I’d imagine that most of us have faster-growing balances with Velocity Frequent Flyer than we do with KrisFlyer, given the wider breadth of Velocity points earn opportunities in and around New Zealand, including those who frequently fly Trans-Tasman and to the South Pacific.
A unique feature of Velocity and KrisFlyer is the ability to transfer points between the two programmes at a ratio of 1.55:1.
However, whether you use one programme or another will depend on the specific Singapore Airlines redemption you have in mind – and you’ll need to compare the costs in both Velocity and KrisFlyer to calculate. This guide aims to show you how.
We have updated this guide to reflect the recent devaluation between the transfer rate of Velocity Points and Krisflyer Miles.
Two important points
Firstly, Singapore Airlines releases more award space to its own KrisFlyer members than to its partners, e.g. Air New Zealand and Velocity, so what you see as available on the KrisFlyer website might not be bookable elsewhere.
That means while it may not make sense by a points-by-points comparison to transfer your points to KrisFlyer, limited availability through Velocity may mean that you have to transfer your points to KrisFlyer in order to secure that seat.
Secondly, on the routes researched, taxes charged by KrisFlyer were less than $5 above those charged by Velocity, so we can just make a comparison based on the difference in points pricing.
From 1 January 2019, Velocity award redemptions on Virgin Australia became more expensive due to added ‘Carrier Charges’.
First and Suites Class
If you want to travel in Singapore Airlines First Class or Suites Class, it can pay to do your calculations comparing what it would cost to redeem directly through Velocity versus transferring to KrisFlyer.
As you can see from the table below, a direct redemption through Velocity will work out cheaper than a transfer to KrisFlyer:
| From Singapore to | KrisFlyer miles needed | Velocity points needed | Velocity points transferred to KrisFlyer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hong Kong | 40,500 | 56,000 | 62,775 |
| Shanghai | 53,000 | 56,000 | 82,150 |
| Beijing/Mumbai/Delhi | 53,000 | 78,000 | 82,150 |
| Auckland | 85,000 | 114,000 | 131,750 |
| Frankfurt/Paris/London | 125,000 | 134,000 | 193,750 |
| New York | 132,000 | 203,000 | 204,000 |
| Between Frankfurt and New York | 86,000 | 95,000 | 133,300 |
You can find more information in our full guide on using your points to book Singapore Airlines First Class/Suites Class
Note that if you don’t have a substantial Velocity Points balance from flying, and you hold your points in another currency (i.e. American Express Membership Rewards), you’ll see from the above that you’ll always be better off converting your points to KrisFlyer direct – and it goes without saying that you should be skipping Velocity altogether.
Business, Premium Economy and Economy Class
To work out which airline is best for redeeming your points for these cabins, I’ve compared the pricing of one-way Singapore-operated flights from Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch to three destinations: Singapore, Tokyo and London.
An example of what we’re aiming for: the best value way to travel in Singapore Airlines Business Class, here one of their regional Boeing 777s
| From Auckland/Wellington/Christchurch to | KrisFlyer miles needed | Velocity points needed | Velocity points transferred to KrisFlyer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Singapore (Economy) | 28,000 | 42,000 | 43,710 |
| Singapore (Premium Economy) | 47,000 | 63,000 | 72,850 |
| Singapore (Business) | 58,000 | 78,000 | 89,900 |
| Tokyo (Economy) | 42,000 | 65,000 | 65,100 |
| Tokyo (Premium Economy) | 71,500 | 97,500 | 110,825 |
| Tokyo (Business) | 83,000 | 121,000 | 128,650 |
| London (Economy) | 53,000 | 75,000 | 82,150 |
| London (Premium Economy) | 91,500 | 112,500 | 141,825 |
| London (Business) | 105,000 | 139,000 | 162,750 |
My conclusions
Based on these examples, it seems that:
- On a points-by-points basis, KrisFlyer redemptions on Singapore Airlines flights are always cheaper than Velocity redemptions.
- While keeping your points in Velocity for First and Suites Class redemptions seems to work most of the time, transferring them to Krisflyer could be cheaper on some routes
How to do your own comparison: an example
Step 1: Find your desired route and cabin on the Velocity award chart (Table 2 for Singapore Airlines redemptions) and KrisFlyer award chart
Step 2: Write down the two prices, e.g. a one-way Business Class seat to London will cost you 139,000 Velocity points or 105,000 KrisFlyer miles
Step 3: Multiply the KrisFlyer price by 1.55 to see how many Velocity points you’d need to transfer, i.e. 105,000 KrisFlyer miles x 1.55 = 162,750 Velocity points
Step 4: If that pricing is higher than booking through Velocity, then you should book through Velocity. If it is lower, then you should transfer your Velocity points to KrisFlyer.
Summing up
It pays to do your research, especially now that the transfer rate between the two programmes have been devalued.
If you don’t have the time to though, chances are you’re better keeping your Velocity points where they are for most Singapore Airlines redemptions, although the figures could vary for First and Suites Class awards on some routes.
Though if you’re lucky enough to have a KrisFlyer balance, such as from spend with an American Express Membership Rewards credit card, then you’ll (almost always) pay less overall then redeeming through Velocity.
