Racking up miles isn’t about spending big; it’s about spending smart. Here are five credit cards to accelerate your miles collection. I’ve been collecting miles for just over six years now, and in that time I’ve learned a thing or two about speeding up the process. The truth is: you don’t need to spend big to accumulate miles; you just.
American Express KrisFlyer Credit Card
Apple AirPods with charging case (worth $239) or $180 cash5,000 KrisFlyer Miles1-night stay at the Conrad Centennial Singapore (worth $300++)$20 Dairy Farm Group Voucher
Apply by Apr 30 2021Spend $3,000 in the first three months
1.1mpd on local spend 3.1mpd on Grab (capped at $200 every month)12,000 Bonus KrisFlyer miles upon upgrade to KrisFlyer Ascend Credit CardReceive 3,000 KrisFlyer miles when you successfully refer a friend
American Express KrisFlyer Ascend
S$150 Dairy Farm Group voucher1-night stay at the Shangri-La Hotel (worth $450++)10,000 KrisFlyer milesS$20 Dairy Farm Group voucher
Spend $5,000 in the first three months
Min. annual income of $50,000Apply by April 30, 2021
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If the reward redemption value is less than the CPP of the hotel points, it wouldn’t be worth transferring miles to hotel points. Since hotel points are rare in Singapore, usually the best way to generate hotel points is to purchase them outright when they go on sale. For instance, IHG has previously run up to 100per cent bonus sales at U$1000 (S$1320) for 200,000 points, bringing the CPP down to US$0.50 (S$0.7).
2. Book your stay through travel portals
While booking directly with the hotel gives you quicker access to customer service in case of emergency, it may be worth booking your stay through travel portals once in a while to take advantage of promotions.
Cashback
Get a percentage of your spending back in the form of cash or rebates. It is credited back into your credit card account to offset your next purchase.
To earn higher cashback rates, some credit cards require you to spend a minimum amount each month. There could also be a cap to the amount of cashback you can earn.
Miles
Earn miles for every dollar you spend. Whether in economy class or first class, these miles can be used to redeem your next flight out of Singapore.
It takes time to accumulate sufficient miles to a destination outside of Southeast Asia, unless you spend big. Your miles might also expire before you have the chance to use them.