Best Miles Credit Card Promotions in Singapore (2023)

Finding ways on how to pick the best air miles credit cards and to leverage on the best promotions? Here’s a quick guide on how to maximise the perks that your air miles credit card provides and to choose a card that has an annual fee which is worth paying for.

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Why Should You Get An Air Miles Card

Besides getting to earn miles on your big ticket items’ purchases or even on your everyday spending, there are a myriad of benefits which you can enjoy and these include

Benefits Of Getting An Air Miles Credit Card

  • Complimentary seat selection 
  • Booking flexibility waiver
  • Priority boarding and check-in 
  • Flexibility in redemption 
  • Additional baggage allowance 
  • Complimentary access to airport lounges regionally or worldwide
  • Perks through reward points or cashback 
  •  Express upgrade of exclusive airline class

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Best Credit Cards To Collect Air Miles

Credit CardsBEST FORMILES EARN RATEANNUAL FEE

Citi PremierMiles Card

Miles that don’t expireUp to 10 miles for every $1 spent on selected online hotel and flight bookings$194.40

OCBC 90°N Card

Miles that don’t expire
  • Up to 7 miles for every $1 spent on Agoda accommodations
  • 2.1 miles for every $1 spent on foreign currency spending
  • 1.3 miles for every $1 spent locally
$54

AMEX SIA KrisFlyer Ascend Card

KrisFlyer Miles for frequent flyers
  • 2 miles for every $1 spent on foreign currency spending
  • 1.2 miles for every $1 spent locally
  • 3.2 miles for every $1 spent on Grab locally (up to $200 per month)
$340.20

Maybank Horizon Card

Everyday local spending
  • 3.2 miles for every $1 spent on restaurant dining, petrol, public transport and hotel bookings on Agoda
  • 2 miles for every $1 spent overseas on air tickets, travel packages and foreign currency transactions
$180

UOB PRVI VISA  Miles Card

Highest mile per dollar spend ratio
  • 6 miles per $1 spent on online hotel and flight bookings
  • 2.4 miles per $1 spent overseas
  • 1.4 miles per $1 spend locally
$259.20
DBS Vantage Visa Infinite Card25,000 bonus miles upon payment of annual fee
  • 2.2 miles for every $1 spent overseas
  • 1.5 miles for every $1 spent locally
$594
UOB KrisFlyer CardEveryday local spending
  • 3 KrisFlyer miles for every $1 spent on dining, online shopping, online travel and transport (including those on SIA, SilkAir, Scoot and KrisShop) 
  • 1.2 KrisFlyer miles on every $1 spent on other categories
$194.40

Singapore Credit Cards with Air Miles Promotion (2023)

MoneySmart Exclusive
Up to 45K Miles Welcome Offer
MoneySmart Exclusive
Up to 45K Miles Welcome Offer

Standard Chartered Journey Credit Card

for every S$1 spend on Transportation, Food Delivery & Online Grocery merchants. Capped at 3,000 Miles in a statement cycle
S$1 = 3 Miles
for all Eligible Foreign Spends
S$1 = 2 Miles
for all Eligible Local Spends
S$1 = 1.2 Miles

[MVST LUGGAGE FLASH DEAL]
Stand to receive a MVST Trek Aluminium Carry-on Luggage (worth S$557) OR a MVST Trek Aluminium Large Luggage (worth S$796) when you meet the eligibility criteria! T&Cs apply!
  
Earn up to 35,000 Miles when you meet the eligible spends AND have your first year Annual Fee waived when you sign up for the Journey Credit Card. T&Cs apply.
  
OR, earn up to 45,000 Miles when you meet the eligible spends and pay your card's first year Annual Fee when you sign up. Click here to apply. T&Cs apply.

Valid until 27 Sep 2023
MoneySmart Exclusive
Instant Rewards Redemption
MoneySmart Exclusive
Instant Rewards Redemption

HSBC TravelOne Card

on Local Spend
S$1 = 1.2 miles
on Foreign Currency Spend
S$1 = 2.4 Miles
Travel Insurance coverage, Airport Lounge visits
Complimentary
Get up to 20,000 Miles (in the form of 50,000 Reward points) when you successfully apply for the HSBC TravelOne Credit Card, pay the Annual Fee of S$194.40 (including GST), spend a min. of S$1,000 in qualifying transactions and provide marketing consent when you apply! T&Cs apply.

OR choose to waive your first-year Annual Fee upon sign up with no welcome gift awarded.
Valid until 31 Dec 2023
MoneySmart Exclusive
Convenience & Perks for Frequent Flyers
MoneySmart Exclusive
Convenience & Perks for Frequent Flyers

American Express Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer Ascend Credit Card

Local Spend
S$1 = 1.2 Miles
Overseas Spend
S$1 = 2 Miles
on Eligible Grab transaction, capped at $200 per month
S$1 = 3.2 Miles
Get up to 21,500 worth of KrisFlyer Miles* (equivalent to a return trip to Bali OR 1-way trip to Perth/Darwin via Singapore Airlines*) from Amex when you apply and spend S$1,000 and pay the card's annual fee within the first month of card approval. T&Cs Apply.
Valid until 02 Oct 2023
Online Promo
Miles or Cashback – you decide
Online Promo
Miles or Cashback – you decide

DBS Vantage Visa Infinite Card

Local Spend
S$1 = 1.5 miles or 1.5% cashback
Overseas Spend
S$1 = 2.2 miles or 2.2% cashback
when you pay the Card's Annual Fee
25,000 Bonus Miles
Online Promo:
Get up to 60,000 miles when you sign up with promo code VANMILES and make a min. spend of S$4,000 within 30 days of card approval and payable annual fee required. T&Cs apply.
Valid until 31 Jan 2024
Online Promo
Ideal for frequent small business travellers
Online Promo
Ideal for frequent small business travellers

The American Express® Singapore Airlines Business Credit Card

per S$1 spent on eligible Singapore Airlines and Scoot flights
Earn up to 8.5 HighFlyer Points
per S$1 spent on all eligible purchases (worth 1.8 KrisFlyer miles)
Earn 1.8 HighFlyer Points
when you spend S$15,000 with Singapore Airlines Group in the 1st year
KrisFlyer Elite Gold status
Online Promo:
Get a Samsonite Choca Spinner 68/25 (worth S$700) upon Annual Card Fee payment and minimum eligible spending of S$500 in the first month of Card approval.

PLUS enjoy a welcome offer of up to 74,400 HighFlyer points (worth S$708), a complimentary Accor Plus membership (worth S$418 offering a free night's stay every year), and up to 20,000 HighFlyer points (worth S$190).T&Cs apply.
Valid until 03 Oct 2023

6 Important Things To Look Out For In An Air Miles Credit Card

1

Miles Earn Rate

While some airline-specific cards will credit your earned miles directly into an established frequent flyer programme, certain miles credit cards award points in other types of “currency” such as DBS points or Citi Miles. Converting these points into an actual air ticket will take a longer time and may cost more.

2

Miles Redemption Programmes

Cathay Pacific’s Asia Miles programme and Singapore Airlines’ KrisFlyer programme are some of the more popular ones in Singapore whereby you can earn miles with your regular spending through credit cards and redeem flights or even accommodation for free. So, if you fly often via a preferred airline, do remember to tap on such perks to offset some of your travel expenses.

3

Frequent flyer programme T&Cs

Always, always check the T&Cs of any frequent flyer programme for any unsavoury details the credit card issuer would rather you not know. These include when your miles will expire and whether there is a cap on the miles you can earn.

4

Annual fees

Most credit cards including airline-specific cards charge annual fees which are usually for the convenience of using the card to make your purchases as well the administrative costs of maintaining your credit card account.

You often get a free credit card replacement if your card is lost or stolen, or if it's damaged and you need a new one. All these costs add up and your annual fee is what goes into paying for them.

Many banks do offer a waiver of your annual fee but you'll need to call them up to make this request.

5

Conversion fees

There are often charges for converting the miles on your card into miles with a frequent flyer program and these are known as conversion fees. Several cards like Citi PremierMiles Card and UOB PRVI Miles Card have a conversion fee of $25 per conversion while other cards charge different rates.

Most credit cards are linked to more than just one frequent flyer program, so you'll get to pick from a wider range of countries to travel to.

6

Lifespan of earned miles

Cards like Citi PremierMiles Card, DBS Altitude Visa Signature Card and OCBC 90°N card offer earned miles that don't expire, which is a benefit that is important given uncertain situations like the COVID-19 pandemic that made travelling impossible at times.

If your card requires you to accumulate and then convert miles, remember to check the expiry date so you can convert them as late as possible.

Should you pay the credit card annual fee for miles?

If you are frustrated with how long it takes to accrue enough miles to redeem a free flight, it may be tempting to just pay your credit card’s annual fee to get hold of your bonus miles. Before you do so, it is worthwhile to compare the options. Since there is intense competition among miles cards in Singapore, do check out what other banks have to offer.


Credit card issuers typically offer better sign-up promotions and bonus miles “packages” for newcomers or those who have not owned a credit card for at least a year. If, after considering the options, you are still keen to pay the annual fee, do some simple maths to find the cost per mile and decide if it is worth it. This is of course a subjective decision, but many air miles bloggers deem that each mile should cost well under 2 cents. Any more than that, and you might as well pay for the flights with cash.

Best Credit Cards With Air Miles For Paying Your Annual Fee

MoneySmart Exclusive
$1 = Up to 4 Miles (Limited Time Only)
MoneySmart Exclusive
$1 = Up to 4 Miles (Limited Time Only)

Citi PremierMiles Card

Local Spend
S$1 = 1.2 Miles
All Foreign Currency Spend including Retail and Online
S$1 = up to 2 Miles
Selected Online Hotel and Flight bookings
S$1 = Up to 10 Miles

[MONEYSMART LUCKY DRAW]
Get an Apple iPad Wi-Fi, 64GB 9th Gen (worth S$503.65) OR a Nintendo Switch OLED Gaming Console (worth S$549) OR a Sony WH1000-XM5 Wireless Noise Cancelling Headphones (worth S$575) or S$300 Cash via PayNow when you apply and spend a min. of S$500 in "Qualifying Spends" within 30 days from card approval date. T&Cs apply.

PLUS stand a chance to win a MacBook Air M2 15-inch or an Apple iPhone 14 Pro or an Apple Watch Ultra todayT&Cs apply.

Valid until 30 Sep 2023
With no minimum spend and a miles earn rate of either 1.2 miles per $1 for local spending, up to 4 miles per $1 for overseas spending, or up to 10 miles per $1 for online hotel bookings, the Citibank PremierMiles Card is a frequent flyer’s card that gives you priority pass lounge access in airports, complimentary travel insurance, and miles with no expiry. If you’re looking to renew your existing Citibank PremierMiles Card, you’ll be rewarded with a renewal bonus of 10,000 Citi Miles on your Card anniversary.
MoneySmart Exclusive
Convenience & Perks for Frequent Flyers
MoneySmart Exclusive
Convenience & Perks for Frequent Flyers

American Express Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer Ascend Credit Card

Local Spend
S$1 = 1.2 Miles
Overseas Spend
S$1 = 2 Miles
on Eligible Grab transaction, capped at $200 per month
S$1 = 3.2 Miles
Get up to 21,500 worth of KrisFlyer Miles* (equivalent to a return trip to Bali OR 1-way trip to Perth/Darwin via Singapore Airlines*) from Amex when you apply and spend S$1,000 and pay the card's annual fee within the first month of card approval. T&Cs Apply.
Valid until 02 Oct 2023

The Amex KrisFlyer Ascend credit card is also for higher earners, with a minimum income requirement of S$50,000 per annum. And like the Standard Chartered X Card, it has a non-waivable annual fee that kicks in from the first year. However, if you pay the $340.20 annual fee, you’ll receive 21,500 worth of KrisFlyer Miles when you charge a minimum of SGD1,000 within the first month of card approval.
Note that American Express also has an entry-level version of this card, the Amex KrisFlyer Card, which has an annual fee waiver for the first year. This credit card also offers welcome miles for hitting a minimum spend, but without the need to pay the annual fee.

MoneySmart Exclusive
Upsized Rewards Points (Limited Period Only)
MoneySmart Exclusive
Upsized Rewards Points (Limited Period Only)

American Express The Platinum Card®

for every S$1.60 spent with Singapore Airlines and Scoot
Earn 5 Membership Rewards® Points
for every S$1.60 spent with 10Xcelerator by Membership Rewards®
Earn 20 Membership Rewards® points
on Membership Rewards® Points
No Expiry Date
Get up to 53,750 worth of Membership Rewards® points* (equivalent to a return trip to Thailand* OR 1-way trip to Sydney/Melbourne* via Singapore Airlines) from Amex when you apply and spend S$3,000 within the first month of card approval and pay the card's annual fee. T&Cs Apply.
Valid until 26 Sep 2023

With 61,250 worth of MR® points when you charge a minimum of SGD3,000 within the first month of your Amex Platinum card approval, you’ll be able to convert these points for miles at a conversion rate of 450 points = 250 miles.
Unlike the HSBC Visa Infinite card, the Amex Platinum Card doesn’t charge you for converting points to air miles. Plus, it doesn’t have a spending limit.

Online Promo
Miles or Cashback – you decide
Online Promo
Miles or Cashback – you decide

DBS Vantage Visa Infinite Card

Local Spend
S$1 = 1.5 miles or 1.5% cashback
Overseas Spend
S$1 = 2.2 miles or 2.2% cashback
when you pay the Card's Annual Fee
25,000 Bonus Miles
Online Promo:
Get up to 60,000 miles when you sign up with promo code VANMILES and make a min. spend of S$4,000 within 30 days of card approval and payable annual fee required. T&Cs apply.
Valid until 31 Jan 2024

This card has one of the best air miles giveaway, — up to 60,000 miles for new DBS cardmembers. However, this card does come with a hefty annual fee of $594 which is non-waivable for the first year.
However, you’ll be entitled to a waiver in the subsequent years if a minimum of S$60,000 worth of retail spend is made in the preceding card year. This makes this card great for high spenders as the rewards can be converted to miles or cashback every month.

Online Promo
Earn Miles That Never Expire
Online Promo
Earn Miles That Never Expire

DBS Altitude Visa Signature Card

Local Spend
S$1 = 1.3 Miles
Overseas Spend
S$1 = 2.2 Miles
On Travel Spend at Expedia & Kaligo
S$1 = Up to 10 Miles
Online Promo:
Get up to 40,000 miles when you apply for an eligible DBS Altitude Credit Card and charge a min. spend of S$2,000 within 30 days from card approval date. T&Cs apply.
Valid until 30 Nov 2023
A perennial favourite among beginner miles chasers, the DBS Altitude miles card has a low income requirement of S$30,000, and its miles do not expire. It has a first-year annual fee waiver, but if you choose to pay the annual fee of S$194.40 from the second year, you can get 10,000 miles in return. That works out to 1.9 cents per mile. You can also opt to get a second year fee waiver if you are eligible, but you will naturally miss out on the 10,000 bonus miles.
Local Spend
S$1 = Up to 1.25 Miles
Overseas Spend
S$1 = Up to 2.25 Miles
Reward points at luxury boutiques
10X

With an even higher annual fee of S$656.08, as compared to the DBS Vantage Visa Infinite Card, the HSBC Visa Infinite Credit Card rewards you with 2.25 miles for every $1 spent abroad. You’ll also get 35,000 air miles awarded in the form of 87,500 Rewards Points which you’ll have to pay a fee to convert the points to miles.


However, getting this card will have you covered with a complimentary travel insurance of up to US$2,000,000 (annual value worth S$988), complimentary green fees and worldwide golfers' insurance of up to $500,000.

MoneySmart Exclusive
Instant Rewards Redemption
MoneySmart Exclusive
Instant Rewards Redemption

HSBC TravelOne Card

on Local Spend
S$1 = 1.2 miles
on Foreign Currency Spend
S$1 = 2.4 Miles
Travel Insurance coverage, Airport Lounge visits
Complimentary
Get up to 20,000 Miles (in the form of 50,000 Reward points) when you successfully apply for the HSBC TravelOne Credit Card, pay the Annual Fee of S$194.40 (including GST), spend a min. of S$1,000 in qualifying transactions and provide marketing consent when you apply! T&Cs apply.

OR choose to waive your first-year Annual Fee upon sign up with no welcome gift awarded.
Valid until 31 Dec 2023

As one of the credit cards which has a generous air miles giveaway, you’ll get up to 20,000 miles (equivalent to a round trip air ticket to Bali) upon payment of an annual fee of S$194.40 and a minimum spend of S$800. However, annual fee waiver benefits are available if you spend more than S$25,000 per year.

Moreover, you can be entitled to up to 2.4 miles (6X Reward points) for every $1 spent overseas, plus there is no conversion fee when you redeem for air miles or hotel points for a wide range of airline and hotel bookings including Cathay Pacific, Singapore Airlines, Marriott Bonvoy and more, making this card ideal for high spenders and frequent travellers.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which air miles programme is best?

For most Singaporeans, air miles are synonymous with KrisFlyer miles. But, while Singapore Airlines' KrisFlyer frequent flyer programme is definitely the most popular here, Cathay Pacific's Asia Miles programme may also be worth considering. Of course, Singapore Airlines has the most destinations, but if you like to visit East Asia, Cathay Pacific operates a good number of direct flights as well.

How much are miles worth?

The value of a mile is a subjective matter, and you will find entire blogs dedicated to arguing about it. Generally, most miles chasers are not willing to pay more than S$0.01 per mile when paying the annual fee. After that point, you may find yourself paying enough to afford the air fare in cash.

How many air miles do I need to fly for free?

Miles award charts vary from frequent flyer programme to frequent flyer programme. For KrisFlyer miles, you should aim for at least 50,000 miles in order to redeem a free Economy flight to anywhere a good distance away. For example, it takes 50,000 miles to fly to Japan and 56,000 to fly to Sydney. If you want to fly Business class, expect about double the number of miles.