Lifetime Membership with SIA

[aasz1978]

I noted there is a Lifetime Membership available with SIA but it's almost impossible to earn it.

I need to fly with them in Business or First Class. Miles earned from Credit Card conversion don't count. Then I need to earn about 1000 flight sectors or 1,875,000 miles earned from flight only. That equates about 200 times Melbourne-Singapore in Business/First. That's about AUD$1m assuming AUD$5000 return trip.

And you can't buy it either... unlike QF Club.

Truly the most cunning and arrogant programme in the world.

So I wonder of any way to get around it......

 

[QF WP]

Yes, it's called Lifetime PPS - an extension of the exclusive PPS and Solitaire PPS membership.

As you said, qualification for PPS is difficult enough (50,000 credited flight miles or 25 flight sectors in First or Raffles Class on Singapore Airlines, or Business Class on SilkAir, within 12 consecutive months); whilst Solitaire qualification is 500,000 credited flight miles or 250 flight sectors in First or Business Class with Singapore Airlines or SilkAir. The pinnacle is Lifetime PPS - figures as you quoted for qualifying (however important to note that it's not 25 or 250 or 1,000 flights, but rather 25, 250 or 1,000 sectors - for example, a long haul flight in F of more than 6,214 miles is counted as 6 sectors).

Anyway around it - I'm sure there are, like being a close personal friend of the Chairman of SQ would be a start or a VVVIP. Other than that, I know there are members of Lifetime PPS around the world...certainly if you are important enough (Chairman of large multinational company, for example) and have to travel frequently in J or F, it would probably only take 8 year +.

It is of course, nothing like QP membership - it is more akin to Lifetime Gold or Lifetime Platinum (my pipe dream); however these have no J or F requirements - one could fly all in discount Y to achieve them with QF (not ath I'd recommend it ).

 

[straitman]

Anyway around it - I'm sure there are, like being a close personal friend of the Chairman of SQ would be a start or a VVVIP. Other than that, I know there are members of Lifetime PPS around the world...certainly if you are important enough (Chairman of large multinational company, for example) and have to travel frequently in J or F, it would probably only take 8 year +.

I guess that counts out us mere mortals :!:

CONGRATULATIONS ON 500 POSTS LINDSAY

 

[QF WP]

Indeed correct, Bill. Another pipe dream for me particularly (considering I've got about 4K points with SQ, but at least I can go to my grave knowing I've flown once in Raffles Class BKK/SIN and realise what I'm missing out on).

Thanks for the post count acclaim :arrow: I knew I was close but hadn't looked lately to see which post would take me over. 500 here and 3K at Flyertalk....

 

[straitman]

Indeed correct, Bill. Another pipe dream for me particularly (considering I've got about 4K points with SQ, but at leat I can say I've flown once in Raffles Class BKK/SIN to know what I'm missing out on)

I managed Singapore to Melbourne in First once and the service was absolutely wonderful. (outside the company guidelines these days) :evil:

I do however stand by my other comments that I'd rather a slightly lesser service combined with a greater certainty of arriving safely. :roll: From an industry perspective I'm in agreement with Shillard here and believe that SIA push the limits a little more than I prefer :!:

 

[aasz1978]

Clearly, I think SIA is either deliberately set forth to make PPS Life Membership as few as possible (which I think would be quite not clever since they have to provide first-class facilities that nobody will use because there are too few members) or they aren't aware that if they make it affordable, there will be more people joining it and use the facilities.

Think it this way. If I spent $4,000 on QF Life Membership, I would have incentive to travel QF all the time and that would bring them business. To me, I get to enjoy the QF life membership perks and from QF point of view, they have members paying $4,000 AND having people to pay premium for airfares (because QF airfares are bloody expensive anyway). Clearly, there is an advantage in making life membership more affordable.

I think SIA is unaware of the fact that Australia does allow sal sac for airlines club membership.

 

[Kiwi Flyer]

I noted there is a Lifetime Membership available with SIA but it's almost impossible to earn it.

I need to fly with them in Business or First Class. Miles earned from Credit Card conversion don't count. Then I need to earn about 1000 flight sectors or 1,875,000 miles earned from flight only. That equates about 200 times Melbourne-Singapore in Business/First. That's about AUD$1m assuming AUD$5000 return trip.

And you can't buy it either... unlike QF Club.

Truly the most cunning and arrogant programme in the world.

So I wonder of any way to get around it......

Yup very hard. That would be 200 round-trips MEL-SIN in business, or only :roll: 167 in first (or 80/67 respectively to Europe).

In terms of benefits its equivalent to lifetime WP status, maybe more.

 

[AlwaysUpThere]

What price Loyalty?

I understand Qantas' strategy - and that strategy was created in the years of stiff competition. Unfortunately for them, they're stuck with it. I believe Ansett started the lifetime tier and QF had to match!

I am an SQ PPS member and attained that after living in SIN for just six months and flying intra-Asia, because:

IMPORTANT: The sector counts mentioned are like a "sector point" as they actually credit you with more "sectors" depending on the length. Eg, MEL-SIN in J is worth 2.5 sectors! Return = 5. So that makes is much easier. SIN-HKG is 1.25 sectors etc.

Also of note is the Star Alliance flights credit and accrue towards Silver and Gold levels, but not PPS, Solitaire or Lifelime!

Tell me though. If you were a competitor of SQ trying to get corporate front end travellers from the Singapore market, what chance have you got when they see every flight not on SQ as makeing that lifetime membership further away? Your statement every month details how many mor sectors/miles you need to attain lifetime.

You need to be a PPS member for about 3 years to get Solitaire and 7-10 years to get lifetime. Just reqard for loyalty of custom - not of being able to circumvent the system, or pay $5k!

 

[Russell Corr]

I do however stand by my other comments that I'd rather a slightly lesser service combined with a greater certainty of arriving safely. :roll: From an industry perspective I'm in agreement with Shillard here and believe that SIA push the limits a little more than I prefer :!:

Can you expand on this for me?? :?

 

[serfty]

I do however stand by my other comments that I'd rather a slightly lesser service combined with a greater certainty of arriving safely. :roll: From an industry perspective I'm in agreement with Shillard here and believe that SIA push the limits a little more than I prefer :!:

Can you expand on this for me?? :?

I believe it's an oblique reference to Qantas Air Saftey record when compared with that of Singapore Air Lines.

 

[Kiwi Flyer]

You need to be a PPS member for about 3 years to get Solitaire and 7-10 years to get lifetime.

You must be flying SQ first/business a LOT to think it is only 7-10 years for lifetime status.

Not many folk do 200 RTs in business SQ MEL-SIN or equivalent in just 7 years!

 

[Kiwi Flyer]

Indeed if you flew the minimum each year for PPS it could take up to 10 years for Solitaire and 40 years for Lifetime Solitaire.

Of course many achieve the higher status more quickly, but I think 7 years for Lifetime Solitaire would be quite rare.

 

[Former Expat]

SQ PPS and Solitaire Membership

This conversation is highly amusing. The purpose for providing additional benefits to frequent flyers is just that ... they fly frequently.

As one who regularly averaged over 100 flights per annum internationally, and Pan-Asia, and could walk blindfolded throughout Changi, Hongqiao, KLIA, Ninoy Aquino and Don Muang airports, believe me we deserve it.

The irony is that we almost always never get to fully use the points for travel (nor do most have the desire!!!) so when we repatriate to Australia after 8 years, the "perks" we have received become useless, thanks to the downfall of the only Star Alliance carrier in Australia.

By looking through some of the posts (apologies to a few) I believe I have lost more points than many of you will ever earn (1,200,000+).

BAM

 

[straitman]

By looking through some of the posts (apologies to a few) I believe I have lost more points than many of you will ever earn (1,200,000+).

I'm happy for you to use some of your points to book some holiday trips for me.

 

[Wings]

SQ Membership

As has been pointed out it really does depend on your travel patterns - I started to use SQ three years ago with my business travel I achieved Solitare status in 20 months and am now about 18 months away from life membership.
One point to high light is that I rate the SQ flight redemption program as one of the best in the market I have never had trouble claiming any redemption tickets even to the extend of having a booking confirmed when I was 10000 miles short of the needed amount - the operator simply said that from my travel pattern she could see I would achieve the required mileage prior to the trip.

This is completely the opposite to Qantas - as a Platinum card holder I have extreme difficulty in claiming either flights or upgrades.

 

[Kiwi Flyer]

Welcome to AFF Wings

Wow at 5 years for life solitaire pps, that is roughly one RT from NZ to europe a month in first or business.

With a frequency like that ex AKL (I assume) I cant help but think we may have crossed paths somewhere, although I'm not in F (but sure enjoy the F lounge at SIN!)

With that kind of revenue, I'm not surprised SQ bends over backwards for you.

 

[Wings]

Thanks for the welcome - my travel pattern rather than a extra long haul flt per month I do two regional trips a month with a number of stops on each trip i.e Sin - Jkt - Mnl - China etc which racks up 30+ points per month.

Yes I do seem to live in the lounge in Singapore and have no doubt we've passed.

Cheers

 

[Kiwi Flyer]

wings - YHPM