Singapore Airlines has been progressively extending the validity of KrisFlyer miles due to expire this year, in view of the ongoing inability to travel due to the COVID-19 pandemic and its effect on international borders.
Initially those whose miles were expiring between April 2020 and August 2020 were gifted a six-month extension, though the situation soon meant a further reprieve was needed.
In late June those with miles expiring right through to December 2020 had six months added to the validity of their miles, while those with balances originally expiring in April, May and June 2020 had another six months credited for a full one-year extension.
Today Singapore Airlines has announced a third batch of extensions, with those whose miles were expiring in the first six months of 2020 now also included in the programme.
Why is it necessary?
As most of our readers know, KrisFlyer miles don’t remain valid in your account forever, even if you interact with the programme by earning or redeeming on a regular basis.
That’s unlike some other frequent flyer programmes, like Qantas Frequent Flyer where points never expire provided you earn or redeem at least one point every 18 months.
Late last year Cathay Pacific Asia Miles also moved to a similar policy. For miles earned from 1st January 2020 the former 3-year validity window was replaced by a better rule that all of your miles would remain intact provided you earn or redeem at least one mile every 18 months.
Unfortunately over the years Singapore Airlines has retained its fixed validity period for KrisFlyer miles.
KrisFlyer Miles Expiry A member’s KrisFlyer miles will expire after three years at the end of the equivalent month in which they were earned. For example, miles credited to a member’s KrisFlyer account in July 2019 will expire on 31st July 2022.Note that PPS Club members don’t need to worry about KrisFlyer miles expiry, since their miles never expire as long as they retain PPS Club status.
Miles expiring up to June 2021 have been extended
In light of the continued impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, Singapore Airlines is now extending any KrisFlyer miles in your account due to expire between April 2020 and June 2021 by at least six months.
“In view of the Covid-19 outbreak, we understand there will be uncertainty in our members’ travel plans in the months ahead. In appreciation for our members’ loyalty, we will be extending KrisFlyer miles that will be expiring between January and June 2021 by six months.”
Singapore Airlines
If you had miles expiring between July and December 2020, that were previously extended by 6 months and will be expiring between January and June 2021 respectively, don’t worry!
These miles will be further extended for another 6 months, and will now expire between July and December 2021 respectively, a full one-year validity extension, in common with the further extension already applied to miles expiring between April and June 2020.
Here’s when any expiring KrisFlyer miles during the April 2020 to June 2021 period will now expire, under the latest extension to the policy.
= New extension
| 2020 | ||
| Miles Expiry Month | Miles extended until: | Further extension until: |
| April 2020 |
2020 |
April 2021 |
| May 2020 |
2020 |
May 2021 |
| June 2020 |
2020 |
June 2021 |
| July 2020 |
2021 |
July 2021 |
| August 2020 |
2021 |
August 2021 |
| September 2020 |
2021 |
September 2021 |
| October 2020 |
2021 |
October 2021 |
| November 2020 |
2021 |
November 2021 |
| December 2020 |
2021 |
December 2021 |
| 2021 | ||
| Miles Expiry Month | Miles extended until: | Further extension until: |
| January 2021 |
July 2021 |
— |
| February 2021 |
August 2021 |
— |
| March 2021 |
September 2021 |
— |
| April 2021 |
October 2021 |
— |
| May 2021 |
November 2021 |
— |
| June 2021 |
December 2021 |
— |
If you had any miles that expired in March 2020 or before, those cannot be re-credited retroactively nor will they be extended.
Do note that any extension to your miles validity will only reflect in your KrisFlyer account at the end of their original expiry month. For example, if you have miles expiring on 31st October 2020, you will be able to see that the miles have been extended and are valid until 31st October 2021 in November 2020.
Presumably due to some systems limitations, the miles extension will reflect as a debit of the originally expiring miles, plus a subsequent credit of the same number of miles.
“At the end of each month, you will be able to see 2 transactions in your account statement. The first transaction will show expiring miles being debited from your account with the description “Singapore Airlines SR (Adjustment) 6 months mileage extension”. The second transaction will show the same number of expiring miles being credited back into your account with the description “Singapore Airlines SR (Adjustment) 6 months mileage extension”.”
Singapore Airlines
You can see your expiring miles via the Singapore Airlines website when logged on to your account, or via the mobile app, by clicking Miles > Miles Validity.
Your monthly email statement should also show you how many of your miles are expiring in the next six months.
For more information about KrisFlyer miles validity extension, including a list of FAQs, see the Singapore Airlines website here.
Miles extension for existing bookings
Under the current Singapore Airlines COVID-19 travel waiver policy, if you made a redemption booking on or before 15th March 2020, for travel up to 31st December 2020, and any of the miles you used for your redemption booking were imminently expiring, their expiry dates will continue to be extended as follows:
| Miles Expiry Month | Miles redeposited extended until: |
| On or before March 2020 | 30th June 2021* |
| Between April 2020 and May 2021 | 30th June 2021 |
| On or after June 2021 | Original miles expiry date |
* Miles cannot be further extended, even for a fee
Unfortunately if you refunded your redemption tickets before this policy was updated (i.e. before 9th April 2020) and your expired miles were forfeited, they will not be retroactively refunded.
Similarly if you opted for a refund on your award ticket before 9th April 2020, any redeposit of miles fee paid will also not be retroactively refunded.
Elite Gold Rewards & PPS Rewards extension
Singapore Airlines also took the opportunity recently to grant an extension for earned Elite Gold Rewards and PPS Rewards that were expiring over the next year or so.
Under the first extension those expiring between July and December 2020 were granted a reprieve until 31st March 2021, however Singapore Airlines has now also included those expiring between January and September 2021, with a fresh new validity until 31st December 2021 for all.
Further extensions
This somewhat expected extension to KrisFlyer miles validity may not be the last we see from the airline, with the timeline for any significant removal of travel restrictions and still far from clear amid COVID-19 uncertainty.
Singapore Airlines has stated that “the situation remains fluid”, and that the policy will continue to be monitored and reviewed.
Don’t be too surprised to see extensions for miles expiring from July 2021 onwards if the COVID-19 travel restrictions remain in force towards the end of 2020, which seems almost inevitable.
KrisFlyer and PPS Club status extensions
In addition to the latest travel waiver policy, Singapore Airlines had already extended KrisFlyer and PPS Club status tiers for a year.
While there have been no further extensions for these announced yet, the airline has announced a halving of the Elite Miles or PPS Value required for renewal, applicable to those whose status has already been extended by a year.
(Cover Photo: MainlyMiles)
“if you made a redemption booking on or before 15th March 2020, for travel up to 30th November 2020, and any of the miles you used for your redemption booking were imminently expiring, their expiry dates will continue to be extended as follows”.
I think that’s incorrect. My redeposited miles were originally extended until June 2021. But with the new announcement, they are being extended another 6 months to December 2021.
Do you disagree with that interpretation?
Thanks for the message. Let me check that as it doesn’t seem to be well explained in the current travel waiver policy (which now runs to 31st December 2020, typo there corrected).
I asked because I had redeposited miles in my account and I received the email about miles being extended for 6 months. So I think it also applies to redeposited miles. I think that’s also consistent with extending the renewal of miles that originally expired in April 2020.
Yes it makes sense I agree!
Thanks for the helpful article – quick question. When someone’s PPS status expires and is not renewed, does the existing mileage balance then have a three year expiry period from that point? Or do the miles that were earned 2 years and 11 months prior immediately get set to expire? Basically is the clock always ticking, but it just voided by having PPS status or does the existing balance get treated to a three year period regardless of how long ago the miles were earned? Thanks
Hi Dave,
No the clock is not always ticking for PPS Club members thankfully. All KrisFlyer miles you have in your account once you downgrade from PPS Club will then be valid for a further 3 years, regardless of when they were originally earned.
“If they are unable to requalify for PPS Club membership, their KrisFlyer miles will be reset to expire after three years at 23:59 hours Singapore time (GMT +08:00 hours) on the last day of the equivalent month at the point which the member fails to requalify and becomes an Elite member. For example, if a member fails to requalify as a PPS Club member and becomes a KrisFlyer Elite Silver or KrisFlyer Elite Gold member on 1 July 2017, the KrisFlyer miles in their KrisFlyer account will expire at 23:59 hours Singapore time (GMT +08:00 hours) on 31 July 2020”
Hope it makes sense!
Cathay, please wake up and pay attention! (Coming from someone with 100K Asia Miles expiring on 31 Dec and no extension is in sight!)
I just checked my expiry miles for Feb & Mar 2021 and they are still there.
Not sure if it will take a while for someone in SQ to extend all members mileage by another 6 months.
I thought it will be auto extended given the IT age we are living in.