At first glance, frequent flyer perks and statuses might seem like something only business travellers and wealthy jetsetters have to care about. But hear us out: when you’re flying to Japan again, or visiting family overseas, having a frequent flyer status and its perks can transform your travel experience from cramped and stressful to being surprisingly comfortable.
Think priority boarding, airport lounge access, and the occasional coveted seat upgrade. These little things can elevate your journey from budget backpacking student vibes to flying in style, without necessarily breaking the bank.
The burning question is: how do you earn frequent flyer status without logging hundreds of flights? We’re breaking down the frequent flyer programmes of the 3 most popular airlines amongst Singaporeans: Singapore Airlines, Cathay Pacific, and Emirates.
Think of frequent flyer programmes as a loyalty rewards system for airlines. You might have also have heard it referred to as “frequent flyer status” or “elite status”. The more you fly and spend with an airline, the more perks you’ll get, and we’re talking about benefits that you can take advantage of before, during, and after your flight.
There are tiers you can hit to unlock even more privileges. For example, Singapore Airlines’ KrisFlyer programme has Elite Silver, Elite Gold, and PPS Club. With good planning, you can easily hit the Gold tier and enjoy business class perks without flying business class.
While each airline has its own suite of perks for its status-holding members, there are typical benefits that almost every airline has, even for frequent flyers travelling in economy class:
| Perk | What It Means |
| Priority boarding/check-in/baggage/security | Skip the snaking queues and get on the plane or out of the airport faster. Great for those who value time and hate standing in the aisle on a stationary plane. |
| More check-in luggage allowance | Pack that extra winter jacket or bring home more snacks. Status flyers usually get an extra 10kg to 20kg of baggage allowance. |
| Lounge access | Access to an exclusive members-only club with free food, drinks, and private bathrooms? Yes, please. This perk is usually afforded to mid- to higher-tier members, even if they are flying in coach. |
| Seat upgrades | Depending on availability, you might be eligible for free or discounted upgrades to better seats or even premium cabins. |
| More miles earned on paid fares | The higher your status, the more miles or points you earn for every dollar or mile flown, which means faster rewards and redemptions. |
And that’s just the beginning. Some airlines even throw in perks like priority waitlists for award flight redemptions, dedicated customer service hotlines, and even swanky chauffeur services for their top-tier members who spend a lot with them.
The easiest way to attain status with an airline is to continuously fly with them. However, there are some nuances that you should take into account.
When you fly with an airline, you’ll earn 2 types of miles: regular miles and elite miles. They work really differently, though.
Regular miles are what you can use to redeem free flights, upgrades, or shop with the airline. They can also be accrued when spending with credit cards, which is a whole other guide that we’ll get into another time.
Elite miles form a separate pool of miles used exclusively to advance your status within the airline. These miles can only be earned through flying, and oftentimes flying a higher cabin class will net you even more of these elite miles, fast-tracking your journey to being a frequent flyer. Some frequent flyer programmes, like KrisFlyer, call them Elite Miles. Others, like Cathay Pacific, call them Status Points, while Emirates calls them Tier Miles.
| Airline | Status Tier | How To Qualify |
| Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer | Elite Silver | 25,000 Elite Miles, or spend $5,000 on KrisFlyer UOB Credit Card |
| Elite Gold | 50,000 Elite Miles, or spend $16,000 (incl. $6,000 on SIA/Scoot flights) on AMEX KrisFlyer Ascend | |
| PPS Club | 25,000 PPS Value (earned by flying Suites, First, or Business Class) | |
| Solitaire PPS Club | 50,000 PPS Value | |
| Cathay Pacific | Silver | 300 Status Points |
| Gold | 600 Status Points | |
| Diamond | 1,200 Status Points | |
| Emirates Skywards | Silver | 25,000 Tier Miles, or 25 flights |
| Gold | 50,000 Tier Miles, or 50 flights | |
| Platinum | 150,000 Tier Miles plus 1 Business or First Class flight |
| Perk | KrisFlyer Basic | KrisFlyer Elite Silver | KrisFlyer Elite Gold | PPS Club | Solitaire PPS |
| Complimentary WiFi on board all SQ aircraft | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Priority check-in & boarding | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ (Can check-in at the business class counter, even when flying economy) | ✅(Can check-in at the first class counter, even when flying economy) |
| Complimentary seat selection | ❌ | ✅ (Economy Class & when flying Scoot) | ✅ (Economy Class Forward Zone) | ✅ (All seats in Premium Economy & Economy Class) | ✅(All seats in Premium Economy & Economy Class) |
| Extra baggage allowance | ❌ | ✅ (Extra 10kg) | ✅ (Extra 20kg) | ✅ (Varies from 25kg to 50kg, depending on the class you’re flying) | ✅(Varies from 25kg to 50kg, depending on the class you’re flying) |
| Priority baggage handling | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Mileage bonuses | ❌ | ✅ (25%) | ✅ (25%) | ✅ (25%) | ✅(25%) |
| Lounge access | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Dedicated hotline | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ |
Singapore Airlines is an airline we’re all familiar with, especially when it comes to their comfortable seats, impeccable service, yummy food – at least for plane food standards – and the familiar “To all Singaporeans and residents of Singapore, a warm welcome home.” that plays as we’re pulling into Changi Airport.
Beyond the basic KrisFlyer tier, there is also Elite Silver, Elite Gold, and the PPS Club for those who are fancy like that. For brevity’s sake, we’ll focus mostly on attaining Elite Silver and Gold KrisFlyer membership.
KrisFlyer status is earned by flying with Singapore Airlines and attaining Elite miles. Those miles can also be earned if you fly with Star Alliance carriers, Juneyao Air, and Virgin Australia and credit those miles to your KrisFlyer account.
Elite Silver is attained either via earning 25,000 Elite miles, or by opening the KrisFlyer UOB Credit Card and spending a minimum of $5,000 on Singapore Airlines Group-related transactions.
If you’re only a casual traveller who flies once or twice a year, attaining frequent flyer status might not be high on your list. But with Singapore Airlines, it’s still good to sign up for a Basic KrisFlyer account to get the sweet free WiFi on board.
For those who are jetsetting every few months, whether for business or pleasure, trying to get Elite Silver status for priority check-in and boarding might be worth it, as your chances of putting your carry-on bags in the compartment directly above your seat increase tenfold. After all, we all know the pains of having to walk several rows away from your seat when the overhead bins by your seat are full
The SilverKris Gold Lounge at Changi Airport Terminal 3.
Image credit: Singapore Airlines
The extra 10kg of baggage allowance would also mean you can haul more snacks from Japan or winter clothes with you without having to pay a hefty overweight luggage fee.
You can even spend a bit more to hit the Elite Gold tier, which unlocks a lot more privileges including lounge access, priority bag handling, and an extra 20kg of baggage allowance.
The first 2 perks alone might be worth it if you find yourself flying a few times a year, as not only will you get to relax in a lounge with free food and drinks before your flight, but your bags will also come out of the carousel earlier than the others.
And since Singapore Airlines is part of the Star Alliance network, the gold tier will also apply when you’re flying with ANA, Eva Air, and Air Canada.
As for the PPS Club tiers, those are only relevant if you’re flying a lot of business class and first class flights. When you’re that rich, you probably know all about being a frequent flyer already, and whether it’s worth it to you or not doesn’t make a world of difference.
Find out more about Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer.
| Perk | Green (Base Tier) | Silver (300 Status Points) | Gold (600 Status Points) | Diamond (1,200 Status Points) |
| Priority online check-in | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Extra baggage redemption | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Extra legroom seat redemption | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| 24-hour free cancellations | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Lounge access | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Business Class lounge access | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Business Class check-in & boarding | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Priority baggage handling | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Advance seat reservation | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Extra checked baggage allowance | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ (one piece) | ✅ (one piece) |
| Preferred seat reservation | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ |
| First Class check-in & boarding | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ |
| First Class lounge access | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ |
| Complimentary in-flight WiFi | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ |
Another popular airline that many Singaporeans fly with is Cathay Pacific. Their frequent flyer programme is easier to follow, with only 4 tiers: Green, Silver, Gold, and Diamond. To rank up with them, you have to fly and earn status points with either Cathay Pacific or any of the oneworld alliance airlines like Japan Airlines, Malaysia Airlines, Qatar Airways, and British Airways.
The Pier First lounge at Hong Kong International Airport.
Image credit: Cathay Pacific
For example, an economy flight from Singapore to Hong Kong would net you anywhere from 8 to 30 status points, depending on the fare class. But if you’re continuing on towards Los Angeles, you’ll get another 25 to 70 status points. The trick to ranking up quicker is to take longer haul flights as they’ll naturally accrue more status points for you.
One downside, however, is that your status points reset to zero when you go up a tier. Yes, those 300 status points you worked so hard to earn towards the Silver Tier will not count towards your Gold Tier accumulation.
If Hong Kong, China, or other North Asian destinations are places you frequently travel to, Cathay Pacific status can be surprisingly rewarding. Even the mid-tier Silver status unlocks business class lounge access and priority check-in, which can make a big difference on regional flights.
Image credit: Cathay Pacific
The upper echelon of Cathay Pacific’s frequent flyer programme includes even more premium benefits, from extra baggage – something the Silver tier doesn’t offer – and preferred seating. Diamond status holders can even get into the renowned and exclusive The Pier First lounge at Hong Kong International Airport.
That being said, if your travel routes rarely go through Hong Kong or Cathay Pacific’s partner airlines at the oneworld alliance, it’ll take a lot more effort to climb through the ranks, making it harder to justify chasing status at Cathay Pacific.
Find out more about Cathay Pacific’s membership.
| Perk | Blue (Base Tier) | Silver (25,000 Tier Miles or 25 flights) | Gold (50,000 Tier Miles or 50 flights) | Platinum (150,000 Tier Miles + 1 Biz/First flight) |
| Use miles to upgrade flights | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Paid access to Emirates lounges | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Complimentary onboard Wi-Fi | ✅ (select plans) | ✅ (select plans) | ✅ (select plans) | ✅ (more access) |
| Bonus miles on paid fares | ❌ | ✈️ 30% bonus | ✈️ 75% bonus | ✈️ 100% bonus |
| Complimentary seat selection | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Priority check-in & boarding | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Extra baggage allowance | ❌ | +12kg | +16kg | +20kg |
| Lounge access (complimentary) | ❌ | ✅ (Business Lounge – Dubai only) | ✅ (select lounges worldwide) | ✅ (First Class Lounge – Dubai) |
| Priority baggage handling | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Complimentary upgrades & discounts | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ |
| Home check-in service | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ |
Those who often fly long-haul from Asia to Europe or the Middle East would no doubt be familiar with Emirates. The airline, known best for its plush cabins and Dubai home base, has a loyalty programme called Skywards that is quite accessible.
For starters, reaching the Silver Tier only requires 25,000 Tier Miles or 25 flights. A return trip from Singapore to London Heathrow on an Economy Flex ticket would get you 6,400 Tier Miles. This means you’d only need 4 return trips in a year to hit Silver with Skywards, which is slightly more manageable than taking 25 flights.
The Emirates Business Class lounge in Dubai.
Image credit: Emirates
If you’re often jetting off on European holidays or taking family trips to London and Paris, Emirates Skywards status could be worth aiming for, especially if you don’t always fly with Singapore Airlines.
Like we said, it just takes an average of 4 return trips from Singapore to Europe to reach Silver tier with Skywards, which will let you enjoy complimentary seat selection, priority boarding, and extra baggage allowance with each Emirates flight. Plus, even Silver tier members get access to the Business Class lounge in Dubai even when flying economy class.
The Gold and Platinum tiers unlock even more benefits, like access to the First Class lounge in Dubai and select lounges worldwide. If you’re booking a trip for you and your family, they can also choose their seats at no cost thanks to your status. Platinum members can even nominate a family member or a friend to receive Gold tier membership with Skywards.
One downside is that Emirates doesn’t belong to any of the major airline alliances unlike Singapore Airlines or Cathay Pacific, so your status won’t carry over if you’re flying on a different airline. So if you don’t fly Emirates frequently, or just prefer a more flexible frequent flyer programme that works across multiple airlines, Skywards might not be the best fit to invest in.
Find out more about Emirates Skywards membership.
After delving into the frequent flyer programmes of Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer, Cathay Pacific, and Emirates Skywards, it’s clear that the value of attaining elite status largely depends on your travel habits and preferences.
For those who frequently fly within Asia or to Europe, the KrisFlyer programme offers a well-rounded set of benefits, especially with its Star Alliance partnerships, making lounge access and baggage perks widely applicable. It’s also a good way to rep local, especially since Singapore Airlines is our national carrier after all.
Cathay Pacific’s status is very rewarding for those whose travel revolves around Hong Kong and the oneworld alliance, with its higher tiers offering truly luxurious experiences. Meanwhile, Emirates Skywards is a strong contender for frequent long-haul travellers to the Middle East and Europe, where even members at lower tiers can unlock pretty solid perks.
Ultimately, whether chasing frequent flyer status is “worth it” comes down to how often you fly, your preferred routes, and which perks you value most. By understanding the nuances of each programme, you can strategically choose the one that best elevates your travel experience, ensuring a more comfortable and rewarding journey.
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Cover image credit: Singapore Airlines, Cathay Pacific
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