Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer Launches New ‘Access’ Award Rates: Pay More Miles for Confirmed Seats

Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer members now have a new way to redeem miles, but it’ll cost you. As of November 1, 2025, the airline introduced “Access” awards, a new redemption tier that guarantees an award seat when Saver and Advantage levels are sold out.

The catch? Expect to pay roughly 2x-3x more miles than the lowest Saver rate.

Here’s what you need to know about Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer’s new “Access” award tier.

Inside KrisFlyer’s New ‘Access’ Awards

A few months ago, Singapore Airlines alerted members that a KrisFlyer devaluation was coming, with most Saver and Advantage award rates increasing — plus a brand-new redemption tier launching at the same time.

Those changes officially took effect on November 1, 2025, bringing updated award prices across cabins and the debut of the new “Access” tier.

The new Access tier essentially guarantees that KrisFlyer members can book an award seat on Singapore Airlines–operated flights (permitting that seats are available) when Saver and Advantage space isn’t available. In exchange for that guaranteed availability, you’ll pay substantially more miles through this dynamic pricing model, depending on the route and cabin.

Now that the new rates are live, we have a clearer picture of how Access awards are priced — and just how steep the premium is compared to traditional Saver and Advantage levels.

How Much More Do the New “Access” Awards Cost?

Let’s take Singapore Airlines’ most popular U.S. fifth-freedom route — New York (JFK) to Frankfurt (FRA) — as an example. The cost for a Saver economy award recently increased from 25,000 to 27,500 miles one-way, which wasn’t a surprise since Singapore Airlines had already announced a modest bump.

What’s new, however, is the introduction of the Access award tier. On this same route, those awards now start at 70,500 miles in economy — more than 2.5x the cost of a saver ticket.

The new Access Award rates also impact premium cabins. A business-class Access award on the JFK-FRA route now starts at 152,500 miles one-way, which is almost double the Saver rate.

And if you’re eyeing first class, brace yourself: The difference between a Saver and an Access award is massive: 3.2x greater, climbing all the way up to 344,000 miles one-way.

Another popular Singapore Airlines fifth-freedom route from the U.S. — Los Angeles (LAX) to Tokyo Narita (NRT) — follows a similar pattern.

Business-class awards prices cost nearly double, jumping from 114,000 miles (Saver) to 214,000 miles (Access).

While these higher-priced Access awards guarantee a seat when Saver or Advantage space isn’t available, they come at a steep premium in miles.

Final Thoughts

The introduction of Access awards gives KrisFlyer members more redemption certainty — but it comes with less value. For flexible travelers, Saver awards — the lowest-cost KrisFlyer award tier — remain the sweet spot.

If you need to fly on specific dates or routes, Access awards can be an expensive but practical fallback. Either way, it’s a clear sign that KrisFlyer is moving toward more dynamic, revenue-style pricing — and that booking early still pays off.