Why Citi PremierMiles May Be The Most Useful Miles Card in Singapore

Opinions expressed reflect the view of the writer (this is his story).

It may not have the highest miles earning rates, but the Citi PremierMiles is still a formidable tool in a travel hacker’s arsenal. Find out why.

What’s the best miles card in Singapore? 

It’s a loaded question, bound to ignite a fierce debate. How do you define “best credit card” anyway? Best for shopping? Best for dining? Lowest annual fees? Best customer service? The list goes on and on. 

I’m not about to get drawn into that quagmire, but I would, however, dare to say that the Citi PremierMiles may be the most useful miles card in Singapore. 

Here’s a recap of the key features of the Citi PremierMiles card:

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Now, reading the above may not impress you all that much, especially when you look at the mileage earning rates. 1.2/2.0 miles per dollar (mpd) on local/overseas spending is a decent rate, but there are other cards out there which do better. 

The UOB PRVI Miles, for example, offers 1.4/2.4 mpd on local/overseas spending, and the BOC Elite Miles World Mastercard offers 1.5/3.0 mpd. 

So why do I say the Citi PremierMiles is the most useful of all the miles cards in Singapore? Simple answer: transfer partners. 

Citibank has the most transfer partners of any bank in Singapore

In the table below, you’ll see the different frequent flyer programs that each bank in Singapore partners with. Although everyone partners with KrisFlyer, and almost everyone partners with Asia Miles, there aren’t many options beyond that.

Ok, you say. But why would I want to transfer my miles to any program other than KrisFlyer anyway

That’s a great question. Again, a simple answer for you: sweet spots. Sweet spots refer to a destination which costs much less when redeemed through a particular frequent flyer program. Let’s look at some examples:

Koh Samui

Suppose you wanted to do a long weekend getaway to Koh Samui. If you only had miles with KrisFlyer, you’d need 25,000/43,000 miles for a round trip economy/business class ticket.

But if you had Citi Miles, earned through your Citi PremierMiles, you could transfer them to Etihad Guest and redeem them on Bangkok Airways. Bangkok Airways operates direct flights between Singapore and Koh Samui, and it’s only 15,000/20,000 miles for a round trip economy/business class ticket!*

Round Trip Tickets To Koh Samui
Economy	27,000^	15,000
Business	48,000^	20,000

*Strictly speaking, it’s insufficient to just consider differences in mileage requirements. We also need to take into account the fact that KrisFlyer does not impose fuel surcharges on SQ/MI redemptions while other FFPs may. However, the savings in terms of miles more than outweigh the increased cash cost in this scenario and the other scenarios I mention below.

^Accurate as of 30 May 2024

Short-haul flights within the region

Or perhaps you’re hoping to use your miles to travel around the region.

With KrisFlyer, you’d be spending between 25,000-40,000 miles to travel to popular regional destinations. Transfer your Citi Miles to British Airways Executive Club, and you’re paying between 15,000-25,000 miles for those same places.

Round Trip Economy Class
Bangkok	27,000^	18,000
Hong Kong	33,000^	22,000
Colombo	40,000^	22,000
Perth	43,000^	26,000

^Accurate as of 30 May 2024

Flights to Europe

It’s not just short-haul destinations where miles from other frequent flyer programs can come in useful. Consider a trip to Europe.

This would set you back 76,000/184,000 miles in economy/business class with KrisFlyer. With Turkish Airlines Miles & Smiles, the same route would cost 60,000/90,000 miles! That’s fantastic value, especially in business class.

Round Trip Ticket To Europe
Economy	75,000	60,000
Business	184,000	90,000

In the examples above, I’ve assumed you’re flying out of Singapore. However, there may be other situations where you need to redeem point-to-point flights outside of Singapore. In these cases, miles in programs other than KrisFlyer can still prove useful:

Round Trip Ticket Economy
Flights Within Japan	25,000	12,000-18,000 (via JAL)
Flights Within Europe	25,000	8,000-26,000 (via BA, Finnair, Iberia, S7)
Flights Within Australia	22,000-40,000 (via Virgin Australia)	12,000-26,000 (via Qantas)

I hope the above figures convince you that it doesn’t have to be “KrisFlyer or bust” when it comes to miles collection!

Conclusion

With 11 different transfer partners, it’s easy to make the case for the Citi PremierMiles being the most useful of all the miles cards in Singapore, at least in terms of flexibility. Start building your miles balance and explore the world beyond KrisFlyer!