Last month we reported on Standard Chartered’s decision to axe nine airline and hotel transfer partners for its Singapore cardholders, a significant reduction in the options available with programmes like Qantas Frequent Flyer and Air France-KLM Flying Blue disappearing from the list.
While the Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer programme is remaining as a transfer partner, something else we also noted at the time was that the bank has quietly added the Cathay Pacific Asia Miles programme as an option too, having held out for many years as the only bank in Singapore missing this popular link.
The development means that Standard Chartered cardholders will thankfully retain a major transfer partner in both the Star Alliance and Oneworld redemption ecosystems, even after the upcoming major cull of nine options that will see it relegated from third most generous in Singapore… to joint last.
Standard Chartered adds Asia Miles
From late February 2024, Standard Chartered in Singapore now offers transfers from its reward points to Asia Miles for the first time.
This will continue to be the case even after the bank severs links with nine other transfer partners on 24th March 2024.
As with KrisFlyer conversions, a minimum transfer quantity of 25,000 points (into 10,000 miles) applies, with same-sized transfer blocks thereafter (e.g. 50,000 points into 20,000 miles, etc…).
| Standard Chartered 360° Transfer Partners Remaining from 24 March 2024 |
|
| FFP | Conversion Ratio Points : Miles |
 |
25,000 : 10,000 |
 |
25,000 : 10,000 |
These transfer ratios apply to Standard Chartered points earned on the following cards:
- Visa Infinite Card
- Priority Banking Visa Infinite Card
- Journey Card
To make a transfer to either of these programmes, log on to your account at the 360° Rewards Redemption Platform, and select your transfer option under the “Travel” category.
Alternatively, KrisFlyer and Asia Miles transfers from your Standard Chartered points are available by logging on to your credit card account via the desktop site, then under ‘Card Details’ by clicking ‘Redeem Rewards Now’.
According to Standard Chartered, “approximately five (5) working days are required to process the transfer of 360° Rewards Points to miles”. In our experience with KrisFlyer transfers, it takes only around three working days, and so we expect this to be the same for Asia Miles transfers too.
You’ll pay a fee of S$27.25 for each points to miles transfer, regardless of how many ‘blocks’ you are converting.
Asia Miles were devalued in 2023
Last year the Asia Miles programme unfortunately suffered a post-COVID devaluation, which came with plenty of notice but took effect for redemptions made from 1st October 2023.
While some shorter award trips did not change in price, and in Economy Class there were actually some reductions in miles needed, the devaluation had the effect of increasing prices on award tickets in the more attractive distance bands in premium cabins by 8-29%, as shown below.
Cathay Pacific Asia Miles redemption changes
October 2023
(one-way miles x 1,000)
| Distance in miles |
Eco | PY | Biz | First |
| 1 – 750 | 7.5 | 11 | 16 | 25 |
| 751 – 2,750 (Type 1) |
10 | 20 (+11%) |
28 (+12%) |
43 (+8%) |
| 751 – 2,750 (Type 2) |
12.5 (+25%) |
23 (+28%) |
32 (+28%) |
50 (+25%) |
| 2,751 – 5,000 | 20 (-9%) |
38 (+27%) |
58 (+29%) |
90 (+29%) |
| 5,001 – 7,500 (Type 1) |
27 (-10%) |
50 (+25%) |
84 (+29%) |
125 (+25%) |
| 5,001 – 7,500 (Type 2) |
27 (-10%) |
50 (+25%) |
84 (+20%) |
125 (+14%) |
| 7,501+ | 38 (-10%) |
75 (+25%) |
110 (+29%) |
160 (+28%) |
Some popular redemptions among our readers took quite a hit, such as:
- Singapore to Hong Kong in Business Class
25,000 miles to 28,000 miles (+12%) - Singapore to Frankfurt in Business Class
65,000 miles to 84,000 miles (+20%) - Singapore to London in Business Class
85,000 miles to 110,000 miles (+29%) - Hong Kong to London in First Class
100,000 miles to 125,000 miles (+25%)
On the plus side, if you’re the type who is happy to redeem 30,000 Asia Miles plus taxes and fees to fly in Economy from Singapore to Frankfurt, for example, that now only costs you 27,000 Asia Miles, a 10% saving.
Award pricing for partner bookings, including on Oneworld carriers, suffered a 3-28% increase in Business Class, with no awards reducing in price even in Economy Class, as shown below.
Asia Miles Partner redemption changes
October 2023
(one-way miles x 1,000)
| Distance in miles |
Eco | PY | Biz | First |
| 1 – 750 | 10 | 14 | 20 | n/a |
| 751 – 2,750 |
15 | 25 (+14%) |
33 (+10%) |
n/a |
| 2,751 – 5,000 | 27 | 43 | 63 (+3%) |
100 (+15%) |
| 5,001 – 7,500 (Type 1) |
40 (+14%) |
55 (+22%) |
89 (+27%) |
135 (+23%) |
| 5,001 – 7,500 (Type 2) |
40 | 55 (+10%) |
89 (+19%) |
135 (+13%) |
| 7,501+ | 47 | 80 (+23%) |
115 (+28%) |
170 (+26%) |
Note: There are some minor differences for Japan Airlines domestic and short-distance award flights
This impacted some great value awards, to varying degrees, like:
- Singapore to Perth in Business Class on Qantas
30,000 miles to 33,000 miles (+10%) - Bangkok to Helsinki in Business Class on Finnair
61,000 miles to 63,000 miles (+3%, not bad) - Singapore to London in Business Class on Qatar Airways
70,000 miles to 89,000 miles (+27%)
Other partners available till 24th March
Standard Chartered has always been a strange bank, in that it operates a two-tier redemption system, for now at least.
Points can be redeemed under:
- The EasyRewards portal, or
- The 360° Rewards portal
That’s important because even though many partners are being axed later this month, these fall under the EasyRewards portal, while there are no changes in line for 360° Rewards portal redemptions, with your options now comprising both the Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer and Asia Miles programmes on that side.
The nine programmes leaving the Standard Chartered transfer list on 24th March 2024 are outlined in the following table.
| Standard Chartered EasyRewards Transfer Partners Removed from 24 March 2024 |
|
| FFP | Conversion Ratio |
 |
2,500 : 1,000 |
 |
2,500 : 1,000 |
 |
2,500 : 1,000 |
 |
3,000 : 1,000 |
 |
3,500 : 1,000 |
 |
3,500 : 1,000 |
 |
3,500 : 1,000 |
| Hotel loyalty scheme | Conversion Ratio |
 |
2,500 : 1,000 |
 |
5,000 : 1,000 |
Again, these transfer ratios apply to Standard Chartered points earned on the following cards:
- Visa Infinite Card
- Priority Banking Visa Infinite Card
- Journey Card
While many of the transfer ratios here are unattractive, some were worth considering and useful to some members, like Air France-KLM Flying Blue and Qantas Frequent Flyer.
You can continue to redeem your Standard Chartered points into these programmes until 23rd March 2024 via the SC EasyRewards portal, using a desktop computer.
That’s achieved via a relatively obscure link after logging on to your account and clicking the ‘Card Details’ option, then ‘View My Rewards’, as shown below.
This unfortunate reduction in transfer partner options from Standard Chartered comes less than two months after China Airlines Dynasty Flyer was removed as a transfer partner from Singapore credit cards, following a decision by Amex to cut links with that programme.
Nonetheless, all of the nine Standard Chartered programmes being removed won’t disappear completely, with at least one credit card in Singapore still retaining transfer links to each of them in some form.
Singapore credit card transfer partners
Currently, Standard Chartered supports transfers to 11 frequent flyer and hotel loyalty partners, and here’s how that looks against all the other options on the market here in Singapore.
Singapore credit card to FFP transfers
March 2024
= All miles cards for this bank
= HSBC: Only for the T1 card
= Ending 24th March 2024
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As you can see, the bank’s very generous partner list is being severely cut later this month, leaving it with only KrisFlyer and Asia Miles options.
For further details, see our regularly updated list of Credit Card Transfer Partners in Singapore.
Summary
You can now transfer your Standard Chartered rewards points into Cathay Pacific’s popular Asia Miles programme, a long-overdue addition bringing the bank in line with… well every other bank in Singapore!
Nonetheless, this doesn’t change the fact that nine other partners will be axed from the transfer list later this month, relegating Standard Chartered’s overall offering to only two options – Asia Miles and KrisFlyer.
Let’s hope some more links can be established (or re-established) in the months ahead, to strengthen the proposition, which now looks very weak against the local competition, especially following recent partnership expansions from OCBC and HSBC.
(Cover Photo: MainlyMiles)