For as long as I can remember, the DBS Altitude Card has been offering 6 mpd on Expedia and 10 mpd on Kaligo. Yes, this required you to book through special portals where the prices could be inflated, but you could see it as another way of buying miles- sometimes at attractive prices.
These promotions have always been positioned as limited-time offers with expiry dates, but they were renewed so often I guess I’d come to see them as being effectively evergreen.
But evergreen ain’t as long as it used to be, because DBS has now ended its Kaligo partnership, and replaced its Expedia offer with an underwhelming promo code system with limited redemptions.
Even if the use cases for these benefits were somewhat niche, it’s yet another nerf for this once impressive general spending card.
DBS Altitude’s new Expedia offer
 |
| DBS x Expedia portal |
Up till 31 March 2024, DBS Altitude Cardholders could enjoy 6 mpd on all Expedia hotel bookings, as well as participating airlines such as EVA Air, Qatar Airways, THAI and Turkish Airlines.
| โ๏ธ 6 mpd eligible airlines (Ended 31 Mar 24) |
|
|
|
You had to book these through a special Expedia portal, and even though the hotel prices were often inflated, the airline prices were usually comparable to the official website.
From 1 April 2024, there’s no more bonus miles on either hotels or airlines. Instead, DBS Altitude Cardholders can use the following promo codes to save S$40 or S$80 off hotel bookings.
| Code | Booking Period | Travel Period | Cap |
| ALT40 S$40 off min. spend of S$380 |
1 Apr to 31 May 24 | 1 Apr 24 to 31 Dec 24 | 800 redemptions |
| ALT80 S$80 off min. spend of S$580 |
1 Apr to 31 May 24 | 1 Apr 24 to 30 Jun 25 | 300 redemptions |
Do note that minimum spends and redemption caps apply, and each cardmember is limited to five uses per promo code for the entire promotion period which ends on 31 May 2024. As always, you’ll need to book through the special DBS x Expedia portal to enjoy the benefit.
It’s hard to get excited about this though, given the limited redemptions and the possibility you’ll be paying more for hotels via this portal compared to elsewhere.
Terms & Conditions
The T&Cs for this Expedia offer can be found here.
In what feels like insult to injury, DBS didn’t even bother renaming the PDF file- it’s still called DBS Altitude Expedia 6 mpd!
DBS Altitude ends Kaligo partnership
In a surprising development, DBS has decided not to extend its partnership with Kaligo, which lapsed on 31 March 2024. Cardholders could previously earn 10 mpd on such bookings, though comparison shopping was essential as Kaligo prices are often higher than other portals.
Kaligo has been paring down its bank partnerships in Singapore, but still retains its tie up with the Citi PremierMiles Card, which earns 10 mpd until 31 December 2024.
Reminder: DBS x Agoda offer
 |
| DBS x Agoda |
Back in January 2024, DBS started offering a bonus 3 mpd on Agoda bookings made via the Travel & Leisure Marketplace (TMP), valid for numerous cards including the DBS Altitude, DBS Woman’s World Card and DBS Vantage.
Stays must be booked by 30 June 2024 and stayed by 31 July 2024 to be eligible.
Remember that TMP shows both Expedia and Agoda options; you’ll need to pick the latter to earn the bonus. Stays must be fully pre-paid at the time of booking.
All hotels on TMP price in SGD regardless of location, so you’ll earn a total of 4 mpd (1.3 mpd for SGD spend + 3 mpd Agoda bonus).
The maximum bonus you can earn is capped at 15,000 miles or S$5,000 spend per calendar month. DBS has confirmed that the cap applies at a customer level, so regardless of how many cards you own, the maximum bonus is the same.
Terms & Conditions
The T&Cs for this Agoda offer can be found here.
Conclusion
DBS Altitude Cardholders no longer earn 6 mpd on Expedia and 10 mpd on Kaligo, and while the value proposition for booking hotels was not always clear cut (since the prices could be inflated), the loss of 6 mpd on Expedia flights is a big blow especially for business travellers.
With the Altitude no longer offering 3 mpd on online flight and hotel bookings ever since late last year, it’s looking very lacklustre compared to the competition: 1.3 mpd on SGD spend, 2.2 mpd on FCY spend, and no bonus categories.
Some revitalisation is needed, and soon.
what about DBS vantage cards? the link to expedia is broken, but no indication if this is extended to vantage users
i think it’s gone too.
Why is DBS’s card portfolio so weak? Their only saving grace now is the WWMC – once that goes I’m likely going to stop using their cards entirely.
The other issue with DBS cards is their unethical appraoch to reversals. Book a hotel using your DBS card and you will get 1% DCC added. I don’t like this – but fine – most cards charge it now. The gotcha comes if you cancel the booking. Rather than reversing out all charges made – which is what reputable banks do (e.g. Citi), DBS instead charge ANOTHER 1% on the reversal. So book with a DBS card and cancel it, and you have just gifted 2% of your booking cost to DBS due to this unethhical and sneeky money-grab.