Singapore Airlines has added a hefty fee for those redeeming KrisFlyer miles for Round-the-World (RTW) award tickets, which comes eight months after a hike in the miles needed to lock in one of these redemptions, as part of the mid-2022 programme devaluation.
Additionally, any subsequent changes made to new and existing RTW bookings, like date and segment changes, will continue to attract a fee of US$25 per amendment, though this was always the case for these awards as far as we know.
New RTW award service fees
In an update to the airline’s schedule of KrisFlyer service fees on 1st March 2023, the carrier has now added this new charge to the list.
A service fee of USD250 per ticket will apply for new Star Alliance Round-the-World (RTW) redemption bookings. An additional service fee of USD25 per ticket will apply for any subsequent servicing. These fees are waived for bookings by all PPS Club members and supplementary cardholders.
Singapore Airlines
This per-person fee, equivalent to S$335 at current exchange rates, will apply when booking over the phone, via the reservation request form by email, or at the Singapore Airlines ION Orchard service centre.
As you can see, PPS Club members and their supplementary cardholders get a reprieve from the fees, but KrisFlyer Elite members unfortunately do not, even at the Gold status level.
Cancellation of a Star Alliance RTW award itinerary prior to departure will continue to be charged at a fee of US$75.
This isn’t the first time SIA has hiked its fees without prior notice. Back in November 2021, the airline quietly increased its seat selection fees, by up to 88% in some cases!
RTW award rates
For bookings made from 5th July 2022 onwards, Star Alliance RTW award tickets booked using KrisFlyer miles have been charged at the following new rates.
KrisFlyer Star Alliance Round The World
Award Rates
| Travel Class |  |
Change | |
| Old Rate | New Rate | ||
| Economy | 180,000 | 200,000 | + 11.1% |
| Business | 240,000 | 280,000 | + 16.7% |
| First | 360,000 | 405,000 | + 12.5% |
This represents an 11-17% increase compared to pre-devaluation levels, though in fairness Singapore Airlines had not touched these particular rates since 2012, so the increase last year was probably overdue and relatively “fair”.
Taxes and fees are charged in addition to the miles required, and these can be significant when including carriers with high fuel surcharges in your itinerary, like Lufthansa.
The new US$250 service fee per ticket will now also need to be accounted for too.
Be warned as well, booking a Star Alliance RTW award is not a simple process, and there are many rules and restrictions to be aware of.
We outlined the details in our full guide a few years ago, which you can check out below.
Complications include:
- Must start and end in the same country (but not necessarily the same city)
- No backtracking
- Limit of 7 stopovers
- Limit of 2 stopovers per country
- Maximum distance of 35,000 miles
- Restricted to Star Alliance and SIA Saver award space (i.e. not SIA Advantage space)
- Once the trip has started, you can no longer make any changes
Summary
A Star Alliance RTW award using KrisFlyer miles is something of a ‘unicorn’ redemption, being difficult to achieve for most of our readers given the various restrictions, extensive planning required, and inevitable availability problems.
However, if you can achieve one it does usually represent good value, even at the recently hiked rate of 280,000 miles per person in Business Class.
This unfortunate new US$250 fee is steep, and quite a strong disincentive to even bother trying to make one of these complex awards work, which we can’t help thinking is perhaps KrisFlyer’s intention here!
It’s certainly a kick in the teeth after all your effort making a RTW itinerary work, only to then be hit with this additional fee, which equates to S$335 per person at current exchange rates.
(Cover Photo: Shutterstock)
With all these unfriendly measures they are adopting each day, SIA is certainly making their way upto the most hated airline. I get so envious when I see star alliance gold status holders from other Star Alliance airlines carry their Gold status baggage tag but I don’t have one despite being a KrisFlyer Elite Gold status holder for a long time and valid until the end of 2024.
Dreadful airline