One of the unique things about the Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer program is that they offer a 15% online booking discount for award tickets.
When you pull up award availability through Singapore Airlines’ website it will first display the original cost for an award ticket, not factoring in the online booking discount. For example, if booking A380 Suites Class from Los Angeles to Singapore (via Tokyo Narita) it will display a cost of 107,500 miles.
However, when you click “Display total cost” it will then update the price to reflect the 15% discount, lowering the cost to 91,375 miles.
But there are severe limitations to booking awards on Singapore’s website. It’s not possible to book the following types of awards on Singapore’s website:
- Awards with longer connections
- Award tickets with mixed cabins
- Star Alliance award tickets
Singapore’s website won’t let you book mixed cabin awards online
So is it possible to call and request the 15% online booking discount for awards not bookable through the website? The answer is “sometimes,” and it also requires a lot of patience and often hanging up and calling again.
Up front I should note that you can’t get the online booking discount for Star Alliance awards booked by phone, since the discount explicitly applies to Singapore Airlines and SilkAir flights.
That being said, what about other types of awards? In my experience it is possible to get the 15% online booking discount if you’re trying to book a mixed cabin award ticket, trying to book an award ticket with a longer connection (which can’t be done online), or trying to book an award with an overnight connection/longer layover that isn’t otherwise displaying.
What’s the best way to go about it? When you call KrisFlyer I’d suggest being upfront — “Hi, I’m trying to book a first class award ticket from Los Angeles to Kuala Lumpur, but the website won’t let me book this since there’s no first class cabin from Singapore to Kuala Lumpur. Is there any chance you could help me book this with the 15% online booking discount?”
That way you know upfront whether the agent is willing to cooperate, rather than going through the effort of finding the space and locking it in before knowing whether they’ll apply the discount or not. Like I said, it can require multiple phone calls, so don’t expect all agents will grant the exception.
But it definitely is possible, it certainly has been done before, and it sure feels easier after a drink or two.
While Singapore Airlines Suites Class award availability isn’t as good as it once was, it’s totally worth the effort to find for the only double bed in the sky (on commercial planes).
Singapore Airlines A380 Suites Class double bed
Lucky- Is it possible to booked a mixed class one-way award ticket with stopover?
I would like to book JFK-FRA in Business class at the standard award cost of 80,000 KF. Then stay in Frankfurt a few days and book FRA-SIN in Suites at the saver award cost of 107,500 KF.
Is it possible to book this trip and just pay the 107,500 (91,375 after 15% discount)?
Thanks!
@ Mark -- Should be possible, but you'll need to book by phone:
https://onemileatatime.com/singapore-airlines-krisflyer-15-online-booking-discount-phone/
What would be the miles cost to do business class SIN-FRA and then LH FRA-USA in First Class? This wouldn't be a stopover just a connection. I know the 15% discount doesn't apply to partners but was wondering what the total mileage cost of this would be.
@ Dan -- It would be the same cost as doing first class the entire way.
Ah, thanks for this info! I've been wanting to book a mixed-cabin LAX-NRT-SIN RT with stopover, but hesitated since I didn't want to lose the 15% discount.
SQ site can be glitchy. Last year, when I was re-booking an award (IIRC), it gave me a conf #, displayed new info online, and put a pending charge on my card but something didn't go through. Caught it when calling them for an email confirmation, I think, or something like that.
hi,
what is the best way to obtain KrisFlyer miles, so I can book online with the discount?
@ gsw90405 -- KrisFlyer is transfer partners with Starwood Preferred Guest and American Express Membership Rewards, which are the best transfer partners.
Hi Lucky
I'm not sure - on the way out I had a multi-day stopover, on my return leg I've got an overnight in SIN but didn't pick the AM flight to LHR but instead took the afternoon one - it offered them as separate options. So still <24h connection, but longer than the minimum time between flights (basically so I can relax in my hotel in the morning rather than arrive late at night and then have to rush back to the airport first thing!)
I have notice it is picky about how it will let you set one up though. For instance I was looking at the SQ flight from LA to Singapore via NRT and it would only let you book your stop over on the outbound leg not the inbound one.
I agree it's pretty flaky although it did let me book a stopover in either direction. Unfortunately I then made the mistake on clicking on the 'stopover holiday' link - this both didn't work and locked the booking! When I searched again the availability had gone. The agent I spoke to wouldn't let me book at discount so I had to take the risk of them cancelling the pending booking and hoping the reward space...
I agree it's pretty flaky although it did let me book a stopover in either direction. Unfortunately I then made the mistake on clicking on the 'stopover holiday' link - this both didn't work and locked the booking! When I searched again the availability had gone. The agent I spoke to wouldn't let me book at discount so I had to take the risk of them cancelling the pending booking and hoping the reward space would free up - thankfully it did so within a few minutes and I managed to complete my booking online.
I second Alan. SQ website does allow you to book stopovers on award tickets if all the flights are on SQ metal & in the same cabin. There is a box on the right side above where you input the destination city that asks "Add a Stopover?" I noticed the question on pops up after you check off "Redeem award flight(s)". If you don't have that checked off, it will state "multi-city itinerary?"
@ Joey @ Alan -- Good point, sorry, you guys are absolutely right. I've updated the post to reflect what I was trying to say -- if you want a longer connection a one-way you have to call (like overnighting enroute but not stopping over). As far as I know there's no way to do that.
I know know the SQ website isn't the best, but you can definitely book stopover tickets and overnight connections on it - I did just that a couple of months ago on an LHR-SIN-AKL booking! I had a few days in SIN on the way out and an extended overnight on the way back. You just need to select the stopover checkbox when doing your search.
I also had no problem getting the 15% discount for a mixed cabin F/J award. I didn't even have to ask.
I agree, as a Solitaire member, when I try to book the more complex reward tickets I either end up with with a more senior person (who normally applies the 15% discount) or a more junior person (who normally abides to the rules strictly), in the latter case I just ask for the supervisor. They normally put me on hold and when they open the line again, mostly they have received approval from their supervisor!
I did it last time I flew exactly how you said. My leverage was that the website wasn't working and I only had as many points in my account as the discounted price and not the full ... rep was more than willing to book with the 15% discount.