Who says miles credit cards are the only way to earn miles? Speed up your miles earn rate, redeem more rewards, and unlock exclusive access to deals and privileges, all through the Kris+ App by Singapore Airlines.
After three long years, the majority of countries are finally entering an endemic phase, which means it is time to take to the skies! With Singaporeans jet-setting across the globe to make up for lost holiday time, many of these trips were probably booked and redeemed with the miles accumulated by a miles credit card.
But what if we told you there’s a faster and better way to earn more miles through lifestyle and everyday spend across dining, shopping, and more? Well, as they say, good things must be shared, so we shan’t gatekeep anymore.
If you want to earn up to 9 miles per S$1 spend (or 13 miles per S$1 with the inclusion of rewards from a miles credit card) at 1,500 shops islandwide, be sure to check out the Kris+ app. Here are some reasons why you should download the app by Singapore Airlines to level up your miles game.
Table of contents
- What is Kris+?
- How to use Kris+?
- Why should you use Kris+?
- Comparison: Kris+ vs yuu vs Shopback vs Klook
- Best miles credit cards to pair with Kris+
What is Kris+?
First and foremost, what is the Kris+ app?
To put it simply, the Kris+ app is a lifestyle rewards app created by Singapore Airlines. Kris+ rewards app users with a unique combination of benefits and perks not found anywhere else.
From boosted miles earn rates, miles rebates (“miles-back”), exclusive shopping discounts and offers, in-app challenge rewards, and guaranteed lucky draw wins, this app already exceeds a lot of capabilities and offerings that regular rewards apps offer.
As it is, there isn’t any other rewards app that lets you earn instant air miles for flight redemptions. In fact, Kris+ offers the highest miles earn rates in Singapore at up to 9 miles per S$1 spend.
This makes Kris+ App the most rewarding miles accumulation tool on the market right now that every miles-chaser needs to have on their phone.
How to use the Kris+ App?
It’s as easy as the 3 steps below.
Step 1 - Download the Kris+ by Singapore Airlines app from App/Play Store.
Step 2 - Log in with your KrisFlyer account details or sign up for a new account (if you don’t have one yet).
Step 3 - Start paying for daily spend through the app and earn miles, which you can transfer to your KrisFlyer account at a conversion rate of 1:1
Note: Miles earned on Kris+ can only be transferred to your KrisFlyer account within 7 days of earning. Otherwise, the miles will remain in your Kris+ account which you can use to offset purchases.
Why should you use the Kris+ App?
#1 Double dip rewards – Earn miles & credit card rewards points simultaneously for the highest miles per dollar spend
If you’re unfamiliar with what double-dipping rewards is, it’s essentially earning twice the type of rewards on a single transaction either by stacking cards or syncing a credit card with a rewards app.
No brownie points for guessing which category the Kris+ app falls under, but yes: you can earn miles from both Kris+ and your credit card rewards at the same time. Simply by choosing to shop at merchants that accept payment through Kris+.
You can expect Kris+ to give you up to 9 miles per S$1 spend at 1,500 Kris+ partner outlets offering dining, retail, and activities.
Imagine you spend S$300 dining at Tung Lok Seafood and use a miles credit card (e.g. HSBC Revolution Card) to pay via Apple Pay on the Kris+ app…
+
9 miles/S$1 spend 10X Points (4 miles/S$1 spend) on dining*
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Kris+ app promo
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10% off $100 dining voucher
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Total expenditure
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Before discount: S$300
After discount: 90% x S$300 = S$270
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Miles earned
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From Kris+ app: 9 x S$270 = 2,430 miles
From credit card: 4 x S$270 = 1,080 miles
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Total savings: S$30 off + 3,510 miles
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*Credit card used to pay for dining through Kris+ app
With just one meal, you are more than 1/3 your way to redeeming a one-way Economy Bali flight with Singapore Airlines (requires 8,500 miles).
💡 Fun fact: Miles credit cards typically earn between 1.2 to 4 miles per dollar on specific spend categories or conditions. Add up with Kris+ app’s rate of up to 9 miles per dollar on everyday spend, and you get up to a crazy 13 miles per dollar spend.
Did we mention that there’s no cap on the number of miles you can earn either?
#2 Exclusive deals and privileges at over 1,500 dining & retail partners
One does not simply claim to be a lifestyle rewards app without featuring some of the best offers and discounts in town. The Kris+ app lives up to its name, having upgraded and expanded its partnership to over 1,500 merchant outlets islandwide!
Spanning across dining, retail, attractions, wellness, and others, there’s something in it for everyone.
Bargain hunters can look forward to dollar discounts, 1-for-1 meals, and cash vouchers, whereas shopaholics will love their wellness and shopping vouchers. You can even use the app to book cab rides and earn miles too.
But wait, you can redeem similar discounts and offers on other rewards apps. What makes the Kris+ app so unique? Well, what sets it apart is the flexibility/diversity in rebate types earned.
Within their catalogue, you can find the following promotions often running:
- Generous rebates (e.g. every min. spend of S$10, gives you a sure-win chance for S$1-S$20 rebate)
- In-app challenges (e.g. Check in to the app three times weekly for free S$0.50)
- Complimentary discount on items and services (e.g. 10% off)
- Complimentary gifts (e.g. free champagne with min. spend)
- Discounted cash vouchers (e.g. S$50 voucher at only S$37.50 spend).
- 1-for-1 deals (e.g. 1-for-1 ice cream), and
There’s even a 20% miles-back rebate for Esso fuel redeemed using miles!
But what’s really the cherry on top is the fact that you have over 1,500 partner outlets to choose from; so chances are, whatever merchant you’re intending to shop at, the Kris+ app likely has an ongoing deal with them.
#3 Cross-transferable points from other rewards programmes
Looking for flexibility in your rewards programmes? The Kris+ app values that too; it doesn’t discriminate against other rewards programmes. But what do we mean by this?
The Kris+ app allows users to convert rewards points from other rewards programmes into miles – basically, it facilitates the rewards-points-to-miles conversion for other partner rewards programmes like Citibank, DBS, UOB, and CapitaStar.
Upon transferring to Kris+ you can simply tap a single ‘Transfer’ button to store your miles on KrisFlyer for future flight redemptions.
The benefit of using this Kris+ functionality is the lack of a conversion fee, as well as a lower than the typical minimum number of rewards points before conversion can happen!
Bank
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Points-to-miles conversion
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Conversion rate
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Citibank
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Citi ThankYou Points / Citi Miles ▶ KrisPay miles
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10,000 Citi ThankYou Points / 4,000 Citi Miles = 3,400 KrisPay miles
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UOB
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UNI$ ▶ KrisPay miles
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1,000 UNI$ = 1,700 KrisPay miles
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DBS
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DBS Points ▶ KrisPay miles
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100 DBS Points = 170 KrisPay miles
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CapitaStar
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CapitaStar STAR$® ▶ KrisPay miles
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26 CapitaStar STAR$® = 1 KrisPay mile
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Source: Singaporeair
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.
#4 Flexible redemption of miles
By now you would have understood the various ways Kris+ can help you fatten your air miles wallet. Refer to the table below to see how many miles are required to get to your next holiday.
But most of us are aware that the miles accumulation game requires consistency and patience; but that doesn’t mean you have to constantly save all your miles so aggressively, you deserve to treat yourself with them every once in a while.
With the Kris+ app, there are multiple ways to redeem your miles – like funding your next retail therapy purchase.
“I have insufficient miles for flight redemptions / expiring miles…”
For those in either of these predicaments, don’t fret!
Transfer your precious miles from your KrisFlyer Account to the Kris+ app and use these extra miles to offset other everyday transactions like 108 Matcha Saro, 19 Tea, ASICS, Bacha Coffee, Beauty in a Pot, and more!
Do note that KrisPay miles have a validity period of 6 months after transfer to the Kris+ account.
💡 Fun fact: The conversion rate per transfer is 150 miles to S$1. A medium-sized Pearl Milk Tea from Gong Cha costs S$3.20, which is equivalent to about 480 miles for a cup of bubble tea.
“I have enough miles to redeem a flight from Singapore to ____”
But if you think that you’ve racked up enough miles to redeem a flight, congrats! If you are intending to head to Tokyo or Seoul, you’ll need at least 54,000 KrisFlyer miles to redeem an Economy ticket on redemption save to either Tokyo or Seoul. Check out the number of miles to redeem or upgrade your flight with KrisFlyer’s redemption calculator.
💡 Fun fact: 13,522 miles earned from a SIN – LHR return trip (on Economy Flexi fares) is approximately equivalent to S$90 when transferred to Kris+, and can be used to offset your spend at daily partners.
Comparison: Kris+ App vs yuu vs Shopback vs Klook
Kris+
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yuu
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Shopback
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Klook
|
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Rebate type
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Miles (KrisPay)
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Rewards points
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Cashback
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Rewards points (Credit)
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Rebate earn rate
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Up to 9 mpd
Up to 13mpd with a miles-reward credit card
|
0.5% base cash rebate
Up to 15% cash rebate with DBS yuu credit card (welcome promo)
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Depends on merchant (From 1% to 60% cash rebate)*
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0.5% to 1% of transaction paid
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Rebate return per dollar spend
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150 KrisPay miles = S$1
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200 yuu Points = S$1
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% cashback per dollar (S$1) spend
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57 credits = S$1
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Strengths & weaknesses
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✔ Only mobile app to earn miles on everyday spend and offers the highest miles earn rates.
✔ Convert rewards points into miles with no conversion fee
✔ Higher rebate value is unlocked when miles are redeemed on flights
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➖ Focus on supermarkets and eateries
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✔ Broad range of partner merchants
✔ Daily flash cashback deals
➖ Rebates in the form of cashback, return cashback, or cash rewards
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✔ Monthly promo codes (e.g. credit card promos, event promos)
➖ Specific travel activities and experience listings, and not by vendor
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% value of rebate
|
2% - 6% (or 0.67 cents value per mile)
Subject to miles redemption per flight
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0.5% (or 0.5 cents value per point)
|
Depends on retail spend
|
1.75% (or 1.75 cents)
|
*As of 6 March 2023
SingSaver Exclusive Offer: Get an additional S$80 eCapita Voucher or S$80 Shopee Voucher on top of welcome offers when you apply for a UOB KrisFlyer Credit Card and spend a min. of S$500 spend in the first month of card activation. Valid till 31 October 2024. T&Cs apply.
KrisFlyer UOB Card Welcome Offer: Be one of the first 100 eligible new-to-UOB credit cardmembers to get up to 31,000 miles plus a first-year annual fee waiver when you apply and take the least days to make a min. spend of S$2,000 within 60 days from card approval date. Valid till 31 October 2024. T&Cs apply.
To put these values in perspective, we can explore the same Tung Lok Seafood example we mentioned earlier.
Say you’ve volunteered to pay using Kris+ for your family’s S$1,000 meal. The app would have earned you 9,000 miles instantly (or 13,000 miles if you use the right miles card). This would have been sufficient to redeem a one-way from Singapore to Bali (SIN-DPS)!
Whereas on the other hand, the other rewards programmes offering cashback on everyday spend would have earned you $5 (assuming 0.5% cashback) or up to $20 (assuming 2% cashback).
While earning rewards can seem attractive, this example shows how miles when redeemed on flights gives you even higher value.
Best Miles & Travel Credit Cards
Maximise your budget holiday spend even further with the best air miles credit cards and best credit cards for travelling in Singapore. Get rewarded whenever you spend locally or overseas, plus access awesome perks like airport lounges, discounted travel insurance rates, and even free gifts for first sign ups!
Credit Card | Best for/Benefits | Details | Min. Annual Income |
Citi PremierMiles Card
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- S$1 = 10 miles on Bookings at Kaligo
- S$1 = 7 miles on Hotel Bookings at Agoda - S$1 = 2 miles on Foreign Spend - S$1 = 1.2 miles on Local Spend
- 2 free airport lounge visits per year with Priority Pass
- Up to S$1 million complimentary Travel Insurance coverage when you charge travel tickets to card |
- Miles awarded as Citi Miles, which never expire
- S$27 per redemption - Annual fee: S$196.20 (First year free) |
- Local/PR: S$30,000
- Foreigner: S$42,000
|
|
- S$1 = 3 miles on Agoda Bookings
- S$1 = 2.2 miles on Foreign Spend - S$1 = 1.3 miles on Local Spend
- 2 free airport lounge visits per year with Priority Pass
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- Miles awarded as DBS Points, which never expire
- 5,000 DBS Points = 10,000 KrisFlyer Miles
- S$27.25 (incl. GST) per redemption - Annual fee: S$196.20 (First year free)
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- Local/PR: S$30,000
- Foreigner: S$45,000 |
OCBC 90°N Miles Card
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- S$1 = 1.3 miles on Local Spend
- S$1 = 2.1 miles on Foreign Spend
- S$1 = 7 miles on Agoda Bookings in Foreign Currency
- S$1 = 6 miles on Agoda Bookings in Local Currency
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- 90°N Miles never expire
- 1 90°N Mile = 1 KrisFlyer Mile
- 90°N Miles can be redeemed per blocks of 1,000 Miles
- Exchange 90°N Miles for cash rebates, vouchers, or offset travel costs too
- Annual fee: S$196.20 (Frist year free)
|
- Local/PR: S$30,000
- Foreigner = S$45,000
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- S$1 = 2.8 miles on Overseas Spend and Air Tickets (All Airlines)* - S$1 = 1.2 miles on Local Retail Spend^ on Shopping, Dining, Food Delivery, Supermarket, Transport, Hotels, Cruises, Travel Packages, Car Rentals - S$1 = 0.25 miles on Utilities, Education, Insurance, and Medical expenses - Complimentary access to Selected VIP Airport Lounges - Up to S$1 million Complimentary Travel Insurance Coverage |
- Min. S$800 spend per month required, otherwise 1.2 mpd only
- Miles awarded in the form of TREATS Points
- *Capped at 40,000 Bonus TREATS Points per calendar month for Air Tickets. Up to 3.2 mpd for a limited time only. T&Cs apply.
- ^No min. spend, no cap
- Annual fee: S$196.20 (First 3 years free)
|
- Local/PR: S$30,000
- Malaysian Citizen: S$45,000
- Foreigner: S$60,000
|
|
UOB PRVI Miles Card |
- S$1 = 6 miles on Selected Online and Flight Bookings at Agoda, Expedia, and UOB Travel
- S$1 = 2.4 miles on Overseas Spend - S$1 = 1.4 miles on Local Spend - Up to S$500,000 complimentary Travel Insurance Coverage |
- Miles awarded as UNI$
- S$25 per redemption
- Annual fee: S$261.60 (First year free)
|
- Local/PR: S$30,000
- Foreigner: S$40,000
|
HSBC TravelOne Card |
- S$1 = 2.4 miles on Foreign Spend
- S$1 = 1.2 miles on Local Spend
- 4 Complimentary Airport Lounge Visits per year (Primary cardholders only)
- Up to US$100,000 Complimentary Travel Insurance Coverage (including COVID-19)
|
25,000 Rewards Points = 10,000 Miles
5 free supplementary cards
No conversion fee for air miles or hotel points (Until 31 May 2024)
Annual fee: S$196.20 (First year free)
|
- Local/PR: S$30,000
- Foreigner/Self-Employed: S$40,000
|
Standard Chartered Journey Card |
- S$1 = 2 miles on Foreign Spend
- S$1 = 1.2 miles on Local Spend
- S$1 = 3 miles on Select Local Online Categories like Transportation, Grocery, and Food Delivery*
- 2 Complimentary Priority Pass Airport Lounge Visits per year
- Up to S$500,000 Complimentary Travel Insurance Coverage
|
- Rewards Points never earned from SC Journey Card never expire
- 25,000 Rewards Points = 10,000 KrisFlyer Miles
- *Capped at S$1,000 spend per statement month
- 45% off MSIG TravelEasy Travel Insurance (Single Trip) (Valid till 30 Jun 2024)
- Annual fee: S$196.20 (First year free)
|
- Local/PR: S$30,000
- Foreigner: S$60,000 |
KrisFlyer UOB Card |
- S$1 = 3 miles on Everyday Spend (e.g. Dining, Online Food Delivery, Online Shopping, Online Travel, Local Transport)*
- S$1 = 3 miles on Singapore Airlines, Scoot, KrisShop, and Kris+ purchases
- S$1 = 1.2 miles on All Other Spend
- Up to S$500,000 Complimentary Travel Insurance Coverage
- Fast track to KrisFlyer Elite Silver Status
- Other Membership Privileges on Scoot
|
- *Min. S$800 annual spend on Singapore Airlines, Scoot, and KrisShop required
- Earn KrisFlyer Miles directly to KrisFlyer Membership Account
- No cap on miles earned but only credited within 2 months of paying annual fee
- Annual fee: S$196.20 (First year free)
|
- Local/PR: S$30,000
- Foreigner: S$40,000
|
AMEX Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer Credit Card |
- S$1 = 1.1 miles on Local Spend - S$1 = 2 miles on Foreign Spend during June and December - S$1 = 2 miles on Singapore Airlines-Related Spend - S$1 = 3.1 miles on Grab Singapore Transactions, capped at S$200 per month -S$1 = 0.5 miles on Singapore Airlines Instalment Plans via PaySmall for eligible purchases - Up to S$350,000 Complimentary Travel Insurance coverage - Exclusive Hertz Gold Plus Rewards Loyalty Programme Perks |
- Earn KrisFlyer Miles directly to KrisFlyer Membership Account
- Annual fee: S$179.85 (First year free)
|
Subject to American Express' approval
|
AMEX Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer Credit Card
|
- S$1 = 1.2 miles on Local Spend - S$1 = 2 miles on Foreign Spend during June and December - S$1 = 2 miles on Singapore Airlines-Related Spend - S$1 = 3.2 miles on Grab Singapore Transactions, capped at S$200 per month - Up to S$1 million Complimentary Travel Insurance Coverage - Exclusive Hertz Gold Plus Rewards Loyalty Programme Perks |
- Earn KrisFlyer Miles directly to KrisFlyer Membership Account
- Annual fee: S$343.35 (First year free)
|
Subject to American Express' approval
|
HSBC Revolution Card |
- S$1 = 4 miles on Online and Contactless Spend (e.g.Shopping, Groceries, Dining, Food Delivery, Ride-hailing) - S$1 = 0.4 miles on All Other Spend - Up to S$300,000 Complimentary Travel Insurance Coverage |
- Capped at S$1,000 spend / 9,000 Bonus Rewards Points per calendar month
- No annual fee
|
- Local/PR: S$30,000
- Foreigner/Self-employed: S$40,000
|
Citi Rewards Card |
- S$1 = 4 miles on Selected Online Transactions (e.g. Shopping, Ride-hailing, Food Delivery, Groceries) and In-Store Shopping - S$1 = 4 miles on All Other Retail Spend - Up to S$1 million Complimentary Travel Insurance Coverage |
- Capped at S$1,000 spend / 9,000 Bonus Rewards Points per statement month
- Annual fee: S$196.20 (First year free)
|
- Local/PR: S$30,000
- Foreigner: S$42,000
|
Conclusion
Even if you were to compare the rebate value to yuu, ShopBack, and Klook, the Kris+ app is the only app allowing users to accumulate miles, with the highest miles-earn rate no less. Every other rewards programme app only earns some form of cashback.
And considering how the valuation of a mile largely depends on the flight route, it’s safe to say that earning miles via the Kris+ app and redeeming flights thereafter is the most versatile ‘bang-for-your-buck’ rebate out there.
This article was written in partnership with Kris+ by Singapore Airlines.
Read these next:
Best Air Miles Credit Cards in Singapore (2023)
6 Best Ways to Redeem Your Miles Without Travelling
7 Common Mistakes People Make When Redeeming Miles
How to Earn KrisFlyer Status Credits Without Flying
7 Ways to Earn More Miles With Everyday Expenses
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