Should I redeem My KrisFlyer Miles for Lady Gaga?
- MilesWise
- Mar 11
- 3 min read
Should I use my hard-earned KrisFlyer miles for a luxurious business-class seat to Tokyo, or do I exchange them for a ticket to see Lady Gaga belting out her new hits in the Singapore National Stadium? Let’s break it down before we go Gaga over this decision.
The Value of a KrisFlyer Mile
The miles community in Singapore generally agrees that a KrisFlyer mile is worth around 1.5 cents. This aligns with my own redemption experiences, where I’ve valued my flights at around 1.43 cents per mile. Depending on how you value business-class flights, a KrisFlyer mile can even go up to 2-3 cents.
Gaga, But at What Cost?
Now, let’s talk about the concert tickets. The official redemption rates are as follows:
Cat 1 Ticket: 42,000 miles
Cat 2 Ticket: 38,000 miles
Cat 3 Ticket: 32,000 miles
Cat 4 Ticket: 38,000 miles
Cat 5 Ticket: 30,000 miles
Cat 6 Ticket: 26,000 miles
A quick glance at Ticketmaster shows that concert tickets start from $148, with premium categories going for upwards of $400. If we do some quick math, even assuming a Cat 1 ticket is valued at $400, your miles would yield from 0.57 to 0.95 cents per mile. That’s even lower than using your miles for partial payment on a SQ revenue ticket, which offers 1.02 cents per mile.
Just to put this into perspective: a Japan Business Saver flight (52,000 miles) is equivalent to two Cat 6 tickets. Would you really trade a lie-flat seat, gourmet meals, and premium champagne for two seats at the stadium? After all, KrisFlyer miles weren’t Born This Way—they were made for premium flight redemptions.
When (and When Not) to Redeem for Gaga
Generally speaking, redeeming miles for concert tickets is a bad deal unless:
Your miles are expiring – If you have orphan miles that won’t get you anywhere meaningful, then sure, you might as well enjoy the show.
You’re a die-hard Gaga fan and you don’t see the point of redeeming business class flights – If you live and breathe Gaga, and the idea of missing this concert would haunt you for life, and just don’t care about flying in lie-flat seats while sipping champagne at 30,000 feet, then sure, go ahead and put your miles to work in a way that brings you joy.
The Existential Question: Why Collect Miles?
But let’s be real: if you’re trading miles for concert tickets, maybe it’s time to ask yourself, why am I even collecting miles? The whole point of this game is to unlock aspirational redemptions—not to get subpar value on event tickets. If your goal was never to fly in business or first class, maybe cashback cards would serve you better.
Final Verdict
If you’re looking for maximum value, stick to redeeming flights. But if Lady Gaga is your religion and you must see her at any cost, then go forth and redeem—just know you’re paying a premium for the experience. After all, as Gaga herself might say, "Pa-pa-pa-pa-poker face"—and in this case, your miles are the ones getting played.
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