How can I travel First Class on Singapore Airlines with HSBC Points?
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HSBC Rewards and Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer
Singapore Airlines is one of the largest airlines in the world. Although the majority of these flights are in the Asia-Pacific region and to Europe, several destinations are served in North America, including Vancouver.
Singapore Airlines is part of Star Alliance, so you can already use your Aeroplan points to book flights on Singapore Airlines in Economy Class.
However, Singapore Airlines rarely opens business class availability to airline partners (except for regional flights).
However, before COVID-19, we were lucky enough to be able to book four business-class tickets between Johannesburg and Singapore with Aeroplan.
But the Holy Grail with Singapore Airlines is to travel in First Class onboard one of its Airbus A380s (especially in the new Suites).
And for this, using KrisFlyer miles from the Singapore Airlines rewards program is mandatory. In Canada, KrisFlyer has only one partner: the HSBC Rewards program.
Earn Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer Miles
With the HSBC World Elite Mastercard, you can earn:
- 6 points per dollar on travel purchases (a 3% travel rewards value)
- 4 points per dollar on grocery, gas, and pharmacy purchases (a 2% travel rewards value)
- 2 points per dollar on all other purchases (a 1% travel rewards value)
That makes the HSBC World Elite Mastercard one of the best credit cards for travel purchases, but also for everyday spending. Few cards offer 3% on travel and 2% on everyday purchases.
| Program | Travel | Grocery, Gas, Drugstore | Other purchases |
|---|---|---|---|
| Asia Miles | 1.92 miles/dollar | 1.28 miles/dollar | 0.64 miles/dollar |
| Krisflyer | 2.16 miles / dollar | 1.44 miles/dollar | 0.72 miles/dollar |
| Executive Club | 2.4 miles per dollar | 1.6 miles/dollar | 0.8 miles/dollar |
So, if you collect HSBC Rewards points with a view to transferring them into KrisFlyer miles, it’s as if you were earning:
- 2.16 AVIOS per dollar for your travel purchases
- 1.44 AVIOS per dollar for purchases at grocery stores, gas stations and pharmacies
- 0.72 AVIOS per dollar for all other purchases
And once a year (usually at the end of the year), KrisFlyer offers a conversion bonus: you can earn between 10 and 15% bonus miles.
You can’t transfer points to the KrisFlyer program from another credit card in Canada.
While you can find alternative solutions with American Express and RBC for the other two programs.
Redeem Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer Miles
I have been transferring my HSBC Rewards points to KrisFlyer for two years now whenever a redemption bonus comes up.
The danger: Miles expire, no matter what, after 36 months. So, have a specific goal in mind when transferring your HSBC Rewards points to KrisFlyer.
My goal? Flying First Class on the A380. First Class cabins are becoming extinct, as are A380s.
First Class flight options with Singapore Airlines
The most exciting options are the following – provided you can find availability in Saver Award, which is rare (outside COVID-19):
| Flight | KrisFlyer Miles (Saver) |
|---|---|
| Singapore – London | 125 000 |
| Singapore – Zurich | 125 000 |
| Frankfurt – New York | 86 000 |
| Singapore – Sydney | 85 000 |
| Singapore – Tokyo | 70 000 |
| Singapore – Shanghai | 53 000 |
| Singapore – Mumbai | 53 000 |
| Singapore – Hong Kong | 40 500 |
This means that transferring 100,000 HSBC Rewards points to KrisFlyer during a promotion will earn you 40,300 KrisFlyer miles, enough for a one-way First Class flight from Singapore to Hong Kong.
First Class flight booking with Singapore Airlines
Recently, a unique opportunity arose: availability appeared on the flight from Frankfurt to New York. What’s more, with an Airbus A380 offering the new Suite.
This availability did not last, but I was able to book this flight thanks to the HSBC Rewards points previously transferred to KrisFlyer :
This ticket cost 86,000 KrisFlyer Miles and 117 euros in taxes, which I paid with the HSBC World Elite Mastercard for several reasons:
- No conversion fees on foreign currency transactions
- The option to use the $100 annual travel credit
And I earn 1,022 HSBC Rewards points or 6 points per dollar with this purchase:
- 511 regular points
- 511 bonus points (travel purchase)
It would also be possible to use HSBC Rewards points on this travel purchase (but I prefer to transfer my points to airline partners as in this case).
Under normal circumstances, it would have taken 245,000 HSBC Rewards points to earn 88,200 KrisFlyer miles (HSBC points are redeemed in 10,000 point increments starting at 25,000 points transferred).
But as I mentioned earlier, it’s best to wait for a transfer promotion to maximize your HSBC Rewards points. So I only transferred 215,000 HSBC Rewards points to earn 89,010 miles. That’s enough to book this First Class flight experience costing 86,000 KrisFlyer miles.
To give you an idea, 215,000 HSBC Rewards points could also have been redeemed for any travel booking, such as an Airbnb bookings, worth $1,075.
So it’s like I bought this ticket from Frankfurt to New York at this price. A great deal for this type of experience and an 8:35 flight! Follow Milesopedia on Instagram to see the experience!
