Anyone here actually living the “student-nomad” double life and flying on Singapore Airlines’ student fares without summoning an airport supervisor every time? I’m looking at SIA’s Student Privileges as a way to move my life-in-a-backpack-plus-regret between hubs, and I have questions that airline T&Cs answer with the enthusiasm of a chatbot on 2% battery. What I think I know: you verify once (SheerID?), you get extra baggage (up to 40kg or an extra piece, depending on route), sometimes a free date change, and “special” fares that may or may not be special. What I don’t know: basically everything that matters in real life. Looking for real data points on these oddly specific scenarios: Verification reality: After initial verification, does anyone re-check student status at the desk? Ever seen a “document check required” flag when status expired mid-itinerary? Age limit shenanigans: If you turn 33 between outbound and return, does the return get honored, or does the system decide you’ve graduated from both school and joy? Mixed itineraries: If your trip includes Star Alliance partners on the same ticket (e.g., SIA + ANA/United), did the extra baggage carry through at check-in and onward stations? Any drama when the first operating carrier wasn’t SIA? Fare class + miles: What booking classes did your student fare map to, and how was mileage accrual? Any surprises like “congrats, you bought a souvenir ticket that earns vibes, not miles”? Upgrades: Are student fares eligible for KrisFlyer miles upgrades or mySQupgrade bids? Any luck waitlisting for a higher cabin, or are these fares allergic to nice things? Changes and flexibility: That “free date change” - is it one-time or unlimited within rules? Any trickiness with reissue fees, repricing, or fare differences so large they could fund a semester? Stopovers: Can you still do the paid stopover trick on a student fare, or does the system throw a tantrum? Baggage fine print: Does the student allowance cover sports/music/tech gear without eyebrow gymnastics? Any issues with oversize dims or checking a second heavy bag when the rule says “extra piece”? Point-of-sale games: If you book in a different currency/country (while being a legal student), do you still get the student perks and verification recognized at check-in? Remote programs: Any successful verification with non-traditional options (accredited online universities, EU distance programs, etc.)? Which institutions sailed through vs. got stuck in SheerID purgatory? Practical airport behavior: Changi vs. outstations - where did agents know the policy cold vs. treat it like Bigfoot? Cancellation gotchas: If you cancel instead of change, any nasty surprises on refunds with student fares? Bonus: Has anyone compared SIA’s student deal against Qatar/Emirates/Lufthansa student offers for long-haul nomad moves? I’m allergic to paying extra to ship hard drives and a mechanical keyboard that weighs as much as my willpower. If you’ve got data points, please drop them like this: Route/dates: Verification method/date: Age at booking vs. travel: Fare family/booking class (if known): Baggage honored end-to-end (Y/N, where it failed): Changes made (count, fees, fare diffs): Upgrade attempt (method/result): Miles posted (% of distance): Airports that were chill vs. chaotic: Anything you’d do differently next time: And yes, I’m asking for legitimate use only. I’m emotionally a student of life, but sadly SheerID does not recognize my PhD in YouTube Tutorials.

Short version: the SIA “student” thing works as advertised if, and only if, the extra baggage and fee waiver are actually filed on your ticket. Anything that relies on an agent “knowing the policy” turns into performance art. Treat it like a fare brand, not a perk. A few gaps I haven’t seen covered yet, based on recent runs and helping friends sort theirs: Verification reality Once SheerID passes and you book while logged into KrisFlyer, the student brand files into the fare and the baggage lines print on the e-ticket. No one re-verified me at the desk. I’ve never seen a “doc check” because of student expiry mid-trip. Where it can bite: if you try to change dates online after your SheerID expired, the website may try to reprice into a non‑student brand and drop the extra baggage. Phone agents can retain it if the original brand is still combinable. Age limit Book while eligible and you’re fine even if you age out before the return. I did 32→33 mid‑PNR; a friend did 35→36. No drama at check‑in. If you reissue after ageing out, expect to lose the student brand and its freebies. Mixed itineraries It’s all about what’s printed: 3PC or 40K must be on the e‑ticket for the whole journey. If it’s there, partners have honored it. To/from the US, DOT “single baggage rule” means whoever’s baggage rule is on the ticket governs the whole itinerary. I’ve had UA honor 3PC on the first leg when the ticket was plated by SQ and printed 3PC. If the first marketing carrier is a partner and the ticket doesn’t explicitly show the higher allowance, you’re at the mercy of the station. Fix is to get SQ to reissue so the allowance actually prints. Fare class + miles Student fares have priced for me into K/V/Q on quiet days and M/H/W in busier seasons. KrisFlyer accrual on SQ metal has been 50% for K/V/N/Q, 75% for M/H/W, 100% for Y/B/E. On partners, deep‑discount SQ codes sometimes earn 0-50% or even 0 on some programs-check wheretocredit before you assume. If you care about upgrades and miles, avoid Lite/Value buckets; you’ll hate yourself later. Upgrades KrisFlyer miles upgrades: only from Economy Standard/Flexi (M/H/W/Y/B/E). If your student fare books into K/V/N/Q, no mileage upgrade, no waitlist. mySQupgrade: invites still come on low buckets. I’ve had a K‑class economy→premium economy bid accepted once; Biz bids from Value/Lite buckets have been unicorn‑rare. Changes and flexibility The “free date change” has been one fee waiver per ticket for me (fare difference still applies). After you use it, normal change fees by brand kick back in. Some country sites show different wording; the system behavior matched “one waiver” every time. Big gotcha: change from off‑peak to peak can trigger a fare bump large enough to wipe out any student “discount.” Screenshot your original fare breakdown. Stopovers Most student‑priced Value fares: stopovers not permitted. On Standard I’ve been able to add a paid stopover (USD 100-ish) by phone. The website generally won’t show it-needs manual reissue. If the ATPCO rule says “no stopovers,” the agent won’t override it even if you beg. Baggage fine print Extra piece/weight doesn’t waive oversize or overweight. US routes: each piece must be ≤23 kg in economy, heavy tag charges apply 23-32 kg even if you have 3 pieces. Elsewhere, weight concept caps still apply per piece for handling (station dependent). Sports/music gear counts as a normal piece if within 158 cm; oversize fees are station‑specific and not waived because you’re a student. Batteries: same dangerous goods rules as everyone else. Point‑of‑sale Perks are baked into the fare you buy, not your passport or currency. If you book via a different country site without logging into your verified KrisFlyer, you can end up with a regular fare and zero extras. Once ticketed with the right baggage lines, check‑in honors it regardless of where you paid. Remote/online programs SheerID auto‑approved: Open University (UK), University of London distance, ASU Online. Manual doc review worked with a current enrollment letter and fee receipt. Bootcamps and unaccredited “institutes” got bounced. Erasmus programs sometimes needed manual proof naming the host university. Airport behavior Changi: flawless. FRA, SYD, NRT: competent. US outstations: fine as long as the e‑ticket shows the allowance; UA agents didn’t care about student status, only what the ticket said. India stations have asked to see a student ID more often than elsewhere; still honored what was printed. If anyone argues, point to the “Baggage allowance” line on the e‑ticket and the DOT single‑baggage rule on US itineraries. That ends the debate 9/10 times. Cancellations Student label does not upgrade your refund rights. Lite/Value have nasty or zero refunds; partially used returns get repriced one‑way and you’ll see crumbs back. If you need flexibility, buy Standard at minimum. Some recent data points in your requested format: Route/dates: ORD-SFO (UA) - SIN (SQ) - DPS (SQ), Mar 2024 Verification method/date: SheerID via KrisFlyer, Jan 2024 Age at booking vs. travel: 32 → 33 Fare family/booking class: Economy Value, K on SQ sectors, L on UA segment Baggage honored end-to-end: Y (3PC printed; UA honored at ORD) Changes made: 1 date change on return, change fee waived, paid USD 168 fare diff Upgrade attempt: mySQupgrade invite received, economy→PE on SFO-SIN accepted at low bid; no miles upgrade option Miles posted: 50% on SQ legs to KrisFlyer; 0% on the UA domestic leg due to booking class Airports chill vs. chaotic: ORD and SIN chill; DPS wanted to reweigh every piece, still honored 3PC Do differently: Would’ve forced Standard brand to keep miles/upgrade options Route/dates: FRA - SIN (SQ) - BKK (TG), Jul 2024 Verification method/date: SheerID, May 2024 Age at booking vs. travel: 28 → 28 Fare family/booking class: Economy Standard on SQ (M), TG booked as SQ codeshare Baggage honored end-to-end: Y (40KG printed; TG accepted at BKK on return) Changes made: None Upgrade attempt: Waitlisted M→PE with miles cleared FRA-SIN, TG segment not upgradeable Miles posted: 75% on SQ, 50% on TG-coded segment Airports chill vs. chaotic: FRA and SIN smooth; BKK agent asked for student ID, then waved me through Do differently: Avoid TG codeshare if chasing higher accrual Route/dates: SYD - SIN - LHR (both SQ), Nov 2023 Verification method/date: SheerID, Aug 2023 Age at booking vs. travel: 35 → 36 on return Fare family/booking class: Economy Value (Q) Baggage honored end-to-end: Y (40KG printed) Changes made: Used the one free change to move SYD-SIN 3 days earlier; paid AUD 90 fare diff Upgrade attempt: Not eligible for miles upgrade; mySQupgrade invite received but bid lost Miles posted: 50% of distance to KrisFlyer Airports chill vs. chaotic: SYD and SIN fine Do differently: Wouldn’t touch Value again; flexibility was overstated by the marketing Quick compare vs Qatar/Emirates/Lufthansa for baggage-heavy moves: Qatar Student Club: cheapest ex‑EU/IN more often than SQ, extra piece works, but partner legs won’t carry it, and QR ground staff are sticklers about seeing a student ID. Change flexibility better on paper than in practice once fare differences hit. Emirates: consistent +10 kg or +1 piece, small discount, very reliable operations. Good if you’re on weight routes; less compelling to the US if you need 3×23 kg specifically. Lufthansa “student” fares: can be cheap ex‑Asia, but lots of strings. I’ve seen zero mileage accrual on some buckets and refund/change penalties that make SQ look generous. Enforcement at German outstations is strict, especially ex‑India (they’ll ask for student visa if the fare basis requires it). Bottom line: Make the website show the student toggle while logged into KrisFlyer. Before you pay, check the e‑ticket preview/price display shows the higher baggage (3PC or 40KG). No print, no perk. If mixing partners, ensure the allowance is on the ticket and that SQ is the governing baggage rule where possible. If you care about upgrades/miles, buy Standard. Value/Lite will nickle‑and‑dime you later. Carry a physical student ID anyway; it ends silly arguments fast.

Singapore Airlines Student Booking

freelanceflier

Anyone here actually living the “student-nomad” double life and flying on Singapore Airlines’ student fares without summoning an airport supervisor every time? I’m looking at SIA’s Student Privileges as a way to move my life-in-a-backpack-plus-regret between hubs, and I have questions that airline T&Cs answer with the enthusiasm of a chatbot on 2% battery.

What I think I know: you verify once (SheerID?), you get extra baggage (up to 40kg or an extra piece, depending on route), sometimes a free date change, and “special” fares that may or may not be special. What I don’t know: basically everything that matters in real life.

Looking for real data points on these oddly specific scenarios:

Verification reality: After initial verification, does anyone re-check student status at the desk? Ever seen a “document check required” flag when status expired mid-itinerary?
Age limit shenanigans: If you turn 33 between outbound and return, does the return get honored, or does the system decide you’ve graduated from both school and joy?
Mixed itineraries: If your trip includes Star Alliance partners on the same ticket (e.g., SIA + ANA/United), did the extra baggage carry through at check-in and onward stations? Any drama when the first operating carrier wasn’t SIA?
Fare class + miles: What booking classes did your student fare map to, and how was mileage accrual? Any surprises like “congrats, you bought a souvenir ticket that earns vibes, not miles”?
Upgrades: Are student fares eligible for KrisFlyer miles upgrades or mySQupgrade bids? Any luck waitlisting for a higher cabin, or are these fares allergic to nice things?
Changes and flexibility: That “free date change” - is it one-time or unlimited within rules? Any trickiness with reissue fees, repricing, or fare differences so large they could fund a semester?
Stopovers: Can you still do the paid stopover trick on a student fare, or does the system throw a tantrum?
Baggage fine print: Does the student allowance cover sports/music/tech gear without eyebrow gymnastics? Any issues with oversize dims or checking a second heavy bag when the rule says “extra piece”?
Point-of-sale games: If you book in a different currency/country (while being a legal student), do you still get the student perks and verification recognized at check-in?
Remote programs: Any successful verification with non-traditional options (accredited online universities, EU distance programs, etc.)? Which institutions sailed through vs. got stuck in SheerID purgatory?
Practical airport behavior: Changi vs. outstations - where did agents know the policy cold vs. treat it like Bigfoot?
Cancellation gotchas: If you cancel instead of change, any nasty surprises on refunds with student fares?

Bonus: Has anyone compared SIA’s student deal against Qatar/Emirates/Lufthansa student offers for long-haul nomad moves? I’m allergic to paying extra to ship hard drives and a mechanical keyboard that weighs as much as my willpower.

If you’ve got data points, please drop them like this:

Route/dates:
Verification method/date:
Age at booking vs. travel:
Fare family/booking class (if known):
Baggage honored end-to-end (Y/N, where it failed):
Changes made (count, fees, fare diffs):
Upgrade attempt (method/result):
Miles posted (% of distance):
Airports that were chill vs. chaotic:
Anything you’d do differently next time:

And yes, I’m asking for legitimate use only. I’m emotionally a student of life, but sadly SheerID does not recognize my PhD in YouTube Tutorials.

techtreknomad

Short version: the SIA “student” thing works as advertised if, and only if, the extra baggage and fee waiver are actually filed on your ticket. Anything that relies on an agent “knowing the policy” turns into performance art. Treat it like a fare brand, not a perk.

A few gaps I haven’t seen covered yet, based on recent runs and helping friends sort theirs:

Verification reality
- Once SheerID passes and you book while logged into KrisFlyer, the student brand files into the fare and the baggage lines print on the e-ticket. No one re-verified me at the desk. I’ve never seen a “doc check” because of student expiry mid-trip.
- Where it can bite: if you try to change dates online after your SheerID expired, the website may try to reprice into a non‑student brand and drop the extra baggage. Phone agents can retain it if the original brand is still combinable.
Age limit
- Book while eligible and you’re fine even if you age out before the return. I did 32→33 mid‑PNR; a friend did 35→36. No drama at check‑in. If you reissue after ageing out, expect to lose the student brand and its freebies.
Mixed itineraries
- It’s all about what’s printed: 3PC or 40K must be on the e‑ticket for the whole journey. If it’s there, partners have honored it.
- To/from the US, DOT “single baggage rule” means whoever’s baggage rule is on the ticket governs the whole itinerary. I’ve had UA honor 3PC on the first leg when the ticket was plated by SQ and printed 3PC.
- If the first marketing carrier is a partner and the ticket doesn’t explicitly show the higher allowance, you’re at the mercy of the station. Fix is to get SQ to reissue so the allowance actually prints.
Fare class + miles
- Student fares have priced for me into K/V/Q on quiet days and M/H/W in busier seasons. KrisFlyer accrual on SQ metal has been 50% for K/V/N/Q, 75% for M/H/W, 100% for Y/B/E. On partners, deep‑discount SQ codes sometimes earn 0-50% or even 0 on some programs-check wheretocredit before you assume.
- If you care about upgrades and miles, avoid Lite/Value buckets; you’ll hate yourself later.
Upgrades
- KrisFlyer miles upgrades: only from Economy Standard/Flexi (M/H/W/Y/B/E). If your student fare books into K/V/N/Q, no mileage upgrade, no waitlist.
- mySQupgrade: invites still come on low buckets. I’ve had a K‑class economy→premium economy bid accepted once; Biz bids from Value/Lite buckets have been unicorn‑rare.
Changes and flexibility
- The “free date change” has been one fee waiver per ticket for me (fare difference still applies). After you use it, normal change fees by brand kick back in. Some country sites show different wording; the system behavior matched “one waiver” every time.
- Big gotcha: change from off‑peak to peak can trigger a fare bump large enough to wipe out any student “discount.” Screenshot your original fare breakdown.
Stopovers
- Most student‑priced Value fares: stopovers not permitted. On Standard I’ve been able to add a paid stopover (USD 100-ish) by phone. The website generally won’t show it-needs manual reissue. If the ATPCO rule says “no stopovers,” the agent won’t override it even if you beg.
Baggage fine print
- Extra piece/weight doesn’t waive oversize or overweight. US routes: each piece must be ≤23 kg in economy, heavy tag charges apply 23-32 kg even if you have 3 pieces. Elsewhere, weight concept caps still apply per piece for handling (station dependent).
- Sports/music gear counts as a normal piece if within 158 cm; oversize fees are station‑specific and not waived because you’re a student. Batteries: same dangerous goods rules as everyone else.
Point‑of‑sale
- Perks are baked into the fare you buy, not your passport or currency. If you book via a different country site without logging into your verified KrisFlyer, you can end up with a regular fare and zero extras. Once ticketed with the right baggage lines, check‑in honors it regardless of where you paid.
Remote/online programs
- SheerID auto‑approved: Open University (UK), University of London distance, ASU Online. Manual doc review worked with a current enrollment letter and fee receipt. Bootcamps and unaccredited “institutes” got bounced. Erasmus programs sometimes needed manual proof naming the host university.
Airport behavior
- Changi: flawless. FRA, SYD, NRT: competent. US outstations: fine as long as the e‑ticket shows the allowance; UA agents didn’t care about student status, only what the ticket said. India stations have asked to see a student ID more often than elsewhere; still honored what was printed.
- If anyone argues, point to the “Baggage allowance” line on the e‑ticket and the DOT single‑baggage rule on US itineraries. That ends the debate 9/10 times.
Cancellations
- Student label does not upgrade your refund rights. Lite/Value have nasty or zero refunds; partially used returns get repriced one‑way and you’ll see crumbs back. If you need flexibility, buy Standard at minimum.

Some recent data points in your requested format:

Route/dates: ORD-SFO (UA) - SIN (SQ) - DPS (SQ), Mar 2024
- Verification method/date: SheerID via KrisFlyer, Jan 2024
- Age at booking vs. travel: 32 → 33
- Fare family/booking class: Economy Value, K on SQ sectors, L on UA segment
- Baggage honored end-to-end: Y (3PC printed; UA honored at ORD)
- Changes made: 1 date change on return, change fee waived, paid USD 168 fare diff
- Upgrade attempt: mySQupgrade invite received, economy→PE on SFO-SIN accepted at low bid; no miles upgrade option
- Miles posted: 50% on SQ legs to KrisFlyer; 0% on the UA domestic leg due to booking class
- Airports chill vs. chaotic: ORD and SIN chill; DPS wanted to reweigh every piece, still honored 3PC
- Do differently: Would’ve forced Standard brand to keep miles/upgrade options
Route/dates: FRA - SIN (SQ) - BKK (TG), Jul 2024
- Verification method/date: SheerID, May 2024
- Age at booking vs. travel: 28 → 28
- Fare family/booking class: Economy Standard on SQ (M), TG booked as SQ codeshare
- Baggage honored end-to-end: Y (40KG printed; TG accepted at BKK on return)
- Changes made: None
- Upgrade attempt: Waitlisted M→PE with miles cleared FRA-SIN, TG segment not upgradeable
- Miles posted: 75% on SQ, 50% on TG-coded segment
- Airports chill vs. chaotic: FRA and SIN smooth; BKK agent asked for student ID, then waved me through
- Do differently: Avoid TG codeshare if chasing higher accrual
Route/dates: SYD - SIN - LHR (both SQ), Nov 2023
- Verification method/date: SheerID, Aug 2023
- Age at booking vs. travel: 35 → 36 on return
- Fare family/booking class: Economy Value (Q)
- Baggage honored end-to-end: Y (40KG printed)
- Changes made: Used the one free change to move SYD-SIN 3 days earlier; paid AUD 90 fare diff
- Upgrade attempt: Not eligible for miles upgrade; mySQupgrade invite received but bid lost
- Miles posted: 50% of distance to KrisFlyer
- Airports chill vs. chaotic: SYD and SIN fine
- Do differently: Wouldn’t touch Value again; flexibility was overstated by the marketing

Quick compare vs Qatar/Emirates/Lufthansa for baggage-heavy moves:

Qatar Student Club: cheapest ex‑EU/IN more often than SQ, extra piece works, but partner legs won’t carry it, and QR ground staff are sticklers about seeing a student ID. Change flexibility better on paper than in practice once fare differences hit.
Emirates: consistent +10 kg or +1 piece, small discount, very reliable operations. Good if you’re on weight routes; less compelling to the US if you need 3×23 kg specifically.
Lufthansa “student” fares: can be cheap ex‑Asia, but lots of strings. I’ve seen zero mileage accrual on some buckets and refund/change penalties that make SQ look generous. Enforcement at German outstations is strict, especially ex‑India (they’ll ask for student visa if the fare basis requires it).

Bottom line:

Make the website show the student toggle while logged into KrisFlyer.
Before you pay, check the e‑ticket preview/price display shows the higher baggage (3PC or 40KG). No print, no perk.
If mixing partners, ensure the allowance is on the ticket and that SQ is the governing baggage rule where possible.
If you care about upgrades/miles, buy Standard. Value/Lite will nickle‑and‑dime you later.
Carry a physical student ID anyway; it ends silly arguments fast.