Time Running Out to Use Delta Miles for Free Singapore Flights

If you’re a member of Delta’s SkyMiles program and hope to redeem miles for an award trip on Singapore Airlines, be warned: Your window of opportunity is closing.

Delta and Singapore will sever their frequent flyer program tie-up on May 15, after which members of the two airlines’ programs will no longer be able to earn or redeem miles in each other’s programs. That means SkyMiles members must book award flights on Singapore by the end of day May 15, 2010, for travel through May 14, 2011.

Singapore flights from North America to North Asia are priced at 60,000 Delta miles for coach, 120,000 for business, and 140,000 miles for first class. To Southeast Asia, prices begin at 70,000, 120,000, and 140,000 miles, for coach, business, and first class, respectively.

With Singapore out of the picture, SkyMiles members will still have plenty of options for travel to and within Asia, including flights on China, China Eastern, China Southern, Korean, and Malaysia Airlines.

And Singapore remains a member-in-good-standing of the Star Alliance, anchored by United and Lufthansa, but also featuring US Airways and, more recently, Continental as frequent flyer partners.

So if free flights on Singapore are the goal, earning miles on one of the three U.S.-based Star carriers will be the way to go after May 15.