How to Upgrade from Economy to Premium Economy Using KrisFlyer Miles

You have booked your Singapore Airlines Economy ticket, but as the departure date inches closer, that 14-hour flight is starting to look a little daunting. You check your account and see a healthy stash of KrisFlyer miles sitting there. The natural next thought is: can I use these miles to bump myself up to Premium Economy?

The short answer is yes. The longer answer is that Singapore Airlines has some very specific rules about who gets to upgrade, which tickets are eligible, and whether it is actually a good use of your hard-earned miles.

Here is your complete guide to navigating the KrisFlyer upgrade system and securing that wider seat.

The Golden Rule: Your Fare Class Dictates Everything

The single biggest mistake travelers make is buying the absolute cheapest Economy ticket and assuming they can throw miles at it later to get an upgrade. Singapore Airlines does not allow this.

Whether you can upgrade your seat depends entirely on the "fare bucket" or ticket type you originally purchased.

Here is how it breaks down for Economy tickets:

• Economy Lite and Economy Value: These tickets are strictly non-upgradable with miles. If you bought the cheapest promotional fare, you are locked into that cabin.
• Economy Standard (Booking Classes M, H, W): Eligible for upgrades using miles.
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• Economy Flexi (Booking Classes Y, B, E): Eligible for upgrades using miles, and it will cost you significantly fewer miles to upgrade than a Standard ticket.

Before you do anything else, check your e-ticket receipt. Look for the single letter next to your Economy class indicator. If it is an M, H, W, Y, B, or E, you are in the clear.

Note: You also cannot upgrade codeshare flights. Your ticket must be operated by Singapore Airlines.

How to Process Your KrisFlyer Upgrade

If your ticket is eligible, executing the upgrade is a straightforward process online.

1. Log into Manage Booking: Head to the Singapore Airlines website or app and pull up your itinerary using your booking reference and last name.
2. Look for the Upgrade Link: If your flight features a Premium Economy cabin and your fare class is eligible, you will see an option to "Upgrade Flights."
3. Choose Your Payment Method: You will be given the option to pay with cash (mySQupgrade) or KrisFlyer miles. Select the miles option.
4. Select Saver or Advantage: Singapore Airlines offers two tiers of award pricing. "Saver" awards cost fewer miles but have highly limited availability. "Advantage" awards cost more miles but offer much more seat availability.
5. Confirm and Select Your Seat: If space is available, the miles will be deducted immediately, your ticket will be reissued in Premium Economy, and you can go ahead and select your new seat.

The Catch: Understanding Upgrade Availability

Just because there are empty Premium Economy seats on the seat map does not mean you can upgrade into them.

Singapore Airlines strictly controls upgrade inventory. Upgrades draw from the exact same limited inventory pool as outright award ticket redemptions. If there are no Saver award seats left for someone trying to book a completely free ticket from scratch, there are no Saver upgrade seats available for you, either.

If no immediate upgrades are available, you might be given the option to "Waitlist." This means your miles are temporarily set aside. If a seat opens up closer to departure, your upgrade will clear. If it doesn't clear, your miles are refunded, and you fly in your original Economy seat.

Is Upgrading with Miles Actually Worth It?

This is where the math gets interesting. Using miles to upgrade is generally not considered the absolute best "cents per mile" value in the frequent flyer world, but it can still make perfect sense depending on your situation.

When you upgrade a cash ticket, you are essentially paying for the flight twice: once with your credit card (the base Economy fare) and once with your miles (the upgrade cost).

However, upgrading is a fantastic option if:

• Your company paid for the ticket: If you are traveling for work and your employer covered the base Economy fare, using your personal miles to make the trip comfortable is a massive win.
• You are miles-rich but cash-poor: If you have more miles than you know what to do with, preserving your cash while saving your knees is a fair trade.
• You want to earn elite status: When you upgrade with miles, you still earn elite qualifying miles (and standard KrisFlyer miles) based on your original paid Economy ticket. Outright award bookings, on the other hand, earn zero miles.

If you are paying entirely out of pocket, you are often better off saving your miles to book an outright Premium Economy or Business Class award ticket from scratch next time, rather than buying an expensive Economy Standard cash ticket just to upgrade it.

The Bottom Line

Upgrading to Premium Economy using KrisFlyer miles is a great way to make a long-haul flight significantly more comfortable, provided you bought the right ticket class to begin with. The extra legroom, enhanced recline, and exclusive "Book the Cook" meal service can completely transform your travel day.

If you are still weighing your options and wondering what exactly you get when you move up a class, be sure to read our companion guide: Singapore Airlines Economy vs Premium Economy: Is the upgrade worth it?.