Are you looking for simple ways to earn KrisFlyer miles without spending hours figuring it out? Whether you’re a busy parent, a frequent traveler, or just starting your journey with travel rewards, this KrisFlyer Miles Guide will show you practical tips to earn points on everyday spend, track your progress, and get closer to free flights faster.
Inside, you’ll discover how to:
- Maximise miles from flights, partner airlines, and credit cards
- Turn everyday purchases into KrisFlyer points
- Track your points efficiently so none expire
- Plan for future travel rewards without the stress
This guide is perfect for anyone in Singapore (or beyond) who wants to earn, track, and use KrisFlyer miles smarter — and it’s completely free!
(If you love the tips here, check out our Premium Heng Trails’ Miles Tracker, the exact tool I use to organise all my points, expiry dates, and redemptions in one simple sheet.)
Flying business class or even first class / suites is undoubtedly a luxurious experience, one that many of us may not consider paying for out of pocket. However, with a well-thought-out miles strategy, it can become an achievable goal—especially for memorable occasions like a babymoon or a family trip.
For us, our last indulgence in premium class was during our babymoon to New Zealand. By redeeming enough miles, we flew there in business class and returned in the Singapore Airlines Suite. It was an incredibly pampering experience, especially for me in my third trimester.
Fast forward to now with two kids, we’ve realized we need to be more strategic about accumulating miles. We managed to achieve our most recent goal, which was to redeem tickets for a long-haul trip to London before Hengboi2 turned 2, taking advantage of only needing three tickets for my husband, Hengboi, and me. Here’s how we made it happen and some tips for building your own miles strategy.
💡 Why KrisFlyer Miles Matter
KrisFlyer is Singapore Airlines’ frequent flyer programme. Accumulating KrisFlyer miles means you can redeem free flights, seat upgrades, and travel perks with Singapore Airlines, Scoot and many partner airlines around the world.
✈️ Start with the Obvious: Flights
- Credit your flights: Always enter your KrisFlyer number when booking or at check-in so you earn miles on paid flights.
- Fly partner airlines: Airlines in the Star Alliance let you earn KrisFlyer miles too — including United, Lufthansa, Air Canada, Thai Airways and more.
- Scoot counts too: Booked Scoot flights still earn miles (e.g., ~1 mile per S$1 spent).
| Know Your Goal | |
|---|---|
| Set a clear redemption target: Determine your flight or reward goal and calculate the required miles. Use the SQ Miles calculator here. Plan in Advance: Award seats, especially for premium cabins, are in high demand. Book as early as possible to secure your preferred flights. For Singapore Airlines, redemption booking opens 355 days in advance of departure day. Book Singapore Airlines Spontaneous Escape: Snag miles at great discount. Usually only possible for couples or families with pre-schoolers and below who do not have fixed school holidays. Read more in this post. Choose Long-Haul Flights: Miles offer the best value when redeemed for long-haul business or first-class tickets. For instance, our recent redemption to London ensured maximum bang for our buck. Know When to Add an Infant Ticket: For trips with an infant, it’s best to add their ticket over the counter rather than by phone. We found heading down to ION Orchard SQ Counter to handle this was the most seamless option. Stay informed: Watch seasonal campaigns, bank promotions, and merchant-specific offers. Track your progress: Use tools like Premium Heng Trails’ Miles Tracker to forecast monthly miles accumulation |
💳 2. Maximise Everyday Spending with Credit Cards
One of the fastest ways to earn miles isn’t actually from flying — it’s from spending you were already going to make.
My strategy is simple:
4 mpd specialised cards first → general miles card when I can’t earn 4 mpd → alternative methods for spending that normally earns zero miles.
| Optimize High-Earning Categories | |
|---|---|
| 🚀 My Go-To 4 mpd Cards Rather than carrying every miles card available, I use a few that cover most of our family’s everyday spending. 🍽️ Dining → UOB Lady’s Solitaire I’ve selected Dining as one of my two bonus categories, so this is my go-to for eligible restaurant spending. 👉 [Apply for UOB Lady’s Card] ✈️ Travel → UOB Lady’s Solitaire My second selected category is Travel, which I use for eligible flights, hotels and other travel spending. 👉 [Apply for UOB Lady’s Card] 🛍️ Online → DBS Woman’s World / Citi Rewards For eligible online purchases, I usually reach for DBS Woman’s World or Citi Rewards. 👉 [Apply for DBS Woman’s World] 👉 [Apply for Citi Rewards] 📱 Contactless → UOB Preferred Visa (PPV) One of my go-to cards for everyday contactless purchases. ⚠️ PPV = Phone. Use an eligible mobile wallet rather than tapping the physical card if you’re targeting the mobile-contactless bonus. 👉 [Apply for UOB Preferred Visa] 💳 Contactless + Online → HSBC Revolution Another useful card for eligible contactless and online spending. Unlike PPV, eligible contactless transactions can include tapping the physical Revolution card as well as using a supported mobile wallet. 👉 [Apply for HSBC Revolution] 💡 Easy way to remember: Lady’s → Dining & Travel | DBS WW/Citi Rewards → Online | PPV → Phone | Revolution → Contactless + Online ✈️ What If I Can’t Earn 4 mpd? That’s when I switch to a general miles card rather than earning the low base rate on one of my specialised cards. I use UOB PRVI Miles as my catch-all for general spending and transactions that don’t fit neatly into my 4 mpd categories. 👉 [Apply for UOB PRVI Miles ] You don’t need several general miles cards — one good catch-all is usually enough. 🛒 Don’t Ignore yuu Points — They Can Become Miles Too Not every card in my wallet is a traditional miles card. DBS yuu can be particularly rewarding if your family already spends regularly within the yuu ecosystem, such as at participating supermarkets, food outlets and other yuu merchants. Instead of automatically using your yuu Points as cashback, you can now convert them into miles: 3.6 yuu Points = 1 Max Mile via HeyMax ✈️ You can also convert yuu Points directly to KrisFlyer miles at 3.6:1 if you already know you’re going to redeem with Singapore Airlines or Scoot. This effectively gives yuu Points another use beyond cashback — everyday household spending can help fund your next family trip too. 👉 [Apply for DBS yuu Card] 💡 My strategy: I still prioritise my 4 mpd cards where they earn more, but if I’m spending within the yuu ecosystem and the DBS yuu earn rate makes sense, I’ll compare the rewards rather than automatically reaching for a miles card. |
| Optimze Earnings for Excluded Transactions | |
|---|---|
| 🍫 What About Spending That Normally Earns ZERO Miles? This is where Chocolate + HeyMax has become useful for me. I personally use it for certain expenses such as insurance, because many traditional credit cards exclude insurance payments from earning rewards. Eligible bill categories can still earn Max Miles through Chocolate + HeyMax, subject to the applicable monthly cap. My thinking is simple: If my normal credit card gives me 0 miles → I check whether I can earn something through Chocolate + HeyMax instead. 👉 [Sign up for Chocolate card ] 👉 [Join HeyMax] Check out this post for more details on the Heymax x Chocolate Card partnership. 🏠 Don’t Forget the Big Bills Insurance, MCST, property tax and mortgage payments can add up to thousands of dollars a year — yet they’re often overlooked when planning a miles strategy. For larger bills, I compare services such as CardUp + HeyMax to see whether it’s worth paying a fee to turn an otherwise non-mile-earning expense into miles. 👉 [Join Cardup ] 👉 [Join HeyMax] 💡 Always calculate the cost per mile first. Don’t pay a fee just to collect miles — it should make sense for the redemption you’re working towards. |
📱 3. Earn Miles on Everyday Purchase Touchpoints
You don’t have to fly or charge big ticket spend:
| ✈️ Earn More Perks with My Favorite Programs | |
|---|---|
| Referral programs: Share your code with friends and family to earn extra miles!💡 If you click on these links, it’s at no extra cost to you. You’ll enjoy perks, while I may receive a referral bonus in return — win-win! Pelago – Book travel experiences and earn 3 KrisFlyer miles per S$1 spent Kris+ by Singapore Airlines – Earn up to 9 mpd when spending with Kris+ partner merchants ShopBack GO – Earn cashback that you can offset against travel or convert into additional perks. Heymax – Pay with HeyMax to earn bonus Max Miles on selected merchants and services. Cardup – Turn big bills (tuition, rent, insurance, taxes) into miles-earning opportunities. Klook – Book activities, attractions, and family experiences with discounts and earn credits for future trips. Use hengxklook for up to 10% off activities!⚠️ All miles rates, bonuses, and promotions are subject to change by the banks or platforms. 📩 Join my mailing list to stay updated on the latest miles hacks, promos, and bonus-earning opportunities. |
📈 What This Means for You
Even if you hardly fly, you can boost your miles balance significantly via everyday habits:
- Everyday expenses that you already pay for (groceries, bills, dining) can earn miles with the right card.
- Even budget flights and partner flights earn miles — so every trip contributes to your travel goals.
📌 Actionable Tips
✔ Always enter your KrisFlyer number when booking flights or Scoot tickets.
✔ Check your credit cards’ miles per dollar rates and plan your spending around categories with higher earn rates.
✔ Use Kris+ app / Pelago regularly to turn everyday spend into miles.
✔ Convert partner loyalty points (bank/hotel) when beneficial.
📍 Putting It Together
This starter guide gives you easy, everyday ways to accumulate KrisFlyer miles even before you think about travel. Once you’re earning consistently, you can work toward redeeming for free flights, upgrades, or even reward seats in premium cabins.
📌 (Tip: Make your miles tracking process easier — check out my Premium Heng Trails’ Miles Tracker for an organised, at-a-glance overview of your balances, expiry dates, and redemption goals.)
| 💡 Upgrade to Paid Version for Full Strategy! | |
|---|---|
| 💡 “If you enjoyed the free guide and would like to support the work I’m sharing, I’d love for you to check out my Premium Miles Tracker. This is the exact tool I personally use to track my miles, points, and hotel stays (future plans) — it keeps everything organized in one place so I never miss an expiry date or a redemption opportunity. For a small amount, you’ll get a tracker that has helped me achieve my travel goals, and at the same time, you’ll be supporting me in creating more helpful resources for parents and travelers like you.” The Paid PDF version provides: – Detailed monthly projections of your miles accumulation. – Card-by-card earning strategy: exactly which cards to use at which merchants. – Tips on bonus promotions & partner merchant updates — so you never miss opportunities. – Designed for busy families & travelers (simple, clean format) – With the paid version, you’ll have a ready-to-use plan guiding you step by step to your redemption goal — no guessing, no missed opportunities. Want to take it further? Click here to get the Premium Miles & Hotel Rewards Tracker I personally use to stay organized! |
Why We Love Flying on Miles
Redeeming miles for business class allows us to experience the luxury we’d otherwise skip. The spacious seats, gourmet meals, and impeccable service make long flights enjoyable. It’s also a treat to have priority boarding and lounge access, especially with kids in tow.
With our recent awesome experience on our long haul flight to London with the boys to , we’re determined to keep up with our miles game. By incorporating these strategies into your daily life, you too can elevate your travel experience without stretching your budget. Happy earning and bon voyage!
📌 My Quick Miles Cheat Sheet
The golden rule: Earn 4 mpd whenever possible, use a general miles card when you can’t, and before accepting zero miles on a large payment, check whether there’s another way to earn.
We also share travel deals & promo alerts in our Telegram Group
Card earn rates, bonus caps, exclusions and promotions change frequently. Always check the latest T&Cs before applying or making a large transaction.
