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Best air miles credit card in Singapore (December 2023)
Credit Card Hacks: With so many air miles credit card options in the Singapore market, which one should you choose?
Question:
Which is the best air miles credit card in Singapore?
Answer:
If you are a frequent flyer or avid traveller, having a credit card that enables you to earn air miles through reward points would be a great fit.
However, with so many air miles credit card options in the market, how do you know which air miles credit card is right for you?
In this article, we'll explore the various air miles credit card offerings available and hear from a seasoned frequent flyer miles earner on whether an air miles credit card is worth getting.
How do credit card miles work?
Air miles credit cards allow cardholders to earn rewards in the form of reward points, or air miles, when they spend using the card. The points can then be redeemed for travel-related products and services such as flight tickets, flight upgrades and hotel stays.
There is a wide variety of air miles credit cards on offer in the market, each one with its own unique perks and criteria for earning points/miles. The rate at which miles are earned, known as miles per dollar (mpd), also differs from one card to another. The underlying principle of these credit cards is that the more you use the card to spend, the more air mile points you earn.
Best air miles credit card in Singapore
Here are some air miles credit card options in Singapore:
Credit card | Miles per dollar (mpd) | Minimum spend and cap | Best used for |
Citi PremierMiles Card | - Up to 10 mpd for selected hotel booking platforms - 1.2 mpd for local spend - 2 mpd for overseas spend | No minimum spend or cap | Hotel bookings |
DBS Altitude | - Up to 10 mpd for selected hotel and flight booking platforms - 1.3 mpd on local spend - 2.2 mpd on overseas spend | No minimum spend or cap | Hotel and flight bookings |
UOB PRVI Miles Card | - 6 mpd for selected hotel and flight booking platforms - 1.4 mpd for local spend - 2.4 mpd for overseas spend | No minimum spend or cap | Hotel and flight bookings |
UOB Lady's Solitaire Card | - 6 mpd | Capped at S$3,000 per month | Dining, entertainment, fashion retail, transport, hotel and flight bookings |
Citi Rewards Card | - 4 mpd | Capped at S$1,000 per month | Online transactions |
HSBC Revolution Card | - 4 mpd | Capped at S$1,000 per month | Online transactions |
Maybank Horizon Visa Signature Card | - 3.2 mpd - 2 mpd on overseas spend | Minimum spend of S$300 per month | Dining, hotel booking and petrol |
KrisFlyer UOB Card | - 3 mpd - 1.2 mpd on all other spend | Minimum S$800 annual spend on Singapore Airlines, Scoot and KrisShop | Flight and hotel bookings |
AMEX KrisFlyer Ascend Card | - 3.2 mpd for spend on Grab - 2 mpd on Singapore Airlines and overseas spend - 1.2 mpd on local spend | No minimum spend or cap | Transport |
How to convert credit card points to miles
Although often used interchangeably, credit card points and air miles are actually different. While credit card points can be converted to air miles, they can also be used to redeem other rewards besides travel-related ones. Some banks have the option to redeem credit card points for flights or hotels directly with them without the need to convert the points into air miles.
The conversion of credit card points to air miles happens when redeeming flights through frequent flyer programmes, such as KrisFlyer by Singapore Airlines (SIA) and Enrich by Malaysia Airlines. A cardholder would first have to be enrolled in a frequent flyer programme and have an account under his or her name to redeem the air miles.
Also read: The Ultimate List of Credit Card Reviews in Singapore
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Also read: 9 Best Air Miles Credit Cards in Singapore (2023)
The rest of the process is done through the transfer of points from the cardholder's issuing bank to the frequent flyer programme. This is normally done through the bank's app or online banking platform. It's important that you ensure the bank credit card you are signing up for is a partner of the frequent flyer programme you wish to enrol in.
Do credit card miles expire?
In general, credit card miles do expire. The validity of air miles differs among banks as well as frequent flyer programmes. However, it is possible to have miles that do not have an expiration date with certain cards. It is best to check the terms and conditions of each card to confirm, as some banks may offer a "no-expiry for miles" feature while others may not.
What happens to your miles if you cancel your card?
What happens when you cancel your credit card largely depends on the issuing bank. In general, credit card points or miles that you accumulate will be forfeited if you do not redeem them before cancellation.
However, there are some banks in Singapore that pool points from different cards, such as UOB, OCBC and Maybank. This means that if you have at least two point-earning cards issued by the same bank, you can still use the other card to redeem your points even after cancelling one.
For banks that do not pool points across different cards, points will be forfeited upon cancellation. To avoid wastage in such situations, the points can either be redeemed for rewards or converted to air miles.
However, take note that banks specify minimum conversion amounts for point transfers to air miles and this amount varies from one bank to another. For example, OCBC requires a minimum of 25,000 points, or the equivalent of 10,000 miles, for each transfer to a frequent flyer programme. If a cardholder does not have enough points to meet the minimum requirement, converting to air miles will not be allowed.
Are air miles credit cards worth it?
With so many different credit card offerings, consumers may be left wondering whether air miles credit cards are worth getting. A comparison that is often made is whether to get a cashback credit card or an air miles credit card.
Founder of travel resource blog The MileLion and air miles aficionado Aaron Wong believes that in general, air miles credit cards are worth getting. According to Wong, air miles credit cards offer more generous rebates compared to cashback cards.
"With the cards currently on the market, it’s fairly straightforward to earn four to six miles per dollar on the vast majority of your spending each month, without any minimum spend required. The higher-earning cashback cards typically have minimum spends of S$600 to S$800.
"While the four to six mpd rates are capped, a conscientious miles chaser could earn up to 216,000 miles per year by spending S$3,000 a month on the right card," said Wong, citing a UOB Lady's Solitaire cardholder who maxes out the six mpd cap of S$3,000 per month as an example.
Whatever you do, resist the temptation to adopt a 'one card for everything' strategy. Earning miles quickly is all about using the right card in the right situation – think of credit cards like a toolbox.Aaron Wong
On the other hand, Wong said that the most generous cashback card on the market – which, to his knowledge, is the OCBC 365 card – would give a cashback of up to S$1,920 per year or S$160 per month.
"I value one mile at 1.5 cents, so we're talking a potential return of S$3,240 for the miles earner versus the cashback earner, and keep in mind the miles earner does not need to hit a minimum spend every month, but the cashback earner does," he said.
Another reason why Wong believes that air miles credit cards are a good idea is because of their flexibility.
"Your air miles can actually be converted into cash rebates if you so wish, though I advise strongly against that because of its inferior value compared to redeeming flights. It would still be a better rebate than using a cashback card outright, assuming you're earning at the four to six mpd level, which is quite easy," said Wong.
Tips for earning air miles
Since there is no one-size-fits-all card for air miles, choosing the right air miles credit card is highly dependent on an individual's spending preferences. A person who rarely travels overseas may not fully benefit from using the UOB PRVI miles card, while an individual who frequently shops online may reap the full air miles benefits from a Citi Rewards card.
"It's a good idea to break down your spending each month and look at which categories you spend most on. Based on that, select the cards that offer the richest rewards for those categories," said Wong.
"Whatever you do, resist the temptation to adopt a 'one card for everything' strategy. Earning miles quickly is all about using the right card in the right situation – think of credit cards like a toolbox. In the same way you wouldn't use a corkscrew to open a beer bottle, you shouldn't be using a dining card for travel or a travel card for groceries," he advised.
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