For many people, KrisFlyer Elite Gold is the highest status they can realistically aspire towards. That’s because the pearly gates of the PPS Club are only open to those who fly in Suites, First or Business Class, on commercial tickets. You could fly a million miles in Economy Class and never get close!
That’s unfortunate, but if it’s any consolation, KrisFlyer Elite Gold is not without its perks too. While it’s not quite white glove service, most people would take anything that makes Economy travel less painful– and it’s certainly better than KrisFlyer Elite Silver, in any case!
In this article, I’ll walk you through all the benefits of KrisFlyer Elite Gold.
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| ❓ KrisFlyer Elite Gold Guide | |
If you’re looking for the benefits of Solitaire PPS, PPS Club or KrisFlyer Elite Silver, do refer to the comprehensive guides below.
| ❓ Solitaire PPS & PPS Club Guide | ❓ KrisFlyer Elite Silver Guide |
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| Details | Details |
At a glance: KrisFlyer Elite Gold benefits
Here’s a summary of KrisFlyer Elite Gold benefits, with KrisFlyer Elite Silver added for comparison.
| ✈️ Overview: KrisFlyer Elite Silver & Gold | ||
 KrisFlyer Elite Silver |
KrisFlyer Elite Gold |
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| Elite Miles Req. (in 12-mth period) |
25,000 | 50,000 |
| Mileage Bonus | 25% | 25% |
| Priority Waitlist | ✅ | ✅ |
| Free Seat Selection | ✅ (Standard) |
✅ (Forward and Standard) |
| Birthday Bonus | ✅ (1,500 miles) |
✅ (1,500 miles) |
| Discounted Service Fees | ✅ | ✅ |
| Extra Baggage | ✅ | ✅ |
| Priority Check-in | ✅ | ✅ |
| Priority Boarding | ✅ | ✅ |
| Priority Baggage | ✅ | |
| Lounge Access | ✅ | |
| Waived Service Fees | ✅ | |
| Shangri-La Jade Fast-Track | ✅ | |
| Heathrow Express Upgrade | ✅ | |
Qualification
KrisFlyer Elite Gold requires accumulating at least 50,000 Elite miles within a 12-month period.
- If you’re not an existing KrisFlyer Elite Gold, your membership year begins immediately upon hitting 50,000 Elite miles. Any Elite miles earned subsequent to account upgrading will count towards next year’s requalification
- If you’re an existing KrisFlyer Elite Gold, any Elite miles earned in excess of requalification are not carried over
| ⚠️ Important Note |
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Note how I said that any Elite miles earned subsequent to account upgrading will count towards next year’s requalification. If you’re not yet a KrisFlyer Elite Gold, some Elite miles are usually wasted during the initial qualification process. For example, suppose I have 45,000 Elite miles, and take a flight on 20 April that earns me 7,000 more. My account is upgraded to KrisFlyer Elite Gold on 22 April, but the extra 2,000 Elite miles above the 50,000 threshold is not rolled over. They’re simply wasted. However, if I take another flight that earns 5,000 Elite miles on 30 April, after I’ve become a KrisFlyer Elite Gold, the full 5,000 will count towards the following year’s requalification. Therefore, it’s ideal if your “qualification flight” – the one that puts you over the qualifying threshold- contains just enough Elite miles to put you over the 50,000 mark, and not too much beyond that. |
Fast-track for AMEX KrisFlyer Ascend
As an alternative to earning Elite miles, AMEX KrisFlyer Ascend Cardholders can enjoy a fast-track to KrisFlyer Elite Gold when they spend at least S$15,000 on Singapore Airlines or Scoot ticket purchases within the first 12 months of card approval.
- Tickets must be purchased in Singapore Dollars
- Tickets must be purchased via the Singapore Airlines or Scoot website or mobile app
- Tickets must originate from Singapore
This includes KrisFlyer award tickets on Singapore Airlines, Scoot, and Singapore Airlines’ other partners. What matters is that the charge must be processed by Singapore Airlines or Scoot.
Status earned via the fast-track offer is only valid for one year. Subsequently, you’ll have to requalify by flying at least 50,000 Elite miles in a 12-month period, just like everyone else.
This benefit cannot be used to renew KrisFlyer Elite Gold; if you’re already a KrisFlyer Elite Gold, the fast-track offer does not apply to you.
Also note that the fast-track is only available in the first year of card membership. If you miss this opportunity, you cannot take advantage of it in the second and subsequent years- unless American Express runs a special promotion.
Fast-Track T&Cs: AMEX KrisFlyer Ascend
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“Eligible Card Members” (as defined below) who charge a cumulative amount of S$15,000 or more on “Eligible Flight Bookings” (as defined below) within the first 12 months upon Card approval (“Spend Criteria”) will be upgraded to the KrisFlyer Elite Gold membership tier (“KrisFlyer Elite Gold Upgrade”) within 6 weeks from the time you meet the Spend Criteria. To be an “Eligible Card Member”, you must: “Eligible Flight Bookings” refer to: Unless otherwise stated, the KrisFlyer Elite Gold Upgrade may not be applied in conjunction with, or in addition to, any other promotions under which a Card Member may achieve Elite Gold Status by meeting certain criteria. For avoidance of doubt, PPS Club and KrisFlyer Elite Gold members do not qualify for any membership tier upgrades under the KrisFlyer Elite Gold Status Accelerator. The KrisFlyer Elite Gold status granted under this KrisFlyer Elite Gold Status Accelerator benefit is valid for a period of one (1) year from date of upgrade only. Requalification is based on standard requalification terms under the KrisFlyer programme. For more information on the benefits of being a KrisFlyer Elite Gold member and requalification for KrisFlyer Elite Gold status, please visit: https://www.singaporeair.com/en_UK/sg/ppsclub-krisflyer/krisflyer/krisflyer-elite-gold/ KrisFlyer and Singapore Airlines terms and conditions apply. Singapore Airlines reserves the right to vary their terms and conditions or terminate this benefit without prior notice at their own sole discretion. |
Fast-track for AMEX HighFlyer Card
As an alternative to earning Elite miles, AMEX HighFlyer Cardholders can enjoy a fast-track to KrisFlyer Elite Gold when they spend at least S$15,000 on Singapore Airlines or Scoot ticket purchases within the first 12 months of card approval.
- Tickets must be purchased in Singapore Dollars
- Tickets must be purchased via the Singapore Airlines or Scoot website or mobile app
- Tickets must originate from Singapore
This includes KrisFlyer award tickets on Singapore Airlines, Scoot, and Singapore Airlines’ other partners. What matters is that the charge must be processed by Singapore Airlines or Scoot.
Prior to 22 April 2025, the qualification criteria was not as strict. Ticket purchases did not have to be in Singapore Dollars or originate from Singapore, and eligible spending could include KrisShop as well. Unfortunately this has now been harmonised with the Ascend’s fast-track offer.
Status earned via the fast-track offer is only valid for one year. Subsequently, you’ll have to requalify by flying at least 50,000 Elite miles in a 12-month period, just like everyone else.
This benefit cannot be used to renew KrisFlyer Elite Gold; if you’re already a KrisFlyer Elite Gold, the fast-track offer does not apply to you.
Also note that the fast-track is only available in the first year of card membership. If you miss this opportunity, you cannot take advantage of it in the second and subsequent years- unless American Express runs a special promotion.
Fast-Track T&Cs: AMEX HighFlyer Card
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“Eligible Card Members” (as defined below) who charge a cumulative amount of S$15,000 or more on “Eligible Flight Bookings” (as defined below) within the first 12 months of Card Membership, will be eligible for an upgrade to the KrisFlyer Elite Gold membership tier (“KrisFlyer Elite Gold Upgrade”) or to nominate a registered corporate traveler to receive the KrisFlyer Elite Gold Upgrade. To be an “Eligible Card Member”: “Eligible Flight Bookings” refer to: The KrisFlyer Elite Gold Upgrade will not be available to nominees who are existing PPS Club or KrisFlyer Elite Gold members. For the avoidance of doubt, if there is more than one Basic American Express Singapore Airlines Business Credit Card Member that is linked to a Business (as determined with reference to the Business’ unique entity number or registration number), only the first Eligible Card Member who meets all the eligibility criteria will be entitled to receive the KrisFlyer Elite Gold Upgrade (or nominate a registered corporate traveler to receive the Upgrade). The KrisFlyer Elite Gold status granted under this KrisFlyer Elite Gold Status Accelerator For more information on the benefits of KrisFlyer Elite Gold membership and re-qualification for KrisFlyer Elite Gold status, please visit: https://www.singaporeair.com/en_UK/sg/ppsclubkrisflyer/krisflyer/krisflyer-elite-gold/. KrisFlyer and Singapore Airlines terms and conditions apply. Singapore Airlines reserves the right to vary their terms and conditions or terminate this benefit without prior notice at their own sole discretion. |
For both the Ascend and HighFlyer upgrade paths, the purchased tickets need not be flown by the cardholder.
This would benefit someone who often buys air tickets for other people. The Elite miles can only be accrued by the person whose name is on the ticket, but the purchaser can nonetheless achieve KrisFlyer Elite Gold through his total card spending.
Fast-track for Shangri-La Circle
| Shangri-La Circle Tier | Instant Match | Accelerated Status |
 Jade |
KrisFlyer Elite Silver |
KrisFlyer Elite Gold (3 flights in 4 months) |
 Diamond |
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As part of the Singapore Airlines x Shangri-La Infinite Journeys partnership, Shangri-La Circle Jade or Diamond members can register to receive instant KrisFlyer Elite Silver status for 12 months.
A further upgrade to KrisFlyer Elite Gold will be granted if they complete:
- Jade: Three qualifying flights within four months of registration
- Diamond: One qualifying flight within four months of registration
Status earned via the fast-track offer is only valid for one year. Subsequently, you’ll have to requalify by flying at least 50,000 Elite miles in a 12-month period, just like everyone else.
This benefit cannot be used to renew KrisFlyer Elite Gold; if you’re already a KrisFlyer Elite Gold, the fast-track offer does not apply to you.
Fast-track for Marriott Bonvoy
| Marriott Bonvoy Tier | Instant Match | Accelerated Status |
 Ambassador |
KrisFlyer Elite Silver |
KrisFlyer Elite Gold (4 flights in 6 months) |
| Titanium |
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| Platinum |
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| Gold |
N/A | KrisFlyer Elite Silver (2 flights in 6 months) |
As part of the Singapore Airlines x Marriott Bonvoy partnership, Marriott Bonvoy Ambassador, Titanium or Platinum members can register to get instant KrisFlyer Elite Silver status for 12 months.
A further upgrade to KrisFlyer Elite Gold is granted if they complete four qualifying flights within six months of registration.
Status earned via the fast-track offer is only valid for one year. Subsequently, you’ll have to requalify by flying at least 50,000 Elite miles in a 12-month period, just like everyone else.
This benefit cannot be used to renew KrisFlyer Elite Gold; if you’re already a KrisFlyer Elite Gold, the fast-track offer does not apply to you.
Qualifying flights
For the purposes of both the Shangri-La Circle and Marriott Bonvoy fast-track offers, qualifying flights include any commercial booking on Singapore Airlines in any booking class, excluding the following:
- Award tickets
- Codeshare flights
- Group fares in the ‘G’ booking class
For the avoidance of doubt:
- There is no need to book your tickets directly with Singapore Airlines; tickets booked through OTAs and travel agents will qualify provided they’re not codeshares or ‘G’ booking class
- Commercial tickets which are paid for with a mix of miles and cash will qualify
- Scoot flights do not count as qualifying flights
- Only flights booked in your name will count as qualifying flights
Here’s a table that illustrates how qualifying flights are counted.
| Itinerary | Flight Numbers | Qualifying Flights |
| SIN-FRA-JFK (one-way) |
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1* |
| SIN-FRA-JFK (one-way) |
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2 |
| SIN-FRA-JFK (round-trip) |
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2* |
| SIN-FRA-JFK (round-trip) |
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4 |
| DPS-SIN-KUL (one-way) |
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2 |
| DPS-SIN-KUL (round-trip) |
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4 |
| *If your SIN<>FRA and FRA<>JFK legs fall on different days (e.g. you add a stopover), it will count as two flights notwithstanding the fact they’re both on SQ26 | ||
You can broadly think of it as “one flight number = one flight”, though as stated in the footnote, if you travel on one flight number over two separate days, then it counts as two flights.
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)
No Elite miles will be awarded for flights on Malaysia Airlines, Virgin Atlantic, Alaska Airlines, JetBlue and Olympic Air, notwithstanding their partnerships with Singapore Airlines.
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).
Do note that Elite miles can only be earned by the person whose name is on the ticket.
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 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 mentioned previously, 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 |
Historically speaking, it’s only been possible to earn Elite miles from flying.
However, with effect from 1 September 2025, Singapore Airlines has made it possible to earn Elite miles through:
- Kris+ (both in Singapore and Australia)
- KrisShop
- Pelago
The earn rate across all three platforms is 1 Elite mile per S$1 spent (if you use Kris+ in Australia, you get a slightly better deal at 1 Elite mile per A$1, equivalent to S$0.85).
| Platform | Earn Rate |
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1 Elite mile per S$1 1 Elite mile per A$1 in Australia |
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1 Elite mile per S$1 |
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1 Elite mile per S$1 |
The maximum non-flight Elite miles that can be earned each calendar year towards KrisFlyer Milestone Rewards is capped at:
- 5,000 Elite miles for KrisFlyer and KrisFlyer Elite Silver
- 10,000 Elite miles for KrisFlyer Elite Gold
You will only earn 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.
KrisFlyer Milestone Rewards
To reward KrisFlyer Elite Gold members who go above and beyond requalification, SIA offers the KrisFlyer Milestone Rewards programme.
This awards you various gifts as you progress towards requalification and beyond, with 10 different Milestone Rewards on offer up to 100,000 Elite miles.
| 🏆 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 | 1,000 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 Advance Upgrade |
A few important things to note here:
- KrisFlyer Milestone Rewards are awarded based on Elite miles accumulated with a given calendar year (not membership year!)
- 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
- Unlike PPS Rewards, which reset at the 100,000 PPS Value mark up to five times per membership year, KrisFlyer members will not enjoy any further Milestone Rewards for the calendar year once 100,000 Elite miles is reached
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 Gold 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 Gold 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 Golds should have higher priority than KrisFlyer Elite Silver or KrisFlyer members when it comes to clearing waitlists, be it revenue or award tickets.
In reality, it’s hard to quantify just how big of a benefit this is. It may be a useful tiebreaker, but if you’re hoping to score 2x Suite Savers on the JFK or LHR route by virtue of your Elite Gold status, you’re likely to be disappointed.
My unscientific opinion is that there isn’t much of a difference.
Priority check-in
KrisFlyer Elite Gold members can check-in at Business Class or specially-designated Star Alliance Gold counters whenever they fly on Singapore Airlines, Star Alliance, Virgin Atlantic, Virgin Australia or Vistara.
This benefit is valid both in Singapore and overseas, and also applies to your travelling companions on the same itinerary. That said, the “same itinerary” requirement isn’t always strictly enforced; I’ve booked separate award tickets in the past but always managed to check-in with my travel companion at the Business Class desk.
Additional baggage & priority handling
KrisFlyer Elite Gold members receive an additional checked baggage allowance when flying with Singapore Airlines, Star Alliance, Star Alliance Connecting Partners, and Virgin Australia.
For countries where the weight concept is used, the extra allowance is 20kg. For passengers on Singapore Airlines specifically, here’s what the total entitlement would look like:
| 🧳 Weight Concept (Flights to/from all countries except Canada/USA) |
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| Regular Allowance | KrisFlyer Elite Gold | |
| Suites & First Class | 50kg | 70kg |
| Business Class | 40kg | 60kg |
| Premium Economy Class | 35kg | 55kg |
| Economy Flexi/Standard | 30kg | 50kg |
| Economy Value/Lite | 25kg | 45kg |
For countries where the piece concept is used, the extra allowance is one more bag, which is either 32kg in First and Business or 23kg otherwise.
| 🧳 Piece Concept (Flights to/from Canada/USA) |
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| Allowance | KrisFlyer Elite Gold | |
| Suites & First Class | 2x 32kg | 3x 32kg |
| Business Class | 2x 32kg | 3x 32kg |
| Premium Economy Class | 2x 23kg | 3x 23kg |
| Economy Class (all fare types) |
2x 23kg | 3x 23kg |
Where Virgin Australia is concerned, you will be permitted to check an extra bag of up to 32kg for Business Class passengers, and up to 23kg for Economy Class passengers, on domestic and short-haul international flights.
While this benefit generally applies across all Star Alliance partners, it does not apply to:
- “Light” fares offered by Austrian, Lufthansa and SWISS
- “Check&Go” fares offered by Brussels Airlines
- “Go light” fares offered by SAS
- “Seat” fares offered by Air New Zealand
KrisFlyer Elite Gold members also receive priority baggage handling tags, which means your bags should come out on the belt earlier than the rest of Economy Class.
Lounge access
KrisFlyer Elite Golds enjoy lounge access when travelling on the following airlines, together with one guest.
| KrisFlyer Elite Gold Lounge Access |
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| Airline | From SIN | Outside SIN |
| Singapore Airlines | KrisFlyer Gold Lounge | SilverKris Lounge (J) or partner lounge |
| Star Alliance | Star Alliance Gold Lounge | Star Alliance Gold Lounge |
| Virgin Australia | N/A | Virgin Australia Lounge |
| Guests must be departing on the same flight, with the exception of Virgin Australia, where the guest can be on any same-day Virgin Australia flight. |
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While KrisFlyer Elite Golds can access SilverKris lounges outside of Singapore, when flying from Changi they will be directed to the relatively-inferior KrisFlyer Gold Lounge instead. They may use either the Terminal 2 or Terminal 3 facility- definitely go with the latter, as it’s newer and better.
Review: Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer Gold Lounge Changi Terminal 2
Outside of Singapore, at airports where no SilverKris Lounge is available, KrisFlyer Elite Golds generally receive the same lounge access entitlement as a passenger travelling in Business Class.
However, some exceptions apply. As far as I know, these are the Singapore Airlines destinations where Business Class and KrisFlyer Elite Golds have different lounge entitlements:
| Airport | Business Class | KrisFlyer Elite Gold (in PY/Y) |
| Frankfurt | LH Business Lounge or AC Maple Leaf Lounge | LH Senator Lounge or AC Maple Leaf Lounge |
| Istanbul | TK Business Lounge | TK Miles&Smiles Lounge |
| Munich | LH Business Lounge | LH Senator Lounge |
| San Francisco | Polaris Lounge | United Club |
| Zurich | LX Business Lounge | LX Senator Lounge |
Priority security
As Star Gold members, KrisFlyer Elite Golds can enjoy fast-track security clearance at selected airports worldwide, every time they fly on a Star Alliance member airline (regardless of cabin).
Gold Track lanes are available more than 100 airports at the time of writing, including Amsterdam, Barcelona, Brisbane, New York JFK, Osaka, San Francisco, Sydney, Tokyo Narita, Tokyo Haneda, and Zurich.
While the benefit is, strictly speaking, for the Gold member only, in practice I’ve received fast-track vouchers for my non-Gold companion as well.
Priority boarding
When the time comes to board, KrisFlyer Elite Golds can get a jump on overhead storage space by boarding before the rest of Economy Class.
The boarding order for Singapore Airlines is:
- Passengers who require special assistance, as well as those with infants and toddlers
- Suites and First Class passengers
- Business Class passengers and PPS Club members
- Premium Economy Class passengers, KrisFlyer Elite Gold and Star Alliance Gold members
- Economy Class passengers (further split into three zones depending on location)
Other Star Alliance carriers may have a different order of priority.
Just like fast-track security, priority boarding is meant to be for the Gold member only, but in practice a reasonable number of companions are accepted too.
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 | Free (Standard) |
| Economy Flexi | Y, B, E | Free (Forward Zone & Standard) |
| Premium Economy (All Fare Types) |
L, P, R, S, T | Free (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$10 | US$20 | US$30 |
| Band 2 | US$15 | US$25 | US$60 |
| Band 3 | US$20 | US$35 | US$80 |
| Band 4 | US$30 | US$50 | US$110 |
| Band 5 | US$35 | US$60 | US$130 |
| Band 1: Between Singapore and Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam; between Denmark and Italy, between Spain and Italy. Band 2: Between Singapore, Bangladesh, Hong Kong, China, India, Japan, Korea, Maldives, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Taiwan and U.A.E. Please note that prices for seat selection on itineraries originating from Kathmandu, Nepal, are subject to 13% VAT. This 13% tax will be imposed on top of the base rates stipulated in the table above. Band 3: Between Singapore, Australia and New Zealand. Band 4: Between Singapore and Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Russia, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey and United Kingdom, between United States and Germany, Japan and United Kingdom. Band 5: Between Singapore and United States. |
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If you’re a KrisFlyer Elite Gold member, you can choose any Forward Zone or Standard seat in Economy Class for free, regardless of fare type. This saves you between US$10 to US$60, depending on route.
KrisFlyer Elite Golds are still required to pay for:
- Extra Legroom seats (US$30-130)
- Solo seats (US$168; only available on the A350-900 ULR flights to the USA)
However, they will receive a 15% discount off the cost. Travelling companions booked on the same itinerary will receive a 10% discount off advance seat selection.
For example, if a KrisFlyer Elite Gold makes a booking for himself and his wife in Economy Lite and selects Extra Legroom seats, he will save 15% off his seat selection fee, and 10% off her seat selection fee.
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 ended its COVID-era miles extension policy in July 2023, and 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 1.29 cents, pay with miles
- If your value per mile is more than 1.29 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.
Waived service fees
KrisFlyer Elite Gold members will receive a waiver of 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!
Scoot perks
KrisFlyer Elite Gold members enjoy additional benefits on Scoot, as summarised below.
| ✈️ Scoot Privileges for SQ Elites |
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| KrisFlyer Elite Gold/Silver | Solitaire PPS/PPS Club | |
| Priority Check-in and Boarding | ✅ | ✅ |
| Extra 5kg Luggage Allowance^ (with min. purchase of 20 kg allowance) |
✅ | ✅ |
| Free Standard Seat Selection* | ✅ | ✅ |
| One-time Booking Flexibility Waiver | ✅ KF Elite Gold only |
✅ |
| SilverKris Lounge Access | ❌ | ✅ Solitaire PPS Club only |
| ^Only applies to the elite member, and not travelling companions *Only applies to bookings made directly on the flyscoot.com website |
||
These benefits will be added to your booking within 24 hours after the booking is confirmed. You’ll receive an email notification when that happens. This also means that if you make your booking within 24 hours of departure, you will not be able to enjoy any elite benefits.
If you were not a KrisFlyer Elite Gold at the time you created the booking, but are subsequently upgraded to such a tier, you will enjoy the benefits provided the upgrade takes place at least 24 hours before departure. The benefits will be automatically applied, with no action required from your side. However, you will not be refunded for any previously paid ancillaries that overlap with your new benefits.
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 Bonus |
 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.
KrisFlyer Birthday Bonus: Up to 2,000 bonus KrisFlyer miles when you fly around your birthday
Shangri-La Circle Jade fast-track
Thanks to the Infinite Journeys partnership between Singapore Airlines and Shangri-La Hotels & Resorts, KrisFlyer Elite Gold members can register and earn Jade status with one single night at any Shangri-La Hotel and Resort, Kerry Hotel, Traders Hotel or Hotel Jen worldwide. This status normally requires 20 nights or 6,000 tier points a year to qualify.
The tier upgrade will take place within a week of meeting the upgrade criteria.
Shangri-La Jade members enjoy perks including free breakfast, room upgrades, and priority for early check-in (11 a.m) and late check-out (4 p.m), subject to availability.
Heathrow Express upgrade
Star Alliance has a partnership with Heathrow Express that provides Solitaire PPS Club, PPS Club and KrisFlyer Elite Gold members with a free upgrade to Business First Class by virtue of their Star Gold tier.
According to the T&Cs, Star Gold members must purchase a full fare standard class ticket, and show their Star Gold frequent flyer card when prompted by the conductor. In practice, however, there’s no need to purchase full fare; I’ve received this benefit many times when riding on a discounted ticket as well (which can cost as little as £5.50 one way, if purchased 90 days ahead).
Frankly, it’s a modest little upgrade, since the ride is a grand total of 15 minutes. But hey, why not?
Unpublished benefits
Soft landing
KrisFlyer Elite Gold members who fail to earn sufficient Elite miles to requalify will be soft landed to KrisFlyer Elite Silver for the following membership year.
At least, that’s what happened to me when I failed to maintain my COVID-era KrisFlyer Elite Gold.
Thank you for your support. We hope you’ve enjoyed the benefits of your KrisFlyer Elite Gold membership in the past year.
Unfortunately, your account does not have sufficient miles to qualify for renewal of your KrisFlyer Elite Gold membership.
As such, your membership has now changed to KrisFlyer Elite Silver. To requalify for KrisFlyer Elite Gold membership, simply accumulate 50,000 Elite miles within 12 consecutive months
-Singapore Airlines
If you’re soft landed to KrisFlyer Elite Silver, you’ll enjoy this status for a further 12 months from the date you lost KrisFlyer Elite Gold.
During this period:
- If you clock at least 50,000 Elite miles, you’ll be immediately upgraded back to KrisFlyer Elite Gold (with the 12-month membership year starting from the month you crossed the 50,000 Elite miles threshold)
- If you clock at least 25,000 Elite miles but less than 50,000 Elite miles, you’ll retain KrisFlyer Elite Silver for a further 12 months after the initial 12-month period ends
- If you clock less than 25,000 Elite miles, you’ll be downgraded to KrisFlyer at the end of 12 months
It’s important to remember that soft landings to KrisFlyer Elite Silver are not official policy. This is a courtesy offered by Singapore Airlines, which means it can be removed at any time without notice.
Singapore Airlines offering soft landings for KrisFlyer Elite Golds
Conclusion
KrisFlyer Elite Golds will forever be second class citizens to the PPS Club, but perks like lounge access and additional baggage can help ease the pain of travelling. You’ll also enjoy priority baggage handling and boarding, plus a (theoretically) better shot at award seats when waitlisted!
I probably would not go out of my way to earn this, and never made the effort to retain the KrisFlyer Elite Gold status I earned courtesy of Singapore Airlines’ COVID-era “earn on the ground” campaign.
So yes, there’s no harm enjoying the perks in that case, and if it can make Economy Class travel a little more tolerable, why not?
Any other KrisFlyer Elite Gold perks worth highlighting?
Shame about the discontinuation of the welcome kits with luggage tags and physical cards, I’ve always been looking forward to them!
It was about time that SQ discontinued this anachronistic and extremely wasteful exercise. I bet more than 90% of them will end up in landfill sites anyway.
Hi Aaron, Happy New Year! Great summary article as always!
A question on additional baggage, do you know if it applies to redemption nominees if the KFEG holder isn’t part of the travel party?
Happy New Year! No, redemption nominees don’t enjoy any kfeg perks
So it sounds like the distinction between KF Gold and PPS/Solitaire applies only within the SQ ecosystem (apart from the three lounges you’ve mentioned). Outside that, everybody is Star Gold. Hopefully my understanding is correct
Thats a fair statement to make for the most part. Thai airways for example couldn’t care less if you’re kfeg or solitaire pps
RE: lounge differences
When flying out of many CH/DE/AT airports, KrisFlyer Gold passengers get a better lounge than SQ business class (only) passengers, given *G grants access to the more upscale Senator/Alpine lounges of the Lufthansa Group.
Can sit together with the SQ F/Suites passengers there!
Always found this policy slightly amusing where J pax are relegated to the Business lounges which kinda meh, while *G folk in Y gets the slightly better Senator lounges.
Good point but I’ve always found the differences to be marginal, at least in Frankfurt and Munich. I believe the main advantage of senator lounge over business is the presence of a manned bar?
LOT Lounge at Warsaw a few years ago, morning flight (breakfast) – business lounge had a cold breakfast, the Star Gold room inside had the hot breakfast food
That “LOT Elite” room for gold and LO long-haul business class only is great indeed! Last time I was there they had also real champagne for self service (Nicholas feuillatte). LH had also real champagne in the Senator lounge (at least the FRA B one), while business didn’t, but they seem to have switched that to prosecco now. Not that much difference with business, but the few additional SEN drinks, food and seasonal options can be nice. SK is another airline with better lounges for gold than business. Their OSL gold lounge has beer on tap and spirits, which is… Read more »
real champagne! that’s a nice touch, haven’t seen it in an LH lounge yet (well, FCT aside)
Also in FCL. And tbh, contrary to FT, I wouldn’t bother using FCT unless departing from FRA, and I have no VAT refunds. Not much difference now. There is a fee for customs to come out to FCT to validate.
Yes, FCL has duckies too – though not some are shower only rooms, while others are actual bath rooms.
SQ needs to up their ground services in FRA – LH has a big advantage over SQ in the lounge department. Even for transit.
Yep agree that the SAS Gold Lounge in CPH is better than the normal SAS Lounge. Interestingly enough when i flew with SAS in 2019, I was able to enter the SAS Gold on a J ticket with no status heh.
Senator lounge has showers, business lounge doesn’t. IIRC
I’m currently already on KFEG (membership year ending Nov 2022). If I manage to attain 50,000 Elite miles say by Jul 2022, would my KFEG membership be extended for another year (to Nov 2023) automatically upon this trigger, and thereby making me lose out on SQ’s concessionary extension of elite status for memberships expiring in Mar 2022 to Feb 2023?
Should my game plan be just to attain below 50,000 Elite miles by Nov 2022 in order to qualify for the concessionary extension? Thanks!
On “all Singapore Airlines seats can be selected for free by any passenger at the T-48 hours mark”, does that include bulkhead seats in business class too? Thanks in advance
Yes, if they’re still untaken
Any practical experiences on how long Shangri-La Jade upgrade takes after checkout?
Sure, it says many weeks, but like Aaron points out, it also says full fare for Heathrow Express BizFirst…
My experience from last year:
1) In confirmation email, they estimated 1-2 weeks after checkout
2) More than two weeks passed; nothing happened.
3) Sent chaser email
4) Upgraded the next day
Total: less than 3 weeks, but had to send additional email. Could be an anomaly!
Thanks for the tip. 🙂
The reverse however is quite instant. ie from Shangri-La Jade to KF Elite Silver was approved instantly upon the click of the registration button. Now I wonder how long KFEG will click in after 3 SQ flights.
Stay tuned. 😉
I tried this last weekend and booked one night at Hotel Jen. I got immediately upgraded to Jade a day after my check out.
> While the benefit is, strictly speaking, for the Gold member only, in practice I’ve received fast track vouchers for my non-Gold companion as well. I need some information about this statement. Let’s say that I am a KF Gold member and eligible for Priority Check-in/boarding, while my family members don’t have this status. Is it possible for me to check-in/board together with my family members in the priority lane while flying Economy? Should the tickets be booked in 1 single booking or can be in separate bookings? I understand that this is not guaranteed and any perks should be… Read more »
With regards to priority boarding, The gate agents are usually obliging enough to let your partner or small family in together, as long as you’re not taking a big group with you. for priority check-in, there are instances where they will pick up that you’re not on the same booking or not immediate family members, and they have the right (of course they do, it’s stated anyway) to not serve those not included in the rules, but generally if you are polite and nice about it, showing that you also appreciate that they are showing goodwill too, things go through.… Read more »
Thank you for your information, Non ^^
I understand about the goodwill and entitlement part… there are lots of adult travelers nowadays that throw a tantrum in the airport / on the plane, just because they didn’t get what they want.
Cheers!
So I just booked a flight on Scoot to CNX and was pleasantly surprised when they included complimentary standard seats for KF Elite Gold members. The booking website says not to select your seats until you receive an email in 24 hours. The email came, with a button that says “Select my seats now”. I tried to do that and to my horror realised that in a 100% empty plane, they had assigned me to Seat 31F both ways. That is right in the corner at the end of the last row, and non-reclining–the worst seat in the plane. I… Read more »
Man, that’s really lame. I didn’t need to change my seat but realised they were still charging a fee to do so on my way back from bkk
Yup, I am currently in a similarly bad seat for my Scoot flight and experienced exactly the same problem. On my outward flight I was given the second last row, and now I am in the last, in a non-reclinable seat. I do not understand how “complimentary standard seat selection” means you are pre-assigned a really bad seat and when given the chance to select your seat, choosing any other seat incurs a fee. It seems you are better off not having this “benefit”! A passenger with no frequent flyer status who just chooses not to pay for seat selection… Read more »
I noticed that KFEG priority check-in in some overseas stations have been aligned more with Premium Economy rather than Business class, even in stations which do not offer Premium Economy class, eg. in Jakarta CGK where SQ does not sell Premium Economy class out of CGK, there is now a dedicated Premium Economy cum KFEG/StarGold queue. I have been too used to using Business Class check-in queue as KFEG pre-COVID at CGK. During my first trip from CGK after Indonesia opens up recently, I naturally pushed my trolley to join the Business Class queue. I was already halfway in the… Read more »
In Adelaide I was directed to the extremely long economy check-in line after asking about KFEG check-in. To the chagrin of the lady who said this I simply ignored her and went to the business class check-in which had no queue. No problem and I was flying on a spontaneous escapes discounted economy reward. Agent even blocked the seat next to me.
Quick question: – My Krisgold membership is from Jun 2022 to Jun 2023. – Earned 5k miles through flights in Jul 2022 – Earned 15k miles through flights in Oct 2022 – Earned 15k miles through flights in Dec 2022 – Will earn 5k miles through flights in Mar 2023 Will only hit 40k miles come Jun 2023 and fail to quality for membership come Jun 2023. Does that mean my counter will reset to zero? – Cause I will earn 15k miles through flights in Jul 2023 If SQ looks from Aug 2022 to Jul 2023, I would have… Read more »
I am curious about people’s views on having PPS versus having KFEG and maybe chasing another status say on OneWorld. I have PPS and in theory, could renew by the end of the year, KFEG renewal would be in the bag anyway. At the same time given some long-haul destinations I will start to have to MEA, I could switch to maybe Qatar for example, and chase BA Gold. As mentioned by others below when traveling to/from Germany which I do a lot, KFEG already gives me Senator access. My other major route to NYC well let’s be frank the… Read more »
if i had a choice between star gold and oneworld emerald, i’d choose the latter- first class lounge access is a huge draw for me!
are there any ways to status match Star Alliance Gold to Oneworld Emerald? 🙂
during covid Qatar airways did indeed offer this, and some solitaire pps members walked away with oneworld emerald. strictly speaking, however, oneworld rules do not allow direct matching to emerald, only status challenges. but as we know, qatar doesn’t really care about oneworld rules
LATAM matched Aegean Gold (or any other *G) to their BLACK/Oneworld Emerald in 2017. Only condition was having proof of having flown LATAM before. Could’ve been even their FRA-MAD 5th freedom flight at that time.
Was fun back then, especially when visiting LHR T3.
Unfortunately they left OneWorld in the meantime.
Just fly back from Frankfurt. It seems that now they have removed the “star alliance gold” logo from LH Senator Lounge Signage but only have the logo appeared to Business Class Lounge signage. I havn’t triend to SEnator Lounge this time but I guess they already changed it.
if i booked my flights while i am still KFEG but will not be gold by the time i fly, will i still get gold perks or no?
Value of KFEG is shrinking considering inflated air ticket price to earn the same amount of miles post COVID.
For lounge access, better to get through credit cards.
Don’t expect any upgrades. SQ only do it when the flight is full and there is a long list off PPS life/solitare members with priority.
Hi Aaron, I recently travelled on virgin Australia flights within Australia, I booked directly on their website and I got krisflyer miles but not elite miles. I saw that you can get elite miles on codeshare flights. May I know how I can go about booking codeshare flights?
Hi, great summary but I have a question. If my collection period starts 1st of August and I reach the 25K, within 6 month, do I have to collect another 50K to reach gold or only 25k in the other 6 month? And if I understand correctly, once I reach 50k (assume 30th of March 2025), my 12 month period to requalify starts on 1st of April?
Thanks for your help.
Hi Aaron, thanks for the amazing article!
If I have accrued more than 50,000 elite miles required for requalification for Gold, am I able to carry these elite miles over to the following membership year once I have requalified?