American Express has announced a major refresh of the AMEX KrisFlyer Ascend, which was launched back in 2013 as a more premium offering to the entry-level AMEX KrisFlyer Credit Card (then known as the AMEX KrisFlyer Gold Card).
When I first heard rumours about this refresh, I was optimistic. The card’s earn rates, while decent for 2013, had become hopelessly outclassed. And while the welcome bonus, free Hilton night and four lounge vouchers could make the first year worthwhile, the ongoing value proposition was, in the words of the Immortan: mediocre.
Unfortunately, this refresh does little to change that assessment. Lounge vouchers have been removed. The already dire earn rates have been nerfed even further. The much-vaunted KrisFlyer miles redemption vouchers are clunky and convoluted. Oh, and to add insult to injury, the annual fee has been hiked by a further S$50 to almost S$400.
AMEX KrisFlyer Ascend? More like AMEX KrisFlyer Descend, as one sage put it.
 Summary: AMEX KrisFlyer Ascend Changes |
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| New T&Cs | |
| โ New | โ Nerfed |
AMEX KrisFlyer Ascend: New features
10,000 KrisFlyer miles renewal voucher
With so many general spending cards offering cardholders 10,000 miles for paying the first year’s annual fee or renewing their card, American Express has decided to follow suit. Unfortunately, the execution leaves a lot to be desired.
From 1 November 2024, AMEX KrisFlyer Ascend Cardholders will receive a 10,000 KrisFlyer miles renewal voucher for paying their second and subsequent years’ annual fees. Note how I used the term “voucher”- it would have been so much more straightforward to simply credit 10,000 miles to the cardholder’s KrisFlyer account, but American Express has chosen a more convoluted route.
First, the voucher is credited on a delayed timeline (certainly not the “immediate travel boost” that the press release trumpets!):
- If your annual fee is paid between 1 November 2024 and 31 January 2025, you’ll receive the renewal miles voucher by 31 March 2025
- If your annual fee is paid from 1 February 2025 onwards, you’ll receive the renewal miles voucher within 10-12 weeks
Second, the voucher is valid for 12 months from the awarding date, and can only be used for redemption bookings or upgrades on eligible flights operated by Singapore Airlines. Both the booking and travel dates must fall within the validity period of the voucher.
Third, in order to use the voucher, you must have enough KrisFlyer miles to cover the full cost of the redemption booking. For example, if you’re trying to book a ticket that costs 40,000 miles, you must have at least 40,000 miles in your account; 30,000 miles won’t cut it.
| Example | Miles Req. | Voucher | Net Miles |
| SIN-HKG (Economy Saver) |
16,500 | -10,000 | 6,500 |
| SIN-PEK (Business Advantage) |
65,000 | -10,000 | 55,000 |
Fourth, a maximum of one voucher can be used per transaction. This means you won’t be able to stack it with the the voucher for FCY spending (see the next section).
These terms are so nitpicky that when I first read them, I almost thought UOB had taken over this card!
18,000 miles FCY spending voucher
From 1 November 2024, AMEX KrisFlyer Ascend cardholders will receive a 18,000 KrisFlyer miles FCY spending voucher upon spending at least S$10,000 in FCY between 1 November 2024 to 31 October 2025.
The voucher is credited as follows:
- If the minimum FCY spend is met between 1 November 2024 and 31 January 2025, you will receive the FCY spending voucher by 31 March 2025
- If the minimum FCY spend is met from 1 February 2025 onwards, you will receive the FCY spending voucher within 8-10 weeks
Unfortunately, it’s also laden with the same kind of nitpicky terms as the 10,000 KrisFlyer miles renewal voucher, and even though your overall earn FCY earn rate, assuming you spent S$10,000 on the dot, will be 3 mpd (1.2 mpd base, 1.8 mpd bonus), that’s still weaker than what you could do with alternative cards on the market.
Earn 2 mpd on Scoot tickets
| Till 31 Oct 24 | From 1 Nov 24 | |
| Uncapped 2 mpd |
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AMEX KrisFlyer Ascend Cardholders currently earn an uncapped 2 mpd all transactions made at:
- Singapore Airlines website
- Singapore Airlines mobile app
- KrisShop purchases onboard Singapore Airlines
- KrisShop purchases at krisshop.com
From 1 November 2024, the uncapped 2 mpd will also be extended to all transactions made via:
- Scoot website
- Scoot mobile app
Given that it’s part of the SIA Group, I always through it strange that Scoot was excluded from the 2 mpd earn rate. At least that’s now been rectified, but really, there’s very little reason to use the AMEX KrisFlyer Ascend for Scoot tickets when you can earn up to 4 mpd with the right cards.
Scoot spending now counts towards KrisFlyer Elite Gold accelerator
AMEX KrisFlyer Ascend Cardholders currently enjoy a fast-track to KrisFlyer Elite Gold when they spend at least S$15,000 within the first 12 months of approval on Singapore Airlines bookings, made on the Singapore Airlines website or mobile app.
From 1 November 2024, the minimum S$15,000 spend can also include Scoot bookings, made on the Scoot website or mobile app. However, KrisShop spend is still excluded, which is strange given that the AMEX HighFlyer Card includes such transactions for its fast-track benefit.
For avoidance of doubt, the minimum spend must still be met within the first 12 months. If you miss this window, you can’t try again in your second year, barring some sort of promotion from AMEX.
AMEX KrisFlyer Ascend: Nerfed features
Annual fee increase
| Till 31 Oct 24 | From 1 Nov 24 | |
| Annual Fee | S$343.35 | S$397.85 |
AMEX KrisFlyer Ascend Cardholders currently pay a S$343.35 annual fee.
From 1 November 2024, the annual fee will be increased to S$397.85. For existing cardholders, you won’t be impacted by the fee increase until your next renewal comes around, but what I find sneaky is that AMEX is applying the fee increase to new cardholders approved from 1 October 2024 (i.e. today).
It’s not difficult to think of a scenario where someone applied towards the end of September 2024 but only gets approved in early October, and finding that they now need to pay a higher annual fee than was originally envisioned- with benefits that are now quite different!
No more airport lounge vouchers
AMEX KrisFlyer Ascend Cardholders currently receive 4x lounge vouchers, each of which grants access to one person at participating SATS and Plaza Premium Lounges worldwide.
From 1 November 2024, these vouchers will no longer be awarded. Existing vouchers can be used:
- at SATS Premier Lounges till 31 December 2024
- at Plaza Premium Lounges till 31 March 2025
No more double KrisFlyer miles accrual voucher
AMEX KrisFlyer Ascend Cardholders currently receive a double KrisFlyer miles accrual voucher when they spend at least S$15,000 on Singapore Airlines ticket purchases between 1 July and 30 June of the following year.
From 1 November 2024, this voucher will no longer be awarded. Existing vouchers can be used until their expiry date.
FCY earn rate reduced to 1.2 mpd
FCY spending has always been a weak spot for the AMEX KrisFlyer Ascend, with cardholders earning a mediocre 2 mpd- and only in June and December.
From 1 November 2024, the earn rate will be a standard 1.2 mpd year round, both for SGD and FCY spend. I assume the 18,000 KrisFlyer miles FCY spending voucher was supposed to make up for this, but like I said previously, there’s little reason to use the AMEX KrisFlyer Ascend for FCY spend in the first place.
Grab earn rate reduced to 2 mpd
| Till 31 Oct 24 | From 1 Nov 24 | |
| Grab Earn Rate | 3.2 mpd | 2 mpd |
| Cap | S$200 per c. month | S$200 per c. month |
AMEX KrisFlyer Ascend Cardholders currently earn 3.2 mpd the first S$200 spent with Grab per calendar month, excluding GrabPay top-ups.
From 1 November 2024, the earn rate will be reduced to 2 mpd, with the monthly cap remaining the same. All spending beyond this cap will earn 1.2 mpd.
That said, I find it hard to get bothered about this because the AMEX KrisFlyer Ascend was never the right card to use for Grab anyway, with plenty of 4 mpd alternatives available.
How bad are these changes?
I don’t think you should dwell too much on the changes to earn rates for Scoot, Grab and FCY spend, because these are all categories for which you shouldn’t be using the AMEX KrisFlyer Ascend in the first place.
What does bother me is that AMEX is hiking the annual fee by 15% to almost S$400, with little incremental value to show for it.
First, the 10,000 KrisFlyer miles renewal voucher is loaded with so many finnicky restrictions that I wouldn’t assign it the same value as 10,000 renewal miles with other general spending cards.
Second, the 18,000 KrisFlyer miles FCY spending voucher is irrelevant, because like I said, this is the wrong card to use for FCY spending.
Third, the loss of the lounge vouchers might not bother those who already have a credit card that offers unlimited visits, but for those who only qualify for S$30,000 cards, it’s a big blow. Keep in mind, one of the good things about the vouchers is that you could bring in multiple people at one go (versus just one free guest for most credit cards, if at all).
So if we remove the noise and just look at the important changes only, you’re paying S$54.50 extra for 10,000 highly-restricted renewal miles, while losing four lounge vouchers in the process.
You need to decide for yourself if that represents a win or loss, but if nothing else, you still retain the annual Hilton free night voucher, which together with a generous welcome offer could make the first year worthwhile. In second and subsequent years, however, I wouldn’t bother retaining the card.
Conclusion
American Express has announced a major refresh to the AMEX KrisFlyer Ascend, but little has really changed. It was a mediocre card before; it’s a more expensive mediocre card now.
The only thing propping it up are its welcome bonus and free Hilton night vouchers, and I certainly wouldn’t use it for any day-to-day spend beyond that which is required for the welcome offer.
It’s a shame, because they had a real opportunity to turn the Ascend into a worthwhile product, and all they did was put lipstick on a pig- and not a particularly attractive pig at that.
What do you make of these changes to the AMEX KrisFlyer Ascend?
It is such a waste as it was a decent card. Progressively, I stopped used AMEX. One they increase their Forex rate to 3.25% on an already poorer exchange rate. Next they become very pickly on free annual fee renewal. Restriction mileage vouchers and fee increase just add to the “no need to have card list”. Somehow AMEX seems to have lost their way.
People need to stop using the card and then they will rework the benefits. If people are still signing up, how will amex ever stop these mediocre card “refreshment/enhancement”
Vote with your sign up.
Probably AMEX will just kill off (discontinue) AMEX KF cards when people stop using it – Just like GrabPay card.
Suddenly it’s now one of the worse card..
Pity.. it was at least decent card.
Cancelling the card now
Can anyone explain why would anyone renew for this? I mean if you are in the miles game you would know better right?
i just signed up in Sep for the amex miles bonus … okay give it 1 year to improve…