News

Jul 05, 2023

Complete guide to KrisFlyer Elite Silver: Earning & Benefits

KrisFlyer Elite Silver is the first status tier you can attain from being a non-status member, and being the initial recognition level it sadly only comes with some relatively basic benefits, which

KrisFlyer Elite Silver is the first status tier you can attain from being a non-status member, and being the initial recognition level it sadly only comes with some relatively basic benefits, which Singapore Airlines no doubt hopes will leave you wanting further upgrades to Elite Gold and even the lofty heights of the PPS Club in future.

Nonetheless Elite Silver isn’t completely without its perks, though it’s safe to say there’s nothing life-changing among them.

Here’s our summary of how the Silver tier works, and what the principal benefits are.

First of all it’s important to note that Singapore Airlines effectively has two status programmes for its frequent flyers – KrisFlyer and PPS Club.

Here’s where KrisFlyer Elite Silver sits in the rankings.

As you can see, KrisFlyer Elite Silver is the first rung up the ladder you can achieve in the KrisFlyer programme. After that you’ll potentially reach KrisFlyer Elite Gold, and ultimately even the PPS Club, the latter tier requiring you to accrue paid flights on Singapore Airlines in Business Class or First Class.

We have already comprehensively covered KrisFlyer Elite Gold earning and benefits, and PPS Club earning and benefits, in the articles linked below.

To rise through the KrisFlyer status tiers you’ll need Elite miles, which are effectively the programme’s status credits and are earned alongside KrisFlyer miles, but cannot be converted into KrisFlyer miles nor redeemed for anything else.

Elite miles only exist to determine your status tier in the KrisFlyer programme.

Elite miles are credited to your account based on the actual miles flown on flights operated by:

Since 1st March 2023, Virgin Atlantic was struck off the list of Elite miles earning partners.

You cannot accrue Elite miles with other partners, like Alaska Airlines, jetBlue and Olympic Air (but in those cases, unlike Virgin Atlantic, you never could).

For Star Alliance carriers and other eligible partners, Elite miles earning multiples based on distance flown vary based on booking class and fare code.

When flying on Scoot as a KrisFlyer member, distance flown becomes irrelevant. Instead you will earn a fixed 2.5 Elite Miles for every S$1 spent on the fare, excluding taxes.

In the above example, 995 Elite Miles are earned for this booking (the base fare of S$398 x 2.5).

If you are travelling on a mixed itinerary containing both Scoot and Singapore Airlines sector(s), you earn Elite miles for the Singapore Airlines sectors based on the table above, but on the Scoot sectors based on a percentage of the actual miles flown on Scoot, and your Scoot booking class, as shown below.

You can find the fare code of your Scoot sector(s) within the PDF itinerary attachment of your booking confirmation email.

For example, if this ‘B’ fare Scoot flight from Bangkok to Singapore is part of a combined itinerary with Singapore Airlines continuing to Perth in an ‘M’ fare code, Elite miles earning will be:

Regardless of which airline you’re flying with, you must credit miles from your flight to your KrisFlyer account in order to earn Elite miles.

You won’t earn Elite miles, for example, if you credit a Singapore Airlines flight to your Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles account.

You can only earn Elite miles by taking eligible paid flights as listed above, not from credit card spend, KrisShop spend or miles conversions, or when flying on award tickets.

There was an exception during the COVID-19 pandemic, when Singapore Airlines temporarily awarded Elite miles for a range of on-ground activity to support membership renewal, but this ceased in February 2022.

To qualify for KrisFlyer Elite Silver status you’ll have to earn at least 25,000 Elite miles in a 12-month period.

On reaching this threshold, your account will be upgraded to KrisFlyer Elite Silver status for a minimum of 12 months.

Unlike when you upgrade to KrisFlyer Elite Gold, your Elite miles total will not be reset in the case of an upgrade to Silver and you will continue to earn over and above your current balance until the end of your membership year.

For example, if your membership year starts in January as a basic member (zero Elite miles) and you hit 25,000 Elite miles in May, the counter will not reset to zero even though you upgrade to KFES, and you still have until January the following year to reach 50,000 Elite miles needed for KFEG.

You can check your progress towards these earning or requalification goals on the Singapore Airlines app or website when logged in to your account.

Do note that redemption nominees listed on your account do not benefit from your KrisFlyer Elite Silver perks (unless they hold this status themselves).

The KrisFlyer UOB Credit Card offers a “fast track” option to achieve KrisFlyer Elite Silver status.

To qualify, you’ll have to make a minimum spend of S$5,000 in the card’s SIA Group category (i.e. at Singapore Airlines, Scoot or the KrisShop) during your first card membership year.

It sounds all well and good, but “fast track” it ain’t.

You’ll have to wait for up to six weeks after the end of your first card membership year to get the upgrade.

That means even if you make the qualifying S$5,000 spend in your very first week of card membership, let’s say by 1st October 2023, you will have to wait until at least October 2024 and possibly mid-November 2024 before you see that shiny silver card pop up in your Singapore Airlines app.

KrisFlyer Elite Silver status attained this way is then valid for one year from date of upgrade only, with requalification is based on the standard 25,000 Elite miles earned in a 12-month period.

You can access your digital KrisFlyer Elite Silver membership card immediately on the SingaporeAir mobile app, but physical membership kits are no longer sent to KrisFlyer members, only PPS Club members.

You can also add your membership card to your mobile wallet, so you don’t need to open the app each time you need to show your status tier.

KrisFlyer Elite Silver status is equivalent to Star Alliance Silver, and therefore gives you this recognition across all alliance partners when you fly.

You can lean more about Star Alliance Silver benefits here.

Whenever you take a paid flight on Singapore Airlines or Scoot as a KrisFlyer Elite Silver member, you’ll earn 25% bonus KrisFlyer miles, except when travelling in Economy Lite (code V, K) or Economy Value (code Q, N) fares on Singapore Airlines.

This is in addition to any booking class bonus (or penalty) you may receive on a Singapore Airlines flight, as shown in the following table.

With Scoot, the 25% bonus is applied to the usual 1 mile per Singapore Dollar of the base fare charged (i.e. you’ll get 1.25 miles per SGD spent as a KrisFlyer Elite Silver member).

If you are travelling on a mixed itinerary containing both Scoot and Singapore Airlines sector(s), you earn KrisFlyer miles for the Singapore Airlines sectors based on the table above, and on the Scoot sectors based on a percentage of the actual miles flown on Scoot, and your Scoot booking class, with a 25% bonus.

For example, as a KrisFlyer Elite Silver member you’ll net the following total KrisFlyer miles accrual on a return trip from Singapore to Melbourne with one of these two carriers.

In this example you’re netting over 1,400 bonus KrisFlyer miles in addition to regular earning for basic members when flying with SIA, or (a slightly more paltry) 151 bonus miles when flying with Scoot.

Notice how Elite miles earning is not affected by your tier status in either case – the 25% bonus only applies to KrisFlyer miles accrual on both airlines.

KrisFlyer Milestone Rewards replaced Elite Gold Rewards back in early 2021, and are now available to those holding any of the three membership tiers in the KrisFlyer programme (previously, only Golds got treats!).

This benefit gives you gifts as you follow the road to requalification (or initial qualification) each year, with 10 milestones to hit if you accrue a significant 100,000 Elite miles in a single calendar year.

There are two major aspects to be aware of with Milestone Rewards:

The gifts start small but get progressively more attractive the more Elite miles you earn, though it’s safe to say none of them are generous in any life-changing sense and we doubt many members will particularly strive to attain them.

Nonetheless they are nice to have and Milestone Rewards start at 1,000 Elite Miles earned, as shown below. Simply click the ‘Full details’ dropdown for each reward for further information.

Receive a reward to earn an additional 1,000 KrisFlyer miles on your next flight with Scoot, in addition to the actual miles earned for a single flight segment.

The bonus miles will be automatically credited into your account within four weeks of your flight, and are applicable for itineraries involving Scoot-operated flights only, or itineraries involving both Scoot and Singapore Airlines-operated flights.

Receive a 20% Discount Voucher off your next Scoot booking on selected fare types (applicable to base fare only). Blackout periods apply and the principal KrisFlyer member must be travelling on the booking.

Click here to find out how you can redeem your voucher.

This reward must be claimed within 12 months of earning 5,000 Elite miles on flights operated by Singapore Airlines and/or Scoot.

As usual with Kris+, these miles are valid for 6 months and are not transferable to KrisFlyer miles.

Receive a promo code for S$20 off a minimum purchase of S$150 on KrisShop.com (excluding promotional offers and discounted items).

A lengthy brand exclusion list also applies, the promo code is not applicable for purchases made inflight or via the KrisShop order form, nor is it valid with any existing KrisShop promotions, offers, privileges and PPS Club discounts.

The promo code is valid for 12 months, and can only be used once.

Receive a reward to earn 25% more KrisFlyer miles on top of the actual miles earned for a single flight segment.

The reward is valid for 12 months and can be applied before your flight departure or or on a past booking up to seven days ago. Only one Bonus KrisFlyer Miles reward may be used for one flight segment, and it can only be used by the principal member.

If you have mixed KrisFlyer miles and cash to purchase your ticket, the bonus KrisFlyer miles will only be awarded on the amount paid for by cash. That means that any tier bonus or any amount redeemed by KrisFlyer miles are excluded from the calculation.

Receive a reward to earn 50% more KrisFlyer miles on top of the actual miles earned for a single flight segment.

The reward is valid for 12 months and can be applied before your flight departure or or on a past booking up to seven days ago. Only one Bonus KrisFlyer Miles reward may be used for one flight segment, and it can only be used by the principal member.

If you have mixed KrisFlyer miles and cash to purchase your ticket, the bonus KrisFlyer miles will only be awarded on the amount paid for by cash. That means that any tier bonus or any amount redeemed by KrisFlyer miles are excluded from the calculation.

Receive a reward for a redemption discount of 5,000 KrisFlyer miles when you are redeeming your KrisFlyer miles for an award ticket or a redemption upgrade.

Valid for 12 months from the date of issue for redemption bookings (excluding HighFlyer bookings) or for redemption upgrades on eligible flights operated by Singapore Airlines.

The reward can be used by the principal member or for their redemption nominee.

If your booking is refunded, the discount will be credited back to your KrisFlyer account if it remains valid.

Receive a voucher which allows the principal member to earn twice the usual KrisFlyer miles for a single flight segment. This can be applied before your flight departure, or on a past booking up to seven days ago.

If you used KrisFlyer miles to offset any cash element of your booking then you'll only receive double KrisFlyer miles in relation to the amount you paid in cash.

Receive an advance upgrade voucher for a one cabin class upgrade for you or a redemption nominee (subject to availability) on a single flight segment for flights between Zone 1 & Zone 2, between Zone 1 & Zone 3, or within Zone 11.

Flights within Zone 11 currently include SIA's "fifth freedom" Milan - Barcelona flights.

The single cabin class upgrade is valid:

The upgrade is valid for commercial tickets (not award flights) booked under anything except the 'Value' and 'Lite' fare buckets (i.e. excluding D in Business Class, R in Premium Economy and K, N, Q or V in Economy).

Receive an advance upgrade voucher for an upgrade from Economy to Premium Economy (subject to availability) on a single flight segment, for you or your redemption nominee.

Valid for commercial tickets booked under anything except the Value and Lite fare buckets (i.e. only valid for bookings under B, E, H, M, W, Y).

Your flight must have Economy (obviously) and Premium Economy installed in order to use this voucher (A350 LH, A380 or 777-300ER only). There is no upgrade to Business Class on aircraft without a PY cabin.

* Per calendar year (Jan-Dec)

Again, do remember that Elite miles earned on other Star Alliance airlines and eligible SIA partner airlines will continue to count towards your Elite Silver and Elite Gold status qualification / requalification, however they are not included in the calculation for Milestone Rewards.

Simply log on to your KrisFlyer account summary via the website or mobile app and click on “Account Summary” (desktop) or “My account” (mobile) and then “KrisFlyer Milestone Rewards” to check your progress through the chocolate wheel during the year.

KrisFlyer Milestone Rewards are valid for 12 months from the date of issue, unless otherwise stated, so you don’t have to use them within the calendar year of accrual (e.g. an award unlocked in November 2023 is valid for use until November 2024).

To use a Milestone Reward, log in to your account the same way we described above and you’ll see a list of those those you’re eligible to apply, alongside any you have used already.

You can find further details about KrisFlyer Milestone Rewards here.

Singapore Airlines passengers in First Class, Suites and Business Class get complimentary seat selection, whether flying on a revenue fare or award ticket.

However, seat selection fees do apply in Premium Economy and Economy Class, as follows:

* Advance selection of a PY seat on a flight with no service differentiation from Economy Class (e.g. SIN-CGK)

Singapore Airlines quietly hiked these fees, by up to 88% in some cases, during the COVID-19 pandemic. Here’s the latest charging structure and who pays for it.

* Plus Italy to/from Spain^ Plus USA to/from Europe and North Asia

KrisFlyer Elite Silver members travelling in Economy or Premium Economy Class on Singapore Airlines flights get free seat selection in:

Where payment is required for seat selection, a 10% discount applies for KrisFlyer Elite Silver members.

Here’s how the discount structure looks for all members.

As you can see, KrisFlyer Elite Silver members get a 10% discount on Extra Legroom (in both Premium Economy and Economy), PY “Upgrade” and PY Solo Seats when travelling with Singapore Airlines.

Travel companions on the same booking will get a 5% discount on any seat selection fees they would be liable for based on their own status level.

For example, a KFES member travelling in Economy with a non-KrisFlyer member will not pay for Standard seat selection at all, but the non-member companion will still have to pay, albeit with a 5% discount on their seat selection fee (usually no discount if travelling alone).

Remember that exactly 48 hours before departure time, all seat selection costs are cancelled and any passenger can select any available seat for free within their cabin class.

One big gripe many travellers have about Star Alliance Silver and Gold status (and in turn, that includes KrisFlyer Elite Silver, Gold and all PPS Club members) is that there is no complimentary seat selection benefit when flying with other alliance carriers.

That’s quite unlike Oneworld and SkyTeam elites, who get discounted or complimentary seat selection on almost all partners within their respective alliance.

If you are waitlisted for a revenue ticket or an award ticket on Singapore Airlines or a Star Alliance carrier, you’ll receive priority as a KrisFlyer Elite Silver member over and above those with basic membership status in the programme.

This may increase the likelihood of a waitlisted award redemption clearing for you from time to time, but it’s certainly no guarantee of anything, and don’t forget – Golds and PPS Club members will still be above you on the list.

KrisFlyer Elite Silver members are given priority over regular members and non-members on airport standby lists for Singapore Airlines and Star Alliance flights, where a confirmed reservation is not available.

This benefit does not apply to award tickets or flight upgrades.

All KrisFlyer members, including Silver tier holders, get unlimited complimentary free Wi-Fi on board Wi-Fi-equipped aircraft in the Singapore Airlines fleet (all except the Boeing 737-800), regardless of cabin class.

* Includes supplementary cardholders

While there is no need to have your KrisFlyer number added to your booking when flying in Suites, First Class or Business Class, it is essential when flying in Premium Economy or Economy Class, since non-KrisFlyer members in these cabins have to use one of the airline’s paid options if they wish to be connected.

If you’re flying in Premium Economy or Economy Class, you’ll need to enter your KrisFlyer membership details when you book your flight, via Manage Booking, at the airport check-in kiosk, or check-in counter in order to benefit from free unlimited Wi-Fi on board.

It’s too late to do this once you’re on board.

Further details of SIA’s inflight Wi-Fi service are available here.

KrisFlyer members receive a bonus KrisFlyer miles gift when they take a paid Singapore Airlines or Scoot flight during their birthday month, or up to two months afterwards.

The gift is credited as follows:

These miles are in addition to the regular KrisFlyer miles earning from a paid fare.

This benefit applies during 2023, but may be further extended in subsequent years. Full terms and conditions are available here.

You’ll get a 50% waiver on the regular service fee as a KrisFlyer Elite Silver member when changing your redemption nominees, as shown in the following table.

However, do note that unfortunately there are no discounts or waivers for KrisFlyer or PPS Club members regardless of status tier when it comes to paying change fees for award tickets, like date changes and miles redeposit charges.

When flying with SIA’s budget subsidiary Scoot, you’ll get the following perks as a KrisFlyer Elite Silver member:

* SIA says that “standard seats are automatically assigned on a best available basis at time of booking. Additional charges may apply for any subsequent changes, where applicable.”** BoardMeFirst is not available in Haikou, Ipoh, Langkawi or Macau

Your entire travelling party on the same booking reference will have these benefits, provided you add your KrisFlyer membership number at least 24 hours prior to departure.

These benefits are not applicable to group bookings with 10 or more passengers.

As you probably know, from July 2023 onwards the complimentary extension of KrisFlyer miles validity has ended, and all members regardless of status tier in the KrisFlyer programme once again have to contend with the three-year expiry policy.

READ OUR GUIDE

READ OUR GUIDE

No matter how you earn your KrisFlyer miles (from revenue flights to credit card spend, from Kris+ earning to Quandoo restaurant bookings) they will expire on the last day of the month 36 months following the month in which they were first credited to your account.

One option KrisFlyer offers to members is to extend the validity of their miles through payment of a fee.

You can choose to pay US$12 (around S$16) per block of 10,000 expiring miles, or sacrifice 1,200 miles per 10,000-mile block to achieve the same extension.

This extension is for six months if you are a basic KrisFlyer member – but it’s good for 12 months if you are a KrisFlyer Elite Silver or Elite Gold member.

As you can see KrisFlyer Elite Silver isn’t a life-changing status tier in the programme, designed only to reflect that you have a good degree of loyalty to the airline, so the more useful perks definitely come once you’ve shown a great level of loyalty instead!

That comes in the form of KrisFlyer Elite Gold status, having earned 50,000 Elite Miles in a 12-month period.

In addition to the perks above, this will unlock:

Lounge access in particular is the major upgrade when you hit Gold, and undoubtedly the reason most people aim for it.

Check out our comprehensive guide to KrisFlyer Elite Gold status to see how much better it is than the Silver tier.

Earning 25,000 Elite miles in 12 months is perhaps no mean feat for many travellers, especially if you’re mostly redeeming your flights with miles and therefore not regularly climbing the status ladder.

Even when you have achieved this level, Singapore Airlines doesn’t shower you with benefits in its lowest elite tier – KrisFlyer Elite Silver.

This first rung of the ladder only offers a few perks, such as 25% miles bonus, complimentary standard seat selection and a range of perks when flying with low-cost subsidiary Scoot.

The major status benefits like lounge access, priority check-in and additional baggage allowance only kick in with the Gold tier, which is why for many Elite Silver is just a stepping stone, rather than a long-term proposition.

(Cover Photo: Edward Russell)

Happiest in a First or Business Class bed flying to a faraway place, and even happier when it's using miles or points.View all posts by Andrew