Travelling is definitely one of Singaporeans’ favourite activities. Be it a quick weekend getaway to Bangkok or touring different regions in Japan, Singaporeans are always up for a little R&R!
Furthermore, we all know that shiok feeling when we Singaporeans get to redeem something for free.
“Get an air miles card, it will be worth it!” That’s what most people say but what exactly are air miles and how do you earn them? How do you get free air tickets?
You might have heard about KrisFlyer Miles or air miles credit card offered by banks but it all sounds like a whole new world. Well, don’t worry because this guide is here to explain the uncomplicated facts about air miles, how they can be earned and which are the best air miles credit cards in Singapore.
Firstly, What Are Air Miles?
Air miles are gained through loyalty programs that are offered by credit cards or by airlines. Basically, they are accumulated over time based on the number of miles traveled, or how much the credit card owner spends on it. To earn frequent flier miles, one needs to sign up with the airline directly, or take up a credit card with a loyalty program that offers them. There are credit cards that will give access to all airlines, but some of them only work with specific ones. In short, the more money you spend on the card, the more miles you accumulate.
With credit cards, the card holder is given several points for each dollar they spend on the card. When one has accumulated enough points, they can be redeemed for flier miles. Flier miles can be used to get airline tickets for travels to amazing places in the world for a holiday. The credit card determines how much each point is worth so certain cards may give more miles for every dollar spent.
Most people prefer to accrue their frequent flier miles via credit card because they often spend more money on the card, than on the purchase of airline tickets. Frequent flier miles can be exchanged for an airline ticket, which is why people get them. However, to differentiate themselves from competitors, each air miles credit card is a little different. Some cards may give more miles for every $1 spent.
So, to save your time from researching the numerous banking and credit card sites, Money Kinetics has done all the research and compiled a list of the top few air miles credit cards in Singapore.
Overseas spending gives one of the highest rewards among other air miles cards at 3 miles per dollar spent. Includes overseas transactions in SGD and online transactions with overseas payment gateway.
Here is a breakdown of the various cards available in Singapore that offer frequent flier miles.
1. Citi PremierMiles Visa Card
This card offers the following features where air miles are concerned.
Spending locally, $1 earns 1.2 Citi Miles.
Spending in foreign currency, $1 earns 2 Citi Miles.
Spending money on agoda.com, $1 earns 7 Citi Miles up until July 31, 2019.
Spending money on Expedia.com.sg, $1 earns 3 Citi miles up until May 31, 2019.
Spending money on Kaligo.com, $1 earns 10 Citi Miles up until December 31, 2019.
One also gets to enjoy 30,000 bonus miles as welcome miles.
Citi Miles do not have an expiry date to them which means there is no pressure to spend them. You can simply accumulate more miles and travel to a further countries such as the US, or travel whenever your schedule is clear.
If the card holder signs up for Priority Pass membership, he or she also gets to enjoy access to over 600 airport lounges across the world 2 times a year. This card also offers travel accident insurance on a complimentary basis with coverage of up to $1,000,000. In addition, one gets travel inconvenience coverage and medical assistance program.
As with every other card, this one has annual fees and interest rates as follows:
Annual interest rate stands at 26.90%.
Principle annual fee is $193.
Supplementary annual fee is complimentary.
A fee waiver is available.
There is a 25-day interest free period.
Minimum monthly repayment is $50 or 1% whichever one is higher
This card comes with a minimum income requirement of $30,000 for Singaporeans and $42,000 for foreigners. This card is associated with American Express and Visa and one can make wireless payments via Citi Pay, Samsung pay, and Visa PayWave.
A good thing about Citi Miles is that it is of equal value to KrisFlyer Miles, Asia Miles and more. 1 Citi Mile is equivalent to 1 mile with KrisFlyer, Asia Miles, Qantas and other airlines’ Frequent Flyer and Hotel Loyalty Programs. Cardholders have greater flexibility over their points and travels and will be able to use the card anywhere. You can find out more about the Citi PremierMiles Visa Card here.
2. American Express Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer Credit Card
One of the most popular cards people use to earn KrisFlyer miles. This card offers the following miles per spend:
Spending locally, $1 earns 1.1 KrisFlyer miles.
Spending $1 in foreign currency spend overseas earns 2 KrisFlyer miles. This money should be spent either in June or December and purchases should be made at KrisShop, Singaporeair.com, SilkAir SkyShop online and in-flight, and silkair.com.
Spending $1 on Grab rides will earn 3.1 KrisFlyer miles, however, $200 is the monthly cap on this.
This card offers a variety of bonus miles as follows:
The welcome bonus for charging the card is 5,000 KrisFlyer miles.
Receive 7,500 KrisFlyer miles when you spend $5,000 in the first 3 months.
Receive another 7,500 KrisFlyer miles when you spend another $5,000 in the 4th to 6th month.
Receive 11,000 KrisFlyer miles based on 1.1 KrisFlyer miles per $1 spent locally.
A successful referral earns 5,000 KrisFlyer miles.
Other perks include a $150 cashback that can be used on Singaporeair.com when the cardholder spends up to $12,000 before June 30, 2019.
By using the card to purchase air tickets, one gets to enjoy Travel Inconvenience and Travel Accident Benefits at no cost. The benefits are up to $350,000.
Annual fees and interest rates for this card are as follows:
25.90% is the annual interest rate.
$177 is the principle annual fee and it is waived in the 1st year
$53.5 is the supplementary annual fee and it is also waived in the 1st year
Minimum monthly repayment is $50 or 3% whichever of the two is higher.
Fee waivers are available.
There is a 22-day interest free period.
To sign up for this card, he or she will need to have the following minimum income:
$30,000 for Singaporeans.
$60,000 for Foreigners.
The card association for this card is American Express, and wireless payments can be made with Google Pay, Samsung Pay, Apple Pay. You can apply for the American Express Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer Credit Card here.
3. American Express Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer Ascend Credit Card
This card is similar to the previous AMEX card just that users will be able to earn more KrisFlyer points from using this card. This card offers the following miles as the card owner spends:
Spend $1 locally and earn 1.2 KrisFlyer miles.
Spend $1 overseas in foreign currency and earn 2 KrisFlyer miles. This money should be spent either in June or December and purchases should be made at KrisShop, Singaporeair.com, SilkAir SkyShop online and in-flight, and silkair.com.
Spend $1 on Grab and earn 3.2 KrisFlyer miles. This is capped at $200 per month.
There are several ways to earn bonus miles as follows:
The welcome bonus is 5,000 KrisFlyer miles.
Receive 15,000 KrisFlyer miles when you spend $10,000 in the first 3 months.
Receive another 15,000 KrisFlyer miles when you spend $10,000 in the 4th to 6th month.
Earn 24,000 KrisFlyer miles based on 1.2 KrisFlyer miles per $1 spent in Singapore.
Getting two supplementary cards earns the card holder an additional 1,500 KrisFlyer miles.
Get 7,500 KrisFlyer miles when you refer a friend successfully.
Your friend will also receive 7,500 KrisFlyer miles when he spends $50 in the first 3 months of attaining the card.
Receive a Double KrisFlyer Miles Accrual Voucher (capped at 5,000 bonus KrisFlyer miles) if you spend more than $15,000 on eligible purchases with your card on singaporeair.com from 1 July 2018 to 30 June 2019.
Other benefits are:
Once a year, the card holder can spend a night at one of the more than 110 Hilton properties spread across the Asia Pacific at no cost.
Travel insurance coverage capped at $1,000,000.
Access to Plaza Premium and SATS Premier Lounges 4 times a year on a complimentary basis.
Fees and Annual Interest Rate:
25.90% annual interest rate.
$337 annual principle fee.
$80.25 supplementary annual fee.
Fee waivers are not available and the minimum monthly repayment amount is $50, or 3% whichever one is higher. There is a 22-day period that is interest free.
The minimum income requirement for Singaporeans is $50,000, while that for Foreigners is $60,000. The card association for this card is American Express. Wireless payments can be made via Google Pay, Samsung Pay, and Apple Pay.
The minimum income requirement for Singaporeans for this card is higher than the other Amex cards. However, it does come with more benefits and slightly more KrisFlyer points for every dollar spent. You can apply for an American Express Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer Ascent Credit Card here.
4. American Express The Platinum Card
This is a card for high income earners. By high, we mean they make at least $200,000 per year. There are several rewards as follows:
For every $1.60 the card holder spends, he or she gets 20 points.
Should the card be used at one of Platinum EXTRA Partners e.g. The Hour Glass, Moschino, IWC, or American Tourister, every $1.60 earns him or her 20 points which is equal to 12.5 miles.
1 point is equivalent to 0.625 air miles.
Every dollar spent directly with Scoot, SilkAir, and Singapore Airlines will earn the card holder 1.95 miles
As a welcome reward once the cardholder’s card is approved, he or she gets a complimentary night stay worth $529 at Swissotel The Stamford in Singapore.
These points accumulate and do not expire.
Those who apply for this card prior to June 30, 2019 and spend $20,000 in the first 3 months after approval, and pay $1,712 in annual fees, will earn 75,000 reward points. These points are enough to redeem a return ticket with SQ to Bali or Bangkok in business class. These rewards are applicable for those who apply for this card for the very first time.
All frequent flyer miles can be redeemed on various airline partners such as Emirates Skywards, Asia Miles, Singapore KrisFlyer, British Airways Executive Club etc..
Additional privileges include:
Receiving $800 in travel credits every year. $400 to be spent on lodging, and $400 on air travel provided that one books via The Platinum Concierge.
Complimentary access for the main cardholder, two guests, and the supplementary cardholder to more than 1200 lounges. They include International American Express, Priority Pass, and The Centurion Lounge.
Complimentary drinks and 1-for-1 drinks at Singapore’s 1-Altitude, Horse’s Mouth Bar, The Auld Alliance and others.
Card members may receive up to 50% savings at selected hotels such as St. Regis, Marriott and more.
Access to over 1,200 lounges worldwide and receive complimentary upgrades to hotel loyalty programmes.
Fees and Charges:
Principle annual fee is $1,712.
The annual fee for supplementary cards is $160.50 (however, first 2 supplementary cards fee will be permanently waived).
Fee waiver is not available
The minimum income requirements are as follows:
For Singaporeans is $200,000.
For Foreigners is $200,000 as well.
You can find out more or apply for the American Express The Platinum Card here.
5. Standard Chartered Visa Infinite Credit Card
If you own a car, this card could potentially bring you 25.07% fuel savings at Caltex. The card offers the following rewards:
$1 earns the card holder 1.4 miles when spent locally.
$1 earns the card holder 3 miles when spent overseas.
Receive 35,000 welcome miles when you apply for your Standard Chartered Visa Infinite Card.
Other rewards include the following:
Travel accident insurance of as much as $1 Million that is complimentary. Lost baggage will have the person covered up to $5,000. Delayed baggage benefit pays $200 for every six hours when overseas, capped at $1000. Travel assistance services include medical evacuation as well as repatriation with benefits being capped at $100,000.
Access to airport lounges using the Priority Pass Lounge Program, where he or she gets 6 visits at no charge.
Overseas spending of $2,000 at the minimum in one statement cycle, earns 3 miles for every $1 that is spent. If the expenditure is under $2,000, then each dollar will earn 1 mile.
20% off hotel rates, dining, spa, gallery and golf at participating resorts such as Banyan Tree, Angsana, Cassia Hotels and Resorts.
Enjoy complimentary access to The Fullerton Hotel’s Fitness Centre, an outdoor infinity pool and spa facilities, limited to two visits per cardholder per month. Members also receive 20% off spa treatments at The Fullerton Spa.
Fees and Charges:
Yearly interest rate is 26.90%.
Principle annual fee is $589.
There is no supplementary annual fee.
Fee waivers are not available.
Minimum Monthly repayment is $50 or 1% whichever one is higher.
The interest free period is 22 days.
Minimum Income Requirements:
For Singaporeans it is $150,000.
For Foreigners it is $150,000.
The card association for this card is Visa and wireless payments are via Visa PayWave. Apply Pay, Samsung Pay, Google Pay and Tap & Go are also available. Cardholders are also able to convert their transactions of at least $500 into 6 or 12 months interest free instalments, at a one-time service fee of 5%.
Find out more or apply for the Standard Chartered Visa Infinite Credit Card here.
6. UOB PRVI Miles Card
The card that gives more miles for every dollar spent, and even more for money spent on Grab. This credit card offers the following benefits:
Every $1 of local spend gives a reward of 1.4 miles.
Every $1 of overseas spend gives 2.4 miles.
Every $1 spent on Grab may give 3 miles.
If spending money on any of the major airlines and booking hotels via Agoda, UOB Travel and Expedia, each $1 gives 10 miles.
Spending $50,000 on the card every year gives an additional 20,000 miles.
The card does not have a minimum spend to earn miles, and it also does not have a cap.
Receive 12,000 welcome miles if you sign up before 14 July 2019 (New UOB Cardmembers will receive UNI$6,000 = 12,000 miles, while existing UOB Cardmembers will receive UNI$1,000 = 2,000 miles).
Other Rewards:
Airport transfers. Get as many as 8 transfers yearly to Changi Airport. This is exclusively offered to UOB PRVI Miles American Express Card holders.
Travel insurance is offered and capped at a benefit of $1,000,000 though terms and conditions do apply.
Fees and Charges:
Yearly Interest Rate is 25.90%.
Yearly principle fee is $257.
Yearly fee on supplementary cards is $128.40.
There is a 1-year waiver on fees and the initial two supplementary cards are free.
Minimum monthly repayment is $50 or 3% whichever of the two is higher.
The interest free period is 21 days.
Minimum Income Requirements:
For Singaporeans it is $30,000.
For foreigners it is $40,000.
Card Associations include:
MasterCard, American Express, Visa
UOB PRVI Miles Credit Card comes in three looks, each with a slight difference. The card can have the logo of American Express, MasterCard or VISA at the bottom right. Wireless payments can be via MasterCard, Mighty Pay, PayPass, Android Pay, Visa PayWave, Samsung Pay, and Apple Pay. Having the air miles card with the UOB One Account will also bring one a good amount of savings.
However, it is important to know that the UOB miles expire within 2 years. If one is confident of earning enough miles for a trip within the 2 years, it will not be a problem. You can learn more or sign up for the UOB PRVI Miles Credit Card here.
7. HSBC Visa Infinite Credit Card
The credit card that gives you exclusive lifestyle, dining and travel benefits. Concierge and personalised services are also available. These are the rewards one can expect to get with this card:
$1 in local spend earns up to 1.2 miles.
$1 in overseas spend earns up to 2.25 miles.
By signing on, a card holder automatically receives welcome 35,000 miles which are reflected as 87,500 reward points. The annual fees must first be paid though before, he or she can have the points reflecting on his card.
Other rewards:
Access to more than 1,200 VIP lounges at airports worldwide for the primary card holder and supplementary holders.
24/7 personalized assistance with the travel and lifestyle concierge service.
Travel insurance with benefits capped at $2,000,000.
Limousine transfer as well as expedited immigration clearance in major airports across Asia.
Fees and Charges:
Yearly interest rate is 25.90%.
Yearly Principal fee is $650.
No supplementary annual fee.
Fee waiver is not available.
20-days interest free period.
Minimum monthly repayment is $50 or 3% whichever of the two is higher.
Minimum Income Requirements:
For Singaporeans it is $120,000.
For foreigners it is $120,000.
The card association for this card is Visa. Wireless payment options are Apple Pay and Visa payWave. You can apply for the HSBC Visa Infinite Credit Card here.
8. Maybank Horizon Visa Singapore
The Maybank Horizon Visa gives high rewards for local spends. This means that you might stand to gain more if you are usually the one paying for your family’s bills and deals. The rewards on this card are as follows:
For every $1 spend on hotel and taxi bookings on Agoda, petrol and dining, the card holder earns 8X TREATS points or 3.2 air miles.
For every $1 spend on overseas spending, travel packages, and air tickets, the card holder earns 5X TREATS points or 2 air miles.
1 point is equivalent to 0.5 miles and can only be used on selected airlines.
Monthly bonus points are available up to 30,000 TREATS points.
Minimum monthly spend is $300.
Other rewards:
Enjoy complimentary travel insurance of as much as $1,000,000 at no additional cost.
With a minimum expenditure of $1,000 in a single transaction making a retail purchase, you get to enjoy access to a complimentary lounge.
Fees and Charges:
Yearly interest rate is 25.90%.
Yearly principal fee is $180.
No yearly fee charged for supplementary cards.
A fee waiver is available.
There is a 20-day interest free period.
Minimum monthly repayment is $20 or 3% whichever of the two is higher.
Minimum Income Requirements:
For Singaporeans it is $50,000.
For foreigners it is $60,000.
The card association for this credit card is Visa. Wireless payments can be done via Samsung Pay, and Visa PayWave. You can sign up for the Maybank Horizon Visa Card here.
9. DBS Altitude Visa Signature Card
The card gives more miles when spending on flights and hotels, paying for bills and your miles never expire. The rewards of this credit card are inclusive of:
$1 of local spending earns the cardholder 1.2 miles.
$1 of overseas spending earns 2 miles.
$1 of spending on hotel transactions and online airline tickets earns 3 miles (Singapore Air, Cathay Pacific, Qatar Airways, Agoda, Airbnb and more).
$1 of spending on Expedia.com earns 6 miles.
$1 of spending on Kaligo earns 10 miles.
$1 of spending on bill payments earns the cardholder up to 3 miles (Utilities: SP Group, iSwitch; Town Councils: Ang Mo Kio, Holland-Bukit Panjang, Tanjong Pagar, Tampines, etc.; Insurance: MSIG, Prudential).
Renewal of annual membership earns the cardholder 10,000 bonus miles.
Other rewards:
Travel accident insurance for the card holders and members of his or her family of up to $1,000,000.
Enjoy 2 complimentary lounge visits per year at global airports.
New DBS/POSB cardholders get 10,000 miles and existing DBS/POSB cardholders get 5,000 miles.
Fees and Charges:
Yearly interest rate is 25.90%.
Yearly principal fee is $193.
Yearly fee for supplementary cards is $96.30.
A fee waiver is available.
Minimum monthly repayment is $50 or 3% whichever of the two is higher.
The interest free period is 20 days.
Minimum Income Requirements:
For Singaporeans it is $30,000.
For foreigners is $45,000.
Card associations for this credit card include American Express and Visa. Wireless payment options include Google Pay, Apple Pay, Visa payWave, and Samsung Pay. You can get your own DBS Altitude Visa Signature Card here.
10. BOC Elite Miles Card
This is a new card launched by the Bank of China in mid 2018 that gives high returns for overseas spending. Here are the rewards one can stand to gain:
$1 of local spending offers 1.5 miles (does not include government, remittance, utilities, TransitLink, EZLink and other prepaid accounts).
$1 overseas spending earns 3 miles (includes overseas transactions in SGD and online transactions with overseas payment gateway). This is one of the highest figures on offer by any credit card.
Fees and Charges:
Yearly interest rate is 28.88%.
Yearly principal fee is $190 (waived for the initial year). One can offset their yearly fee with 95,000 points.
Yearly fee for supplementary cards is $95. This fee can also be offset with 45,000 fees.
Minimum monthly repayment is $50 or 3%, whichever of the two is higher.
There is a 23-days interest free period.
Minimum income requirements:
For Singaporeans it is $30,000.
For foreigners it is $60,000.
The card association is MasterCard. Wireless payment is via MasterCard Paypass.
The points earned on the BOC Elites Miles Card must be used before June 30 of the following year, because they expire every year on that date. This means that points accumulation is yearly. You can apply for your BOC Elite Miles Card here.
What to Look Out for When Signing Up for a Miles Card
There are several things to take into consideration when selecting a miles card as follows:
Base mile conversions. These are the miles you get for transactions made on a regular basis locally and internationally. Anyone using the card wants to make sure that the benefits are excellent. The more miles one can earn this way, the better.
Welcome miles. Consider what is to be had immediately after signing up with the card. Most of them offer excellent sign up bonus miles in their welcome package that one can utilize.
Bonus miles. There are bonus miles to be had through carrying out transactions with particular partners that should be maximized on where possible.
Miles expiry. This is important and depends on individual schedules. Those who travel often can use up their points before they expire and can therefore, take cards which have an expiry date on points. Those who do not fly as often will prefer cards with points that do not expire so they can take advantage of the miles when they need them.
Other Considerations for Selecting a Miles Card
As with any other credit card, one must review the other features that make up the card. This includes the yearly interest rate. The cards reviewed here fall between 25.90% and 28.88%. This percentage should not be considered in isolation, but one must review the other things that the card has to offer in light of their personal needs, and then make a decision on the same.
Other considerations include the monthly minimum amount to be paid. This is important to make sure that he or she understands what is expected monthly. By so doing, the cardholder will be avoiding additional penalties for not making the minimum payment required.
The yearly fees are another consideration. It is important to find a card with a reasonable yearly fee for the main cardholder and the supplementary cards. Some cards even offer zero annual fee on supplementary cards, while others give the option of offsetting the same with earned points. Again, all this should be reviewed with all the other benefits of the card in mind.
Access to complimentary travel and accident insurance, airport transfers, complementary hotel stays, expedited immigration services, and premium lounge access should be considered by those who travel a lot. All these make a card very attractive.
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