2025 Card Review: AMEX KrisFlyer Ascend Card

The AMEX KrisFlyer Ascend 2025 refresh is here, and well... let’s just say it’s not exactly setting the miles-chasing world on fire. Instead of an exciting overhaul, we’re getting what feels like a nerf—with an annual fee increase for good measure.

AMEX KrisFlyer Ascend Card: MileWise Card Rating for 2025

☐ Core Card to Use 🔥

☐ Use Only When There Is a Promotion 🎯

☑ Apply Only for Sign-Up Bonus (SUB) 💰

☐ Don't Bother Applying 🚫

MileWise Commentary: With so many competitive miles cards on the market, any refresh should bring meaningful improvements. Instead, the Ascend’s 2025 update delivers a fee hike, lounge access cuts, and a downgrade to its Hilton perk. While AMEX cards are known for their customer service and exclusive perks, this update raises serious questions about whether the Ascend still deserves a place in your wallet.

Key Features of AMEX KrisFlyer Ascend Card

• Miles Earn Rates:

• 1.2 mpd on local spend

• 2.0 mpd on foreign currency spend

• 2.0 mpd on Grab , capped at S$200/month

• 2.0 mpd on SIA Group transactions (but you could easily earn 4mpd on these cards)

• Hilton Perk: Complimentary 1-night at selected Hilton properties

• Annual Fee: S$397.85, non-waivable for the first year but waivable from the second year onwards (but you will need to give up on the complimentary hotel voucher for the upcoming membership year.)

• Convulted new feature called Miles Redemption Vouchers (MRVs)

• Foreign Spend MRV: Spend S$10,000 in FCY (1 Nov 2024 – 31 Oct 2025) to get 18,000 miles.

• Renewal MRV: Pay S$397.85 annual fee (2nd year onwards) to get 10,000 miles.

• MRVs aren’t credited as KrisFlyer miles; they only offset redemption flight costs or upgrades.

• Work as rebates, not discounts – You must have the full miles required before applying an MRV.

• Only one MRV per booking, valid for Singapore Airlines-operated flights only.

• Not worth chasing due to high opportunity cost and restrictive usage rules.

• Fast track to KrisFlyer Elite Gold when cardholders spend at least S$15,000 on Singapore Airlines or Scoot ticket purchases within the first 12 months of card approval.

• AMEX Pay: Lets you earn miles at QR-code-only merchants like hawker stalls and wet markets. But let’s be real—how much are you really getting from a S$5 bowl of noodles at 1.2 mpd? A grand total of 5 miles. You’d need to eat a lot more bowls to make it out of Singapore.

• All miles earned on the AMEX KrisFlyer Ascend will be credited directly to your KrisFlyer account without any trasnfer fees. You can typically expect to see them credited around the end of your statement period. 

Who Should Use the AMEX KrisFlyer Ascend Card?

• People who love AMEX Offers (seriously, some are good!)

• Miles Maximizers: Those who refuse to leave miles on the (hawker) table, because every mile counts—after all, a thousand-mile journey starts with one mile.

• Newbies who think “KrisFlyer” on the card means “best miles rates” (spoiler alert: it doesn’t).
  

Follow These Tips to Maximise Your Miles from the AMEX KrisFlyer Ascend Card:

• Look Out for Sign-Up Bonuses. This card’s best use case is a juicy sign-up bonus

• Sock Drawer It ASAP – After milking the welcome offer, put this card in hibernation until a good AMEX promo rolls around.
  

Final Thoughts: Should You Get the AMEX KrisFlyer Ascend Card?

If you’re serious about earning miles, this isn’t the card for you. The 2025 refresh feels more like a devaluation, with reduced perks and an unimpressive earn rate. Unless you get a fee waiver, it’s hard to justify keeping this card beyond the first year. So, what do you think? Are you keeping this zombie card in your wallet, or is it time to put it out of its misery? Let me know in the comments/poll!

Enjoyed this article? Find more tips to accelerate your miles game! ✈️💳

📌 Beginner’s Guide: How should I start my miles journey?

📌 My 2025 Credit Card Strategy for Maximizing Miles 

📌 2025 Beginner’s Guide: The Best 4-6 mpd Credit Cards in Singapore

📌 How much is a KrisFlyer mile worth in 2025? 

📌 Fly to Bali for Free? The Stopover Trick That Gets You 2 Flights for the Price of 1!

Survey: AMEX KrisFlyer Ascend Card

AMEX KrisFlyer Ascend Card Technical specifications

If you’ve found my work helpful or valuable, I’d be incredibly grateful if you’d consider supporting me by buying me a coffee! ☕ Your support will keep me motivated and fuels more great content.