Live | CIMB Offers 20% Bonus KrisFlyer Miles with Singapore Airlines

CIMB is rolling out yet another airline miles transfer promotion, this time offering a 20% bonus on Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer miles.

The campaign runs from 15 January 2026 to 15 March 2026 and is available on a first come, first served basis, subject to a limited pool of bonus miles.

Source: CIMB

If this feels like déjà vu, that’s because it is. Over the past year, CIMB has consistently rotated similar bonus conversion campaigns across different airline partners, including Etihad Guest, Cathay Pacific Asia Miles, and Qatar Airways Avios. KrisFlyer is simply the latest name on that list.

How the CIMB 20% KrisFlyer Bonus Promotion Works

To qualify for the bonus, you must convert a minimum of 150,000 CIMB Bonus Points in a single transaction via CIMB’s official conversion channels.

Source: CIMB

Here is how the math works out:

1. 150,000 CIMB Bonus Points converts into 10,000 KrisFlyer miles

2. You will receive an additional 20% bonus, which is 2,000 KrisFlyer miles

3. Total KrisFlyer miles received: 12,000

Each eligible cardholder is capped at a maximum of 10,000 bonus KrisFlyer miles throughout the campaign period. At the campaign level, CIMB has imposed an overall cap of 400,000 bonus KrisFlyer miles, allocated strictly on a first come, first served basis.

Once this pool is fully utilised, the promotion effectively ends, even if the campaign period is still ongoing.

The bonus KrisFlyer miles will be credited approximately 6 to 8 weeks after the end of the campaign period. As always, once CIMB Bonus Points are converted, the transaction is irreversible.

Is This Promotion Actually Good?

Short answer: yes, but only if you already know exactly what you are doing.

A 20% bonus on KrisFlyer miles is objectively decent eventhough the relative cap per cardholder (10,000 bonus KrisFlyer miles) is relatively low.

It improves the effective value of your conversion and is clearly better than converting under normal circumstances. However, this is not a no-brainer promotion that everyone should rush into.

First, CIMB runs these bonus transfer campaigns regularly. The partner changes, but the structure stays mostly the same. If you miss this one, odds are another will appear later, just tied to a different frequent flyer programme. This matters, because it means you are not “forced” to convert now unless you already have a reason to.

Second, the biggest risk here is not CIMB, but KrisFlyer redemptions.

Singapore Airlines Business Class Saver awards are notoriously difficult to secure, especially to high-demand destinations such as Tokyo and London. Saver seats are limited, competition is intense, and availability often disappears the moment it is released.

I've previously written about this briefly in my Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer AMEX Platinum article.

Yes, this problem exists across most airlines, but it is more pronounced with Singapore Airlines because the KrisFlyer ecosystem is huge. You are competing with an army of members, many of whom are sitting on miles balances far larger than yours and are ready to pounce the moment seats show up.

This is why preemptive checking is non-negotiable.

Before converting, you should already have checked award availability for your intended route and dates. Converting first and hoping something opens up later is how people end up stuck with miles they cannot use properly.

Finally, do not forget CIMB’s real advantage: flexibility.

CIMB's Frequent Flyer Partners

CIMB remains one of the few banks in Malaysia that lets you convert points into a wide range of airline partners. Once you move your points into KrisFlyer, you lose that optionality instantly, and the conversion is irreversible.

So unless your travel plans are confirmed and you are 100% sure you intend to redeem KrisFlyer miles for a sector you have already verified has Saver award space, it may be smarter to hold back. A 20% bonus is nice, but it is not worth trapping yourself in a programme you are not ready to redeem from, especially given the caps.

Final Thoughts

This promotion is best viewed as a tactical tool, not a reason to speculatively hoard KrisFlyer miles.

If you already have a clear redemption plan, have checked Saver award availability, and were going to convert points anyway, then taking the 20% bonus is a sensible move. Just make sure your KrisFlyer name and membership details match exactly, because the burden is on you to ensure the miles land correctly.

If, on the other hand, you are converting simply because the word bonus is dangling in front of you, you are far better off doing nothing. CIMB runs these campaigns often, and the best perk of CIMB’s ecosystem has always been the freedom to choose between multiple airline programmes based on what actually has seats.

In the airline miles game, flexibility is often worth more than a one-time bonus. Use this promotion only when it fits your plan, not when it creates one.