Singapore Airlines has been progressively extending the validity of KrisFlyer miles due to expire in 2020 and 2021, in view of the ongoing inability to travel due to the COVID-19 pandemic and its ongoing restrictive effect on international borders.
Since this is the fifth KrisFlyer miles extension offered to members, let’s recap on what Singapore Airlines has done so far, since we’re probably not the only ones thinking this is starting to get a bit confusing!
| Extension | Details |
| Apr 2020 | Miles expiring between April 2020 and August 2020 extended by 6 months. |
| Jun 2020 | Miles originally expiring between April 2020 and June 2020 extended by a further 6 months. Miles expiring between September 2020 and December 2020 extended by 6 months. |
| Oct 2020 | Miles originally expiring between July 2020 and December 2020 extended by a further 6 months. Miles expiring between January 2021 and June 2021 extended by 6 months. |
| Jan 2021 | Miles originally expiring between April 2020 and June 2020 extended by a further 6 months (third extension). |
| Apr 2021 | Miles originally expiring between April 2020 and March 2022 extended by 6-12 months (first to fourth extension, depending on original expiry). |
Today Singapore Airlines has announced this latest batch of extensions, with those whose miles were expiring between July 2021 and March 2022 (some of which have already picked up two extensions already, totalling one year) now extended for a third time by another six months, and in some cases 12 months.
Additionally, some of those whose miles were originally expiring between April 2020 and June 2021 have had either a third or fourth extension added.
Bottom line: This latest extension means your miles will now be valid until at least 30th April 2022, and until 30th September 2022 in some cases, depending on when they were originally expiring.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.
In late 2019 Cathay Pacific Asia Miles announced 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 March 2022 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 March 2022 by at least six months.
KrisFlyer miles expiring between July 2021 and March 2022 will be extended. The extension will be carried out in 6-month blocks. For example, KrisFlyer miles expiring on 31 July 2021 will first be extended to 31 January 2022, and then further extended to 31 July 2022 in February 2022. If you have miles expiring on 31 January 2022, they will be extended by 6 months, and will expire on 31 July 2022.
This means that all miles expiring between July 2021 and March 2022 will be extended and will only start to expire from April 2022.
Singapore Airlines
Do note that while some miles (like those expiring in July 2021) have picked up a 12-month extension today, this will still happen in 6-month blocks (i.e. two separate extensions).
Given the number of extensions which have now been made to many member’s KrisFlyer miles, Singapore Airlines has now added a table showing the history of your miles extensions to date, since it was beginning to be confusing only showing the new expiry dates (already extended in some cases) alongside only the most recent extension.
Here’s when any expiring KrisFlyer miles during the April 2020 to March 2022 period will now expire, under the latest extension to the policy.
Latest miles expiry table
Highlighted dates reflect the latest extension. In some cases, miles have now been extended for two years.
If you had any miles that expired in March 2020 or earlier, 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 (or previously extended) expiry month. For example, if you have miles expiring on 30th October 2021, you will be able to see that the miles have been extended and are valid until 30th April 2022 in November 2021.
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.
Example
Again given the prolonged nature of the COVID-19 situation and the number of miles validity extensions that have been necessary, Singapore Airlines has developed a ‘worked example’ for a member with 140,000 miles originally expiring in four different months.
How would these expiring miles be extended?
Extension of KrisFlyer miles is completed in sequence at the end of each expiry month:
After miles extension at the end of April 2020
After miles extension at the end of October 2020
After miles extension at the end of April 2021
After miles extension at the end of October 2021
KrisFlyer Elite & PPS Club status extension
In early January this year, Singapore Airlines announced a second extension to KrisFlyer Elite and PPS Club status levels.
Full details are available at our dedicated article.
Earn status without flying
Aside from miles and status extension, Singapore Airlines recently launched a new offer to allow you to renew or upgrade your next membership year without flying, through on-ground earning by shopping or transferring credit card points into the KrisFlyer programme.
See our article for full details.
Alongside these continual miles validity extensions, this scheme can also help you ensure you’ll retain your appropriate or desired status tier when you get back to travelling again.
Further extensions
This (largely 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.
While vaccines are now being rolled out globally, industry consensus seems to be that their effects on travel restrictions are unlikely to start being felt until the second half of 2021 at the earliest.
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 April 2022 onwards if most COVID-19 travel restrictions remain in force for the remainder of 2021, which seems almost inevitable.
(Cover Photo: The Points Guy)