Solitaire PPS Club: APEC Business Travel Card reimbursement now in KrisFlyer miles

One of the lesser-known perks of Solitaire PPS Club status is a reimbursement of the application fee for an APEC Business Travel Card (ABTC).

ABTC holders enjoy fast-track immigration through priority APEC lanes at major airports, and are exempt from applying for visas, or electronic travel authorisations like K-ETA and NZeTA. It’s a great convenience to have, and something you should absolutely get if you meet the eligibility criteria.

Singapore Airlines has just updated the terms of this benefit to replace the cash reimbursements with KrisFlyer miles, so let’s look at what’s changed, and whether you’re better or worse off under the new system.

Changes to ABTC reimbursement process

Principal Solitaire PPS Club members are entitled to reimbursement of the application fees for one ABTC (there is no similar benefit for supplementary cardholders). The application fee varies by country, but in Singapore it’s S$100.

Members are eligible to make a maximum of one claim per Solitaire PPS Club membership year. Once issued, an ABTC is valid for five years or until the passport expires, whichever comes first, so it’s unlikely you’d be making more than one application a year anyway unless you applied very late in your passport’s lifespan, or lost your passport altogether.

Previous process

Previously, members had to apply for an ABTC directly with the relevant authority and then submit the following documents:

1. a cheque or local bank transfer reimbursement form
2. official application acknowledgement
3. receipt for application fees

Reimbursement would then be made in cash within 6-8 weeks of submission.

New process

Singapore Airlines is now streamlining the process by replacing the cash reimbursement with 10,500 KrisFlyer miles instead.

Members will still need to submit the official application acknowledgement and receipt for application fees, but they’ll submit a miles reimbursement form instead. To access the form, members must be logged in to their Solitaire PPS Club account and visit this page.

The KrisFlyer miles will be credited within 2-4 weeks of submission.

What if I have a submission pending?

If you submitted your reimbursement application prior to 20 March 2025, you’ll still be entitled to cash reimbursement under the old scheme.

However, you are only eligible to make a single reimbursement application per Solitaire PPS Club membership year, regardless of whether it was in cash or KrisFlyer miles.

Is this better than the current arrangement?

If you’re a Singaporean, I’d certainly say so. 10,500 KrisFlyer miles, even at a conservative valuation of 1.5 cents each, are worth about S$158. That’s 50% more than the application fee in Singapore.

If you’re a citizen of another country, however, your opinion might differ. Out of curiosity, I went to pull the ABTC application fees for a few more countries.

In countries like South Korea or Malaysia, 10,500 KrisFlyer miles is much better than cash reimbursement. But if you’re in Australia, Taiwan, or Thailand, you’ll be wishing for the old system instead!

What is the ABTC?

The ABTC is a scheme designed to facilitate the movement of business travellers between APEC member countries.

ABTC cardholders enjoy two main perks:

1. Fast-track immigration through special APEC lanes at participating airports
2. Multiple, short-term entries to precleared APEC economies without visa or ETA requirements

Fast-track immigration allows cardholders to use priority immigration lanes in participating countries, which can either be a mild convenience or a complete lifesaver.

The removal of the visa requirement may not seem like that big a perk to Singaporeans, since our passport is already so powerful, but keep in mind that ETAs are still necessary when visiting countries like Australia, South Korea and New Zealand. An ABTC removes the requirement.

Do note that Canada and the USA are transitional members of APEC, which means they do not participate in the preclearance aspect of the ABTC scheme. Therefore, ABTC cardholders are still required to apply for an eTA (CAD$7) or ESTA (US$21), or a visa if required. 

Full guide: Applying for an APEC Business Travel Card (ABTC) in Singapore

Complete list of Solitaire PPS Club benefits

As the highest rung of the Singapore Airlines elite ladder, Solitaire PPS Club members are granted the best published (and unpublished) benefits of the entire programme.

✈️ Overview: PPS & Solitaire PPS Club Benefits
	PPS	Solitaire PPS
PPS Value Req. (in 12-mth period)	25,000	50,000*
Star Alliance Status	Gold	Gold
Mileage Bonus	25%	25%
Non-Expiring Miles	✅	✅
Priority Award Redemptions	✅	✅
Priority Waitlist	✅	✅
Free Seat Selection	✅	✅
Birthday Bonus	✅ (2,000 miles)	✅ (2,000 miles)
Discounted Service Fees	✅	✅
Priority Check-in	✅ Business Class	✅ First Class
Extra Baggage	✅	✅
Priority Baggage	✅	✅
Priority Boarding	✅	✅
Lounge Access	✅ SKL Business Class	✅ SKL First Class
Shangri-La Jade Fast Track	✅	✅
Heathrow Express Upgrade	✅	✅
Supp. Solitaire PPS Club Card		✅
APEC Card Reimbursement		✅
*25,000 if status attained before 1 June 2018

This includes access to the First Class section of the SilverKris Lounge whenever they fly with Singapore Airlines (and even on arrival in Singapore), the highest priority for Saver award redemptions, and even a supplementary card to share the benefits with a friend or loved one.

For a full rundown of all the benefits you can look forward to, refer to my detailed guide.

Conclusion

Singapore Airlines is changing the ABTC reimbursement process for Solitaire PPS Club members, replacing cash with 10,500 KrisFlyer miles.

Whether this is a buff or a nerf really depends on which country you’re a citizen of, as ABTC application fees vary by country. For Singaporeans, however, I reckon this will be an improvement, as I’d happily take 10,500 KrisFlyer miles over S$100.