New Chase Ultimate Rewards Partner: Singapore Airlines

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There’s a new way to use Chase Ultimate Rewards points.  You can now transfer your points to Singapore Airlines!

Transferring your Chase Ultimate Rewards points to Singapore Airlines can save you 10,000 miles on a round-trip flight to Hawaii on United Airlines in coach.

There are some other smart ways to use your new rewards partner.  But in other cases, you’ll need to watch for fuel surcharges!

Singapore Airlines is a member of the Star Alliance which means you can use Singapore Airlines miles to book flights on airlines like United Airlines, Lufthansa, and Avianca.

Having Singapore Airlines as a Chase Ultimate Rewards transfer partner doesn’t benefit most folks because Singapore Airlines has fuel surcharges.  But there are some positives such as being able to book First Class suites and discounted flights to Hawaii which I’ll explain!

Which Chase Ultimate Rewards Cards Transfer to Singapore Airlines?

Link:   Chase Ink Plus

Link:   Chase Sapphire Preferred Visa

Link:   Chase Ultimate Rewards 

You can transfer your Chase Ultimate Rewards points from your Chase Ink Bold, Chase Ink Plus, or Chase Sapphire Preferred card to Singapore Airlines in a 1:1 ratio.

You can get 60,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards points on the Chase Ink Bold and Chase Ink Plus cards after you spend $5,000 within 3 months.  But the 60,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards points offer ends on June 1, 2014.

And you can transfer Chase Ultimate Rewards points from your Chase Freedom card to Singapore Airlines IF you have a Chase Ink Bold, Chase Ink Plus, or Chase Sapphire Preferred Card.  Here’s my step-by-step guide to transferring your Chase Ultimate Rewards points from your Chase Freedom card to your Chase Ink Bold, Chase Ink Plus, or Chase Sapphire Preferred card.

Note:  It can take up to 48 hours for your Chase Ultimate Rewards points to transfer.  Because award seats constantly change there’s no guarantee that the award seats will be still there in 48 hours.

Are the Fuel Surcharges Worth It?

Link:   Singapore Airlines Award Chart

Link:   Singapore Airlines Award Chart for Star Alliance Partner Airlines

You get a 15% discount for booking online.  For 1-way awards from the US (West Coast) to Singapore on Singapore Airlines, you will pay (including the discount):

• 29,750 miles each way in economy
• 68,000 miles each way in Business Class
• 91,375 miles each way in First Class

For 1-way awards from the US (East Coast & Houston) to Singapore, you will pay (including the discount):

• 31,875 miles each way in economy
• 72,250 miles each way in Business Class
• 93,500 miles each way in First Class

You’ll pay fuel surcharges when you use Singapore Airlines miles to fly on Singapore Airlines and their partners.  So it might not be worth it for coach, but it could be for Business Class or First Class.

For example, for a round-trip coach award ticket from San Francisco to Hong Kong on October 23, 2014, to October 31, 2014, you would pay 51,000 Singapore Airlines miles (after the 15% discount for booking online) and ~$290 in fuel surcharges and taxes.

Although, this could be worth it if there are more award seats using Singapore miles.

However, for a round-trip First Class Suites award ticket from San Francisco to Hong Kong on October 23, 2014, to October 30, 2014, you would pay 140,250 Singapore Airlines miles (after the 15% discount for booking online) and ~$290 in fuel surcharges and taxes.

Because you pay the same amount of fuel surcharges flying in a First Class Suite as coach, it might be worth it to redeem the 89,250 extra Singapore Airlines miles (140,250 Singapore Airlines miles for round-trip First Class Suites – 51,000 Singapore Airlines miles for round-trip coach).

Good Uses of Singapore Airlines Miles

Although Singapore Airlines charges fuel surcharges when you use Singapore Airlines miles, they do NOT charge fuel surcharges on United Airlines flights.  So you can use your Singapore Airlines miles on United Airlines flights and avoid fuel surcharges.

And you get a better value using Singapore Airlines miles on United Airlines instead of using United Airlines miles for certain flights.

For example, a round-trip saver award ticket from the US to Hawaii in coach costs 45,000 United Airlines miles.

But it only costs 35,000 Singapore Airlines miles!

And from the US to Hawaii in Business/First Class you’ll pay 80,000 United Airlines miles.

But you’ll only pay 60,000 Singapore Airlines miles.

To book partner awards you have to call Singapore Airlines at 800-742-3333.

Getting the Most Out of Singapore Airlines Miles

1.   15% Discount for Booking Online

You get a 15% discount when you book your Singapore Airlines award tickets on the Singapore Airlines website.

In my examples above, I included the 15% discount.  But let’s look at what it would cost without the 15% discount.

For a round-trip coach award ticket from San Francisco to Hong Kong on October 23, 2014, to October 31, 2014, you would pay 60,000 Singapore Airlines miles and ~$290 in fuel surcharges and taxes.

This is compared to the 51,000 Singapore Airlines miles you’d use by booking online.

2.   1-Way Award Tickets

You can pay fewer Singapore Airlines miles by booking 1-way award tickets.

So for a 1-way First Class Suites award ticket from San Francisco to Hong Kong on October 23, 2014, you would pay 70,125 Singapore Airlines miles and ~$112 in fuel surcharges and taxes.

3.   Cheap Award Tickets From the US to Europe

It costs 20,000 Singapore Airlines miles for a 1-way award ticket from the US East Coast and Houston to Europe.  And if you book online, it’s only 17,000 miles.  You can fly from New York JFK to Frankfurt, or from Houston to Moscow on Singapore airlines!

You’ll pay ~$182 in fuel surcharges, but there are lots of award seats available.

To compare, you’d pay at least 30,000 miles 1-way using United Airlines miles, but the surcharges would be much less.

Other Singapore Airlines Transfer Partners

1.   American Express Membership Rewards Points

You can transfer American Express Membership Rewards points to Singapore Airlines in a 1:1 ratio in 1,000 point increments.

Because you’re transferring American Express Membership Rewards points to a foreign airline, you do NOT pay an excise fee as you would if you transferred to a US airlines.

2.   Starwood Points

You can transfer Starwood points to Singapore Airlines in a 1:1 ratio.

The minimum transfer requirements depends on your Starwood elite status:

• Starwood Preferred Guest members have to transfer in 2,500 Starwood points increments
• Starwood Gold members have to transfer in 1,500 Starwood points increments
• Starwood Platinum members have no minimum point requirement

When you you transfer in increments of 20,000 Starwood points, you get a 5,000 point transfer bonus.

So you can transfer 25,000 Starwood points to Singapore airlines and get a 5,000 point bonus, giving you 30,000 Singapore airline miles.

But if you transferred 15,000 more Starwood points (i.e. 40,000 Starwood points) you would get 50,000 Singapore airline miles (i.e 10,000 more miles).

Bottom Line

You can transfer Chase Ultimate Rewards points from your Chase Ink Bold, Chase Ink Plus, and Chase Sapphire Preferred card to Singapore Airlines at a 1:1 ratio in 1,000 increments, but it can take 48 hours to transfer.  So you might lose your seats while waiting.

You’ll pay fuel surcharges when you use Singapore Airlines miles on Singapore Airlines and their partners.  But when you will NOT pay fuel surcharges when you use your Singapore Airlines miles to fly on United Airlines.

You’ll pay only 60,000 Singapore Airlines miles to fly round-trip First Class to Hawaii instead of 80,000 United Airlines miles.  And in coach, you’ll pay 35,000 Singapore Airlines miles instead of 45,000 United Airlines miles.

You get a 15% discount on the cost of an award ticket when you book on the Singapore Airlines website.  But you can’t book partner awards online.

American Express Membership Rewards and Starwood points also transfer to Singapore Airlines at a 1:1 ratio.

It’s nice that you can transfer Chase Ultimate Rewards points to Singapore Airlines and have more options for award tickets, but it’s not earth shattering news.  Although, I might have to convince Emily we need to redeem some Chase Ultimate Rewards points…

Which Singapore Airlines awards are you going to redeem your Chase Ultimate Rewards points for?