Details: Earn PPS Value or KrisFlyer Elite miles without flying

Last month, Singapore Airlines marked KrisFlyer’s 25th anniversary by announcing a promotion called Earn Status Credits Beyond the Skies, which allows PPS Club and KrisFlyer members to earn PPS Value and Elite miles without needing to fly.

After a brief delay (the original start date was supposed to be 1 March 2024), the campaign is now live. For a three-month period, PPS Club and KrisFlyer members can earn up to 2,500 PPS Value and 5,000 Elite miles respectively through Kris+, KrisShop and Pelago.

This, obviously, won’t be anywhere close to what you need to qualify, so it’s best thought of as a little boost for those who are close to the finish line.

Details: Earn Status Credits Beyond the Skies

Details

From 5 March to 4 June 2024, PPS Club and KrisFlyer members will be able to earn PPS Value and Elite miles respectively for spending made at:

• Kris+ (both in Singapore and Australia)
• KrisShop
• Pelago

Earn rates for PPS Club and KrisFlyer members are as follows:

	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

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. 

When will status credits post?

The crediting of PPS Value or Elite miles varies depending on which merchant you use:

• Kris+: Instant posting
• KrisShop and Pelago: Within 14 days after the end of the promotion (i.e. by 18 June 2024)

Pay careful attention to this, because when the status credits posts can affect everything!

If you’re already a PPS Club or KrisFlyer Elite Gold/Silver member

If you already have PPS Club or KrisFlyer Elite Gold/Silver status, the status credits need to post within your current membership year to count towards renewal or status upgrades. 

Before taking part in this campaign, you should check when your membership year ends. This can be done by logging in to your KrisFlyer account and clicking on Account Summary.

In my case, my membership year ends on 31 October 2024, so it’s not an issue for me since any Elite miles earned during the campaign would have posted long in advance of this deadline (not that it matters for me, because I’m certainly not about to earn 45,000 Elite miles from flying!)

However, if your membership year ends on 31 March, 30 April or 31 May, and you’re relying on the additional PPS Value or Elite miles from this campaign to qualify/upgrade, timing is everything!

In these cases, you must use Kris+ to earn your status credits, because status credits from KrisShop and Pelago will not arrive in time to count towards the current membership year.

If you’re not yet a KrisFlyer Elite Gold/Silver member

Qualification for KrisFlyer Elite Gold and Silver is based on your accumulated Elite miles over the past 12 consecutive calendar months. 

In this case, you also need to pay attention because depending on when the status credits from this campaign post, some of the older Elite miles you’re relying on to reach the 25,000 (Silver)/ 50,000 (Gold) threshold may have “aged out” of the 12-month window.

Here’s an illustrative example:

This member is sitting on 45,000 Elite miles, and is planning to rely on this campaign to earn the last 5,000 Elite miles required for KrisFlyer Elite Gold.

If he decides to earn them via KrisShop or Pelago, these status credits will only post on 18 June 2024. But by that time, the 7,500 Elite miles earned in June 2023 will drop off the clock, so he’d still be short of 2,500 Elite miles.

What if I’ve already qualified/requalified through my own merit?

PPS Club/Solitaire PPS Club

If you’re a PPS Club/Solitaire PPS Club member who has already attained the 25,000/50,000 PPS Value required for qualification/requalification, any extra PPS Value earned via this campaign will go into your Reserve Value (valid for three years).

PPS Value earned from this campaign will also count towards the attainment of PPS Rewards.

KrisFlyer Elite Silver/Gold

If you’re a KrisFlyer Elite Silver/Gold who has already attained the 25,000/50,000 Elite miles required for qualification/requalification, any extra Elite miles do not roll over to the following membership year. 

The Elite miles earned through this campaign also won’t count towards KrisFlyer Milestone Rewards, so they’re basically wasted (during COVID, Singapore Airlines allowed an exceptional rollover of Elite miles, but the policy no longer applies).

How good is this offer?

2,500 PPS Value and 5,000 Elite miles represent just 10% of the qualification/requalification thresholds required for PPS Club (25,000 PPS Value) and KrisFlyer Elite Gold (50,000 Elite miles) respectively, and that’s obviously a carefully-calibrated figure.

This isn’t a way for you to earn elite status without ever setting foot on an airplane. Rather, this is intended to give a small boost to elites who are just shy of the requalification thresholds. 

The last time we saw a no-fly status credits offer was back in April 2021, and given it was the peak of COVID, that promotion was undoubtedly much more generous. 

	KrisFlyer	PPS Club
Convert KrisFlyer miles (min. 10,000 miles)	1 Elite mile per 5 KrisFlyer miles	1 PPS Value per 10 KrisFlyer miles
Convert KrisPay miles (min. depends on bank)	1 Elite mile per 5 KrisPay miles	1 PPS Value per 10 KrisPay miles
Spend on co-brand cards (min. 100 miles earned)	1 Elite mile per 5 KrisFlyer miles	1 PPS Value per 10 KrisFlyer miles
Spend on KrisShop or Kris+	3 Elite miles per S$1	1 PPS Value per S$1
Earn with non-air partners (min. 500 miles)	1 Elite mile per 5 KrisFlyer miles earned	1 PPS Value per 10 KrisFlyer miles earned

The main differences this time round are that no status credits can be earned for credit card points transfers or for non-air partners, the earn rates have been nerfed, and there is a cap on the maximum status credits that can be accrued.

Well, what can I say other than COVID is over!

What’s the benefit of KrisFlyer Elite Silver/Gold status?

✈️ 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)
20kg Extra Baggage		✅
Priority Check-in		✅
Priority Baggage		✅
Priority Boarding		✅
Lounge Access		✅

KrisFlyer Elite Silver doesn’t have much going for it, beyond a 25% mileage bonus and complimentary standard seat selection.

The benefits get more substantial at KrisFlyer Elite Gold, with lounge access, extra baggage allowance and priority baggage handling, priority boarding and complimentary forward and standard seat selection.

For a detailed guide to KrisFlyer Elite Silver and Elite Gold benefits, refer to the articles below.

Complete Guide: KrisFlyer Elite Silver benefits

Complete Guide: KrisFlyer Elite Gold benefits

What’s the benefit of Solitaire PPS/PPS Club status?

✈️ Overview: Solitaire PPS Club & PPS Club
	PPS	Solitaire PPS
PPS Value Req. (in 12-mth period)	25,000	50,000*
Star Alliance Status	Gold	Gold
Mileage Bonus	25%	25%
Non-Expiring Miles	✅	✅
Priority Waitlist	✅	✅
Complimentary Seat Selection	✅	✅
Priority Check-in	✅ Business Class	✅ First Class
Extra Baggage	✅	✅
Priority Baggage	✅	✅
Priority Boarding	✅	✅
Lounge Access	✅ SKL Business Class	✅ SKL First Class
Supp. Solitaire PPS Club Card		✅
APEC Card Reimbursement		✅
*25,000 if status attained before 1 June 2018

PPS Club members enjoy all the benefits of KrisFlyer Elite Gold, plus non-expiring miles, extra access to Saver inventory, and complimentary seat selection for any available seat on the plane including extra legroom and Premium Economy seats (on flights where the Premium Economy cabin is not sold).

Solitaire PPS Club is the pinnacle of the Singapore Airlines food chain, and adds extra perks such as First Class lounge access, the highest availability to Saver awards, and a supplementary card to share the benefits with a loved one. 

For a detailed guide to PPS Club and Solitaire PPS Club benefits, refer to the articles below.

Complete Guide: Solitaire PPS Club and PPS Club benefits

Conclusion

Singapore Airlines is now offering PPS Club and KrisFlyer members the opportunity to earn PPS Value and Elite miles without setting foot on a plane.

Unfortunately, the maximum status credits you can earn are capped at 2,500 PPS Value and 5,000 Elite miles, so no one will be qualifying for elite status through this campaign alone. But if you’re just shy of the threshold, then this would be a preferable alternative to flying for the sake of flying.

If your membership year end falls around this period, or if you have PPS Value/Elite miles that are about to drop off your 12-month clock, be sure to prioritise Kris+ spending so your status credit boost arrives instantly.