Singapore Airlines has quietly raised its cancellation fees for long-haul flights to Australia, Europe, New Zealand, South Africa and the USA, in an update that apparently took place towards the end of last month. The revised fees apply across all cabins, and to all ticket types.
So how bad are the changes? Cancellation fees have increased between 28% and 100% (or S$110 to S$130 in absolute terms) and ironically, it’s the most expensive Flexi fares which are seeing the biggest hikes!
For what it’s worth, this only affects commercial tickets. There are no changes to the cancellation fees for award tickets, which remain at US$75 (Saver) and US$50 (Advantage and Access).
Singapore Airlines hikes cancellation fees
For context, Singapore Airlines classifies flights into two bands: short-haul and long-haul.
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| Note: Barcelona to Milan on SQ378/377 is considered a short-haul route |
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While this makes sense most of the time, the classification can also give rise to some strange quirks. For example, a Singapore to Dubai itinerary is considered short-haul, but a Singapore to Perth itinerary is considered long-haul, even though Perth is a shorter flight than Dubai!
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If you’re not originating in Singapore, the relevant band is based on the furthest destination your itinerary touches. For example:
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Singapore Airlines has increased cancellation fees for long-haul destinations, for tickets issued on or after 28 April 2026. For the avoidance of doubt, tickets issued before this date will keep their existing cancellation fees, regardless of travel date.
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A few things to note before we look at the changes:
- Cancellation fees apply on a passenger basis, so if you have two passengers on the same itinerary, you pay two cancellation fees
- The fee for cancelling a one-way ticket is the same as a round-trip ticket
- Cancellation fees are quoted in SGD for tickets issued in Singapore, which is what I’ll refer to below. For flights originating from other countries, cancellation fees will be quoted in the local currency, or in USD
Economy Class
| Economy Lite (V, K) |
N/A | |
| Economy Value (Q, N) |
S$400 | S$510 +28% |
| Economy Standard (M, H, W) |
S$270 | S$380 +41% |
| Economy Flexi (Y, B, E) |
S$130 | S$260 +100% |
Premium Economy Class
| Premium Economy Lite (R) |
N/A | |
| Premium Economy Standard (P, L) |
S$270 | S$380 +41% |
| Premium Economy Flexi (S, T) |
S$130 | S$260 +100% |
Business Class
| Business Lite (D) |
N/A | |
| Business Standard (U) |
S$340 | S$450 +32% |
| Business Flexi (Z, C, J) |
S$270 | S$380 +41% |
First Class
| First/Suites (F, A) |
S$130 | S$260 +100% |
Why has Singapore Airlines decided to hike cancellation fees now? It’s purely speculation on my part, but I imagine that with the ongoing crisis in the Middle East, many ME3 passengers are looking to book backup options in case the situation doesn’t improve in time for their flight.
