AMEX Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer Credit Card Review (2024): Entry-Level Card For All Miles Beginners

SingSaver team

SingSaver team

Last updated 01 January, 2024

A great starter card for newbies starting on their miles chase, the AMEX Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer Credit Card boasts welcome miles, high miles earn rate on Grab rides and compelling reasons for you to spend on Singapore Airlines.

The American Express Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer Credit Card, sometimes more affectionately known as the AMEX KrisFlyer Blue Card, is a good entry-level air miles card if you’re looking for a fuss-free way to earn KrisFlyer miles with every spend. 

A co-branded card by Singapore Airlines, it’s automatically linked to the Singapore Airlines’ Frequent Flyer program. This means no miles conversion fees incurred and no inconvenient conversion processes or conversion blocks. 

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Looking for the best credit cards to complement your spending patterns and expenditure in 2024? Check out our Ultimate Credit Card Guide that covers all things credit cards in Singapore – from choosing between a cashback, miles, or rewards credit card to planning your credit card strategy.


What the AMEX Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer Credit Card can do for you

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AMEX Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer Credit Card product summary:

  • Local spend: 1.1 KrisFlyer miles per $1 spend on eligible purchases, no cap
  • Overseas spend: 2 KrisFlyer miles per $1 spend overseas on eligible purchases during June and December, no cap
  • Bonus spend:
    • 2 KrisFlyer miles per S$1 spend on eligible Singapore Airlines-related transactions, no cap
    • 3.1 KrisFlyer miles per S$1 spend on eligible Grab Singapore transactions, capped at S$200 per calendar month
  • No conversion or transfer fee for KrisFlyer miles
  • Annual income requirement: Card application is subjected to customers meeting the regulatory minimum income requirement and internal assessment
  • Minimum age: 21
  • Annual fee: S$179.85 (First year waived)

Note: "xx mpd" refers to "xx miles per S$1 spend".

Pros Cons
2 mpd on overseas spend, no cap 2 mpd overseas spend applicable during June and December only
1.1 mpd on local spend, no cap No fringe benefits such as complimentary airport lounge access
2 mpd on singaporeair.com, SingaporeAir mobile app and KrisShop (in-flight and online) purchases, no cap  
3.1 mpd on Grab Singapore rides, capped at $200 each calendar month   
0.5 mpd on Singapore Airlines Instalment Plans via Pay Small  
Up to S$350,000 Travel Inconvenience & Travel Accident Benefits coverage  
First-year annual fee waived for both principal and supplementary cardmembers  
5,000 bonus miles on first credit card transaction  
Automatic transfer of miles to your KrisFlyer account with no fees   

Amex Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer Credit Card Welcome Gift: Receive up to 17,000 KrisFlyer miles (enough to redeem a return trip to Bali on Singapore Airlines) with annual fee payment and min. spending of S$1,000 within first month of Card approval. Available to new-to-American Express cardmembers only. Valid till 31 October 2024. T&Cs apply.


Why should you choose the AMEX Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer Credit Card?

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#1: Earn a steady miles rate both locally and overseas

For those valuing consistency and reliability in a card, the AMEX Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer Credit Card checks all the boxes so far. With this card, you can earn a decent 1.1 miles per S$1 on eligible local spend and 2 miles per S$1 on eligible foreign currency spend overseas.

And if you're familiar with how miles credit cards work, you'll also know that these miles earn rates put the AMEX Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer Credit Card in the same tier as the likes of UOB PRVI Miles, DBS Altitude, OCBC 90°N, HSBC TravelOne, and more.


#2: For the love of Singapore Airlines

Earn 2 miles per S$1 spend on eligible purchases made on singaporeair.com, SingaporeAir mobile app and KrisShop (in-flight and online). What makes this offering a cut above the rest is the unlimited feature that does not limit the miles you can earn. There is also no conversion fee involved, as KrisFlyer miles are credited directly into your KrisFlyer membership account.

If you’re a big spender, you receive $150 cashback on your next purchase on singaporeair.com when you spend at least $12,000 on eligible purchases with your card.

Amex Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer Credit Card Welcome Gift: Receive up to 17,000 KrisFlyer miles (enough to redeem a return trip to Bali on Singapore Airlines) with annual fee payment and min. spending of S$1,000 within first month of Card approval. Available to new-to-American Express cardmembers only. Valid till 31 October 2024. T&Cs apply.


#3: Speed up your miles chase with your Grab rides and telco bill

Earn 3.1 miles for every $1 spend on Grab Singapore rides, capped at $200 each calendar month with no minimum spend required. That works out to 7,440 KrisFlyer miles, annually, if you spend a maximum $200 on Grab rides each month.

Apart from that, you'll also be rewarded with 500 bonus KrisFlyer miles on your first telco recurring bill spend at participating merchants such as M1, Singtel, StarHub, Circles.Life and MyRepublic.

💡Pro-tip: Have any nagging big-ticket expenses to pay off? You can earn 0.5 miles per S$1 spend on Singapore Airlines Instalment Plans via Pay Small, with no cap imposed.

See also: 18 Best Credit Cards For Big-Ticket Items


#4: Up to S$350,000 complimentary travel insurance

When it comes to going on holiday, nothing brings greater peace of mind than knowing you're well protected for all your trip's potential troubles. With that, the AMEX Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer Credit Card provides up to S$350,000 complimentary Travel Inconvenience and Travel Accident insurance coverage when you charge your air tickets to the card.

Travel inconvenience coverage includes missed flight connections, baggage delay, extended baggage delay, and flight delays. Meanwhile, travel accident coverage includes death, total disablement or permanent loss of limbs, eyes, speech or hearing. 

You can check out the full policy wording document here.

Although the extent of coverage is decent, it's still missing other key components like medical expenses, emergency overseas medical repatriation, COVID-19 coverage, and more. Thus, if the coverage is insufficient for you, consider buying additional travel insurance just to err on the side of caution. 

💡Pro-tip: For frequent travellers, you're in luck! You can buy an Asia Pacific annual multi-trip My Travel Insurance Essential Plan at only S$188 with the AMEX Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer Credit Card!

Read more:
Best Travel Insurance Plans and Promotions in Singapore
Is Travel Insurance With COVID-19 Coverage Still Important?


#5: Unlock a world of luxury with Hertz privileges

When you have an AMEX Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer Credit Card, you're automatically entitled to a Hertz Gold Plus Rewards loyalty programme membership that entails exclusive benefits at over 8,500 locations worldwide.

Some examples of benefits include:

  • 10% savings on published rates, including Hertz collection
  • One car class upgrade (valid for standard vehicles and five-or-more rental days only)
  • Fee-waived additional driver

What charges or fees should you look out for?

  • Annual fee: S$179.85 (First year waived)
  • Late payment charge: S$100 per month
  • Minimum monthly payment: 3% of current balance or S$50, whichever is higher, plus any overdue amounts
  • Interest on purchases: 26.90% p.a. compounded (27.80% p.a. compounded w.e.f. 3 Oct 2023) if payment of the closing balance in your statements is not made in full; or 29.99% p.a. (3% p.a. on top of prevailing interest w.e.f. 3 Oct 2023) in the event that your account has three or more defaults in the last 12 months
  • Interest on cash advance: 26.90% p.a. compounded daily from date of withdrawal until the withdrawal amount and the relevant fees are paid in full
  • Cash advance fee: 5% of withdrawal amount
  • Foreign currency transaction fee: 2.95% (3.25% w.e.f. 1 Oct 2023)
  • Dynamic currency conversion fee: N/A

Eligibility criteria

  • At least 21 years of age
  • Minimum income requirement: Card application is subjected to customers meeting the regulatory minimum income requirement and internal assessment 

How to apply? 

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Click on the ‘Apply Now’/'Compare AMEX credit cards" button on this page and complete the application form on the SingSaver site. You might need to prepare the following documents for the application process:

  • Front and back of NRIC/Passport/Employment Pass/Proof of Residence
  • Salaried Employees & Expatriates: Latest Income Tax of Notice of Assessment and Latest computerised payslip; or Latest 3 months' computerised payslip
  • Self-employed: Last 2 years' Income Tax Notice of Assessment

Should you get the AMEX Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer Credit Card?Amex_KrisFlyer Credit Card_Given on 150823

The AMEX Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer Credit Card is best for those looking to kickstart their miles journey or those who don’t foresee themselves flying on anything else except our national carrier, Singapore Airlines.

A good starter card that ticks all the boxes of a beginner miles card, the AMEX Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer credit card comes with solid bonus miles and is primed for those looking to upgrade to its AMEX KrisFlyer Ascend counterpart in the future. 

Amex Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer Credit Card Welcome Gift: Receive up to 17,000 KrisFlyer miles (enough to redeem a return trip to Bali on Singapore Airlines) with annual fee payment and min. spending of S$1,000 within first month of Card approval. Available to new-to-American Express cardmembers only. Valid till 31 October 2024. T&Cs apply.

(Psst, you can read our full AMEX Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer Ascend Credit Card review here.)


Disclaimer: 
Please note that while we strive to keep our information as accurate and up-to-date as possible, it occasionally may be different from what you see when you visit our Partner's pages.


 

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