Until 30 July 2025, American Express is offering up to 140,000 miles + S$50 cashback through its latest round of sign-up bonuses:
- AMEX KrisFlyer Ascend Credit Card: up to 40,000 miles
- AMEX The Platinum Card®: up to 100,000 miles = S$50 statement credits
These offers are open to both new and existing AMEX cardholders but in the right order, subject to eligibility criteria.
To put things in perspective, 140,000 KrisFlyer miles is enough for a round-trip Business Class flight from Singapore to Auckland on Singapore Airlines (Saver award, subject to availability).
Who’s Eligible?
To qualify for these offers, you must:
- Be either a new or existing AMEX customer
- Not have cancelled the specific card you’re applying for in the past 24 months
AMEX KrisFlyer Ascend Card
For New AMEX Customers: Up to 40,000 Miles + S$50 Cashback
- 32,600 bonus miles when you spend S$2,000 and pay the S$397.85 annual fee
- 5,000 miles awarded after your first transaction (if it’s your first SIA credit card)
- 2,400 miles from your S$2,000 spend (at 1.2 miles per dollar)
Total: 40,000 miles + S$50 cashback
For Existing AMEX Cardholders: Up to 30,000 Miles + S$50 Cashback
- 22,600 bonus miles when you spend S$2,000 and pay the S$397.85 annual fee
- 5,000 miles awarded after your first transaction (if it’s your first SIA credit card)
- 2,400 miles from your spend (at 1.2 miles per dollar)
Total: 30,000 miles + S$50 cashback
What Do You Get With the AMEX KrisFlyer Ascend?
The American Express Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer Ascend Credit Card comes with a number of perks that help offset its S$337.05 annual fee (S$397.85 inclusive of GST). Here’s a breakdown of what cardholders can expect:
AMEX KrisFlyer Ascend: Key Card Benefits
1. Complimentary Hilton Night Stay
- One free night each membership year at participating Hilton Asia-Pacific properties
- Value depends heavily on location:
- Hilton Singapore Orchard: ~S$350
- Hilton in secondary cities (e.g. China): ~S$100
- You can view the full list of participating hotels here.
Tip: Do not assume a flat S$350 value — check room rates before redeeming.
2. Fast Track to KrisFlyer Elite Gold
Between 1 February and 31 July 2025, both new and existing cardholders can qualify for KrisFlyer Elite Gold status faster by meeting the following spending requirements:
- Spend a total of S$16,000, of which at least S$6,000 must be on eligible Singapore Airlines or Scoot bookings.
- Those who qualify will receive an email from KrisFlyer confirming their Elite Gold upgrade at their registered email address by 31 October 2025.
With KrisFlyer Elite Gold, you’ll enjoy lounge access and a range of Star Alliance Gold privileges without the need to fly 50,000 Elite miles. Typically, reaching this tier requires earning 50,000 Elite miles in a year, but this promotion allows eligible cardholders to unlock these benefits through spending alone. But if you have the Platinum Card, it will also give you unlimited lounge access. Therefore this may not be necessary if you intend to apply for the Platinum Card.
3. No Conversion Fees
Unlike some banks, AMEX does not charge any fees when converting your Membership Rewards points or miles to KrisFlyer miles.
Is It Worth Paying the Annual Fee?
Let’s run some numbers.
Worst-Case Scenario:
Assume you redeem your free night at a lower-tier property worth S$100.
- Annual fee (incl. GST): S$397.85
- Value of Hilton stay: -S$100
- Net cost: S$297.85
Type of Cardholder | Miles Awarded* | Cost per Mile |
New cardholders | 37,600 miles | 0.79 cents |
Existing cardholders | 27,600 miles | 1.08 cents |
Best-Case Scenario
Assume you redeem your free night at a higher-end property worth S$300.
- Net cost: S$397.85 – S$300 = S$97.85
Type of Cardholder | Miles Awarded* | Cost per Mile |
New cardholders | 37,600 miles | 0.26 cents |
Existing cardholders | 27,600 miles | 0.35 cents |
*Assumes all spending requirements for welcome bonuses are met, and annual fee is paid.
Final Thoughts
If you’re able to:
- Maximise the Hilton free night at a high-value property
- Hit the spending thresholds for bonus miles
- Utilise the fast-track to KrisFlyer Elite Gold
then the AMEX KrisFlyer Ascend can offer very good value, particularly for new cardholders.
Even in the worst-case scenario, you’re still buying miles at a good valuation.
AMEX The Platinum Card
Get up to 100,000 miles in the form of Membership Rewards (MR) points, plus S$50 cashback when you spend $8,000 Qualifying Spend within the first 3 months of Card approval.
- 150,000 MR points (≈ 93,750 miles) after spending S$8,000 in 3 months + pay annual fee of S$1,744
- 10,000 base MR points (6,250 miles) from the S$8,000 spend
- Equals up to 100,000 miles + S$50 cashback
Bonus: S$50 Cashback for Both Cards
You’ll receive a S$50 statement credit after you:
- Pay the annual fee
- Make your first qualifying transaction within 1 month from card approval
Strategy: How to Maximise the Offers
To maximise value:
- Start with AMEX KrisFlyer Ascend if you’re new to AMEX:
- Get 40,000 miles + S$50 cashback
- Then consider applying for the The Platinum Card®:
- You’ll still get 100,000 miles, even as an existing cardholder
Why the sequence matters:
If you start with the Platinum Card® first, you’ll be treated as an existing customer for subsequent card sign-ups — reducing your Ascend bonus to 30,000 miles.
Final Thoughts:
AMEX is giving up to 100,000 miles with the Platinum Card®, which is their highest offer yet. But to get the most value, it’s better to apply for the AMEX KrisFlyer Ascend card first. As a new AMEX customer, you can get 40,000 miles from the Ascend card. Then, apply for the Platinum Card® to get the full 100,000 miles—since that offer is the same for both new and existing AMEX customers. If you do it the other way around and apply for the Platinum Card® first, you’ll only get 30,000 miles from the Ascend card later because you’ll be considered an existing customer. So, applying for the Ascend card first helps you earn more miles overall.
