korean air award travel chart

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Ultimate Guide to Korean Air Miles: Part 3 – How to Book Award Flights on Partner Airlines

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Savvy travelers know Korean Air SKYPASS miles aren’t just great for booking Korean Air flights.

Using Korean Air miles, you can also book award seats on all 20 Skyteam alliance airlines , like Delta, Air France, and KLM. Or on 7 non-alliance partners, like Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines.

In this post I’ll show you how to book flights to places like Hawaii, Europe, and Morocco!

Ultimate Guide To Korean Air Miles Part 3 How To Book Award Flights On Partner Airlines

I’ll highlight the most important partner airlines and best sweet spots. And show you step-by-step how to book SkyTeam partner awards online.

Ultimate Guide to Korean Air Miles Series Index

Part 1 – Introduction to Korean Air Miles
Part 2 – How to Book Award Flights on Korean Air
Part 3 – How to Book Award Flights on Partner Airlines
Part 4 – The Biggest Downside to Using Korean Air Miles
Part 5 – 6 Expert Korean Air Tips and Tricks (#4 Saves a Ton of Money)

Korean Air Partner Airlines

1. skyteam partners.

Link: SkyTeam Alliance Members

Korean Air is one of 20 SkyTeam alliance airlines , which means you can use Korean Air miles to book award seats on any SkyTeam airline. For example, you can book award tickets on:

China Airlines
China Eastern
China Southern

Korean Air miles are special because you can use them to book First Class seats on certain SkyTeam airlines. To compare, you can NOT use Delta miles to book partner First Class seats, even though they’re also part of the SkyTeam alliance.

2. Non-Alliance Partners

You can use Korean Air miles to book 7 non-alliance partner airlines. Here’s a chart that shows you which airlines you can book in which class of service:

SkyTeam and Partner Award Charts

Link: Korean Air SkyTeam Award Chart

Link: Korean Air Non-Alliance Partner Awards

Korean Air has an award chart for all SkyTeam airlines from North America .

However, you can NOT book one-way tickets on partner airlines, only round-trip.

Each non-alliance partner has their own award chart .

For these airlines, you can NOT book all flights. Your desired route must be on that partner’s award chart to book.

Korean Air divides the world into award “zones.”

These zones are defined:

Award Chart Sweet Spots

On the SkyTeam award chart, there are a few particularly good deals.

1. Continental North America to Hawaii

North America is defined in the zone chart:

Mexico, United States ( including Hawaii ), US Virgin Islands, Canada, Puerto Rico

This means that you can fly from anywhere in the continental US to Hawaii for only 25,000 Korean Air miles in coach on SkyTeam partner Delta.

If you used Delta miles, the same seats would cost 45,000 Delta miles!

You can also fly to Mexico, the US Virgin Islands, and Puerto Rico for the same amount.

This really is an amazing deal . 25,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards points are worth ~$313 towards flights in the Chase travel portal when you have a Chase Sapphire Preferred , Chase Ink Business Preferred , or Chase Ink Bold or Ink Plus (no longer offered). And worth $375 if you have the Chase Sapphire Reserve .

For example, a round-trip coach ticket from Miami to Honolulu can cost ~$900, so if you transfer your points to Korean Air miles instead, you’re getting over $500 more value than buying flights using the Chase travel portal!

2. North America to Europe

You can fly round-trip in coach from North America to Europe for 50,000 Korean Air miles , or 80,000 Korean Air miles in Business Class . And Korean Air is generous with how they classify Europe, which includes:

Western Europe
Eastern Europe
West Russia

To compare, the cheapest Delta award flights to Europe cost 30,000 Delta miles round-trip in coach, or 125,000 Delta miles in Business Class.

Since coach tickets to Europe can be quite cheap, the best deal is to use points for Business Class. United Airlines, a Chase Ultimate Rewards transfer partner, charges 140,000 miles for a round-trip partner Business Class ticket to Europe. By transferring your points to Korean Air miles instead, you’re saving 60,000 miles over United Airlines!

3. Stopovers and Open-Jaws

One amazing thing about Korean Air is their stopover and open-jaw rule. A stopover is visiting another city for 24+ hours. An open-jaw is when you fly into one city but fly out of another, making your own way between cities.

On a round-trip SkyTeam award flight, Korean Air lets you have 1 stopover and 1 open-jaw . You are allowed up to 2 connections from your city of departure and your destination. A stopover counts as a connection.

The open-jaw must be in the same award zone as your destination, and must occur after reaching your destination. The stopover can be on the outbound or the return.

Departure -> Stopover -> Destination / Open-Jaw -> Connection -> Departure

For example, you could fly from New York with a 1-week stopover in Milan. You could then fly from Milan to Casablanca via Paris, which is your destination. You could then take a cruise from Casablanca to Athens, where you’d fly home with a connection in Amsterdam. All of this would only cost 50,000 Korean Air miles in coach , or 80,000 Korean Air miles in Business Class !

Taxes and Fees

Korean Air charges the same taxes and fees on award flights as a paid ticket . For international tickets, this can be expensive, especially with flying to Europe where fuel surcharges are high.

Because airlines have different fuel surcharges, the amount may change based on which airline you’re flying. For example, a round-trip in coach on Alitalia from New York City to Rome costs ~$121, but when you add a Delta flight in both directions, it jumps to ~$457!

Korean Air SkyTeam Award Booking Step-by-Step

You can book almost all SkyTeam award seats online at Korean Air’s website . Korean Air’s search engine is excellent, and you only need to call Korean Air to book if the search engine gives you an error.

But you can NOT book non-alliance airlines online, so you’ll have to call Korean Air at 800-438-5000 to book.

You can mix airlines on SkyTeam award bookings, but can NOT mix non-alliance airlines with SkyTeam airlines.

Step 1. Search for Flights

Go to the Korean Air award booking page and log-in to your account (free to join!).

Once logged-in, you’ll see the award search engine. You do NOT need miles in your account to search for flights.

Suppose you wanted to search for a round-trip ticket from New York – JFK to Paris. This costs 50,000 Korean Air miles in coach or 80,000 Korean Air miles in Business Class .

Select “ SkyTeam Award ”
Select “ One Way ”
Type in “ New York ” and “ Paris ” into the “ From ” and “ To ” boxes
Use the calendar to select your travel dates
Select “ Economy Class ” under “ Cabin Class ”
Select which passenger is traveling

Then click “ Find Flights. ”

Step 2. Select Your Flights

The search engine will give you a list of flights for the outbound and the return. Select which flights you want. In this case, I’m avoiding Delta because they have much higher fees than other airlines.

After selecting your desired flights, scroll to the bottom of the page and click “ Calculate. ” This will calculate the miles and fees required for the ticket.

Step 3. Book And Pay

Once you’re happy with the selected flights, click “ Continue ” under the price quote. If you have enough miles for the ticket, you will enter passenger information and pay the taxes and fees with a credit card.

If you don’t have enough miles in your account, you’ll have to transfer enough flexible points to proceed.

Bottom Line

Korean Air offers amazing value for flights to Hawaii and Europe when you use their miles for partner award seats. Because you can have a FREE stopover and open-jaw on one ticket, you can visit multiple countries for one price!

Earning Korean Air miles is easy by transferring flexible points from Chase Ultimate Rewards and Starwood .

While Korean Air miles SkyTeam awards aren’t perfect for all trips, they are valuable for several sweet spots. With a free stopover and open-jaw, you can see multiple cities for the price of one. Next, I’ll show you how to book flights for family members using Korean Air miles.

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The Good, Bad, and Ugly of the Korean Air Award Chart Changes

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Update: Just after we published this post, Korean Air announced the suspension of these changes . Korean Air doesn't provide a new effective date for these Korean Air award chart changes. The full notice reads:

The implementation of NEW SKYPASS, which was scheduled to take effect on April 1, 2023 (after a grace period of three years and three months including prior notice), will be suspended. The mileage accrual/deduction criteria and the elite program will be maintained without any changes. Apart from the suspension of the NEW SKYPASS implementation, Korean Air has the following plans to make it more convenient for customers to use their mileage. ▲ Expansion of award seat supply ▲ Various mileage discount promotions ▲ Expansion of mileage usage (In-flight duty-free purchase, Jin Air, etc.) Additionally, the ‘Cash & Miles’ service for combined payment of mileage and cash will continue to run, and the U.S. Dollar will be added as a payment currency in March.

Way back in 2019, Korean Air announced an overhaul of its SKYPASS program — which it then delayed during the Covid-19 pandemic. However, in a recent email to its members and in an update to its website , Korean Air confirmed that its award chart changes will take effect on April 1, 2023.

These changes include some positive but mostly negative changes to award redemption rates, an improvement to mileage accrual for premium cabin flights on Korean Air, and the elimination of Korean Air's around-the-world tickets.

In this article, we'll review the good and bad of the Korean Air award chart changes and the changes to the Korean Air Skypass elite status program.

Overview of The New Korean Air SkyPass program

Korean Air Award Chart Changes

The new Korean Air award charts are distance-based, while the older chart was based on travel between regions. The new award pricing is effective for bookings made after April 1, 2023 .

Overview of The New Korean Air SkyPass program redemption changes

As you can see — unlike many other award chart changes — not all of the SkyPass changes are negative. In fact, the changes to economy redemptions are relatively well-balanced with some positives. However, award rates are mostly increasing on long-haul routes to the U.S. and U.K.

Negative Korean Air Award Chart Changes

The main increase is on longer Korean Air routes and in premium cabins.

Economy awards that will fall under zones 5, 6, 8, and 9 are generally seeing a price hike. So, if you want to book one of those awards, you'll want to do so before March 31, 2023 , to lock in the older award pricing. The new award pricing is as follows:

Zone 5 (2,000 and 2,999 miles) — one-way economy awards will cost 22,000 miles. This zone includes routes from Incheon to Singapore, Bangkok, and Delhi which currently cost 20,000 miles. That means awards on these routes are increasing by 10%.
Zone 6 (3,000 and 3,999 miles) — one-way economy awards will cost 27,500 miles. Routes from Incheon to Colombo, Jakarta, and Mumbai currently cost 20,000 miles — meaning a 38% increase.
Zone 8 (5,000 and 6,499 miles) — one-way economy awards will cost 40,000 miles. Routes from Incheon to London, Paris, and Los Angeles currently cost 35,000 miles — meaning a 14% increase.
Zone 9 (6,500 and 9,999 miles) — one-way economy awards will cost 45,000 miles. Routes from Incheon to New York, Toronto, Atalanta, and Washington, D.C. currently cost 35,000 miles — meaning a 29% increase.

Business- and first-class awards are also increasing in price. For example, the current Korean Air award chart rates between Seoul and North America/Europe/Middle East/Oceania are:

62,500 miles each way during off-peak dates.
92,500 miles each way during peak dates.

Starting April 1, 2023, business class award rates on these routes will vary between 65,000 and 90,000 miles each way during off-peak dates and 100,000 and 135,000 miles each way during peak dates.

For example, a Korean Air business class award from New York (JFK) to Seoul (ICN) currently costs 62,500 miles each way during off-peak dates:

Korean Air award chart off-peak award price for tickets before April 1, 2023

However, for tickets after April 1, 2023, off-peak business class award rates will jump to 90,000 miles each way:

Korean Air award chart off-peak award price for tickets after April 1, 2023

Positive Award Changes

With the main negative changes out of the way, we can have a look at the positive changes coming on April 1, 2023. The bulk of the decreases are economy awards on shorter haul routes. However, flights in Zone 7 — which cover a distance of 4,000 to 4,999 miles — are also decreasing. The improvements are as follows:

Zone 1 (1 and 499 miles) — one-way economy awards now start from 10,000 miles instead of 15,000. These include routes from Incheon to Fukuoka, Shenyang, and Vladivostok.
Zone 2 (500 and 999 miles) — one-way economy awards now start from 12,500 miles instead of 15,000. These include routes from Incheon to Beijing, Taipei, and Okinawa.
Zone 4 (1,500 and 1,999 miles) — one-way economy awards now start from 17,500 miles instead of 20,000. These include routes from Incheon to Manila, Hanoi, and Cebu.
Zone 7 (4,000 and 4,999 miles) — one-way economy awards now start from 32,500 miles instead of 35,000. These include routes from Incheon to Dubai, Brisbane, and Honolulu.

Changes to Korean Air SkyTeam and Partner Award Chart

Awards on Korean Air partner flights are also changing from a region-based award chart to a distance-based award chart. While this change should theoretically have winners and losers, it's mostly bad news for the sweet spots of Korean Air . So, make sure to book any of the following before March 31, 2023:

25,000 miles round-trip between anywhere in the contiguous U.S. and Hawaii — or 45,000 round-trip in business class (although that's mostly theoretical).
80,000 miles round-trip for business class awards between the U.S. and Europe.
120,000 miles round-trip for business class awards between the U.S. and Africa.

The only bright spot in these changes is that one-way awards will now be possible. Starting April 1, 2023, all Korean Air partner awards will price at the following rates:

Eliminating Around-the-World Tickets

One of the sweet spots in the current Korean Air award chart is around-the-world awards. Skypass members can book around-the-world tickets with up to six stopovers (up to four per region) for the following prices:

Economy: 140,00 miles.
Business class: 220,000 miles.

Unfortunately, Korean Air will fully eliminate its around-the-world award redemption option effective April 1, 2023. So, this is your last opportunity to use Skypass miles for an around-the-world ticket.

Korean Air Elite Status Changes

Korean Air SkyPass is overhauling its elite status levels, changing its names, and introducing new qualification requirements. The changes take effect on January 31, 2024 . The new four tiers beyond the entry level are Silver, Gold, Platinum, and Diamond.

Tier qualification has also gotten easier with reduced thresholds to reach status. From now on, you must reach the following thresholds to qualify for elite status.

Silver: 10,000 tier-qualifying miles.
Gold: 40,000 tier-qualifying miles.
Platinum: 70,000 tier-qualifying miles.
Diamond: 100,000 tier-qualifying miles.

Million Miler Club members will receive lifetime Platinum Status. In contrast, Morning Calm Premium Club members will receive lifetime Gold Status — if they have reached the qualifying criteria by January 31, 2024.

Korean Air Mileage Earning Changes

As part of the revamp of the Korean Air program, class bonus accrual rates are being updated from April 1, 2023 . As is typical for recent airline changes, economy will earn less and premium cabins will earn more miles. Your class bonus earning rates are as follows:

Economy class fares earn between 25% and 100% vs. between 70% and 100% currently.
Prestige Class fares earn between 125% and 200% vs. between 125% and 135% currently.
First Class fares will earn between 200% and 300% vs. between 165% and 200% currently.

Cash and Miles Fares

Korean Air is also introducing the ability to pay for part of your fare using miles. You can now pay for up to 20% of your ticket using miles — with a minimum redemption of just 500 miles. Cash and miles fares are subject to the following terms:

Cash and Miles are only available for flights operated by Korean Air.
Must purchase tickets with Korean won to qualify.
The miles exchange rate varies by route and season.
Miles can be used when purchasing a ticket for a family member.

Final Thoughts

Overall, these Korean Air award chart changes are positive for members flying in premium cabins and booking awards on short-haul routes. These travelers will enjoy higher accrual rates and reduced redemption rates.

Plus, the simplified elite status program means travelers will no longer need to accumulate 500,000 lifetime miles to finally earn SkyTeam Elite Plus status through Korean Air.

On the other hand, if you use your miles for long-haul awards, the new changes are somewhat disappointing since you will pay more in miles for your awards. And advanced travelers will be sad to see the Korean Air around-the-world redemption option being eliminated.

Are these new changes a positive or negative for you? Let us know in the comments below!

The comments on this page are not provided, reviewed, or otherwise approved by the bank advertiser. It is not the bank advertiser's responsibility to ensure all posts and/or questions are answered.

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I have been trying to use mileage on Korean Air and its partner airlines. It seems like there is some availability on Korean Air for economy but there is zero availability going anywhere for business class or first class. Is this everyone’s experience. I don’t understand the value of a frequent flyer program if you really can’t use the accrued mileage. Other airlines seem way better. Any suggestions?

I’m glad they suspended the changes. it was a negative for most people and only a slight positive for others.

https://www.koreanair.com/kr/en/footer/customer-support/notice/2303-newskypass

KE officially announced that this new mileage plan will be suspended yesterday.

Thanks for flagging that! We’ve added an update to the top of the post.

These changes make me wonder, given the pending merger of Korean Air and Asiana, if perhaps a prelude to re-introducing USA based credit card points transfer options, since they dropped Chase a few years ago – but still offer points transfers from certain Asian issued credit cards. THAT is what I am hoping results from the merger.

I hope chase comes back somehow as a korean partner. I don’t wanna have to get the skypass visa from US bank unless I have to.

I have Chase sapphire preferred

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Korean Air: The Complete Guide To Earning & Redeeming SKYPASS Miles

You don’t need to frequently fly to Korea to find value in the Korean Air SKYPASS program. Easily earn miles on flights with partner carriers or with a co-branded credit card. Then use those miles to book flights all over the world with Korean Air or one of its many airline partners.

See our best credit card bonuses here .

Keep reading to learn everything you need to know about Korean Air’s frequent flyer program, often regarded as one of the world’s best frequent flyer programs for earning & redeeming points/miles .

SKYPASS Elite Status

As with any other frequent flyer program, you’ll want to move up elite status tiers. With each tier, you’ll unlock benefits designed to make your travel easier and more comfortable. SKYPASS has three status tiers: Morning Calm Club, Morning Calm Premium Club and Million Miler Club.

To earn SKYPASS status, you must meet the following requirements:

* At least 30,000 of those miles on Korean Air.

To maintain your Morning Calm Club membership for an additional two years, you must fulfill one of the following during your membership period:

Accumulate at least 30,000 flown miles on Korean Air
Fly 20 or more qualifying segments on Korean Air
Accumulate at least 30,000 combined flown miles with Korean Air and partner airlines (at least 20,000 miles or 15 qualifying flight segments on Korean Air)

Once you achieve Morning Calm Premium Club and Million Miler Club, you’ll keep that status for life!

Source: For updated information, see Korean Airlines Elite Member Status at a Glance .

Unlock VIP perks as you move up in SKYPASS elite status. Notable benefits include:

Morning Calm Club

Special check-in counter
Additional baggage allowance
Priority baggage
Priority waitlist
SkyTeam Elite membership
Lounge access

Morning Calm Premium Club

Morning Calm Club benefits
Exclusive check-in counter
Unrestricted lounge access
Off-peak redemption mileage during peak times
Reissue fee waived on bonus tickets

Million Miler Club

Morning Calm Premium Club benefits
Exclusive hotline in Korea
Waived award ticket change fees
Special gifts

Source: For updated information, click here .

Earning SKYPASS Miles

Earn SKYPASS miles when you fly on Korean Air. The amount depends on route and booking class . Keep in mind, you won’t earn miles on award tickets, baby tickets and some discount tickets.

You can also earn SKYPASS miles on flights with partner carriers, including:

SkyTeam Member Airlines

Aerolineas Argentinas
China Airlines
China Eastern
Czech Airlines
Garuda Indonesia
Kenya Airways
KLM Royal Dutch Airlines
MEA (Middle East Airlines)
Vietnam Airlines

*Visit skyteam.com for the current list of members

Alaska Airlines
American Airlines
China Southern
Hawaiian Airlines
Japan Airlines

Make sure to book with your SKYPASS number and present your SKYPASS card when you check-in at the airport. Hold onto your ticket and boarding pass until the miles post to your SKYPASS account (up to 14 days after travel).

Source: For updated information on partner airlines, click here .

U.S. Bank issues four co-branded credit cards that earn SKYPASS miles. Check them out below.

SKYPASS Select Visa Signature Card ($450 annual fee). Earn 30,000 bonus miles ($510 value) when you spend $3,000 within your first 90 days. You’ll also receive 10,000 bonus miles at renewal if you spend at least $35,000 annually. Get 2x miles on Korean Air ticket purchases, 2x miles on airline tickets, car rentals and hotel stays, and 1x miles for all other purchases. Extras include an annual $200 travel credit, TSA Precheck/Global Entry credit, an annual $100 Korean Air ticket coupon, two annual Korean Air in-flight duty free $25 coupons and two annual KAL Lounge coupons.

SKYPASS Visa Signature Card ($95 annual fee). Earn 30,000 bonus miles ($510 value) when you spend $3,000 within your first 90 days. You’ll also receive 2,000 bonus miles every year at renewal. Get 2x miles on Korean Air ticket purchases, 2x miles at gas stations and hotels, and 1x miles for all other purchases. Extras include an annual Korean Air ticket $50 coupon and two annual KAL Lounge coupons.

SKYPASS Visa Business Card ($95 annual fee). Earn 30,000 bonus miles ($510 value) when you spend $3,000 within your first 90 days. You’ll also receive 2,000 bonus miles every year at renewal. Get 2x miles on Korean Air ticket purchases, 2x miles at gas stations and hotels, and 1x miles for all other purchases. Extras include an annual Korean Air ticket $50 coupon and two annual KAL Lounge coupons.

Unfortunately, Korean Air has ended its partnership with Chase Ultimate Rewards® . SKYPASS is now down to one flexible point program partner: Marriott Bonvoy . Utilize this partnership by earning points on Marriott Bonvoy credit cards, then transferring them to your SKYPASS account when you’re ready to redeem. See below for more information on Marriott Bonvoy credit cards.

Marriott transfers to SKYPASS at a 3:1 ratio. And for every 60,000 Marriott points you transfer directly to your SKYPASS account, you’ll get a 5,000-point bonus. So instead of 20,000 SKYPASS miles for 60,000 Marriott points, you’ll receive a total of 25,000 miles.

Earn SKYPASS miles by traveling with the following hotel partners:

Hotel Nikko & JAL City
Hyatt Hotels & Resorts
Lotte Hotel
Okura Hotels & Resorts
Seoul Shilla Hotel
Shangri-La Hotels
Waikiki Resort Hotel

And the following car rental partners:

Han Jin (Korea)
Lotte (Korea)
Rentalcars.com

Source: For updated information on all SKYPASS partners, click here .

Earn SKYPASS miles when you:

Shop on Korean Air SkyShop (earn SkyPoints which you can then convert to SKYPASS miles)
Follow the Korean Air Facebook and Twitter accounts
Hosting an event at Marriott
Participate in a Korean Air limited-time promotion

For all the ways you can earn SKYPASS miles, click here .

Earning SKYPASS Miles With Marriott Bonvoy Points

Chase offers two personal credit cards that earn Marriott points, while American Express (Amex) offers one personal and one business card. If you’re looking to apply for a Marriott credit card, keep in mind:

The Chase 5/24 rule . If you opened five or more new credit cards in the past 24 months (from any bank), you won’t be approved for a new credit card from Chase.
The Amex once-in-a-lifetime welcome bonus rule. You can only qualify for the introductory offer on each Amex personal and business card once in your lifetime.

MARRIOTT BONVOY BRILLIANT™ AMERICAN EXPRESS® CARD

Terms apply to American Express benefits and offers. Enrollment may be required for select American Express benefits and offers. Visit americanexpress.com to learn more.

The Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant™ American Express® Card has an offer for 75,000 bonus points after spending $3,000 in the first 3 months. We value these 75k points at around $675 .

This card earns 6 points per $1 at hotels participating in the Marriott Bonvoy TM program and 3 points at U.S. restaurants and on flights booked directly with airlines. You’ll receive 2 points per $1 spent on all other purchases.

You’ll get a Free Night Award (redemption level up to 50,000 points) every account anniversary year, and up to $300 in statement credits each year for eligible purchases at hotels participating in the Marriott Bonvoy TM program. Resort fees may apply. Other benefits include unlimited airport lounge visits with the Priority Pass Select membership and no foreign transaction fees.

This premium card comes with an Annual Fee of $450. See Rates & Fees, Terms Apply.

Card Review

MARRIOTT BONVOY BOUNDLESS® CREDIT CARD

The Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card from Chase has an offer for 3 Free Nights after spending $3,000 on purchases in your first 3 months from account opening.

New to the card, you will earn 3x Bonvoy points on the first $6,000 spent in combined purchases each year on grocery stores, gas stations, and dining. The card is also offering an Elite Night Credit towards Elite Status for every $5,000 spent.

The Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card earns 17 points for every $1 spent at over 7,000+ participating Marriott Bonvoy hotels. You’ll receive 2 points per $1 spent on all other purchases.

You’ll get a Free Night Award (valued up to 35,000 points) every account anniversary year and automatic Silver Elite Status. Additionally, you’ll receive 15 Elite Night Credits each calendar year.

This card has no foreign transaction fees and the annual fee is $95.

MARRIOTT BONVOY BOLD® CREDIT CARD

The Marriott Bonvoy Bold® Credit Card has an offer for 30,000 bonus points when you spend $1,000 within the first 3 months. We value these 30k points at around $270 .

This card earns 14 points per $1 at participating Marriott Bonvoy hotels. Other travel purchases (from airfare to taxis and trains) will earn 2 points per $1. All other purchases will earn 1 point per $1.

You’ll receive 15 Elite Night Credits each calendar year, qualifying you for Silver Elite status.

There are no foreign transaction fees and no annual fee.

MARRIOTT BONVOY BUSINESS ™ AMERICAN EXPRESS ® CARD

The Marriott Bonvoy Business™ American Express® Card has a limited time offer for 75,000 bonus points when you spend $3,000 on purchases within the first 3 months of Card Membership. We value these 75k points to be worth around $675.

This card earns 6 points per $1 at participating hotels in the Marriott Bonvoy TM program. It’s 4 points per $1 at U.S. restaurants and U.S. gas stations, on wireless telephone services purchased directly from U.S. service providers, and on U.S. purchases for shipping. And 2 points per $1 on all other purchases.

Every year after your account anniversary you’ll get 1 free night award. You can earn an additional free night award after spending $60,000 in purchases in 1 calendar year.

There are no foreign transaction fees and the annual fee is $125. See Rates & Fees, Terms Apply.

Redeeming SKYPASS Miles

The best way to redeem your SKYPASS miles is to fly with Korean Air or one of its many partners. When pricing out an award flight, keep in mind:

On-peak and off-peak travel dates
Award charts show roundtrip pricing
Korean Air flights can be booked one way
Partner flights are always charged roundtrip pricing

You’ll want to utilize the Korean Air award chart , the SkyTeam award chart , and the non-alliance award chart .

Use your SKYPASS miles to make your travel more enjoyable, including:

Korean Air upgrade awards
SkyTeam member airline upgrade awards
Korean Air Lounge passes
Excess baggage rewards
KAL luxury bus awards
Coat check awards

Source: For more details, click here .

Besides Korean Air and SkyTeam partner awards, trade in your SKYPASS miles for:

Hotel stays
Rental cars
Korean Air merchandise
Hanwha Aqua Planet Jeju passes
Jeju Island Folk Village Museum passes

Source: For more information, click here .

SKYPASS miles are valid for 10 years.

SKYPASS Tips & Tricks

SKYPASS has three different award charts that can be migraine-inducing when you’re trying to price out awards. Fret not, we’ve done the research for you. Below are our favorite SKYPASS sweet spots:

Keep in mind, Korean Air allows one complimentary stopover on one-way awards, so you get two complimentary stopovers on roundtrip awards. That’s both generous and rare in the frequent flyer world.

Book a Round The World award for just 140,000 miles in economy or 220,000 miles in business. Your itinerary must:

Pass through the Pacific and the Atlantic
Must be a continuous route, either East or West

SKYPASS members can transfer their miles to registered family members to redeem for awards. Below are some notable Family Plan rules:

Up to 5 family members are allowed to redeem rewards through the Family Plan at a time
Authorization from family members is required
Family members are defined as spouses, children, parents, siblings, parents-in-law, sons-in-law, daughters-in-law, grandparents and grandchildren

To apply for a Family Plan, click here .

Bottom Line

Although you can no longer earn SKYPASS miles via Chase Ultimate Rewards® , the Korean Air loyalty program still offers plenty of earning potential. In fact, SKYPASS ticks all our boxes: easy to earn, easy to burn and great value.

READ MORE: SEE THE BEST BANK BONUSES HERE AND THE BEST INVESTING BONUSES HERE .

Diana Mason

My passion for travel eventually led me away from the 9 to 5 office life and into the embrace of freelance work. Born in Cali and raised in Philly, I am a creative professional with a delightful knack for words. When I'm not gallivanting across the globe, you can find me writing (of course), teaching yoga, and dreaming of my next big adventure.

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Travel Codex

Your Resource for Better Travel

How to Book Award Travel with Korean Air SKYPASS

Because you’re probably unfamiliar with SKYPASS, this post discusses how to use those miles to book an award once they’re in your account. There only are a few important things you need to know before getting started. First, you must book round-trip travel on partners. One-way awards are only possible on Korean Air.

Second, Korean Air has a narrow definition of eligible travelers, including yourself and certain family members. You can’t just book an award ticket for anyone using your miles. Take care of this in advance by completing the SKYPASS Family Registration Application , attach identification and proof of relationship, and send it to [email protected] .

However, you can easily transfer miles to Korean Air from other loyalty programs like Chase Ultimate Rewards and Starwood Preferred Guest, and some awards are cheaper to book through SKYPASS than through competing programs, even for travel on the same airline. It’s worth getting to know the program for those valuable situations when the above restrictions aren’t an issue.

What Partner Airlines Can Be Booked with SKYPASS Miles?

Korean Air primarily operates in Asia, but they are also partnered with all 20 members of SkyTeam, plus several other non-SkyTeam partners. Currently, you can use SKYPASS miles to book award tickets with all 20 SkyTeam members. These include:

China Southern Airlines
Kenya Airways
Aerolineas Argentinas
Czech Airlines
China Airlines
Delta Air Lines
Vietnam Airlines
China Eastern Airlines
Garuda Indonesia
MEA (Middle East Airlines)
Xiamen Airlines

You can also book award travel on Korean’s non-SkyTeam partners, opening up a number of other possibilities. They include:

Swan Hellenic Offers Unique and Original Africa Cruises

Alaska Airlines
Emirates Airline
Etihad Airways
GOL Airlines
Hawaiian Airlines
JAL (Japan Airlines)
Jet Airways

Award Travel Costs

Korean Air lists several different award charts for flights that it operates itself, for flights operated by SkyTeam partners, and for flights operated by other partners. That can make it a little challenging to figure out the right price. Although the main Korean Air award chart is listed below, you can also look up other award costs using the Award Maximizer tool by entering your origin and destination. You’ll see that using SKYPASS miles can be particularly inexpensive for some trips, like traveling to Hawaii with Alaska Airlines.

How to Book Travel on Korean Air with SKYPASS

SKYPASS has a fairly intuitive process for booking awards online. Get started on the Korean Air booking page and log in with your SKYPASS number. (You can enroll in SKYPASS here if you haven’t already.) You can also log into your account first and find the award travel menu from the account dashboard.

Be sure to select the “Award Booking” button at the top and the type of award you want to search for. In this example, I’ll be searching for a first class award, one way, on Korean Air from Los Angeles to Seoul. Notice that I have to select the passengers who will be traveling from the very start.

Note: Non-alliance partners, such as Alaska Airlines, cannot be booked online at this time. You’ll need to search for award space elsewhere and then call Korean Air at 1-800-438-5000 . You might want to book online anyway so that you can hold the award ticket before transferring miles from another program. (If you transfer first and the award space disappears, you’re out of luck.) You will also need to submit a form to confirm your redemption if you book by phone. See the end for more detail.

After beginning your search, the next step will show a calendar view with flights that have available award space, plus or minus a few days from the date you requested. You will also see the number of miles required for each person. But in my case, no flights were available for quite some time. Instead I was given the option to view a calendar if my dates were flexible.

I moved my flight from October 18 to October 25, when the calendar indicated a first class award was available. And, in fact, the next page did show me the flight I wanted. Remember that this is a one-way trip (only possible on Korean Air) so the right side is blank.

Once you have selected your flights, scroll down and you’ll see a summary window with the total number of miles as well as the taxes and fees for those flights. Fuel surcharges do apply sometimes, but many flights do not have them or they are very low. Keep an eye out. If the fees are particularly high, consider redeeming miles through a different program that may charge more miles but does not collect surcharges.

Personally, I think 80,000 miles and ~$100 is a great deal for a first class trip to Asia on an Airbus A380! You can expect to pay that much for a one-way business class flight if you use United miles on Korean Air’s competitor, Asiana. Transferring your Ultimate Rewards points to Korean Air SKYPASS instead of United MileagePlus might be the better deal.

How to Book Travel on Partners with SKYPASS

For SkyTeam partner airlines, the booking process is pretty much identical as above. The only difference is that you select “SkyTeam Award” when you begin your search. In this case I’ll search for a round-trip flight in economy class between Seattle and Maui.

The flights I’m presented are all on Delta Air Lines. Remember, you can’t search for Alaska Airlines or Hawaiian Airlines on the SKYPASS website.

You might not see the total price right away after selecting your flights. If necessary, click on the “Calculate” button just after the flight options.

You’ll then see a summary of the award cost, including miles and fees. Again, this is an incredibly good price for a round-trip ticket to Hawaii. Most airlines charge 20,000 to 30,000 miles each way . To get both directions for the same price, it’s like you’re going to Hawaii for half-off.

Alaska Airlines also has more flights to Hawaii from the West Coast than any other airline, so it might be easier to find availability using your Ultimate Rewards points instead of transferring to United MileagePlus. But to book with non-SkyTeam partners like Alaska Airlines, Hawaiian Airlines, and Etihad, you will need to call SKYPASS and book by phone. I recommend you search for award availability in advance. Star with the airline’s own website, but keep in mind that some airlines provide additional award space to their own customers.

Partners tend tend to get a more limited selection of awards, although fortunately all partners share that same limited selection. That means if you see an award on Alaska Airlines, for example, and aren’t sure if Korean Air can book it, you can check by searching for the same Alaska Airlines flight on the American Airlines or British Airways websites.

Featured image credit: Korean Air Lines

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About Scott Mackenzie

Scott is a former scientist and business student who created Travel Codex to unravel the complexity of travel loyalty programs. After 11 years in Seattle, he now lives in Austin with his wife and flies over 100,000 miles every year.

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Korean Air: The Complete Guide To Earning & Redeeming SKYPASS Miles

By Anthony Nguyen Last updated: August 2, 2021 Leave a Comment

Contrary to the name, you don’t have to fly to Korea to take advantage of the perks and benefits that the Korean Air SKYPASS program has to offer. With this program, you can easily earn miles on flights with partner carriers or with a co-branded credit card. Afterwards, use those miles to book flights to anywhere in the world with Korean Air or one of their many airline partners.

See our best credit card bonuses here .

Keep reading to learn everything you need to know about Korean Air’s frequent flyer program.

Table of Contents

SKYPASS Quick Facts

Skypass elite status.

In order to reach elite status, you’ll need to meet the following requirements.

In order to maintain your Morning Clam Club membership for another two years, you will need to fulfill one of the following during your membership period:

Accumulate at least 30,000 flown miles on Korean Air
Fly 20 or more qualifying segments on Korean Air
Accumulate at least 30,000 combined flown miles with Korean Air and partner airlines (at least 20,000 miles or 15 qualifying flight segments on Korean Air)

Once you achieve Morning Calm Premium Club and Million Miler Club, you’ll keep that status for life!

As you move up in SKYPASS elite status, you will unlock special VIP perks.

Earning SKYPASS Miles

Earn SKYPASS miles when you fly on Korean Air. The amount that you earn will depend on your route and booking class. Please not that, you won’t earn miles on award tickets, baby tickets and some discounted tickets.

Additionally, you can earn SKYPASS miles by flying with partner airlines, including:

SkyTeam Member Airlines

Aerolineas Argentinas
China Airlines
China Eastern
Czech Airlines
Garuda Indonesia
Kenya Airways
KLM Royal Dutch Airlines
MEA (Middle East Airlines)
Vietnam Airlines

*Visit skyteam.com for the current list of members

Alaska Airlines
American Airlines
China Southern
Hawaiian Airlines
Japan Airlines

Be sure that you type in your SKYPASS number and present your SKYPASS card when you check in at the airport to make sure you get your rewards. Hold onto your ticket and boarding pass until the miles post to your SKYPASS account. It may take up to 14 days after travel to post.

SkyBlue SKYPASS Visa Card ($0 annual fee). Earn 5,000 bonus miles ($85 value) after your first purchase. Get one mile for every $2 you spend in eligible purchases.

As of recently, Korean Air has ended their partnership with Chase Ultimate Rewards making them down to one flexible point program partner: Marriott Bonvoy . Use this partnership by earning points on Marriott Bonvoy credit cards and transferring those point to your SKYPASS account when you’re ready to fly.

You will be able to earn SKYPASS miles by staying with the following hotel partners

Hotel Nikko & JAL CityCars & Transport
Hyatt Hotels & Resorts
Lotte Hotel
Okura Hotels & Resorts
Seoul Shilla Hotel
Shangri-La Hotels
Waikiki Resort Hotel

And through the following car rental partners

Han Jin (Korea)
Lotte (Korea)
Rentalcars.com

Other methods of earning SKYPASS miles include:

Shop on Korean Air SkyShop (earn SkyPoints which you can then convert to SKYPASS miles)
Follow the Korean Air Facebook and Twitter accounts
Hosting an event at Marriott
Participate in a Korean Air limited-time promotion

For all the ways you can earn SKYPASS miles, click here.

Earning SKYPASS Miles With Marriott Bonvoy Points

As mentioned previously, Marriott transfers to SKYPASS at a 3:1 ratio. And for every 60,000 Marriott points you transfer directly to your SKYPASS account, you’ll get a 5,000-point bonus. So instead of 20,000 SKYPASS miles for 60,000 Marriott points, you’ll receive a total of 25,000 miles.

The Chase 5/24 rule . If you opened five or more new credit cards in the past 24 months (from any bank), you won’t be approved for a new credit card from Chase.
The Amex once-in-a-lifetime welcome bonus rule. You can only qualify for the introductory offer on each Amex personal and business card once in your lifetime.

Redeeming SKYPASS Miles

Use your SKYPASS miles for award flights on Korean Air. Choose from three different award types.

On-peak and off-peak travel dates
Award charts show roundtrip pricing
Korean Air flights can be booked one way
Partner flights are always charged roundtrip pricing

You’ll want to utilize the Korean Air award chart, the SkyTeam award chart, and the non-alliance award chart.

Use your SKYPASS miles to make your travel more enjoyable, including:

Korean Air upgrade awards
SkyTeam member airline upgrade awards
Korean Air Lounge passes
Excess baggage rewards
KAL luxury bus awards
Coat check awards
Hotel stays
Rental cars
Korean Air merchandise
Hanwha Aqua Planet Jeju passes
Jeju Island Folk Village Museum passes

Asia Miles Tips & Tricks

SKYPASS has three different award charts that goes with their three tiers. However, we’ve created a much easier chart for you to read and here is what we’ve concluded are some sweet spots.

North America – Europe | Roundtrip | SkyTeam | Business 80,000
North America – Africa | Roundtrip | SkyTeam | Business 120,000
North America – Hawaii | Roundtrip | Delta | Economy 25,000
North America – Hawaii/Mexico/Puerto Rico | Roundtrip | Delta | Business 45,000
North America – Northeast Asia | One Way | Korean Air | First 80,000
North America – Australia | One Way | Korean Air | Business 97,500
North America – Australia | One Way | Korean Air | First 120,000

Keep in mind, Korean Air allows one complimentary stopover on one-way awards, so you get two complimentary stopovers on roundtrip awards. That’s both generous and rare in the frequent flyer world.

Book a Round The World award for just 140,000 miles in economy or 220,000 miles in business. Your itinerary must:

Pass through the Pacific and the Atlantic
Must be a continuous route, either East or West

SKYPASS members can transfer their miles to registered family members to redeem for awards. Below are some notable Family Plan rules:

Up to 5 family members are allowed to redeem rewards through the Family Plan at a time
Authorization from family members is required
Family members are defined as spouses, children, parents, siblings, parents-in-law, sons-in-law, daughters-in-law, grandparents and grandchildren

Bottom Line

Although SKYPASS miles can no longer be earned from Chase Ultimate Rewards, the Korean Air loyalty program still has some great perks for all kinds of travelers. The best part is that it is easy to earn and use with great value.

In the case that you don’t often travel with Korean Air often, be sure to check out our page for more travel tips from other loyalty programs like Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan or Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards . For more posts like this, check out our list of credit card bonuses .

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7 of the best airline award chart sweet spots

One important distinction between advanced award travelers and those newer to the world of points and miles is how each group searches for award space.

Those with experience earning and burning points and miles will carefully study various partner award charts, looking at where to transfer their flexible points and what sweet spots they can utilize. Meanwhile, beginners may log into their United MileagePlus or American Airlines AAdvantage account, search for the destination they want to visit and book the first award they see regardless of price or convenience.

While anyone can accrue a good amount of points by earning welcome bonuses on top travel credit cards , this difference in redemption strategies is huge. Using the right partner program to book your award could save you as much as 50%, depending on the carrier and route.

With major programs switching to dynamic pricing and 500,000 miles for one-way business-class flights to Europe becoming increasingly common, it's more important than ever to know the best ways to maximize your points and miles.

Today, we'll look at some of the best value sweet spot award redemptions. While this list is not exhaustive, if you plan to travel to one of these destinations and have points at your disposal, these are surefire ways to get an excellent redemption value every time. If you're new to the world of points and miles and any of these destinations interest you, you can use this as a road map to instant success.

ANA premium cabins to Japan with Virgin Atlantic points

Virgin Atlantic's partner award chart for ANA is one of the best sweet spots out there. While availability can be hard to come by, and the first-class rates recently increased , this remains an incredible use of Virgin points.

The sweet spot

For this sweet spot, it's important to know that the prices differ if you're flying from the West Coast versus the central and eastern U.S. You can also book one-way flights for half the round-trip prices noted below.

ANA's new business class is called " The Room ," and its new first class is referred to as "The Suite." Both are excellent products that we are big fans of here at TPG — and flying in either means you can visit the always-popular Japan.

You're allowed an open-jaw routing as long as you stay within the same region of the U.S. (West or Central/East). This means you can mix and match airports wherever you find award space.

For example, flying from Washington, D.C.'s Dulles International Airport (IAD) to Tokyo's Narita International Airport (NRT) and then returning from Tokyo's Haneda Airport (HND) to New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) would be a valid itinerary, costing only 95,000 points in business or 170,000 points in first class.

Availability can be scarce — you will have the best luck booking 12 months in advance (as soon as the seats are loaded) or last minute (less than 14 days before departure when unsold seats are often loaded for awards). Your best bet for finding availability is to search for it using the United MileagePlus website and call Virgin's Flying Club to book.

Related: Feels like first class: Flying ANA The Room business class from LA-Tokyo

Earning Virgin Atlantic miles

Virgin Atlantic miles are among the easiest to earn . You can transfer points from Chase Ultimate Rewards , American Express Membership Rewards , Citi ThankYou Rewards , Capital One , Bilt Rewards and Marriott Bonvoy to Flying Club. Keep an eye out for transfer bonuses from Amex or Citi that could drop your costs even further.

Related: How to redeem Chase Ultimate Rewards points for maximum value

Iberia business class to Spain with Avios

Iberia Avios can unlock one of the cheapest ways to fly to Europe in business class.

The key to this sweet spot is to fly a nonstop, Iberia-operated flight of 3,001 to 4,000 miles on off-peak dates (check Iberia's peak and off-peak calendar ). This is because Iberia uses a distance-based award chart for its flights.

Iberia operates several transatlantic flights that fall into the 3,001- to 4,000-mile distance band. As such, you can book Iberia flights between the following city pairs for just 34,000 Avios, plus modest taxes and fees:

Boston Logan International Airport (BOS) to Adolfo Suárez Madrid-Barajas Airport (MAD).
BOS to Josep Tarradellas Barcelona-El Prat Airport (BCN).
JFK to MAD.
JFK to BCN.
IAD to MAD.

While flights from Chicago's O'Hare International Airport (ORD) to MAD are slightly outside this range, they also price at 34,000 Avios one-way in business class .

Earning Avios

There are three primary ways for U.S.-based travelers to earn Iberia Avios:

Transfer points from American Express Membership Rewards, Bilt Rewards, Chase Ultimate Rewards or Marriott Bonvoy.
Transfer Avios from British Airways, Qatar Airways or Aer Lingus.
Sign up for a new (or use an existing) Avios-earning card , such as the Iberia Visa Signature® Card .

Related: 4 versions of Avios: When to use Aer Lingus, Qatar Airways, Iberia and British Airways

Qatar Airways Qsuite business class to the Middle East or Africa with AAdvantage miles

Qatar Airways has won numerous awards for its innovative Qsuite business-class product , regarded as one of the world's best business-class experiences .

If you don't live near a Qatar Airways gateway, you may be able to find an itinerary that allows you to connect domestically in the U.S. for the same cost.

You can search for award availability online , even if you don't have the necessary miles. Just note that award space may be difficult to come by, so check back regularly if you can't find flights on your desired route.

Earning AAdvantage miles

There are a few American Airlines cobranded cards you can use to quickly accrue AAdvantage miles.

Citi® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World Elite Mastercard® : Earn 50,000 AAdvantage bonus miles after spending $2,500 on purchases in the first three months of account opening ($99 annual fee that's waived the first year; see rates and fees ).
Citi® / AAdvantage Business™ World Elite Mastercard® : Earn 75,000 AAdvantage bonus miles after spending $5,000 in purchases within the first five months of account opening ($99 annual fee that's waived the first 12 months).
Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite Mastercard® : Earn 70,000 miles after you spend $7,000 on purchases in the first three months of account opening ($595 annual fee, see rates and fees ).
AAdvantage® Aviator® Red World Elite Mastercard® : 50,000 AAdvantage bonus miles after making your first purchase and paying the $99 annual fee in full, both within the first 90 days.

The information for the Citi® / AAdvantage Business™ World Elite Mastercard® and AAdvantage® Aviator® Red World Elite Mastercard® has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.

You can also transfer Marriott Bonvoy points to American Airlines AAdvantage at a 3:1 transfer ratio. Additionally, if you pay your rent with Bilt Rewards or spend on the Bilt Mastercard® (see rates and fees ), you can transfer your points 1:1 to AAdvantage. Points transfer from Bilt to AAdvantage instantly.

Related: Best uses of American Airlines miles

Cathay Pacific business class to Asia or Africa with Alaska miles

The Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan used to be one of our favorite airline programs, as the program once offered some incredible award flight sweet spots . Sadly, Alaska has removed many of its award deals, but Cathay Pacific is one of the remaining Mileage Plan sweet spots that you should book before it disappears.

Flying with Cathay Pacific from the West Coast to its Hong Kong International Airport (HKG) hub will cost 30,000 miles each way in economy. If you can find available seats in premium cabins (which is difficult), you'll pay 50,000 miles per person in business class and 70,000 miles per person in first class.

You can also continue on to several points in Asia, such as various destinations in India and Dubai International Airport (DXB), paying just 50,000 miles per person for a one-way flight in economy. Expect to pay 62,500 miles for a one-way business-class ticket and 70,000 miles for a first-class ticket.

Unfortunately, Cathay Pacific's premium cabin seats are extremely tough to find. If you find availability, we recommend booking immediately. If you need to cancel your ticket later, Alaska will redeposit the miles and refund the taxes and fees without penalty.

Earning Alaska miles

Alaska miles aren't the easiest to earn, as they are not linked to any major transferable program. Thankfully, Alaska's broad list of airline partners means you can earn when flying with many different airlines.

Alaska Airlines also has two cobranded credit cards with Bank of America.

Alaska Airlines Visa Signature® credit card : Earn 60,000 bonus miles plus Alaska's Famous Companion Fare™ ($99 fare plus taxes and fees from $23) with this offer. To qualify, make $3,000 or more in purchases within the first 90 days of opening your account.
Alaska Airlines Visa® Business card : Earn 50,000 bonus miles and Alaska's Famous Companion Fare; ($99 fare plus taxes and fees from $23) after you make $3,000 or more in purchases within the first 90 days of opening your account.

Related: Which credit card should you use for Alaska Airlines flights?

Short-haul flights on British Airways with Avios

With dynamic pricing in some programs showing up to 100,000 miles for a single flight in economy, British Airways is a good alternative. The Executive Club program offers low prices on short flights.

British Airways only charges 4,750 Avios each way for off-peak flights it operates from London to destinations up to 600 miles away. This includes destinations in Ireland, Scotland, Denmark, France, Germany, Austria and Italy. Taxes will set you back just $31 (this can vary depending on current exchange rates), though you also have the option to reduce this to $1 by redeeming 9,250 Avios.

Award flights include full-size cabin baggage and checked baggage.

Earning British Airways Avios

The easiest way to earn a meaningful number of Avios for everyday spending is by applying for the British Airways Visa Signature Card . You'll earn 75,000 Avios after you spend $5,000 on purchases within the first three months of account opening. TPG values Avios at 1.5 cents each , making the full bonus worth $1,125.

The British Airways Visa Signature has a $95 annual fee and earns 3 Avios per dollar spent on purchases with British Airways, Aer Lingus, Iberia, and Level. Plus, you can earn 2 Avios per dollar spent on hotel accommodations when purchased directly with the hotel. All other purchases earn 1 Avios per dollar spent.

British Airways is also a transfer partner of Capital One, Chase Ultimate Rewards, American Express Membership Rewards, Bilt Rewards and Marriott Bonvoy, making Avios one of the easiest currencies to earn .

Points transfer from Capital One, Chase, Bilt and Amex at a 1:1 ratio (in addition to occasional transfer bonuses of up to 40%), while Marriott Bonvoy points transfer to Avios at a 3:1 ratio. Plus, you'll get a 5,000-Avios bonus for every 60,000 Marriott points transferred.

Related: 5 reasons why you should care about British Airways Avios

Air France-KLM Flying Blue promo awards

From paid ticket sales to redemption promotions , there are endless opportunities to book travel at a discount. However, few sales are as reliable as the Promo Rewards we see each month from Air France-KLM Flying Blue .

With Flying Blue adopting dynamic pricing with highly variable rates in all classes, this monthly offer is an excellent way to save on award travel.

These monthly Promo Rewards regularly appear on the Flying Blue website and offer discounts on flights to and from select cities or region pairs. All discounts are only bookable through the end of the month, and there's a set travel window.

Each month, the destinations, discounts and classes change, so keep an eye out for what is currently available. In the past, we have seen deals like:

39,000 miles in business class from Miami International Airport (MIA) to London's Heathrow Airport (LHR), flying KLM.
22,500 miles in premium economy class from IAD to Munich Airport (MUC), flying Air France.
11,250 miles in economy from ORD to Stockholm Arlanda Airport (ARN), flying Air France.

Earning Flying Blue miles

Boosting your Flying Blue balance is easy since the program partners with all major transferable points currencies.

You can transfer points at a 1:1 ratio from American Express Membership Rewards, Bilt Rewards, Capital One, Chase Ultimate Rewards and Citi ThankYou Rewards. You can also transfer Marriott points at a 3:1 ratio, with a 5,000-mile bonus for every 60,000 points you transfer.

Based on our tests, Amex , Bilt , Capital One , Chase and Citi transfers should post almost instantly. However, that wasn't the case with our test transfer from Marriott , which took three days to arrive in our Flying Blue account.

Related: Is KLM premium economy worth it on the 787 Dreamliner?

Domestic United flights with Turkish Airlines' Miles&Smiles

United's dynamic pricing means you won't find a set price for flights booked via the MileagePlus program . However, when there is saver-level inventory (the X fare class for economy or the I fare class for business), Turkish Airlines' Miles&Smiles becomes one of the best options available.

For any domestic flight in the U.S., including to or from Hawaii, Turkish requires just 7,500 miles each way in economy. If you're lucky enough to find domestic first class, those award tickets only cost 12,500 miles each way.

For example, we found a round-trip ticket in economy from San Francisco International Airport (SFO) to Hawaii's Ellison Onizuka Kona International Airport at Keahole (KOA) that only requires 15,000 Turkish miles plus $11.20 in taxes and fees.

This exact same flight would be 25,800 United miles.

The key to this sweet spot is finding saver-level inventory. You can search for these fares on United.com , though note that award tickets in any fare class other than X for economy and I for business class are not bookable through partner programs.

Earning Turkish miles

Miles&Smiles partners with a trio of programs: Capital One, Citi ThankYou Rewards and Bilt Rewards. You can transfer rewards from any of these programs at a 1:1 ratio, and our tests indicate that transfers should process instantly.

Related: The ultimate guide to Citi ThankYou Rewards

Bottom line

When it comes to making award reservations, you need certain stars to align. A little bit of flexibility is required to make the process run smoothly, and that might mean changing the dates of your trip a bit or opting for a destination with more plentiful award space. If these three things fall into place, you'll have a solid award flight.

However, there's a fourth element to the equation: value. If you can score one of the above sweet spots, you're essentially guaranteed to get incredible value from your redemption.

Additional reporting by Andrew Kunesh and Ethan Steinberg.

See Bilt Mastercard rates and fees here .

See Bilt Mastercard rewards and benefits here.

Updated as of 4/18/2024.

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Best Ways To Book Korean Air Business Class Using Points [Step-by-Step]

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Best Ways To Book Korean Air Business Class Using Points [Step-by-Step]

A Look Inside Korean Air Business Class

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When it comes to flying across the Pacific, there are several great business class options. These include world-class airlines such as Cathay Pacific , All Nippon Airways , and Singapore Airlines . Another airline that travelers should consider for these long-haul journeys is Korean Air.

Korean Air’s business class, known as “Prestige” class, is an extremely underrated product.

Let’s take a look at what Korean Air has to offer business class passengers and the best ways to book a flight in business class on Korean Air.

As with Korean Air first class , your business class experience with this airline is largely determined by the cabin layout of the particular aircraft you’re flying on. Knowing what to expect on your flight can help you pick a seat that will provide the most enjoyable experience for you.

To get the best business class experience on Korean Air, keep an eye on the aircraft type that will be operating the route you want to book .

Between the U.S. and Incheon International Airport (ICN) in Seoul, Korean Air’s base of operations, Korean Air flies several aircraft: the Boeing 777-300ER, the Boeing 747-8, the Boeing 787-9, and the Airbus A380.

If Korean Air is flying a Boeing 787-9 or Boeing 747-8 on your flight, you’re in a Prestige Suite. These are also commonly referred to as Apex Suites .

Each suite provides direct aisle access and a lie-flat seat to make those long-haul flights more comfortable and easier to enjoy. These are 2 of the most important aspects of a solid business class seat since having both of these ensures you’ll rest well and won’t have to worry about people stepping over you.

If you look at the cabin layout for each of these aircraft, you’ll notice the 2-2-2 layout. While this usually indicates that only the middle section will guarantee direct aisle for both passengers, the staggered layout of Apex Suites provides aisle access to everyone — including those sitting in window seats.

Meanwhile, the Korean Air business class cabin on the A380 is in a standard 2-2-2 configuration (i.e., not Apex Suites), meaning not all passengers have direct aisle access.

This cabin layout can also be found on some of Korean Air’s Boeing 777-300ER and Airbus A330 aircraft. If the route you want is operated by these aircraft, make sure you check the seat layout first. It may not seem like a big deal, but having direct aisle access is a huge plus when traveling in business class.

Some Korean 777-300ERs have an older 2-3-2 layout that isn’t staggered. These are generally considered inferior products , as quite a few seats do not have aisle access.

Lastly, we want to cover some other aircraft that could be used if an aircraft swap were to happen. Business class on the Airbus A321neo features a 2-2 layout with lie-flat seats. The Boeing 777-200ER has a 2-3-2 layout with seats that are not lie-flat.

The reason we focus on the many cabin layouts that Korean Air uses for business class is that they can dramatically impact your experience, especially if you have high expectations. Knowing what aircraft you would fly on can help determine if an award ticket is worth booking.

Fortunately, regardless of the aircraft, you can expect the same excellent service that Korean Air provides all business class passengers. Additionally, you get access to Korean Air’s business class lounges and other SkyTeam lounges.

Throw in a nice inflight meal, and you’ll enjoy the Korean Air business class experience!

How To Fly Korean Air Business Class Using Miles

Korean Air is a member of the SkyTeam alliance . This means you can use partner airline miles to book award seats with Korean Air. This allows for more opportunities to book a business class award on Korean Air if you have miles and points in different programs.

First, let’s start with Korean Air’s own program, SKYPASS . Although the program has undergone major changes over the years, it still provides an excellent way to redeem miles for a premium cabin on Korean Air .

The program is arguably the best way to book Korean Air premium cabins, as its mileage requirements are better than those of its partners . It also releases more award space to those booking through Korean’s program.

Many well-known programs in SkyTeam, such as Delta SkyMiles and Air France-KLM Flying Blue , use dynamic pricing when it comes to booking award tickets. This means fares can vary significantly.

Fortunately, Korean Air still uses an award chart when it comes to miles redemptions. You can find the full Korean Air award chart on its website . For Korean awards, pricing is based on seasonality.

Here is the one-way pricing for Korean Air awards between the U.S. and Korea:

For example, here is an award between San Francisco (SFO) and Seoul (ICN) that can be booked for 62,500 miles during the low season.

Occasionally, you can also find discounts on certain routes. For example, here is an award between Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD) and Seoul (ICN) on the same day. Instead of the 62,500-mile pricing, this award can be booked for 57,500 miles.

Korean Air SKYPASS seasonal pricing does come with conditions:

Peak-season redemptions require more miles than in the off-peak season
If the departure and return dates are in different seasons, mileage depends on the corresponding season for each segment.
For itineraries to and from South Korea, peak season applies based on the boarding date for each segment.
For international itineraries with a connection in South Korea, peak season applies based on the boarding dates for each segment of the itinerary.

To book a Korean Air award, follow these steps:

Go to Korean Air’s website and select Mileage Booking .
Log in with your User ID or SKYPASS number.
Select your origin, destination, and travel dates.
Select Prestige Class .
Select your flights.
Click Continue to enter your information and complete the booking.

Korean Air partner availability is very tough to come by. You can get around this by booking through Korean Air SKYPASS.

An excellent partner program worth considering for Korean Air business class awards is Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan . Although Alaska is a member of the Oneworld alliance , the airlines have a non-alliance partnership. This means you can use Alaska miles to book award a Korean Air award .

It is worth mentioning that Alaska will be implementing its new distance-based award charts in March 2024 . Pricing will increase for awards depending on which city you fly from.

For now, you can use your miles to fly to South Korea one-way for 70,000 miles in economy or 105,000 miles in business class. This may not be the best use of Alaska miles, but it’s another program worth considering.

Award space is incredibly difficult to find. There are multiple weeks where not a single award seat can be found. Here is a one-way award between Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) and Seoul (ICN).

You can also book a ticket from San Francisco International Airport (SFO) for the same price.

There’s a caveat to booking Korean Air awards with Alaska miles. If you redeem Alaska miles for a one-way Korean Air award, you pay the same amount of miles as if you booked a round-trip award . This is a requirement for Korean Air awards.

Another quirk with redeeming Alaska miles is that certain partner-operated flights cost more miles . This is especially true with airlines such as Korean Air and Japan Airlines.

It is also worth mentioning again that award space is incredibly difficult to come by. However, if you can find the award space, it provides an excellent way to fly between the U.S. and Asia on a premier airline.

Check out our guide on the best ways to redeem Alaska Mileage Plan miles for maximum value .

Finally, it’s also worth considering the Air France-KLM Flying Blue program for award flights on Korean Air. Air France-KLM is another SkyTeam partner of Korean Air, which means that Flying Blue miles can be used for Korean Air flights.

When it comes to award pricing, Flying Blue uses a dynamic pricing method . This means that award ticket prices fluctuate based on several different factors. And worst of all, the fluctuations can be quite drastic.

For example, here’s a monthlong overview of a Flying Blue award from Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG) to Seoul (ICN) for February 2024. A one-way award can be booked for as few as 89,000 miles or as high as 586,500 miles. That’s quite a noticeable difference!

Flying blue dynamic pricing february 2024

Korean Air also has blackout dates where you cannot use your Flying Blue miles to book an award seat. You can find more information on the Korean Air blackout travel dates here .

For a Flying Blue award redemption, you can search and book online through the Air France website. To book an award ticket with Flying Blue, follow these steps:

Go to Air France’s website .
Select Book with Miles .
Sign in to your Flying Blue account.
Select your origin and destination.
If your travel dates are flexible, leave the departure date box empty to show a monthly award availability.
Select Business so the search shows Korean Air business class flights.
Select the appropriate flight, then fill in the passenger information.
To complete the booking, pay the necessary taxes and fees.

While the redemption rates with Air France-KLM Flying Blue might not be as competitive as Korean Air or Alaska when booking a Korean Air business class award, it is significantly easier to earn Flying Blue miles than it is to earn Korean Air SKYPASS miles or Alaska Airlines miles.

Air France-KLM Flying Blue is a partner of several transferable points programs, including American Express Membership Rewards , Bilt Rewards , Chase Ultimate Rewards , Capital One Miles , Citi ThankYou Rewards , and Marriott Bonvoy .

All points programs, except Marriott Bonvoy, transfer at a 1:1 ratio. Marriott Bonvoy points transfer at a 3:1 ratio, with a 5,000-mile bonus for every 60,000 Marriott Bonvoy points transferred.

As Korean Air is a member of the SkyTeam airline alliance , you can use miles from several partner programs. However, be aware that the redemption rates for many of these programs won’t be competitive .

To prevent any surprises while trying to book Korean Air business class awards, it’s important to remember that Korean Air has a seasonal award chart that provides peak and off-peak pricing. To get the best pricing, book during the off-peak season.

You can book a one-way business class award on Korean Air (in the off-season) between the U.S. and South Korea for only 62,500 Korean SKYPASS miles!

Award space is difficult to find with partner airlines. Korean Air releases the most award space to SKYPASS members.

How To Earn Enough Miles for Business Class

Korean Air SKYPASS only has 1 transfer partner : Marriott Bonvoy. Marriott Bonvoy points transfer at a 3:1 ratio.

Similarly, Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan’s only transfer partner is also Marriott Bonvoy. Marriott Bonvoy points transfer at a 3:1 ratio. You get 5,000 bonus Alaska Airlines miles for every 60,000 Bonvoy points you transfer,

As mentioned above, Air France-KLM Flying Blue is a partner of American Express Membership Rewards, Brex Rewards, Chase Ultimate Rewards, Capital One Miles, Citi ThankYou Rewards, and Marriott Bonvoy.

Chase Sapphire Preferred ® Card

A fantastic travel card with a huge welcome offer, good benefits, and perks for a moderate annual fee.

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5x points on all travel booked via the Chase Travel portal
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$50 annual credit on hotel stays booked through the Chase Travel portal
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Excellent travel and car rental insurance
10% annual bonus points
No foreign transaction fees
1:1 point transfer to leading airline and hotel loyalty programs like United MileagePlus and World of Hyatt
$95 annual fee
No elite benefits like airport lounge access or hotel elite status
Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's $750 when you redeem through Chase Travel℠.
Enjoy beneﬁts such as 5x on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, 3x on dining, select streaming services and online groceries, 2x on all other travel purchases, 1x on all other purchases, $50 Annual Chase Travel Hotel Credit, plus more.
Get 25% more value when you redeem for airfare, hotels, car rentals and cruises through Chase Travel℠. For example, 60,000 points are worth $750 toward travel.
Count on Trip Cancellation/Interruption Insurance, Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver, Lost Luggage Insurance and more.
Get complimentary access to DashPass which unlocks $0 delivery fees and lower service fees for a minimum of one year when you activate by December 31, 2024.
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APR: 21.49%-28.49% Variable
Foreign Transaction Fees: None

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Chase Sapphire Reserve ®

A top player in the high-end premium travel credit card space that earns 3x points on travel and dining while offering top luxury perks.

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The card combines elite travel benefits and perks like airport lounge access , with excellent point earning and redemption options. Plus it offers top-notch travel insurance protections to keep you covered whether you’re at home or on the road.

Don’t forget the $300 annual travel credit which really helps to reduce the annual fee!

10x total points on hotels and car rentals when you purchase travel through Chase TravelSM immediately after the first $300 is spent on travel purchases annually
10x points on Lyft purchases March 31, 2025
10x points on Peloton equipment and accessory purchases over $250 through March 31, 2025
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$300 annual travel credit
Priority Pass airport lounge access
TSA PreCheck, Global Entry, or NEXUS credit
Access to Chase Luxury Hotel and Resort Collection
Rental car elite status with National and Avis
$550 annual fee
Does not offer any sort of hotel elite status
Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's $900 toward travel when you redeem through Chase Travel℠.
$300 Annual Travel Credit as reimbursement for travel purchases charged to your card each account anniversary year.
Earn 5x total points on flights and 10x total points on hotels and car rentals when you purchase travel through Chase Travel℠ immediately after the first $300 is spent on travel purchases annually. Earn 3x points on other travel and dining & 1 point per $1 spent on all other purchases
Get 50% more value when you redeem your points for travel through Chase Travel℠. For example, 60,000 points are worth $900 toward travel.
1:1 point transfer to leading airline and hotel loyalty programs
Access to 1,300+ airport lounges worldwide after an easy, one-time enrollment in Priority Pass™ Select and up to $100 application fee credit every four years for Global Entry, NEXUS, or TSA PreCheck ®
Count on Trip Cancellation/Interruption Insurance, Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver, Lost Luggage Insurance and more
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Are you a business owner? Check out our article on Chase business cards that earn flexible Ultimate Rewards points.

The Platinum Card ® from American Express

The Amex Platinum reigns supreme for luxury travel, offering the best airport lounge access plus generous statement credits, and complimentary elite status.

When it comes to cards that offer top-notch benefits, you’d be hard-pressed to find a better card out there than The Platinum Card ® from American Express.

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5x points per dollar spent on flights purchased directly with the airline or with AmexTravel.com (up to $500,000 per year)
5x points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels booked with AmexTravel.com
Annual and monthly statement credits upon enrollment ( airline credit, Uber Cash credit, Saks Fifth Avenue credit, streaming credit, prepaid hotel credit on eligible stays, Walmart+ credit, CLEAR credit, and Equinox credit )
TSA PreCheck or Global Entry credit
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$695 annual fee ( rates and fees )
Airline credit does not cover airfare (only incidentals like checked bags)
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Unlock access to exclusive reservations and special dining experiences with Global Dining Access by Resy when you add your Platinum Card ® to your Resy profile.
$695 annual fee.
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American Express ® Gold Card

This is the best card for food lovers who dine out at restaurants (worldwide), order take-out and want big rewards at U.S. supermarkets!

The American Express ® Gold Card is a game-changer.

With this card, you can earn 4x Membership Rewards points at restaurants and you’ll also earn 4x Membership Rewards points at U.S. supermarkets on up to $25,000 per calendar year in purchases, then 1x.

There isn’t another card on the market that offers a 1-2 punch like this. Of course, there are several other benefits of the Gold Card as well, including extra monthly dining rewards and more.

4x points per dollar at restaurants, plus takeout and delivery in the U.S.
4x points per dollar at U.S. supermarkets, up to $25,000 per calendar year in purchases; and 1x thereafter
3x points per dollar on flights purchased directly from airlines or at Amex Travel
Up to $120 annual dining credit: up to $10 monthly statement credit when you pay with the Amex Gold card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com , Milk Bar and select Shake Shack locations
Up to $120 in annual Uber Cash : get $10 monthly in Uber Cash for Uber Eats orders or Uber rides in the U.S. when you add your Gold Card to your Uber account
No foreign transaction fees (see rates and fees )
Access to Amex’s The Hotel Collection
Access to American Express transfer partners
$250 annual fee (see rates and fees )
No lounge access
Earn 60,000 Membership Rewards ® points after you spend $6,000 on eligible purchases with your new Card within the first 6 months of Card Membership.
Earn 4X Membership Rewards ® Points at Restaurants, plus takeout and delivery in the U.S., and earn 4X Membership Rewards ® points at U.S. supermarkets (on up to $25,000 per calendar year in purchases, then 1X).
Earn 3X Membership Rewards ® points on flights booked directly with airlines or on amextravel.com.
$120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and each month automatically get $10 in Uber Cash for Uber Eats orders or Uber rides in the U.S., totaling up to $120 per year.
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Get a $100 experience credit with a minimum two-night stay when you book The Hotel Collection through American Express Travel. Experience credit varies by property.
Choose the color that suits your style. Gold or Rose Gold.
No Foreign Transaction Fees.
Annual Fee is $250.
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Our guide highlights the best Marriott credit cards available.

As with any award booking, begin your search as soon as you know when you want to travel. Korean Air SKYPASS tends to release award seats 361 days before departure .

At times, you can also find business class availability just days prior to departure.

What Makes Korean Air Business Class a Great Redemption?

Korean Air doesn’t get the same level of attention as more high-profile Asian and Middle Eastern carriers, but it has a great business class product.

While it can be hard to find award seats through partner programs, Korean Air isn’t nearly as stingy when it comes to releasing award space to its own program, SKYPASS. This is particularly useful if you’re traveling as a family.

The next time you search for business class award space to Seoul on Korean Air’s site, you’ll notice they even let you know how many seats are available to be booked with Korean SKYPASS miles. This can make planning much easier.

The Apex Suite is one of the nicest business class cabin layouts on the market . If you’re flying solo, you could be sitting next to the window with almost total privacy and still have direct aisle access.

If you’re traveling with a companion, you could sit next to each other in the middle section and enjoy the flight together.

The crews on Korean Air flights make sure that the business class experience is a special one. We’ve found that they are happy to do whatever they can to make it a trip to remember. If you have a request, just ask, and they should be able to help you.

Korean Air business class is often overlooked in favor of Asian carriers, such as EVA Air and Singapore Airlines. However, it is a great way to cross the Pacific. Korean Air flies to several airports across the U.S., which can be useful when it comes to award bookings.

Korean Air award space is challenging to find when booking with partner programs. Korean Air does release more award space to SKYPASS members.

The next time you plan on booking a business class adventure to Asia, give Korean Air a look. They could be just the ticket for you and your family!

For rates and fees of The Platinum Card ® from American Express, click here . For rates and fees of the American Express ® Gold Card, click here .

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best way to book korean air business class.

Korean SKYPASS is the best loyalty program for booking Korean Air business class awards. Korean Air releases more award space for those using its own program

You can also use Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan or Air France-KLM Flying Blue.

What points transfer to Korean Air SKYPASS?

Korean Air SKYPASS only has one transfer partner: Marriott Bonvoy. Marriott Bonvoy points transfer at a 3:1 ratio.

What do I get when flying Korean Air business class?

First, you can expect wonderful service from the Korean Air flight crews. You can tell they take great pride in their work and they’re happy to help you throughout your flight.

Second, if you follow the booking guidelines in the article above, you can get yourself a lie-flat seat with direct aisle access so you have very comfortable flight.

How much are Korean Air SKYPASS miles worth?

According to our valuations , Korean Air SKYPASS miles are worth 1.6 cents per point. This means that 50,000 miles are worth $800.

What is Korean Air Prestige Class?

Prestige Class is another name for Korean Air’s business class.

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About Spencer Howard

Always a fan of flying, it was only natural that Spencer was drawn to finding a way to improve the travel experience.

Like many, he started this journey searching for cheap flights to take him around the world. This was fun for a while, but Spencer was intrigued by the idea of flying in business and first class!

Throwing himself into what became an extensive research project, Spencer spent 3-4 hours per night learning everything he could about frequent flyer miles over the course of several months (he thinks this is normal). He runs Straight to the Points, an award-seat alert platform.

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Best Ways To Book Korean Air First Class Using Points [Step-by-Step]

UP's Bonus Valuation

This bonus value is an estimated valuation calculated by UP after analyzing redemption options, transfer partners, award availability and how much UP would pay to buy these points.

Fly with Virgin Atlantic
Partner airlines

Our SkyTeam partner

About Korean Air

Korean Air, a founding member of SkyTeam, is a leading international airline headquartered in Seoul, with its main hub located at Incheon (ICN) Airport.

Find out more about Korean Air and SkyTeam benefits available to SKYPASS members.

Mutually rewarding benefits

Flying Club members can enjoy various perks when flying with SkyTeam airlines like earning Virgin Points. SkyTeam airlines also offer SkyPriority services to Flying Club Gold members and anyone flying in First Class or Business Class.

Earn Tier Points
Earn Virgin Points
Spend Virgin Points
Lounge access

Flying with Korean Air contributes to your Flying Club status, so you can progress through the tiers faster, unlocking more benefits along the way. The number of Tier Points earned depends on the cabin, booking class and distance you fly.

For flights marketed and operated by Korean with a flight number starting with KE, you will earn the following:

For flights marketed by Virgin Atlantic and operated by Korean Air, with a flight number starting with VS, you will earn the following:

Tier points

Flying with Korean Air will earn you Virgin Points, which you can redeem on Virgin Atlantic or any other SkyTeam member airline. You'll earn a percentage of the miles you have flown depending on the cabin and booking class you are flying in.

For flights marketed and operated by Korean Air, with a flight number starting with KE, you will earn the following:

Virgin Point bonus for Silver and Gold members

If you’re a Flying Club Silver or Gold member you’ll earn bonus Virgin Points whenever you fly with Virgin Atlantic or any SkyTeam member airline. This tier bonus is in addition to the standard Virgin Points you’ll earn based on the distance and cabin you fly, boosting your balance to bring your closer to your next reward.

Spend your Virgin Points on Korean Air Reward Flights. The number of points required depends on the cabin you fly and the distance of the route. All you need to pay for are the taxes, fees and carrier-imposed surcharges.

Virgin Points required for a one-way flight:

If you're booking a Reward Flight for an infant under two at the time of travel, who will be travelling on your lap, you'll need the following points (one-way):

Reward flights are subject to availability.

Flying Club Gold members can enjoy complimentary access to 750+ Lounges Worldwide | SkyTeam lounges when flying internationally in any cabin.

Flying Club Red and Silver members can access Skyteam member airline lounges when flying internationally in Business or First Class with the SkyTeam member airline.

Korean Airlines have lounges across in Seoul,(Gimpo, Inycheon),Daegu, Busan,Jeju,Narita,Osaka,Fukuoka,New York, Los Angeles and Honolulu

Access is on the day of travel when flying on or connecting to or from an international flight operated by a SkyTeam carrier. Simply present your boarding pass at the lounge.

Destinations we can connect you to

Korean Air is the flag carrier of South Korea, serving an extensive global network across six continents from its hub in Seoul.

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Earning virgin points & tier points.

To earn Virgin Points and Tier Points on Korean Air flights, add your Flying Club membership number in your booking whether you book via Korean Air or a third party.

Search flights and earn points

Spending Virgin Points

To spend Virgin Points on Korean Air flights, book direct with Virgin Atlantic. Select ‘show price in points’ when you search.

Search for Reward Flights

Already booked and want to earn points?

If you have already booked, you can still add your Flying Club number to your booking before you fly and earn points. If your flight number starts with VS, you can add you Flying Club number via Virgin Atlantic Manage My Booking. If your flight number does not start with VS, head to the airline’s frequent flyer programme and add your Flying Club number to your booking.

Terms and conditions

Earning Points:

If you are a member of both Flying Club and a partner programme, points can only be accrued to one frequent flyer programme and cannot be transferred between airlines.

Points accrual begins from the effective date of partnership between Virgin Atlantic and partner airlines, and any flights taken prior to the effective date are not eligible for accrual.

Points may be earned on Korean Air marketed/operated flights (flight number starts with KE) and points will be issued to Flying Club members when travelling in the classes listed.

If you fly on a Korean Air operated flight marketed by any other SkyTeam member airline (including Virgin Atlantic), you will earn as per the marketing airline.

Points will not be earned for travel in any other class not listed above

No points are earned on Reward Flights with partner airlines.

Points accrual rates and Terms and Conditions are subject to change at any time without prior notice according to partner airline’s policy and circumstances.

Partner airlines’ codeshare flights may not be eligible for mileage accrual depending on the actual operating airline.  Points are not applicable on a SkyTeam marketed flight operated by an airline not within the SkyTeam alliance

Additional points will not be earned for bookings that are subsequently upgraded to a higher class whereby an additional fare difference is paid.

Spending Points:

All mileage levels are excluding passenger taxes, duties, fees, charges and surcharges.

Blackout dates may apply.

Reward seats are subject to availability. 

If a journey requires a connecting flight or stopover to reach the destination, points are charged for each sector.

Bookings must be made at least 48hrs before departure. Points must be redeemed from one account. 

Full partner terms and conditions

Missing Points:

When claiming points please keep all copies of your original tickets/e-tickets and boarding passes until the correct amount of points appear on your account. If the points do not show on your account within six weeks, please contact us to claim them back.

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Reactivate SKYPASS Account

Your SKYPASS account has become inactive due to the absence of mileage accrual or redemption within the last 5 years. To use your mileage, please reactivate your account by selecting the Reactivate Account button below and proceeding with verification.

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Helpful Information

Award Seat Availability

Codeshare Flights
Transit Exclusive Domestic Flights

Before you book an award ticket, check out the information on how to view award seat availability.

IMAGES

Best Use of Korean Air Skypass Miles
Korean Air award chart updated
Korean Air Award Chart
Ultimate Guide to Korean Air Miles: Part 1
Korean Air Mileage Redemption Chart
How To Redeem Korean Air SkyPass Miles

VIDEO

대한항공과 함께 떠나는 여행
숫자로 보는 대한항공의 2023
대한항공과 함께 떠나는 여행
RARE Korean A380 & B747 GO-AROUND!
✈️ Year-end Flight with Korean Air｜Seoul to Tokyo｜Korean Vegan Meal｜KE2105
크로아티아를 걷다, 두브로브니크 카약투어 / A Walk in Croatia, Dubrovnik

COMMENTS

Redemption Table
Award Ticket Redemption Table. In addition to mileage redemption, award tickets require payment of applicable taxes and fees. Korea domestic and international flights are subject to at least USD 15 and USD 37 in taxes and fees, respectively, and varies in amount based on cabin class, itinerary, exchange rate, government and carrier regulations ...
Use Your Mileage For Your Flight
To issue awards at the airport using Family Plan, please complete family member registration beforehand via Korean Air website or mobile app. Redeem Mileage for Award Tickets with Family Plan. Validity Period. The validity of an Award Ticket is one year from the date of issue, and further extension is not allowed. Conditions.
Airline Peak and Off-Peak Award Charts [Ultimate 2024 Guide]
Korean Air employs a region-based award chart. Also, one-way flight redemptions are only allowed on Korean Air. For all partners, you must book round-trip if you want to use miles. Hot Tip: Korean Air is one of the few airlines that still operate the A380. Check out our review of Korean Air's A380 first class.
9 Best Ways to Redeem Korean Air SKYPASS Miles [2024]
One-way travel is permitted on Korean Air flights only. ... Korean Air award space is priced by award chart, award region, and peak season. SkyTeam partner awards are subject to their own terms and award charts by region: SCROLL FOR MORE. SkyTeam Award Regions: Asia 1: SkyTeam Bonus Central America: SkyTeam Bonus Asia 2:
Korean Air Skypass Program: What to Know
The Korean Air miles that you earn are called Korean Air Skypass miles. These are the miles that members can use to book award flights on both Korean Air and its partner airlines. Fare types ...
How to Book Award Flights With Korean Air SKYPASS
Korean Air also considers Mexico, Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands to be part of the same North America Award zone, so it charges the same 25,000/45,000 miles for awards to these destinations. For more interesting award travel loopholes like this, see my post on Using Airline Geography to Find Award Chart Sweet Spots .
Ultimate Guide to Korean Air Miles: Part 2
Korean Air Award Chart And Sweet Spots 1. Korean Air Award Chart. Link: Korean Air Award Chart for Korean Air Flights (NOT Partners) For now, we will look at redeeming Korean Air miles on Korean Air flights. There's a specific award chart just for Korean Air flights (NOT partner flights). Korean Air has "on-peak" and "off-peak" dates ...
How To Redeem Korean Air SkyPass Miles
Step 1: Place the ticket you want on a courtesy hold. Korean Air will let you place an award ticket on hold for up to five days. You must hold the SkyPass award ticket by phone. If you're in the US, the Korean Air SkyPass phone number is (800) 438-5000. Any reservations agent can help you place the ticket on hold.
Ultimate Guide to Korean Air Miles: Part 3
Link: Korean Air SkyTeam Award Chart. Link: Korean Air Non-Alliance Partner Awards. Korean Air has an award chart for all SkyTeam airlines from North America. However, you can NOT book one-way tickets on partner airlines, only round-trip. You Can Only Book Round-Trip Travel on SkyTeam Airlines. Each non-alliance partner has their own award chart.
Best Ways To Book Korean Air First Class Using Points
Keep in mind that if you have to connect with SkyTeam partner Delta, you will be required to book a SkyTeam award, which is governed by a different award chart and requires round-trip bookings. You can book Korean Air first class by following these simple steps: Go to Korean Air's website. Select Redeem Miles.
The best websites for searching SkyTeam award availability
Korean Air Skypass works differently than Flying Blue and Delta SkyMiles because it uses a standard award chart instead of dynamic pricing. You can use the Korean Air website to find award space to book with other SkyTeam partners. However, the Korean Air engine is not always accurate, and you must search for round-trip itineraries.
The Good, Bad, Ugly of the Korean Air Award Chart Changes
The new Korean Air award charts are distance-based, while the older chart was based on travel between regions. The new award pricing is effective for bookings made after April 1, 2023. As you can see — unlike many other award chart changes — not all of the SkyPass changes are negative. In fact, the changes to economy redemptions are ...
Redemption table for SkyTeam Award
SkyTeam Award redemption table is based on round-trip, and the same table applies even when a trip is one-way. In addition to the redemption miles indicated below, SkyTeam Award tickets require payment of government-imposed taxes and fees and carrier-imposed charges starting from USD 5.60. Please select the departure region to check the mileage ...
Guide to Redeeming SkyTeam Award
The Redemption Table applies to children and infants who occupy a seat. Infants are not eligible for SkyTeam Award even when not occupying a seat. Itinerary Change. An itinerary change is allowed before/after starting a journey at a fee of KRW 30,000. The additional miles could be deducted based on the new itinerary.
Korean Air: The Complete Guide To Earning & Redeeming SKYPASS Miles
On-peak and off-peak travel dates; Award charts show roundtrip pricing; Korean Air flights can be booked one way; Partner flights are always charged roundtrip pricing; You'll want to utilize the Korean Air award chart, the SkyTeam award chart, and the non-alliance award chart. Use your SKYPASS miles to make your travel more enjoyable, including:
5 Award Sweet Spots Using Korean Air Skypass Miles
The Southeast Asia region in the Korean Air award chart includes destinations like Bangkok, Bali, Ho Chi Minh City, Phuket and Singapore. With 75,000 Skypass miles, you can book a one-way Korean ...
How to Book Award Travel with Korean Air SKYPASS
You'll need to search for award space elsewhere and then call Korean Air at 1-800-438-5000. You might want to book online anyway so that you can hold the award ticket before transferring miles from another program. (If you transfer first and the award space disappears, you're out of luck.)
Korean Air: The Complete Guide To Earning & Redeeming SKYPASS Miles
Use your SKYPASS miles for award flights on Korean Air. Choose from three different award types. On-peak and off-peak travel dates; Award charts show roundtrip pricing; Korean Air flights can be booked one way; Partner flights are always charged roundtrip pricing; You'll want to utilize the Korean Air award chart, the SkyTeam award chart, and ...
7 best airline award chart sweet spots
The sweet spot. The key to this sweet spot is to fly a nonstop, Iberia-operated flight of 3,001 to 4,000 miles on off-peak dates (check Iberia's peak and off-peak calendar ). This is because Iberia uses a distance-based award chart for its flights. IBERIA.COM. Iberia operates several transatlantic flights that fall into the 3,001- to 4,000-mile ...
Best Ways to Book Korean Air Business With Points [Step-by-Step]
Fortunately, Korean Air still uses an award chart when it comes to miles redemptions. You can find the full Korean Air award chart on its website. For Korean awards, pricing is based on seasonality. ... As with any award booking, begin your search as soon as you know when you want to travel. Korean Air SKYPASS tends to release award seats 361 ...
American Airlines
American Airlines - Airline tickets and low fares at aa.com
Fly with our SkyTeam partner Korean Air
Korean Airlines have lounges across in Seoul,(Gimpo, Inycheon),Daegu, Busan,Jeju,Narita,Osaka,Fukuoka,New York, Los Angeles and Honolulu Access is on the day of travel when flying on or connecting to or from an international flight operated by a SkyTeam carrier. Simply present your boarding pass at the lounge. More on Korean Airlines Lounges
Change and Refund
Korean Air. Purchase flight ticket and additional services with Korean Air mileage. Award ticket changes and refunds incur fees. Fees and Additional Charges. Reissue Charge. Depending on the desired route or date of travel, Award ticket may be subject to additional mileage deduction, taxes, carrier-imposed fees, and reissue charges.
Award Seat Availability
Award Seat Availability. Before you book an award ticket, check out the information on how to view award seat availability. How to Use Award Ticket. Award Seat Availability. Award Seat Notification. Check out the award seat availability and plan your award travel.

Ultimate Guide to Korean Air Miles: Part 3 – How to Book Award Flights on Partner Airlines

Ultimate Guide to Korean Air Miles Series Index

Korean Air Partner Airlines

2. Non-Alliance Partners

SkyTeam and Partner Award Charts

Award Chart Sweet Spots

1. Continental North America to Hawaii

2. North America to Europe

3. Stopovers and Open-Jaws

Taxes and Fees

Korean Air SkyTeam Award Booking Step-by-Step

Step 1. Search for Flights

Step 2. Select Your Flights

Step 3. Book And Pay

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Korean Air: The Complete Guide To Earning & Redeeming SKYPASS Miles

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