Should Singapore Airlines restrict First Class redemptions to elite members only?

Emirates recently made headlines for its decision to restrict First Class redemptions to Skywards elites, which was quietly announced via a single line on its website, and implemented the very next day.

How you feel about this policy change really boils down to where you stand. If you’re a Skywards elite, you’ll probably be happy that a large chunk of competition for First Class awards was just taken out of the picture. If you have no status with Skywards, you might feel aggrieved that no amount of credit card miles will ever get you into the First Class cabin now (technically, redemptions are still possible via Qantas— for now).

Amidst the reaction, it was interesting to read quite a number of comments suggesting that Singapore Airlines should do the same.

It shouldn’t come as a surprise that I’m against the idea — though I obviously have a vested interest in these cabins remaining open to all, because I rarely fly on commercial tickets and would almost certainly never qualify for elite status under normal circumstances.

Still, it makes for an intriguing discussion, and I’m keen to hear your thoughts. 

Singapore Airlines already has restrictions on First Class awards

Singapore Airlines has relatively small First Class cabins, with just four seats on the B777-300ER, and six seats on the A380-800 (while the A380 product is technically called Suites, I’ll refer to both as “First Class” for simplicity).

There are already a couple of restrictions on booking First Class awards.

First, SIA does not release First Class awards to partner programmes (with some very limited exceptions). Instead, you must be a KrisFlyer member to redeem these cabins— a policy I’m very thankful for. We’ve already seen the hit to Business Class award space that’s come from Aeroplan members gaining more access, and the last thing we need is more competition for First Class awards too!

Second, even within KrisFlyer, award space is prioritised for elite members— especially those in the Solitaire PPS Club and PPS Club.

For example, a Solitaire PPS Club member searching for flights between Singapore and London can see availability on SQ322 at Advantage award rates, while a regular KrisFlyer member sees no availability at all.

How big a benefit this actually is remains up for debate. As the example above shows, the additional access granted to Solitaire PPS Club and PPS Club members sometimes comes in the form of costly Advantage awards, or simply the ability to waitlist when regular members can’t. It’s not as if they can redeem any First Class seat they want!

But that’s another discussion for another time. Given the restrictions Singapore Airlines already has in place, what would be the arguments for and against taking it a step further and limiting First Class awards exclusively to elite members?

Why SIA should limit First Class awards to elites

Probably the biggest argument for restricting First Class awards to elite members is to maintain the exclusivity of the brand and experience.

If First Class is meant to be a premium, aspirational product, then limiting access helps maintain its exclusivity and mystique. In the case of Emirates, it’s safe to say their First Class cabin was anything but mysterious, given the copious coverage it’s received in both traditional and social media. 

Having restrictions would enhance the value of elite status, encouraging members to strive for higher tiers and to spend more on commercial tickets to qualify. It would improve the redemption experience for elites, to the extent that it makes it easier for them to find and redeem First Class awards without having to plan months in advance or constantly monitor the website for openings. 

There is also an element of revenue protection at play here. Every First Class seat that’s redeemed with miles is one less seat that can be sold for cash, so reducing the number of members eligible to redeem First Class could be a net positive for the airline (it would also potentially reduce the number of speculative bookings that end up with seats going out empty).

Of course, this depends on whether the passenger redeeming miles is displacing a paying passenger. Singapore Airlines’ First Class cabins may be small, but the airline already exercises tight controls on First Class award inventory, so it’s questionable how much of a financial upside there’d be. 

Why SIA shouldn’t limit First Class awards to elites

Restricting First Class awards to elite members would obviously devalue points for non-elites. It sends the message that not all miles are equal— you may have the same number of miles as an elite, but his are worth more than yours. This could discourage non-elites from converting credit card points or engaging with the programme’s ground-based earning options, ultimately impacting the airline’s bottom line.

It also greatly diminishes the aspirational value of the mileage programme. The reason why people are willing to go through the grind of accumulating miles is because they believe in the  big pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. Business Class is a great reward, don’t get me wrong, but First Class is, well, First Class. For those who have been diligently collecting miles with the dream of a First Class redemption, having that opportunity taken away could feel like a rug pull.

Related to this, and perhaps somewhat philosophically, such restrictions would also undermine the egalitarian appeal of a mileage programme, whose core appeal is that anyone can, with discipline and effort, earn something aspirational — even if they don’t fly often. Removing that goal could turn off casual but otherwise engaged customers.

Additionally, such restrictions could result in missed marketing opportunities for the airline. Word-of-mouth and social media buzz are powerful tools, and First Class cabins are often the centerpiece of that excitement. Emirates was arguably a major beneficiary of the TikTok effect, as its ostentatious cabins and over-the-top amenities gave it a “braggability” factor tailor-made for the platform. Who knows how many paid bookings this generated— not just in First Class, but even in Business and Economy Class cabins due to the halo effect?

My take on additional restrictions

I’m personally not in favour of additional restrictions, though like I said at the start, it’s inevitable that your opinion will be heavily influenced by your circumstances.

Even so, given that Singapore Airlines already tightly controls First Class award space, introducing additional restrictions seems like something that would generate a lot of backlash for very limited upside.

Not all loyalty is measured in miles flown. There’s a good number of KrisFlyer members who may not fly frequently enough to earn elite status, but are otherwise very loyal to the programme, transferring miles from credit cards, booking activities on Pelago, shopping with Kris+ etc. Alienating that group with new restrictions on redemptions doesn’t seem like a good business decision.

Then there’s the practical question of which elites would get access, in this hypothetical scenario. Would KrisFlyer Elite Silver be sufficient, just to cut out those who only transfer credit card points and never fly on commercial tickets? Or do you reserve it only for Solitaire PPS and PPS Club members, creating a true “membership has its privileges” hierarchy?

Whichever one you pick, you’re going to make some members unhappy. If you set the bar high, the lower-tier elites will complain. If you set the bar low, the higher-tier elites will complain. It might be wiser to maintain the status quo.

Besides, if the idea is to enhance the value of elite status, a better way forward would be to add benefits for elites, rather than taking away perks from non-elites.

For example, I’ve previously suggested giving elite members a limited number of “force clears” each year to guarantee a waitlist clearance— even in First Class (these would obviously need to be tightly restricted, and issued as a PPS Reward rather than a standard status benefit). Alternatively, elite members might be granted earlier access to First Class awards, giving them a head start over everyone else. Even small perks could go a long way, such as waiving change or cancellation fees on award bookings for elite members.

These kinds of perks reward loyalty without penalising the broader member base, though admittedly there will always be some degree of a zero sum game here, given that there’s only a limited number of First Class seats. Still, these measures I’ve suggested would be far less penalising than a complete block on First Class redemptions for non-elites.

Which other airlines limit First Class redemptions to elites?

Emirates isn’t the only airline to restrict First Class redemptions to elite members. In fact, its policies look downright generous compared to the two other airlines with restrictions, Air France and SWISS.

Air France only allows Flying Blue Ultimate and Platinum members to redeem First Class awards, while SWISS limits redemptions to HON Circle and Senator members. These are exclusive tiers which require significantly more flying than Emirates Skywards Silver, which can even be obtained through a credit card in the United States.

On the other hand, both Air France and SWISS have limited First Class footprints (the former more than the latter) when compared to Emirates, which might explain the tighter restrictions. 

Conclusion

With Emirates deciding to limit First Class award redemptions to Skywards Silver elites and higher, there’s been some discussion as to whether Singapore Airlines should do likewise.

I think that’s highly unlikely to happen, since the airline already has policies in place that prioritise elites, while not cutting off non-elites completely. Additional restrictions would create a lot of unhappiness, while not necessarily improving the situation overall.

Ultimately, the problem stems from the fact that Singapore Airlines has very limited First Class capacity. Out of the 41,760 seats on its 150 aircraft, less than 0.5% are Suites or First Class.

But that’s going to change in time to come. The upcoming A350-900ULR refits and long-delayed B777-9 deliveries—both likely around 2027—will add more First Class capacity to the fleet. The B777-9, in particular, is rumoured to feature a 50% larger First Class cabin than the B777-300ER it replaces.

I’m sure there’ll be an initial surge in demand for First Class redemptions when these seats debut, but in the long run, more supply can only be a good thing (inb4: limit the new First Class to elite members only!).

Do you think Singapore Airlines should limit First Class redemptions to PPS Club and KrisFlyer Elites?