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Air miles credit cards

Earn frequent flyer points while spending on your air miles credit card and redeem them for travel rewards with your favourite airline.

Amy Bradney-George
Amy Bradney-George

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Otherwise known as a frequent flyer credit card, an air miles credit card can be a wise way to monetise your daily expenditure. Since you’re already spending that money, why not reward yourself for spending by using an air miles credit card? This type of credit card typically caters to frequent travellers, but even infrequent travellers can enjoy the perks of earning points for a wide array of travel and non-travel-related benefits. This guide will tell you everything you need to know about air miles credit cards and how to maximise your rewards on plastic.

American Express Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer Credit Card

American Express Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer Credit Card

Receive up to 26,600 KrisFlyer miles welcome bonus

Offer ends 30 June 2019

Eligibility criteria, terms and conditions, fees and charges apply

American Express Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer Credit Card

Apply today and earn miles for every S$1 spent on eligible purchases with your credit card, including a 1 year fee waiver.

  • Principal Annual Fee: S$0 annual fee for 1 year - S$176.55 thereafter.
  • Cashback Rate: 0%
  • Annual Interest Rate: 25.9%
  • Minimum Income (Singaporean & PR): S$30,000
  • Minimum Income (Non-Singaporean): S$60,000
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Compare credit cards with air mile rewards

Name Product Air Miles Earning Rate Reward Annual Fee Min Income - Singaporean and PR
American Express Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer Credit Card
American Express Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer Credit Card
S$1 = 1.1 KrisFlyer miles (Local spend)
Get up to 1.1 KrisFlyer miles for every S$1 spent
S$0 annual fee for 1 year - S$176.55 thereafter
S$30,000
Earn 7,500 bonus KrisFlyer miles when you spend S$5,000 within three months of card approval. Ends 31 January 2020.
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HSBC Revolution Credit Card
HSBC Revolution Credit Card
S$1 = 2 miles
Up to 5X Rewards points (2 miles per S$1 spent) on online, dining and entertainment purchases
S$0 annual fee for 2 years - S$160.50 thereafter
S$30,000
Get free Samsonite T5 68cm Spinner luggage with built-in scale worth S$560 or S$150 cash back when you spend S$800 in qualifying transactions from card approval to the end of the following month. T&Cs apply. Ends 31 Dec 2019.
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American Express Platinum Credit Card
American Express Platinum Credit Card
S$1.60 = 5.5 miles (Eligible spend)
Up to 50% off your food bill for unlimited visits at hotels around Singapore
S$321 annual fee
S$50,000
Receive a 1-night stay at Swissotel The Stamford Singapore (worth S$529) when you pay the annual fee upon card approval and spend S$4,500 in the first 3 months. T&Cs apply. Ends 31 January 2020.
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American Express Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer Ascend Credit Card
American Express Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer Ascend Credit Card
S$1 = 1.2 miles (Local spend)
Get up to 1.2 KrisFlyer miles for every S$1 spent
S$337.05 annual fee
S$50,000
Earn 15,000 bonus KrisFlyer miles when you spend S$10,000 within three months of card approval. Ends 31 January 2020.
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Citi PremierMiles Visa Card
Citi PremierMiles Visa Card

    S$1 = 1.2 Citi Miles (Local spend)


    S$1 = 2 Citi Miles (Overseas spend)
2 Citi Miles for every S$1 spent overseas, 1.2 Citi Miles per S$1 spent locally with no minimum spend and 1.5 Citi Miles per S$1 spent locally with minimum spend of S$3,000 per statement month.
S$0 annual fee for 1 year - S$192.60 thereafter
S$30,000
Receive 40,000 miles when you spend S$9,000 in the first 3 months and pay the annual fee. Ends 31 January 2020.
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Citi Prestige Card
Citi Prestige Card
S$1 = 2 miles (Overseas spend)


S$1 = 1.3 miles (Local spend)
Earn 5 ThankYou Points (2 Miles) per S$1 overseas spend and 3.25 ThankYou Points per S$1 local spend
S$535 annual fee
S$120,000
Receive a welcome gift of 62,500 Citi ThankYou Points (25,000 Miles). Ends 31 December 2019.
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Maybank Business Platinum Mastercard
Maybank Business Platinum Mastercard
Convert TREATS points to frequent flyer miles (T&Cs apply)
Earn 1 TREATS Points per dollar spent
S$0 annual fee for 2 years - S$180 thereafter
S$30,000
Get up to S$1 million in Travel Accident Insurance when you purchase flights or travel packages using your card.
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Maybank Visa Infinite Card
Maybank Visa Infinite Card
S$1 = 2 miles (Foreign spend)


S$1 = 1.2 miles (Local spend)
Earn up to 5X TREATS Points (2 air miles) on all spend
S$0 annual fee for 1 year - S$600 thereafter
S$150,000
Get up to 8 complimentary single-trip airport limousine transfers. T&Cs apply. Ends 31 Dec 2019.
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Maybank Horizon Visa Signature Card
Maybank Horizon Visa Signature Card
S$1 = 3.2 miles (Dining, Petrol, Taxi & Hotel bookings via Agoda.com/horizon)


S$1 = 2 miles (Air tickets, Travel Packages & Foreign Currency Spend)
Up to 3.2 Air Miles (8X TREATS Points) for every S$1 spent on dining, transport and hotel bookings via Agoda.com/horizon
S$0 annual fee for 3 years - S$150 thereafter
S$30,000
Receive an American Tourister Linex 66/24 Luggage TSA (worth S$260) when you charge to your card or withdraw from your CreditAble account with a minimum of S$300 within the first 2 months.
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Maybank World Mastercard
Maybank World Mastercard
S$1 = 4 miles (Eligible spend)
10X TREATS Points (4 air miles) on every S$1 spent
S$0 annual fee for 1 year - S$240 thereafter
S$80,000
Receive an American Tourister Linex 66/24 Luggage TSA (worth S$260) when you charge to your card or withdraw from your CreditAble account with a minimum of S$300 within the first 2 months.
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How do air miles credit cards work?

Simply put, air miles credit cards allow you to earn frequent flyer points directly as you charge purchases to your card. While some cards let you earn reward points that need to be converted to air miles, a select few earn reward points in the form of air miles directly. You can typically earn 1 to 2 air miles for each S$1 spent on eligible purchases locally. Overseas purchases and booking of air tickets and hotels typically earn higher miles per dollar and can go up to 6 miles per S$1 spent.

As well as direct frequent flyer credit cards that earn points with one program, some rewards cards also allow you to transfer your points to several partnered frequent flyer programs (otherwise known as indirect earn cards). If you belong to several frequent flyer programs, this might be one way you can get more flexibility from your rewards card.

When comparing air miles credit cards, be sure to factor in the costs and make sure they don’t outweigh the value of any possible rewards and benefits. Air miles credit cards can be great tools for frequent flyers that pay off their account balances in full each month, but are probably not suitable if you wish to carry an outstanding balance on the account.

How to earn air miles on your credit card

air miles logo

  • Eligible purchases. The most regular way to earn miles on your card is by charging eligible purchases to it. Eligible purchases typically include ordinary purchases and exclude cash advances, balance transfers, interest, fees and government payments, but you should read your credit card Product Disclosure Statement or contact your credit card provider to clarify.
  • Fly Frequently. No guesses for this one! The more you travel, the more miles you can earn on your credit card. Air tickets, hotel bookings and overseas spending usually earns you more miles per dollar than local or online shopping for other products and services.
  • Supplementary cardholders. Get your partner or family members to help you earn air miles by giving them a supplementary card. You can easily double or triple your earn rate this way, but it’s important to remember that you’ll be accountable for all purchases made on the additional card.
  • Bonus points on sign-up. Also known as Welcome Miles, this is now a common feature in credit card promotions where you can earn a chunk of points when you sign up for an introductory offer. Be aware that you may have to do something to activate the offer and receive your points, e.g. spend S$500 in the first month to receive 10,000 bonus points.
  • Bonus points partners. Some card companies have partnerships with other stores and businesses, so you can earn extra points when using your credit card at their stores too. However, some conditions may apply, so be sure to read the fine print and make sure you’re doing what’s necessary to earn the bonus points, such as book online or within the promotion period.
  • Other bonus point offers. As well as bonus points on sign-up, some card issuers offer bonus points for existing customers during promotions. American Express, for instance, awards bonus points to card members for successfully referring friends and family members.

How to redeem your air miles

Once you’ve used your card for a while, you can exchange any accumulated points for rewards via your frequent flyer program. These days it’s as easy as logging in and shopping online. Otherwise, you can also redeem your points over the phone by contacting your frequent flyer program customer service team. You don’t need to have the full amount of points required either, because most frequent flyer programs now allow you to pay for rewards with a combination of points and cash.

How to spend your points

  • Flights. The mainstay of frequent flyer programs used to be flight redemptions, and although you can nowadays redeem almost anything via the frequent flyer store, flight redemptions still usually offer the greatest value in terms of dollar per point. You can redeem your flight through your frequent flyer online account or the airline website.
  • Flights with partners. You can usually use your points to redeem flights with any of your frequent flyer program’s partner airlines as well, although some routes and seat classes may be excluded. You should be able to do this through the partner airline’s website – you’ll just need to quote your frequent flyer number and nominate to pay with points before you finalise the booking.
  • Travel packages. The range of travel rewards has extended to include travel packages and holiday itineraries, so your frequent flyer store can now be your one-stop shop when it comes to vacations.
  • Hotel accommodation and car rental. Frequent flyer programs now supply the full gamut of travel needs. You can book your overseas hotel stay and car rental using your points at the same time, which can be done when booking through your frequent flyer website. If not, you might also need to provide your frequent flyer number and elect that you’d like to pay with points when making the booking.
  • Products from the rewards store. Frequent flyer stores these days appear more fully stocked than department stores, with their wide range of clothing, jewellery, homewares, electronics and toys. These online stores can usually be accessed through your online frequent flyer account.
  • Lifestyle offerings. You can even spend your points on theme park tickets, concert tickets, wine and restaurant dining.
  • Shopping and gift vouchers. Most frequent flyer programs have large retail partners, so you can exchange your points for store vouchers either to be used online or at their bricks-and-mortar outlets.

              How to redeem your points

              • Online. This is the simplest and fastest way to spend your points; simply log into your frequent flyer store online. It’s also preferable because visuals always enhance our shopping experience.
              • Over the phone. You can also take the traditional route and have someone do it for you over the phone, although this seems like a less fun way to shop.

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              How to compare air miles credit cards

              If you’re interested in getting one, consider these factors when shopping for your new air miles credit card:

              • Earn rate. The earn rate will determine how fast you can get your next reward. Note that credit cards with higher earn rates also usually come with higher annual fees and interest rates, so you should weigh these up when deciding.
              • Bonus points offers and deals on signing up. Getting a large number of bonus points when you sign up could be totally worthwhile, because some introductory bonuses earn enough air miles for you to instantly redeem a return flight. There could also be complimentary travel packages or gifts such as branded travel bags when you sign-up for a certain card. Don’t be so eager that you don’t consider the downsides of the card though, such as the high annual fee and interest rate.
              • Partner airlines. Even if you’re an absolutely loyal passenger to your frequent flyer airline, it can be advantageous to have access to a large network of partner airlines. This is especially beneficial when you fly out further and require a variety of flight connections.
              • Available rewards. Browse your frequent flyer store before deciding if it’s the frequent flyer program for you. This will ensure that you’ll truly enjoy the rewards you’ll be earning.
              • Card perks. Air miles credit cards can come with a variety of complimentary benefits such as free travel insurance, airport lounge access, airport limousine services and personal concierge services.
              • Annual fee. This can be a major cost when it comes to air miles credit cards, with the annual fee often directly correlated to the earn rate and perks offered by a card. Make sure you’re not paying for perks you don’t need or won’t use.
              • Interest rates. As with all credit cards, card interest rates are important if you intend to carry a balance. If you make regular repayments and always pay in full, this will be less of a consideration.
              • Other fees. It’s always good to know exactly what you’re signing up for and what you may someday be charged for. Pay attention to fees like the cash advance fee, foreign transaction fee (especially if you plan to use the card overseas), and any other possible administrative fees. Most air miles cards charge a fee for conversion of reward points into air miles too.
              • Validity of Miles– Many air miles credit cards allow you to enjoy earned miles indefinitely, meaning your air miles do not have an expiry date. It is useful to check if your air miles card offerstime bound redemption or not.
              • Redemption rules- Most air miles cards allow you to redeem air miles only if accumulated a predefined number. Typically, an air miles card may require anything from a minimum of 1000 miles to 10000 miles to be in your kitty before you can start redeeming. It’s good therefore to compare how long you will need to wait before you can redeem your points on a particular card.

                As a general rule, always make sure your air miles credit card gives you more value than it costs. A simple way to calculate this is by adding up the value of rewards you’d receive in a year and comparing that with the amount of fees you’d pay each year. While air miles credit cards may be a great idea for some people, they’re not for everyone. When making your decision about which credit card type to choose, make sure you consider your personal needs, lifestyle and spending habits.

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