Singapore Airlines (SIA) customers travelling with partner Virgin Australia (VA) on flights within mainland Australia as well as those to and from Tasmania and Pacific Islands are now able to take advantage of enhanced benefits that include Elite miles and premium seat redemptions.
Whereas Krisflyer miles are used for award flights, upgrade awards or purchase of airfares, Elite miles are earned for advancing the tier status.
The two carriers entered into a partnership back in 2011 (see here), which consists of codeshare flights to a number of destinations, as well as reciprocal frequent flyer benefits and lounge access (see here). SIA also owns a 19.9 per cent stake in Virgin Australia (see here).
As an extension of the partnership, SIA has announced that Krisflyer members can now earn Elite miles when they travel on Virgin Australia-operated flights within mainland Australia, as well as Trans-Tasman services and those between Australia and Pacific Islands.
Krisflyer currently offers two Elite tiers – Silver and Gold. Acquiring the Krisflyer Elite Silver status requires a minimum of 25,000 Elite miles, while Krisflyer Elite Gold can be reached at 50,000 Elite miles. These tiers offer a number of added benefits for frequent flyers including Star Alliance status, 25 per cent bonus Krisflyer miles accrual, and waived or reduced Krisflyer service fees.
In addition, Krisflyer members can now use their miles to redeem premium economy class fares on Virgin Australia, subject to availability. This is not restricted to the destinations listed above, but rather applicable to all Virgin Australia flights that feature the SIA code. Previously, redemption was restricted to economy and business class. With this new benefit, Krisflyer miles can now be used for all cabin classes on Virgin Australia.
For more information, visit www.singaporeair.com and www.virginaustralia.com
Clement Huang
