Back in 2022, I finally got my hands on a Solitaire PPS Club membership after convincing my dad that it didn’t make sense to continue putting my mom as the supplementary cardholder, since she never travelled without him anyway.
This status was the byproduct of his many years jetting around the globe as a corporate executive. But he narrowly missed out on Lifetime Solitaire PPS when SIA pulled the plug unexpectedly in 2007 (something he has yet to forgive them for),ย and now that he’s happily retired, it was only a matter of time before his Reserve Value ran out too.
As it stands, his status (and therefore mine) is due to lapse in February 2025. I currently have KrisFlyer Elite Gold thanks to the no-fly status credits earned during COVID, but that lapses in October 2024, and therefore, once Solitaire is out of the picture, I’ll be bumped all the way down to KrisFlyer Elite Silver.ย That’s quite the downgrade, but it could be worse if not for Singapore Airlines’ soft-landing policy for KrisFlyer Elite Golds, since I haven’t even earned enough Elite miles to qualify for KrisFlyer Elite Silver in my own right!
So with the clock running down, I’ve been weighing the idea of retaining Solitaire PPS Club status for S$12,500, and you know what? I’m going to do it.
Don’t you need to spend S$50,000 for Solitaire PPS Club qualification?
Solitaire PPS Club qualification requires you to accumulate 50,000 PPS Value over a 12-month period (i.e. S$50,000 on First or Business Class tickets on SIA only), but keep in mind that it comes with a supplementary card, so from a two-player perspective that halves the cost.
| โ Principal vs Supplementary Perks |
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In case you were curious, the supplementary member enjoysย all the perks of the principal member, except for:
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But there’s actually two different Solitaire PPS schemes. In addition to the current one, there’s also a legacy track for grandfathered members who qualified before 1 June 2018, which only requires them to accrue 25,000 PPS Value over a 12-month period to requalify.ย
| ย | Solitaire PPS Club (qualified before 1 Jun 18) |
Solitaire PPS Club (qualified from 1 Jun 18) |
| PPS Value for Qualification | S$250,000 over a max. of 5 consecutive years | S$50,000 in 1 year |
| PPS Value for Renewal | S$25,000 in 1 year | S$50,000 in 1 year |
| Reserve Value Validity Period | 6 years | 3 years |
That’s the scheme my dad is on, so the idea is that I chip in S$12,500 to help him requalify.
S$12,500 is certainly a lot lower than the S$50,000 I’d have to spend if I wanted to qualify for Solitaire PPS status myself, but even so, it is a big amount of money. So what benefits does it bring?
Better Saver award space
Solitaire PPS Club status makes trip planning a lot easier, simply because it gives greater access to Saver awards. SIA says that Solitaires get the “highest priority to Saver awards flight availability”, and that claim checks out in real life.ย
When searching for awards from my account, I often see space that the MileLioness (regular KrisFlyer member) does not. This benefit also extends to Spontaneous Escapes awards, even though those technically aren’t Savers.ย
It’s not exactly carte blanche though- if you want to fly Suites to popular destinations like London or New York, you’ll have to cough up for Advantage space, or (more likely) waitlist. I’ve also seen situations where Aeroplan and EVA Infinity MileageLands see award space (possibly phantom, in the case of EVA) that even Solitaire members don’t get!
Still, if you’re just looking for regular Business or even Economy award space, and assuming you’re not limited to travelling only during peak periods, you’ll find that having Solitaire PPS status helps a lot. It means that you don’t necessarily have to camp the website at the 355 day mark to book award seats when they’re first released, and if you do need to waitlist, you’ll be somewhere near the top.
First Class reception at Changi Airport
Solitaire PPS Club members can use the First Class reception whenever they depart from Terminals 2 and 3 on Singapore Airlines.
Before the MileCub, this was simply a nice-to-have sort of thing. With the MileCub, it’s completely different. Babies do not travel light. Even for a short trip, at the very least she’ll have one big suitcase just dedicated to her stuff. That’s not counting the portable car seat, stroller, baby carrier and baby go-bag.
So having porters to meet you on arrival and help with the unloading really makes a difference, and that’s one less thing to worry about when departing from Singapore.
First Class lounge access on arrival and departure
Solitaire PPS Club members always get access to the First Class section of the SilverKris Lounge where available, when flying on Singapore Airlines or Scoot.ย
Given how overcrowded the Business Class Lounge is these days, this is a very nice perk to have. The First Class Lounge in Terminal 3 may not nearly reach the heights of the Lufthansa First Class Terminal or Al Safwa Lounge, but all things considered it’s a pleasant environment to unwind before a flight.
The F&B is commendable (special mention for the hokkien mee in the evening), the champagne is a lovely Piper-Heidsieck Rare (sadly it’s now AWOL, hopefully temporarily) and there’s never any wait for the showers. In fact, since Singapore Airlines’ actual First Class passengers go to The Private Room and since there’s no Star Alliance carrier with a First Class cabin departing from Terminal 3, the First Class Lounge effectively becomes the Solitaire PPS Club Lounge.
When travelling with the MileCub, the lounge becomes even more important. It’s a reliably quiet place with easy access to hot water, sliced fruits and bread, and the staff are always happy to cook her a bowl of plain pasta.ย There’s even a few nap rooms with proper beds for her to take a snooze if necessary.
I also appreciate the fact that lounge access isย extended to Solitaire PPS Club members on arrival in Singapore, because it’s a chance to freshen up and have a meal before heading home. And if we’re with the MileCub, it gives us an opportunity to change her (trust me, changing a baby in a shoebox sized lavatory is not fun) and get her fed and rehydrated before taking the long taxi ride home.ย
Also, the MileCub will eventually turn two, and by right,ย children above the age of two count towards one’s lounge guest entitlement. So the rules, if followed strictly, would prevent me from bringing in both the MileLioness and MileCub if we all travel together. I’m told that lounge staff generally close one eye for young children, and I’m guessing that’s all the more so if it’s a Solitaire PPS member.
PPS Connect
While it’s not a Solitaire PPS-exclusive perk, I have found a lot of value in the PPS Connect service, especially now that I need to call up customer service more frequently to do things like adding an infant ticket to an award booking, which the website doesn’t support.
With PPS Connect, instead of waiting on the phone, you can send an SMS to be put in a virtual queue for a callback. It’s an awesome convenience to have, especially if you need assistance during a peak period.
Complimentary seat selection
 Solitaire PPS & PPS Club |
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| ย | Member | Companions |
| Standard | โ | โ |
| Forward Zone | โ | โ |
| “Premium Economy”* | โ | 15% off |
| Extra Legroom | โ | 15% off |
| Soloย | โ | 15% off |
| *On flights equipped with a Premium Economy cabin, where the cabin is not sold | ||
Again, this isn’t a Solitaire PPS exclusive perk, but it’s worth mentioning anyway. Singapore Airlines’ seat selection fees in Economy Class and Premium Economy Class are completely waived for Solitaire PPS (and PPS Club) members.ย
This perk is less important when travelling with the MileCub since we get the bassinet row anyway, but when travelling as a couple it’s nice to always be able to pick whatever seat I like (as well as the bulkhead seats on the A350-900 and B777-300ER, which allow you to sleep straight instead of diagonally).ย
Technically, companions are only entitled to free Standard or Forward Zone seats, but if you call up and ask nicely, they’re usually willing to extend the benefit to one companion.ย
Is all that worth S$12,500?
Now, here’s the thing. It’s not particularly easy to put a value on all these benefits.ย
Sure, you could add up the money saved on seat selection fees. You could probably guesstimate the amount saved on airport F&B thanks to lounge access. But how do you put a value on additional award space? Or the time saved via PPS Connect? Or the extra personal touches when onboard, like the time we were flying Business Class and the inflight sommelier gave us a detailed tasting of the First Class wines?
The short answer is you can’t, though I’m sure there are those who will say that whatever the value is, it’s certainly less than S$12,500. And you know what? I agree. I can lift my own bags.ย I can make do with Priority Pass lounges, I can solve for award space issues by transferring points to other programmes. Heck, I can buy myself a couple of cases of Piper-Heidsieck Rare and still spend much less than S$12,500.
Moreover, none of that S$12,500 will actually go towards my own travel. It can’t. PPS Value can only be earned by the person whose name is on the ticket, and therefore under this arrangement, all flights will need to be flown by my dad.
But I see that as a feature, not a bug. I’m thankful my dad is still healthy enough to jet about, and I’m happy to finance some of his retirement travels. So whatever the gap is between S$12,500 and what I actually get in return, I’ll put it down to aย gesture of appreciation to the man who got me interested in the whole frequent flyer game in the first place (signing me up for the Young Explorer Club was really the gateway drug).
Obviously I won’t be doing this indefinitely. There will come a time when the MileCub grows up and the conveniences afforded by Solitaire PPS Club won’t be as important. And there will also come a time when my dad stops travelling, either by choice or otherwise. I don’t know when that will be, but we’ll just take it as it comes.
Besides, it does feel like a bit of a wasteย to give up a Solitaire PPS Club membership under the grandfather scheme, because once lost, you’ll have to requalify under the current S$50,000 requirement…
Conclusion
I was originally set to lose Solitaire PPS status in February 2025, but have decided to extend it a further 12 months by topping up S$12,500 towards my dad’s travels. I won’t actually be able to fly on his behalf, but I’m happy enough enjoying the supplementary card benefits, especially when travelling with the MileCub in tow.ย
Kind of makes you wish Singapore Airlines brought back Lifetime Solitaire, eh?
Grandfathered Solitaire members on the S$25,000 scheme: are you still maintaining your status?
I personally figured those 1-2 times a year I canโt book reward flights due to lack of availability, Iโll just pay for the business class fare out of pocket with whatever airline has a good deal on a good business product. That takes so much anxiety and obsession away ๐
Also true! The status hamster wheel can be blinding sometimes
Certain airlines do offer pretty great deals on J these days.
If you find it a struggle for 12. 5k, I guess it’s out of question for 50k, right?
Goodness me I’d never consider it at 25k even, so 50k is just out of the question!
Mine is set to expire in 2029 but Iโm already planning to do so – the perks offered that are extended to the entire family when traveling makes it a no-brainer. And with my most recent upgrade experience (NOT on my birthday) – itโs a slam dunk.
just to confirm that the $12.5k will go into the credit that your dad can later use to buy tickets? will the credit expire within a year?
Not exactly. The tickets have to be bought and flown before the membership year ends
I think you’ve made the right call. I agree with you and see this as a gesture of appreciation and thankfulness for your dad. That’s worth more than 12.5k!
This is a situation thatโs fairly unique to you, no? Most other people wonโt be looking at a 12.5k figure for renewal.
no knowing how many grandfathered members there are out there, but anyway, i would imagine a blog is for writing about…personal things
It’s sad that you cannot permanently keep the grandfathered card when the parent card is cancelled..
at least allow for that.
Piper Rare is no more in the SIN F lounges. Replaced by cheaper Charles Heidsieck.
yes, Blanc de Blancs, but still quite the downgrade.
Donโt see any major perks besides the forward seat/premium economy upgrade.
Is that really worth $12500(for your part and another $12500 for your fatherโs part totalling 25k ) ?
For 25kโฆ you could easily just pay cash for the forward/premium economy seat, not headache about waiting for saver bookings for quite a few flights in a year isnโt it?
I had read somewhere that SQ gives Solitaire members a soft landing, so you should get PPS for next year, but that might not only apply to your dad. You should argue they should extend it to you too, for all the endorsement you do for them ๐
For the first class reception, while I think SQ probably exercises some discretion to not turn away supplementary card holders of Solitaire PPS Club as long as the check-in lounge is not overwhelmed, I actually got the written clarification from SQ that using the first class reception is actually a benefit that’s meant for the main status holder. However, the first class check-in counters are open for the supplementary card holders.
This is the first time I’m hearing that actually. Never had any issues in the few years
I am a supplementary card holder as well and was curious about the language they used in the benefits write-up where they only mentioned “First-Class counter” for the priority airport check-in for supplementary card holders, while they made a whole “special check-in services at Changi Airport” song and dance for the main cardholder. So I asked through PPS connect and while the first few responses were off (“Oh yes, you can use the first class section of SilverKris lounge”, cue eyes rolling), I finally got the clarification that the reception lounges are really for the main cardholder only, but supplementary… Read more »
Iโm a main card holder while my wife is my supp solitaire card holder. In our bookings 48hrs before the flight my check in says first class while in my wifeโs booking it says row 5 T3 so I believe this is the official stance but never really enforced
Yeah agree. I do wonder if the reason that SQ do not make it official is that when so, they are worried about a flood of supplementary card holders flooding the reception. ๐
I’m a grandfathered Solitaire but no longer a heavy work traveler. Haven’t decided what I’ll do. Will expire in 2029. If SQ keeps the current unofficial soft landing, I gather that means I’ll go from Solitaire to PPS for the account year 2029-2030. Tbh, I’ve been flying other airlines more than SQ lately and as a result it’s really the *G status (and gifting same to spouse) that I’ve benefitted from more than anything else when flying Y.
People who had never tasted pork before cannot imagine how tasty pork knuckle could be notwithstanding the strongest adjective you could find to describe it.
You might just find that it’ll be even more important with MileCub and MileCub 2. Travelling together.
milecub 2? do you know something I don’t???
Itโs the same with hotel loyalty programs. Sometimes I just have to book a few extra nights to meet the requirement for top tier membership for the following yearโฆ
The perks received are worth more than the costs of those extra nights. Of course these extra nights are not in the range of several thousands of dollars.
Hi, I can nominate you for Supplementary Solitaire card. Take this as part of my contribution to the community. I hv enough PPS Reserves for 5 years. Drop me an email if youโre keen.
haha that is very generous of you, but I don’t think I could ask you to do that. thanks anyway!
Few buyers offering to purchase on carousel, just less than Scoot staff travel….keke
It can go towards your own travel. You just travel with your dad (with you booked in Y) and do a seat swap upon boarding.
eh for all the posting about PPS, u still need to depend on dad for status…. awww… thats sad…
prefer the term “milefasa”
hahahahaa that’s gold
Lol, Sad you must be real fun at parties; do you eat Phyllobates terribilis for breakfast everyday? Cause the stink is spreading all over…do yourself a favor and not talk. It’s bad for the environment lmao.
Like you, our Solitaire status expires in Feb next year. We have to log in another $3k by year end to requalify for another year, but after that it will be a stretch as my 77 year old husband is not inclined to travel much longer. If only they would allow transferability of eligibility to supplementary card holder. We have been Solitaire 31 years and like your father just missed out on Lifetime. But we have been faithfully paying our own way after my husband retired 20 years ago. Canโt sustain it much longer on retirement savings. But like you,… Read more »
Paying for 20 years…..20 x $25K/yr = $500K. I’m not sure I would pay that much out of my own pocket for status if I’m concerned about savings. I’d pay for the tickets (miles/$$) if I am travelling anyway but to travel J/F on $$ only to keep the status……nope. IMO, the lounge and luggage do not add up to $25K/year even if I had to pay for excess baggage and eat in a non-lounge restaurant (with better champagne & corkage fees). For showers, PP lounges or basic SilverKris. And PPS doesn’t offer complimentary limo like Emirates, Etihad, Lufthansa F… Read more »
Like you, my family is also part of the old scheme. Thankfully, pops is still able to earn enough every year to keep the ball rolling. I guess all good things will come to an end unless someone miraculously gets a job that can clock 50k on sq a year. The supplementary card is imo the most worth perk – family of 4 easily getting lounge access. Not to mention a free pass for 1 person. As a TPPS one cannot underestimate the power of going physically to ION Orchard to push for waitlists to clear. If you ask nicely… Read more »
Interesting re: ion orchard visits. I was always under the impression that if the pps hotline couldn’t clear, then there was no real point going down in person
I mean if youโre actually going to appreciate your dad..maybe give him the 12.5k instead of dictating that he has to renew his status? Or just pay the whole 25k since he doesnโt even travel that much anymore.
obviously you have your own selfish reasons so donโt put it down to filial piety pls
quiet you’re letting everyone know i have daddy issues.
“Besides, it does feel like a bit of a waste to give up a Solitaire PPS Club membership under the grandfather scheme, because once lost, youโll have to requalify under the current S$50,000 requirementโฆ” — Sunk Cost Fallacy.
“So whatever the gap is between S$12,500 and what I actually get in return, Iโll put it down to a gesture of appreciation to the man who got me interested in the whole frequent flyer game in the first place” — The real reason.
the IG shorts when you tell the driver to turn left before Door 1 is worth the S$12,500 in social media value. +miles on cash tickets +write off as business expense