Published March 26, 2009

KrisFlyer seat upgrades now come easier

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(SINGAPORE) Singapore Airlines (SIA), which has a reputation for being sticky about seat upgrades, is now offering all its frequent flyer programme members seat upgrades with special points accumulated during travel in April to June.

The move comes amid a slump in demand for premium class tickets worldwide.

In an announcement yesterday, the airline said that KrisFlyer members who accumulate at least 25,000 special upgrade points will automatically qualify for upgrades to destinations within its network.

The minimum of 25,000 points allows upgrades on routes within Asia, Australia, New Zealand, Africa and Turkey, while at least 30,000 points are needed for Europe. And with 40,000 points, upgrade is available on all SIA sectors. And KrisFlyer members who accumulate more than 50,000 points can choose from multiple upgrade vouchers.

The special points can be redeemed online at krisflyer.com, and are valid for four months.

SIA is also marking the 10th anniversary of the KrisFlyer programme by giving members a 25 per cent discount on their KrisFlyer miles if the points are redeemed online between now and Sept 15. Members who redeem selected flights online will enjoy a 50 per cent discount of their KrisFlyer miles.

The more generous upgrades programmes come as airlines around the world find demand for paid premium tickets falling sharply, as corporate and other high net worth travellers slash travel budgets.

Data released by the International Air Transport Association shows that the number of people flying first or business class plunged 16.7 per cent in January this year, continuing a trend that began in September 2008 and extending a 13.3 per cent fall in December that year. Intra-Asian premium travel fell 23.4 per cent in January, while across the Pacific the decline was 24.7 per cent.

This has serious implications for the likes of Singapore Airlines and Cathay Pacific, which used to derive almost half of their income from premium ticket sales.