KrisFlyer v Virgin Flying Club
Mar 8, 2019, 2:20 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2019
Location: England
Programs: Qantas, Virgin Flying Club
Posts: 11
KrisFlyer v Virgin Flying Club
Hello everyone,
I'd like people's opinion on which FF program would be better for my situation, KrisFlyer or Virgin Flying Club, please.
Myself and my family will be flying to Australia on Singapore Airlines but we are not KrisFlyer members (yet). I am a Silver member of Virgin Flying Club and I see I can earn points while flying on Singapore Airlines.
Given that we will only fly once (maybe twice) a year is it better to start fresh with KrisFlyer, or to build on the Silver status I have with Virgin?
My aim is to earn enough points to pay for forward seats with Singapore, or maybe even upgrade to premium economy in the future. I don't fly enough these days to aspire to any kind of FFP status.
Many thanks for your help.
I'd like people's opinion on which FF program would be better for my situation, KrisFlyer or Virgin Flying Club, please.
Myself and my family will be flying to Australia on Singapore Airlines but we are not KrisFlyer members (yet). I am a Silver member of Virgin Flying Club and I see I can earn points while flying on Singapore Airlines.
Given that we will only fly once (maybe twice) a year is it better to start fresh with KrisFlyer, or to build on the Silver status I have with Virgin?
My aim is to earn enough points to pay for forward seats with Singapore, or maybe even upgrade to premium economy in the future. I don't fly enough these days to aspire to any kind of FFP status.
Many thanks for your help.
Mar 8, 2019, 3:40 pm
#2
Join Date: Apr 2002
Location: +61
Programs: SQ*PPS, QF-WP1 & LTG, VA-Gold, Marriott*LTT, Hilton*Gold, Accor*Platinum
Posts: 5,735
My view: stay with Virgin; your flight patterns unlikely to yield enough to upgrade any time soon:
- your flying patterns (2x /year) are unlikely to yield the # of points required to upgrade into the class of service you desire. If you're a big spender, it's 1.5x round trips to upgrade one-way into premium economy. If you're lowest cost it's 6x.
- LHR-SIN-SYD is ~10,600mi which you earn on Flexit On Economy Standard you earn 75%; Lite 50%
- LHR-SIN-SYD to upgrade to premium economy is 38k miles (from flexi), 63k from standard
- # of points required to upgrade very close to the # of points required to book business class direct ... not always worth it
- LHR-SIN-SYD to book direct into W is 91.5k (50% more)
Mar 8, 2019, 3:49 pm
#3
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: MEL CHC
Posts: 21,009
Patto17962 Welcome to FT
Stay with VS
Having multiple ffp’s with low balances is never a good idea. You may never get enough ff miles/points to be of use before they expire. Adding frequent miles in a ff program that you can use, are worth more than ff miles in an orphan ffp that you may never use, even if the earning rate is nominally better. FFP’s are for the medium to long term.
Be mindful of expiry Miles/Points that Do and Don't Expire. Click to open the wiki.
SQ have a 3 year hard expiry. Use them or loose them
VS have a 3 year expiry, but can be kept alive with eligible activity.
The grass in not always greener on the other side
I'd like people's opinion on which FF program would be better for my situation, KrisFlyer or Virgin Flying Club, please.
Myself and my family will be flying to Australia on Singapore Airlines but we are not KrisFlyer members (yet). I am a Silver member of Virgin Flying Club and I see I can earn points while flying on Singapore Airlines.
Given that we will only fly once (maybe twice) a year is it better to start fresh with KrisFlyer, or to build on the Silver status I have with Virgin?
My aim is to earn enough points to pay for forward seats with Singapore, or maybe even upgrade to premium economy in the future. I don't fly enough these days to aspire to any kind of FFP status.
Myself and my family will be flying to Australia on Singapore Airlines but we are not KrisFlyer members (yet). I am a Silver member of Virgin Flying Club and I see I can earn points while flying on Singapore Airlines.
Given that we will only fly once (maybe twice) a year is it better to start fresh with KrisFlyer, or to build on the Silver status I have with Virgin?
My aim is to earn enough points to pay for forward seats with Singapore, or maybe even upgrade to premium economy in the future. I don't fly enough these days to aspire to any kind of FFP status.
Having multiple ffp’s with low balances is never a good idea. You may never get enough ff miles/points to be of use before they expire. Adding frequent miles in a ff program that you can use, are worth more than ff miles in an orphan ffp that you may never use, even if the earning rate is nominally better. FFP’s are for the medium to long term.
Be mindful of expiry Miles/Points that Do and Don't Expire. Click to open the wiki.
SQ have a 3 year hard expiry. Use them or loose them
VS have a 3 year expiry, but can be kept alive with eligible activity.
The grass in not always greener on the other side
Mar 9, 2019, 1:53 pm
#5
Join Date: Sep 2017
Location: Between SFO and STS
Programs: Alaska MVP Gold, United Serf, Delta Gold
Posts: 731
It's also might be important to note that SQ flights earn fairly good tier points with Flying Club. That may get you closer to Gold on VS, which is a significant increase in benefits.
Someone can correct me if I'm wrong, but you'd earn 200 tier points round trip in economy LHR-SIN-SYD and 500 in business.
Someone can correct me if I'm wrong, but you'd earn 200 tier points round trip in economy LHR-SIN-SYD and 500 in business.
Last edited by DrAlex; Mar 9, 2019 at 2:23 pm
Mar 9, 2019, 2:54 pm
#6
Join Date: Sep 2005
Programs: Lifetime *G (MP), Lifetime PE (Bonvoy)
Posts: 1,465
I'm not quite sure what that means, but is it possible to use Virgin points for "forward" seats or upgrades on SQ? That said, I agree with the posters who have counselled sticking with Virgin
Mar 10, 2019, 12:08 pm
#7
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2019
Location: England
Programs: Qantas, Virgin Flying Club
Posts: 11
Thank you DrAlex for your advice, its good to know that I'll be earning a reasonable rate.
To answer your question RTWFF - As I only fly once or twice a year I realise that I won't accrue enough points to really get anywhere with flights or status, so I thought using the points to pay for the forward zone seats might be useful and save me some money. I'm not sure if Virgin points will pay for the forward zone seats, but I know that Kris Flyer points will. Thanks for your advice.
To answer your question RTWFF - As I only fly once or twice a year I realise that I won't accrue enough points to really get anywhere with flights or status, so I thought using the points to pay for the forward zone seats might be useful and save me some money. I'm not sure if Virgin points will pay for the forward zone seats, but I know that Kris Flyer points will. Thanks for your advice.