, when the blandly-named “KrisFlyer Monthly Redemption Deals” were launched. These were subsequently redubbed Spontaneous Escapes, and have been a monthly feature ever since (apart from a suspension from April 2020 to March 2022 due to COVID).

Provided you’re able to take leave on short notice, Spontaneous Escapes could really help you stretch your miles. If you’re new or need a refresher, here’s a detailed rundown of how the offer works.

When are Spontaneous Escapes released?

Spontaneous Escapes are generally released on the 15th of each month. If the 15th happens to fall on a weekend or public holiday, Spontaneous Escapes will be released the next working day.

On the day that Spontaneous Escapes is released, you can expect things to happen in the following sequence:

• Spontaneous Escapes inventory is loaded in the early to mid-morning
• Spontaneous Escapes landing page is updated in the late morning
• The announcement is made on KrisFlyer’s Facebook and Instagram pages at lunchtime

Because inventory is loaded before the announcement, you can steal a march on everyone else by searching the SIA website or app on the morning of release.

You won’t know for sure which destinations will be featured, of course, but some guess and check could reap dividends because Spontaneous Escapes can be in very limited quantity. The MileLion’s Telegram Community is a great place to get an early heads up on Spontaneous Escapes routes. 

Some search tips:

• Run your searches for one person initially, because that increases the chances of spotting a Spontaneous Escapes award
• Use the award calendar to see a range of dates and prices at a glance
• Remember that Spontaneous Escapes may only apply in one direction, so look for SIN-X and X-SIN

I generally publish my monthly Spontaneous Escapes article shortly after the landing page is updated.

How much is the Spontaneous Escapes discount?

Spontaneous Escapes offers 30% off Saver prices for selected Singapore Airlines flights in:

• Economy Class
• Premium Economy Class
• Business Class

Suites and First Class have never been featured on Spontaneous Escapes before, and I don’t believe they ever will.

While 30% off is the standard deal, there have been a handful of instances in the past where we’ve seen bigger discounts, most famously in February 2020 when all awards were 51% off. Go figure COVID started shutting down air travel around this point!

Spontaneous Escapes discounts do not apply to upgrades, Star Alliance awards, or other partner awards.

How are Spontaneous Escapes different from regular awards?

Spontaneous Escapes are issued under the Promo award category. These are cheaper than Saver and Advantage awards, but come with additional restrictions.

First of all, Promo awards are only valid for travel in the following calendar month.

Second, they cannot be waitlisted. Either the award is available, or it isn’t. 

Third, they’re strictly non-changeable and non-refundable. If you can’t fly, you forfeit your miles; simple as that. Before you book a Spontaneous Escapes award, be sure to purchase a travel insurance policy that covers miles and points bookings. 

Booking Spontaneous Escapes

Spontaneous Escapes must be booked via the singaporeair.com website or SingaporeAir mobile app; you will not be able to ticket them over the phone.

SIA lists Spontaneous Escapes under a special Promo category. This is the one you should select when making your booking. 

The booking process is otherwise identical to making a regular Saver or Advantage booking.

While you can book a round-trip Promo award, assuming it’s available both ways, you cannot mix it with a Saver or Advantage award in a single itinerary.  In other words, if a Spontaneous Escapes promotion is only offered in one direction, you will need to make 2x one-way bookings:

• 1x booking with the Promo award
• 1x booking with the Saver/Advantage award

There is no limit on the number of Spontaneous Escapes bookings a member can make.

Spontaneous Escapes: Other questions

What are my entitlements on a Spontaneous Escapes booking?

Outside of the aforementioned restrictions on changes and cancellations, your entitlements are exactly the same as anyone travelling on a Saver award ticket. 

This means the same luggage allowance and seat selection privileges. As a Business Class passenger, you’ll have access to the lounge and be able to order from the Book the Cook menu where available. 

Are Promo awards really non-changeable and non-refundable?

Yes. Promo awards cannot be rebooked or refunded. If you don’t fly, you waste your miles. 

The only scenarios where a refund of a Promo award will be granted is if the flight is cancelled by Singapore Airlines, or a change in entry regulations makes travel impossible (e.g. another pandemic).

Why don’t I see any Promo awards?

If a given route is featured on Spontaneous Escapes but you can’t seem to find any discounted awards, it could be that: 

• All awards have been redeemed. This doesn’t preclude more from being added later, however, so make a point of checking again
• You’re looking at the route in the wrong direction, e.g. Spontaneous Escapes may be available on SIN-X but not X-SIN
• You’re looking at a period that falls within the blackout dates; it’s not unheard of that 50% or more of the month is blocked out!
• You’re looking at the wrong flight numbers; refer to the promo page for the specific flights covered

Do Solitaire PPS/PPS Club members get additional award space?

Yes. In my personal experience, Solitaire PPS and PPS Club accounts see additional Promo awards that regular KrisFlyer members do not. 

What if I have an existing Saver/Advantage award?

If you have an existing Saver or Advantage award on a flight that is now available on 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 Promo award space disappears in the meantime. It does mean you’ll need sufficient miles on hand, of course. Be advised that refunds of KrisFlyer miles can take a few days to process!

Which destinations are most likely to appear?

Singapore Airlines uses Spontaneous Escapes as a way of filling seats on flights with excess capacity. Therefore, if you’re expecting to see Spontaneous Escapes in Business Class to London during June or December, you’re going to be very disappointed. 

Back in July 2019, I did an analysis of the most common Spontaneous Escapes destinations based on 20 months of data. It’s probably time I did an updated take, but in general:

• Destinations like Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Chennai, Dhaka, Delhi, Kuala Lumpur, Manila, Medan, Mumbai and Shanghai are very reliable fixtures, appearing consistently across months
• Australia and New Zealand make appearances during off-peak periods like the winter or spring months
• Europe and the USA are rare, at least in Economy and Business Class. Non-stop flights to the USA make fairly consistent appearances in Premium Economy
• The destinations with the lowest probability of appearing, based on historical data, are: Auckland, Barcelona, Cape Town, Christchurch, Copenhagen, Istanbul, Milan, Munich and Rome

Conclusion

KrisFlyer Spontaneous Escapes are a great way to maximise your miles, but like every deal, there’s caveats to note:

• You need to have flexibility in terms of where you’re willing to travel, because you’re at the mercy of which destinations feature each month
• You need to have flexibility in terms of leave arrangements, because I can imagine some workplaces don’t take kindly to last-minute leave requests
• You need to have certainty in terms of travel plans, because it’s a strictly no changes, no refunds kind of deal

Assuming these aren’t deal-breakers, then by all means- escape spontaneously!

Any questions about Spontaneous Escapes?