Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer members received an email early Tuesday morning saying the airline had expanded its partnership with Marriott Bonvoy. While Marriott Bonvoy members have long been able to redeem Marriott Bonvoy points for KrisFlyer miles, you can now do the same in the opposite direction. KrisFlyer members can now convert their Singapore miles into Marriott points.
But should you take advantage of this new option?
Here’s what you need to know about converting KrisFlyer miles to Marriott points.
An overwhelming transfer rate
For starters, this new Singapore miles redemption option offers an excellent lower transfer rate. Specifically, KrisFlyer members can convert their miles into Marriott Bonvoy points at a ratio of 2:1. Like TPG . value Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer miles at 1.3 cents per mile and Marriott Bonvoy points at 0.84 cents per person, on paper, transferring miles from KrisFlyer to Marriott Bonvoy significantly reduces their value.
For reference, United Airlines MileagePlus members can convert up to 100,000 miles into Marriott Bonvoy points per year at a slightly more attractive 1:1 ratio.
On the other hand, converting Marriott points to KrisFlyer miles may also not provide the best value. Specifically, Marriott Bonvoy members can convert their points into KrisFlyer miles at a ratio of 3:1. Marriott Bonvoy members receive an additional 5,000 KrisFlyer miles for every 60,000 Marriott points transferred.
Related: Marriott will end the 5,000-mile transfer bonus for its 4th airline program
Long transfer time
Also, it looks like these transfers can take some time to process. When transferring rewards from one program to another, time is of the essence. Transfers with no immediate processing could mean the reward space disappears, or in an era of dynamic pricing, the original price may no longer be valid.
When TPG started a test conversion to see how long it took for Singapore miles to become Marriott points, Singapore Airlines informed us that the conversion request could take up to four days.
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For that reason, converting Singapore Airlines miles to Marriott points won’t be your best bet for a highly coveted awards night, as inventory may disappear (or increase in price) before your account destination.
Related: Here’s what you should know before converting Marriott points to miles
When might you consider transferring KrisFlyer miles to Marriott Bonvoy?
Despite low transfer rates and long processing times, some people may consider converting KrisFlyer miles to Marriott Bonvoy points. This may only make sense in the following situations:
- You need to top up your Marriott account balance for a specific prize and be willing to wait up to four days for the transfer to be processed.
- You have orphaned KrisFlyer flight miles otherwise it will expire.
Remember, there are many ways to earn Marriott points does not always involve staying in a Marriott hotel. Some ways to earn Marriott points include dining at participating restaurants in Eat Around Town Program and earn points through a co-branded Marriott credit card.
Also, if you have orphaned Singapore Airlines miles, remember you can use your miles to travel with United Airlines and Alaska Airlines. If you find bonus space, reward Alaska Airlines one-way economy class from the West Coast to Hawaii only costs 12,000 miles to fly KrisFlyer.
In addition, Singapore cooperates with all major companies transferable currencyso you can always increase your account balance by transferring points from programs like American Express Membership Rewards and Chase the ultimate reward. And have many great uses of KrisFlyer miles — especially for premium cabins on Singapore private flights.
Related: Nothing better than this: Singapore Airlines A380 in business class from Frankfurt to New York
How to transfer KrisFlyer miles to Marriott
If either of these options work for you, converting your KrisFlyer miles to Marriott points is relatively straightforward.
- Log in to your KrisFlyer Singapore account and navigate to your account home page.
- Click “Miles”, then “Usage”.
- Scroll down to find Marriott Bonvoy under “Other redemption options”.
When you click that icon, you’ll likely get a prompt to verify your account with a one-time password. Then simply enter your Marriott number, note down the mileage you want to transfer, and follow the on-screen prompts.
Note that there is a minimum of 3,000 miles per transfer, and you can transfer up to 180,000 KrisFlyer miles per calendar year.
bottom line
Singapore Airlines and Marriott have expanded their partnership, allowing KrisFlyer members to transfer miles to Marriott Bonvoy at a 2:1 ratio. Unfortunately, these transfers take up to four days and will almost always result in a much lower conversion rate than TPG’s valuation of KrisFlyer miles.
If you have a tight budget for Singapore Airlines miles, consider taking a look other uses of KrisFlyer miles.
