SQ website blocking award searches for accounts with zero KrisFlyer miles

[kpc]

Went to see what Aaron of MileLion (who knows everything about Sq's KrisFlyer) had to say about this:

Singapore Airlines adds new restrictions on award searching - The MileLion

KrisFlyer members now require a minimum balance of 1,000 miles to search for awards, as SIA seeks to clamp down on automated queries from award search tools.

milelion.com

 

[anat0l]

Won't this all just backfire on them? Their call centres will be flooded by people wanting to confirm seat availability before transferring points over.

Who the <insert word here> calls the call centre to inquire about seat availability?

If it is you specifying the date and flight, fair (fare?) enough. If you're just expecting the agent to do the legwork for you, especially if your balance doesn't meet a threshold, I think you'll be told to go jump.

Reducing redemptions and, in the long run, reducing overall engagement in the program!

The reduction in engagement might just be that from the type of people that they may feel comfortable in jettisoning. For all we know, their PPS and PPS Solitaire members may be thinking the same thing.


I have zero miles right now, so I won't be able to search a thing. But I can respect this decision by SQ. I wonder if they were contemplating something similar to a recent QR change which requires someone to credit one flight to its programme before you can search for multiple seats (let alone do any searches).

 

[HeavyElectricity]

I've had 1400 miles in my account for a while, with ~200 due to expire in September. But the website won't let me search for reward seats, and says I don't have enough.

 

[Mattg]

I've had 1400 miles in my account for a while, with ~200 due to expire in September. But the website won't let me search for reward seats, and says I don't have enough.

I guess we'll have to wait for Milelion to get a straight answer from Singapore Airlines as to what the actual requirement is (and why).

This does seem like a rather regressive step at a time when most programs are making it easier than ever to search for reward seats. Heck, Qantas just launched a free, publicly available reward seat finder!

I guess the upshot is that KrisFlyer still genuinely has reasonable award availability, and it wants to protect that. But if genuine program users can't get access to finding it, that's a genuine issue.

 

[rurounimaikeru]

Kinda annoying as don't like having to transfer Vel points as a search 'fee'.

I guess we'll see some threads pop up soon with requests for other users to search for others....

 

[kpc]

Went to see what Aaron of MileLion (who knows everything about Sq's KrisFlyer) had to say about this:

Singapore Airlines adds new restrictions on award searching - The MileLion

KrisFlyer members now require a minimum balance of 1,000 miles to search for awards, as SIA seeks to clamp down on automated queries from award search tools.

milelion.com

Sq not disclosing the threshold for award searches (from above article):

Story update #2:

A Singapore Airlines spokesperson has provided the following statement:

Singapore Airlines (SIA) has introduced additional safeguards on KrisFlyer award search to ensure a smooth and reliable experience for KrisFlyer members, and to protect our systems from automated and repetitive search activity that can impact the user experience for our members.

We regret that we are unable to share the specific thresholds or criteria, as these are part of our internal security controls.

Most members searching for award flights should not be impacted by these additional safeguards.

Members who encounter difficulties booking award flights may contact SIA for assistance.

 

[Tiki]

Who the <insert word here> calls the call centre to inquire about seat availability?

If it is you specifying the date and flight, fair (fare?) enough. If you're just expecting the agent to do the legwork for you, especially if your balance doesn't meet a threshold, I think you'll be told to go jump.

People using transferable points like Amex, US banks like Chase, even Velocity.

The phone call (in absence of online searching) would go like this: Hello, do you have J class award on 15 May? No. How about 16 May. No. When is the first one available after that. 18 May. OK close enough, thanks. Hang up, transfer points, book seat.

Or Answer B, 15 June. No thanks too late. Keep points in bank, look for alternative like Avios or something. No one wants to get points stranded in any airline if they can't book their award. Velocity doesn't get access until at least a month after SQ members do so that's not really a help.

Anyway at lest I got my trip for next year booked so I don't have to worry about it until next year. But it seems there must be a more reasonable way to block seat search sites like Seats.Aero and such that aren't so drastic? At least grandfather in long time established accounts with history of flights booked in the name of the account holder. These days 1000 SQ cost 3000 Amex so not that cheap!

 

[serfty]

No issues at all searching with a zero point balance for me in the App around 2 minutes ago.

I suspect Singapore Air feel they can have more control and input to the logic of app based searches.

 

[anat0l]

People using transferable points like Amex, US banks like Chase, even Velocity.

The phone call (in absence of online searching) would go like this: Hello, do you have J class award on 15 May? No. How about 16 May. No. When is the first one available after that. 18 May. OK close enough, thanks. Hang up, transfer points, book seat.

Or Answer B, 15 June. No thanks too late. Keep points in bank, look for alternative like Avios or something. No one wants to get points stranded in any airline if they can't book their award. Velocity doesn't get access until at least a month after SQ members do so that's not really a help.

Anyway at lest I got my trip for next year booked so I don't have to worry about it until next year. But it seems there must be a more reasonable way to block seat search sites like Seats.Aero and such that aren't so drastic? At least grandfather in long time established accounts with history of flights booked in the name of the account holder. These days 1000 SQ cost 3000 Amex so not that cheap!

If we could just check on availability by calling them, why are we wasting time going through repeated multiple searches doing it ourselves??

As a corollary, then why is this any drama?

(....depending on how long it takes for a non-status member to reach an agent via phone...)