When KrisFlyer announced that it was adjusting its redemption rates come November 2025, all the immediate attention was — understandably — on Singapore Airlines.
But that’s not the only thing that’s getting changed. KrisFlyer will be revising a total of seven award charts, including awards for its Star Alliance partners such as ANA, Lufthansa, and THAI Airways.
| ✈️ Current and Revised Award Charts | ||
| Till 31 Oct 2025 | From 1 Nov 2025 | |
| Singapore Airlines awards | Link | Link |
| Singapore Airlines upgrade | Link | Link |
| Star Alliance awards | Link | Link |
| Star Alliance upgrade | Link | Link |
| Garuda Indonesia awards | Link | Link |
| Juneyao Airlines awards | Link | Link |
| Virgin Australia awards | Link | Link |
| Alaska Airlines awards | Link No change |
|
| Malaysia Airlines awards | Link No change |
|
| Scoot awards | Link No change |
|
This is something I’ve only recently had time to look at, and the tl;dr is that there will be a 5-12% increase in the cost of awards, broadly in line with the Singapore Airlines chart.
More importantly, however, there will also be cases where Star Alliance awards will no longer have parity with Singapore Airlines, which will eliminate the “free flight” hack that was popular for trips to Europe (more on that later).
Star Alliance award chart devaluation coming 1 November 2025
From 1 November 2025, KrisFlyer will increase the cost of Star Alliance awards and upgrades.
Members can book tickets at existing prices until 31 October 2025, for travel up to 355 days in the future. Any date changes made after 31 October 2025 will not require a top-up of miles but other changes that involve a reissuance will.
| Requires reissuance | No reissuance required |
|
|
| *Date changes will require a reissuance if the revised travel date is >1 year from the date the award ticket was originally issued | |
KrisFlyer devaluation: Should you book speculative awards now?
As a reminder, the Star Alliance award chart applies whenever your itinerary has at least one Star Alliance partner. It doesn’t matter how short or long that partner flight is. For example, a Singapore to Frankfurt to Paris itinerary, with the first leg on Singapore Airlines and the second leg on Lufthansa, would price according to the Star Alliance chart.
Let’s look at the cost of Economy, Business and First Class awards (KrisFlyer does not offer Premium Economy redemptions for Star Alliance partners) to see what’s changed.
Do keep in mind that most Star Alliance partners will have fuel surcharges, which can make them significantly more expensive than Singapore Airlines even if the mileage requirements are not far off.
How are regions defined?
Region
Country
South East Asia 1
Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore
South East Asia 2
Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Philippines, Thailand, Vietnam
North Asia 1
Hong Kong SAR – China, Macau SAR – China, Taiwan – China
North Asia 2
China, Guam, Japan, Micronesia, Palau, Russian Far East, South Korea
Southwest Pacific
Australia, Cook Islands, Fiji, New Zealand, Niue, Norfolk Island, Samoa, Tahiti, Tonga, Vanuatu
North America
Canada, USA (except Hawaii)
Hawaii, Central America
Bermuda, Caribbean, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Hawaii, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Puerto Rico
South America
Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay, Venezuela
Europe
Albania, Austria, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Canary Islands, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macedonia, Malta, Montenegro, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Ukraine, United Kingdom
Middle East, North Africa
Algeria, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Cyprus, Egypt, Georgia, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Tunisia, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, Yemen
Central, South Africa
Angola, Botswana, Burundi, Congo, Cote d’Ivoire, Equatorial Guinea, Ethiopia, Ghana, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, Senegal, South Africa, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe
Central, South Asia
Afghanistan, Bangladesh, India, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan
Economy Class
| ✈️ Economy Class Star Alliance Awards (one-way, in 000’s) |
|||
| Singapore to/from | Old | New | % |
| South East Asia 1 | 8.5 | 9 | 6% |
| South East Asia 2 | 13.5 | 14.5 | 7% |
| North Asia 1 | 16.5 | 17.5 | 6% |
| North Asia 2 | 27 | 28.5 | 6% |
| South West Pacific | 35 | 37 | 6% |
| North America | 60.5 | 64 | 6% |
| Hawaii, Central America | 60.5 | 64 | 6% |
| South America | 74.5 | 78.5 | 5% |
| Europe | 49.5 | 52 | 5% |
| Middle East, North Africa | 40.5 | 43 | 6% |
| Central, South Africa | 43.5 | 46 | 6% |
| Central, South Asia | 27 | 28.5 | 6% |
While KrisFlyer is actually reducing the cost of selected Singapore Airlines Economy Saver awards by 4 to 6%, there’s no similar love for the Star Alliance chart.
Instead, Star Alliance Economy awards are increasing by 5-7%, or 500 to 4,000 miles in absolute terms. For example, a Singapore to Bangkok Economy Class award on THAI Airways will soon cost 14,500 miles, compared to 13,500 miles today.
The increases are modest, though in any case, it’s not like KrisFlyer offered the most competitive redemption rates for short-haul Economy to begin with.
Business Class
| ✈️ Business Class Star Alliance Awards (one-way, in 000’s) |
|||
| Singapore to/from | Old | New | % |
| South East Asia 1 | 21 | 23.5 | 12% |
| South East Asia 2 | 24 | 26.5 | 10% |
| North Asia 1 | 46 | 51 | 11% |
| North Asia 2 | 52.5 | 58 | 10% |
| South West Pacific | 81.5 | 90 | 10% |
| North America | 119 | 131 | 10% |
| Hawaii, Central America | 119 | 131 | 10% |
| South America | 134 | 147.5 | 10% |
| Europe | 103.5 | 114 | 10% |
| Middle East, North Africa | 82 | 90.5 | 10% |
| Central, South Africa | 69 | 76 | 10% |
| Central, South Asia | 52 | 57.5 | 11% |
KrisFlyer is increasing the cost of Singapore Airlines Business Saver awards by 4-5% (with the exception of Zone 10, which increases by 20%).
In contrast, Star Alliance Business Class awards are increasing by roughly two times that amount, 10-12% on average, or 2,500 to 12,000 miles in absolute terms. For example, a Singapore to San Francisco Business Class award on United Airlines will soon cost 131,000 miles, compared to 119,000 miles today.
First Class
| ✈️ First Class Star Alliance Awards (one-way, in 000’s) |
|||
| Singapore to/from | Old | New | % |
| South East Asia 1 | 30.5 | 34 | 11% |
| South East Asia 2 | 36 | 40 | 11% |
| North Asia 1 | 57 | 63 | 11% |
| North Asia 2 | 77 | 85 | 10% |
| South West Pacific | 108 | 119 | 10% |
| North America | 167.5 | 184.5 | 10% |
| Hawaii, Central America | 167.5 | 184.5 | 10% |
| South America | 170.5 | 188 | 10% |
| Europe | 158.5 | 174.5 | 10% |
| Middle East, North Africa | 105 | 115.5 | 10% |
| Central, South Africa | 93 | 102.5 | 10% |
| Central, South Asia | 73.5 | 81 | 10% |
KrisFlyer is increasing the cost of Singapore Airlines First Saver awards by 5-6% (with the exception of Zone 10, which increases by 10%).
Again, Star Alliance First Class awards are increasing by roughly two times that amount, at 10-11% on average, or 3,500 to 17,500 miles in absolute terms. For example, a Singapore to Hawaii First Class award on ANA will soon cost 184,500 miles, compared to 167,500 miles today.
No more “free ride” perk
One unfortunate effect of the devaluation is that it will eliminate the so-called “free ride” perk, which allows you to add a Star Alliance partner flight to a Singapore Airlines redemption at no extra cost (except for additional taxes and surcharges).
This perk arises because the mileage required for a Star Alliance and Singapore Airlines award is identical for certain combinations of routes and cabins.
| Singapore to/from | Star Alliance | SIA |
| South East Asia 1 Economy |
8.5 | 8.5 |
| South East Asia 1 Business |
21 | 21 |
| South East Asia 1 First |
30.5 | 30.5 |
| South East Asia 2 Economy |
13.5 | 13.5 |
| South East Asia 2 Business |
24 | 24 |
| South East Asia 2 First |
36 | 36 |
| North Asia 1 Economy |
16.5 | 16.5 |
| North Asia 2 Economy |
27 | 27 |
| Europe Business |
103.5 | 103.5 |
For example, within the Europe zone:
- Booking SIN-FRA on Singapore Airlines would cost the same number of miles as SIN-FRA-MAD with Singapore Airlines and Lufthansa
- Booking SIN-ZRH on Singapore Airlines would cost the same number of miles as SIN-ZRH-DUB with Singapore Airlines and SWISS
Or within North Asia 2:
- Booking SIN-HND on Singapore Airlines would cost the same number of miles as SIN-HND-ITM on Singapore Airlines and ANA
- Booking SIN-PVG on Singapore Airlines would cost the same number of miles as SIN-PVG-KMG on Singapore Airlines and Air China
Basically, you save the expense of having to book or redeem a separate flight to get to your final destination.
But because the Star Alliance and Singapore Airlines award charts are increasing by different amounts, these instances of parity will be eliminated from 1 November 2025.
| Singapore to/from | Star Alliance | SIA | % Diff. |
| South East Asia 1 Economy |
9 | 8 | 13% |
| South East Asia 1 Business |
23.5 | 22 | 7% |
| South East Asia 1 First |
34 | 32 | 6% |
| South East Asia 2 Economy |
14.5 | 13 | 12% |
| South East Asia 2 Business |
26.5 | 25 | 6% |
| South East Asia 2 First |
40 | 38 | 5% |
| North Asia 1 Economy |
17.5 | 15.5 | 13% |
| North Asia 2 Economy |
28.5 | 25.5 | 12% |
| Europe Business |
114 | 108.5 | 5% |
Across all regions and cabins, the Star Alliance chart will soon be more expensive than Singapore Airlines.
For example, Star Alliance awards between Singapore and Europe will now cost 114,000 miles, versus 108,500 miles for Singapore Airlines. Mind you, I think it’s still a good deal to top up an extra 5,500 miles for a Business Class ticket within Europe, but it’s not free anymore.
How do you book Star Alliance awards?
Singapore Airlines added the ability to search for Star Alliance awards through its website back in December 2017, but it’s never been a particularly robust feature. It’s notoriously temperamental, and only works for certain routes and airlines.
It’s much easier to search for Star Alliance awards through the Aeroplan or United websites. You’ll need to create a frequent flyer account, but searching with a zero balance is possible. Or better yet, use Seats.Aero and see a full list of what’s available, instead of having to poke around in the dark.
Seats.Aero guide: Find award seats, the fast and painless way
The main caveat I’d add is that not all the award space you find on these sites is bookable through KrisFlyer (for example, United might make more award space available to its own frequent flyer members). If you spot an award you’d like to book — and it doesn’t appear on the Singapore Airlines website — call up KrisFlyer membership services. They may be able to book it.
Conclusion
From 1 November 2025, Singapore Airlines will increase the cost of Star Alliance awards by 5 to 12%, in line with the broader devaluation to the KrisFlyer programme.
This will also break the parity that currently exists between Singapore Airlines and Star Alliance awards on certain routes like Singapore to South East Asia 1/2, North Asia 1/2, and Europe, eliminating the “free ride” perk.
Truth be told, however, Singapore Airlines has never had a particularly attractive Star Alliance award chart, and it was more of a “last resort” for members when Singapore Airlines didn’t have any award space, or didn’t serve a particular route.
There’s still about two months to lock in awards at the current rates, so be sure to give your travel plans a look and see how the Star Alliance award chart might fit in.
What’s the timeframe to use the “free ride” perk?
Economy Class Europe should be 42k instead of 49.5k?