Many frequent flyer programs – and hotel loyalty programs for that matter – offer the option to ‘buy’ their miles or points to top up your account. The rate offered is usually pretty bad, as you’d expect. Even promotional purchase offers with these schemes usually only bring the price down to what most would consider close to their ‘real value’.
Singapore Airlines however, on the face of it, have no such facility. You earn your miles flying with them or collecting through credit cards and other partners – but you can’t buy miles directly.
Well that’s not exactly true.
While there is indeed no pure miles purchase facility, Singapore Airlines will ‘help’ you if you need to make a flight redemption but don’t have sufficient miles in your account to proceed with the booking.
How it works
First and foremost you must have at least 50% of the required miles in your account at the time, you can only top-up a maximum of 50%.
Miles can be purchased for award travel on Singapore Airlines, SilkAir, Star Alliance carriers and SIA partner airlines.
The workings used to be a bit archaic. In the past you had to fill out a form with all the details and either email or fax it to Singapore Airlines. They would then make the redemption booking and charge your credit card for the extra miles you need.
Thankfully technology has moved on and the process can now be completed online through the usual KrisFlyer redemption at singaporeair.com or the mobile app.