Trip Report: Singapore to China – Find out how I earned 50k miles
- MilesWise
- Feb 25
- 4 min read
Updated: Mar 6
For my December 2024 getaway to China, Missus and I had the chance to experience multiple cities: Beijing, Shanghai, Hangzhou, Suzhou, Nanjing and Harbin. Beyond being a cultural adventure, this trip was also an opportunity to strategically earn miles through credit card spending. Here’s a breakdown of how we maximized our miles and some tips to help you do the same!
Flight Bookings: Business Class with Miles Earned
Our journey started with a business-class flight from Singapore to Shanghai, which we redeemed using KrisFlyer miles. While the flight was covered by miles, we had to pay for the taxes and surcharges. Here’s how we earned miles on the taxes:
Flight to Shanghai:
Total Spend: S$136
Card Used: UOB Lady’s (Solitaire) Card
Miles Earned: 136 x 6 = 816 miles
We also used Trip.com to purchase our return tickets from Harbin to Singapore and a internal flight.
Return + Internal Flight:
Total Spend: S$900
Card Used: UOB Lady’s (Solitaire) Card
Miles Earned: 900 x 6 = 5,400 miles
Total Miles Earned from Flights: 6,216 miles
Accommodation: Mostly Marriot
We primarily stayed at Marriott properties to make the most of my Platinum Elite status, which provides perks like free breakfast and potential room upgrades. For non-Marriott stays, we booked via Trip.com. We also experienced our first all-inclusive ski resort at Club Med Harbin. During November and December, DBS Altitude Visa/Amex had a 5 mpd promotion, reducing our cost per mile to as low as 0.65–0.6 cents per mile. Each card had a S$2,000 cap per calendar month, so we strategically split our spending across months.
For pre-paid stay (in SGD):
Total Spend: S$300
Miles Earned: 300 x 3 = 900 miles
For pre-paid stay (in CNY):
Total Spend: S$2,000
Miles Earned: 2,000 x 5 = 10,000 miles
For post-paid stay (in CNY):
Total Spend: S$3000
Card: DBS Altitude Visa
Miles Earned: 3,000 x 5 = 15,000 miles
Total Miles Earned from Accommodation: 25,900 miles
Train & Activities Bookings: Trip.com Again
For train tickets and activities like Disneyland Shanghai and Song Cheng, we once again used Trip.com, which is a great platform for booking travel in China.
Purchases:
Total Spend: S$2,000
Card Used: DBS Women's World Card (WWMC)
Miles Earned: 2,000 x 4 = 8,000 miles
Dining, Shopping & Misc: Alipay & WeChat Pay
In China, credit card usage is limited outside of major hotels and touristy restaurants. Instead, we relied on Alipay and WeChat Pay, both of which can be linked to Singapore-based credit cards for continued miles accumulation.
Similar to digital wallets in Singapore, the MCC (merchant category code) of transactions depends on the underlying merchant. However, Alipay transactions in particular can be unpredictable. To mitigate this, I opted for credit cards that award bonus miles based on foreign currency transactions rather than specific MCCs, such as UOB Visa Signature (VS) and DBS Altitude Visa.
Fee Management Tip:
Alipay charges a 3% fee for purchases over 200 CNY.
WeChat Pay had a promotion with a 3% fee only for purchases exceeding 1,000 CNY per day.
We prioritized WeChat Pay first, then switched to Alipay when necessary.
Pro Tip: Request vendors to split payments to stay below fee thresholds.
Once we maxed out the bonus mile caps on UOB Visa Signature (VS) and DBS Altitude Visa, we switched to Trust Cashback Card, which offers 0% foreign transaction fees and 1% cashback.
Dining, Shopping & Misc:
Total Spend: S$3,000
Card Used: UOB Visa Signature (VS), Trust Cashback
Miles Earned: 2,000 x 4 = 8,000 miles
Foreign Exchange Fees & Strategy
Using your credit card abroad often comes with foreign exchange (FX) fees, typically around 3.25% for transactions in foreign currencies. While this can add up, it also means you have the opportunity to earn more miles. For example, with a strategy of using cards that earn 3+ miles per dollar, I calculated that I was paying less than 1.08 cents per mile—a great value compared to my personal valuation of miles at 1.5 cents each.
For accurate cost estimates, you can use the:
Final Thoughts: Miles Earned and Tips for You
By the end of the month, we accumulated 48,116 miles at the end of the trip, close enough got another one-way business class flight to China! By applying some of these strategies, you’ll be surprised at how quickly miles add up—getting you closer to your next business class flight. Happy travels! ✈️🌏
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