Fast-track: How to bypass the regular KrisFlyer Elite Gold or Silver qualification requirements

Singapore Airlines’ elite ladder should be familiar to most people by now, with Solitaire PPS Club at the pinnacle, followed by PPS Club, KrisFlyer Elite Gold, and KrisFlyer Elite Silver.

To qualify, members must accumulate sufficient PPS Value or Elite miles, which can be a tall order, made even harder by the fact that it’s currently not possible to earn status credits on the ground. For perspective, the 50,000 Elite miles necessary for KrisFlyer Elite Gold are the equivalent of three round-trips journeys to San Francisco!

Tier	Qualification Requirement (in 12-month period)
Solitaire PPS Club	50,000 PPS Value
PPS Club	25,000 PPS Value
KrisFlyer Elite Gold	50,000 Elite miles
KrisFlyer Elite Silver	25,000 Elite miles
KrisFlyer Member	N/A

But maybe you don’t have to do that. If you have the right credit card or hotel status, there are ways for you to short-circuit the qualification process- some of which don’t even require you to fly at all!

I’m not going to waste your time by talking about fast tracks to PPS Club status, because there aren’t any. Singapore Airlines carefully guards the pearly gates to this programme, and the only instances I’ve heard of complimentary PPS status are for the C-suite of MNCs who commit to major spending with SIA.

There are, however, fast tracks to KrisFlyer Elite Gold and KrisFlyer Elite Silver, which we’ll discuss in this post. 

Fast track: General rules to note

Before we talk about specific fast-track opportunities, here’s three important pointers to note.

Qualification, not requalification

Fast-tracks are for qualification, not requalification.

In other words, if you’re an existing KrisFlyer Elite Gold/Elite Silver, you cannot use these fast-tracks to requalify for KrisFlyer Elite Gold/Elite Silver. Put it another way: an existing KrisFlyer Elite Gold cannot attempt a fast-track to KrisFlyer Elite Gold. He would need to wait till his status gets downgraded to KrisFlyer Elite Silver or lower before applying. 

One membership year only

Status earned via fast-track offers is only valid for 12 months. If you want to extend your status beyond that period, you’ll need to meet the regular requalification threshold (i.e. 25,000 Elite miles for Silver, or 50,000 Elite miles for Gold).

For example, if I complete a fast-track to KrisFlyer Elite Gold and my account is upgraded on 15 April 2024, I will enjoy this status till 30 April 2025. If I want to retain KrisFlyer Elite Gold beyond this date, I will need to accumulate 50,000 Elite miles by 30 April 2025.

Single use only

Each fast-track opportunity can only be utilised once, so you’ll want to time it carefully to coincide with a period where you know you’ll be travelling enough to make the benefits worthwhile.

However, I’ve clarified with Singapore Airlines that there is no restriction on using multiple fast-tracks from different programmes, so long as each is only used once. For example, you can only use the KrisFlyer Elite Gold fast-track from the AMEX KrisFlyer Ascend once, but after you lose your KrisFlyer Elite Gold status, you can then make use of the fast-track from the AMEX HighFlyer Card.

AMEX KrisFlyer Ascend: KrisFlyer Elite Gold

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. If you miss that window, you won’t get another chance to try in the following membership year, barring a promotion. 

Singapore Airlines tickets must be:

• Purchased on Singapore Airlines or Scoot website or mobile app
• Originating from Singapore
• Charged in Singapore Dollars

However, real world experience says that the “originating from Singapore” requirement is not strictly enforced. If you’re booking a ticket to Singapore and the SIA website lets you pay in SGD (there’s usually a dropdown box appearing on the final screen, though not always), then such transactions would count. Keep in mind that this is an unofficial loophole that could be patched at any time, so do it at your own risk. 

Eligible spending includes paying for taxes and surcharges on a KrisFlyer award ticket with your card (whether the award flight is on Singapore Airlines or one of its partners).

There is no requirement that the purchased tickets need to be flown by the cardholder. Think about the scenario of someone who often buys air tickets for his entire family. He can’t accrue the Elite miles on their tickets (only the person whose name is on the ticket can), but can nonetheless achieve KrisFlyer Elite Gold through his total card spending. 

From time to time, American Express runs promotions that allow you to meet the minimum spend through transactions other than Singapore Airlines flight bookings. The most recent offer, which ended on 31 May 2024, reduced the total spend to S$12,500, of which only S$2,500 had to be on Singapore Airlines flight bookings. 

AMEX HighFlyer Card: KrisFlyer Elite Gold

AMEX HighFlyer Cardholders can enjoy a fast-track to KrisFlyer Elite Gold when they spend at least S$15,000 on the Singapore Airlines Group within the first 12 months of card approval. If you miss that opportunity, you won’t get another chance to try in the following membership year, barring a promotion.

The Singapore Airlines Group is defined as:

• Singapore Airlines
• Scoot
• KrisShop

Note how this is a wider scope than the AMEX KrisFlyer Ascend, because it includes not just Singapore Airlines and Scoot, but KrisShop as well. There is also no requirement that the purchases be made in Singapore Dollars, or that that the flights originate from Singapore.

I’ve highlighted the key differences between the two fast-track offers in the post below.

KrisFlyer Elite Gold fast-track: AMEX KrisFlyer Ascend vs AMEX HighFlyer Card

Shangri-La Circle: KrisFlyer Elite Gold or Silver

Shangri-La Circle Tier	Instant Match	Accelerated Status
Jade	KrisFlyer Elite Silver	KrisFlyer Elite Gold (3 flights within 4 months)
Diamond		KrisFlyer Elite Gold (1 flight within 4 months)

As part of the Singapore Airlines x Shangri-La Infinite Journeys partnership, Shangri-La Circle Jade or Diamond 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:

• Jade: Three qualifying flights within four months of registration
• Diamond: One qualifying flight within four months of registration

If a Shangri-La Circle Jade or Diamond is already a KrisFlyer Elite Silver, registration for Infinite Journeys will extend their existing membership’s expiry date by a further 12 months.

Marriott Bonvoy: KrisFlyer Elite Gold or Silver

Marriott Bonvoy Tier	Instant Match To…	Status Accelerator Challenge
Ambassador	KrisFlyer Elite Silver	KrisFlyer Elite Gold (4 flights in 6 months)
Titanium
Platinum
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.

Marriott Bonvoy Gold members can register and earn KrisFlyer Elite Silver for 12 months if they complete two qualifying flights within six months of registration.

If a Marriott Bonvoy Ambassador, Titanium or Platinum is already a KrisFlyer Elite Silver, registration will extend their existing membership’s expiry date by a further 12 months.

KrisFlyer UOB Credit Card: KrisFlyer Elite Silver

Review

KrisFlyer UOB Credit Cardholders can enjoy a fast-track to KrisFlyer Elite Silver if they spend at least S$5,000 on Singapore Airlines Group transactions within the first 12 months of approval

The Singapore Airlines Group is defined as:

• Singapore Airlines
• Scoot
• KrisShop

Keep in mind that the upgraded status will take a while to appear. Qualifying cardholders will receive their status upgrade within six weeks from the last month of the first membership year. So, hypothetically, you could hit the qualifying spend on your first day of approval, and still have to wait 13+ months to get your status!

What are the benefits of KrisFlyer Elite Gold and Silver?

As a recap, here’s the key benefits awarded to KrisFlyer Elite Gold and silver members.

✈️ 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	✅	✅
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		✅

For more details on each tier of membership, do refer to my detailed guides below.

Complete Guide: KrisFlyer Elite Silver benefits

Complete Guide: KrisFlyer Elite Gold benefits

Conclusion

While we shouldn’t expect to see any fast-track offers to PPS, there are a number of ways to earn KrisFlyer Elite Silver or Elite Gold without actually having to chalk up 25,000 or 50,000 Elite miles. In the (admittedly edge) case of a Shangri-La Diamond member, a one-way ticket to Kuala Lumpur would be enough to trigger the upgrade!

Do keep in mind that these are “single use” opportunities, so be sure to utilise them when you know you’ll be travelling more.

Any other fast-tracks for KrisFlyer Elite status you’re aware of?