Refreshed DBS Altitude Card offers Higher Mileage Earn Rates and Travel Benefits

The DBS Altitude Card underwent a product refresh back on 01 August 2023 with upsized mileage accrual rates on general spending. The card continues to offer travel benefits (e.g. lounge access) for eligible cardholders, with the ability to earn up to 6 and 10 miles per dollar on travel bookings made on Expedia and Kaligo respectively. There are several attractive ongoing travel promotions that you should consider taking advantage of, but if you do not already have a DBS Altitude Card, you may get up to 37,000 miles as an eligible new-to-card DBS customer.

Photo Credit: DBS Singapore

Refreshed Earn Rate (1.3 MPD on Local Currency Spend | 2.2 MPD on Foreign Currency Spend)

Both versions of the DBS Altitude Card (with slightly different travel benefits) now offer 1.3 mpd and 2.2 mpd on local and foreign currency spend respectively - up from 1.2 mpd and 2.0 mpd previously.

According to the existing terms and conditions, DBS Altitude Cardholders will earn the following miles (in the form of DBS Points which are awarded for every S$5 spent on a per transaction basis):

• 1.3 mpd (in the form of 3.25 DBS Points for every S$5 local spend)

• 2.2 mpd (in the form of 5.5 DBS Points for every S$5 overseas spend, made in foreign currency)

Even though DBS Points are issued for every S$5 block of spend, you will in fact earn points for spend under S$5 due to the way it is being calculated. For example, a S$4.99 spend on a card issued by a competing local bank typically earns no points or cashback but in the case of the DBS Altitude Card, that same charge will earn 3 DBS Points (equivalent to 6 miles). The calculation is as follows:

With up to 2.2 mpd on retail spend, DBS Altitude Card is the fastest way to turn your daily spending into miles that never expire.

Benefits for DBS Altitude Visa and American Express® Card

Photo Credit: DBS Singapore

 There are two versions of the DBS Altitude Card - Visa and American Express® - but only the Visa version comes with two free lounge visits per membership year. These visits are offered through the Priority Pass™ network and they allow cardholders to access over 1,400 participating airport lounges around the world regardless of cabin class - you may also choose your lounge entitlement with a guest but do note that additional visits will be subject to a fee of USD 35 per person per visit.

 While the DBS Altitude American Express® Card does not offer any lounge benefits for the cardholders, it does come with an exclusive Mr and Mrs Smith SilverSmith membership (valued at S$200 per year) which comes with the following benefits:

• 2% loyalty money back on all hotel bookings, to spend on future stays

• A free gift on arrival, including bottles of champagne, spa treatments and picnic lunches

• Priority booking on Smith Exclusive offers

• Discounted access to over 600 airport lounges

• Expert travel specialists available 24/7

​Participating properties in Singapore include Capella Singapore, The Barracks Hotel Sentosa, and The Warehouse Hotel - SilverSmith members will enjoy exclusive welcome amenities at these properties alongside a 2% loyalty cashback on eligible stays. 

Earn More Miles with Travel

Regardless of which version of the DBS Altitude Card you hold, you will be able to earn up to 10 miles per dollar on eligible hotel bookings made on Kaligo, and up to 6 miles per dollar on selected travel expenses (i.e. flight, hotel, and travel packages) via Expedia.

Photo Credit: InterContinental ANA Tokyo

Earning 10 miles per dollar on all eligible hotel bookings is simple - all you have to do is to book via Kaligo and select DBS Altitude Card as your preferred payment method. The equivalent DBS Points will be awarded based on the total spend charged to your credit card (including applicable taxes) so you will earn 10 miles per dollar on the final sum, capped at the first S$5,000 per calendar month.

 To illustrate this, consider two nights at the InterContinental ANA Tokyo which is going for approximately S$659.40++ (S$782.70 nett) in February 2024 at the time of writing - you will earn 10 miles per dollar on the total spend of S$782.70 which brings your total earn rate to an impressive 7,820 miles.

The DBS Altitude Card also allows cardholders to earn up to 6 miles per dollar on eligible flight, hotel, or travel package bookings made via Expedia. This promotion is valid through 31 March 2024 and full payments must be charged to a DBS Altitude Visa Signature Card or DBS Altitude American Express® Card. Do note that the list of participating airlines is subject to changes by Expedia from time to time but at the time of writing, they are as follows:

• Cambodia Airways

• China Eastern Airlines

• Eva Air

• Finnair

• Garuda Indonesia

• Gulf Air

• Hawaiian Airlines

• Korean Air

• Myanmar International Airways

• Qatar Airways

• Sri Lankan Airlines

• Thai Airways International

• Turkish Airlines

• Xiamen Airlines

DBS Altitude Cardholders will earn up to 1.3 miles per dollar on local currency spend, and an additional 4.7 miles per dollar on qualifying spend which is capped at S$5,000 per calendar month (regardless of the number of supplementary cardholders, if applicable) - bonus miles (awarded in the form of DBS Points) will be awarded to the eligible Card Account within 45 days after the end of each spend period:

• 01 October to 31 December 2023

• 01 January to 31 March 2024

Additional Travel Benefits

You may enjoy exclusive travel deals and benefits with your DBS Altitude Card and these offers are subject to change from time to time:

• 12% off hotel bookings on Agoda (book by 31 December 2023)

• Up to 10% off flight bookings on Japan Airlines (book by 31 December 2023)

• 10% off flight bookings on Qantas (book by 31 December 2023)

• Up to 25% off Pan Pacific Hotels Group stays (by 31 December 2023)

• S$100 off flight bookings on Air France/KLM from Singapore to USA, Europe, and Canada (book by 31 December 2023)

• 1-for-1 Travel Deals on Klook (by 31 December 2023) & KKday (by 31 January 2044)

• Up to 60% off TravellerShield Plus (by 31 December 2023)

The 25% savings across participating properties in the Pan Pacific Hotels Group is a fantastic one to take advantage of - especially if you have elite status in the Pan Pacific DISCOVERY loyalty program. 

Redemption of DBS Points

DBS Altitude Cards earn DBS Points that pool with different DBS Credit Cards (e.g. the DBS Woman’s World Card which is one of the best credit cards in Singapore for miles) but more importantly, DBS Points earned on the DBS Altitude Card have no expiry and they are valid so long as your account is valid and your credit card is in good standing. 

DBS Points accumulated on the DBS Altitude Card can be used to redeem a range of items including cash credit and shopping or dining vouchers, offset your purchases, or converted to miles. If you would like to redeem your DBS Points for miles, there are four frequent flyer programs that you may choose from:

• 5,000 DBS Points = 10,000 KrisFlyer miles / 10,000 Asia Miles / 10,000 Qantas Points

• 500 DBS Points = 1,500 airasia points

DBS Points can be converted into frequent flyer miles at the above ratio, each conversion is subject to a S$27.00 administrative fee (inclusive of GST) - this fee is waived for conversions to airasia points until 31 December 2023. Upon successful redemption, miles conversion requests are sent to the airlines and will require 1-2 weeks to process.

DBS/POSB Power Up Your Travels Promotion

Photo Credit: DBS Singapore

To earn extra miles on top of your existing card rewards, don’t forget to register for DBS/POSB Power Up Your Travels Promotion via DBS PayLah! Simply hit the minimum spend of S$800 on pre-trip travel bookings to unlock the Rewards Booster which gives you up to an extra 2 miles per dollar (capped at 5,600 miles) on overseas spend. 

DBS 25 Million Miles Giveaway - 1 September 2023 to 31 January 2024

 In addition to the DBS/POSB Power Up Your Travels promotion that is currently running, there is also a separate DBS 25 Million Miles Giveaway where you can win up to 300,000 miles. Registration is not required for this promotion. Simply spend with any DBS Points earning Credit Card on travel bookings or overseas to earn chances in the draw:

• 1x Chance for every S$100 spent on pre-travel bookings (e.g. flights and hotels)

• 10x Chances for every S$100 spent overseas (in foreign currency)

There are a total of 475 prizes to be won in the DBS 25 Million Miles Giveaway and winners will be announced on DBS’ website before 15 March 2024 - they will also receive an EDM at their email address in DBS’ records by 31 March 2024:

• 5 sets of 300,000 KrisFlyer Miles (awarded in the form of 150,000 DBS Points) - enough for a First Class return ticket from Singapore to Europe on Singapore Airlines

• 470 sets of 50,000 KrisFlyer Miles (awarded in the form of 25,000 DBS Points) - enough for an Economy Class return ticket from Singapore to Perth on Singapore Airlines.

Conclusion

The DBS Altitude Card is a good card to pick up especially if you are an eligible new-to-card DBS customer since spending at least S$2,000 within 30 days of card approval can earn you up to 25,600 bonus miles (an additional 12.8 miles per dollar on top of your usual earn rate) when you sign-up with the right promo codes. With the ability to earn up to 10 miles per dollar on travel spend at selected online travel agencies, the DBS Altitude Card is still a strong contender in the travel space for mile chasers. The annual lounge visits (which come with the DBS Altitude Visa Signature Card) are also a nice benefit to have on top of all the perks that come with the card. Don’t have a DBS Altitude Card yet? Don’t worry, apply before 31 January 2024 to enjoy up to 37,000 miles. T&Cs apply. 

This post was created in collaboration with DBS Bank, but opinions remain those of The Shutterwhale.