Korean Air is South Korea’s largest airline and its flag carrier. With routes to over 100 destinations worldwide and membership in the SkyTeam alliance, you’ll be able to use your miles to travel nearly anywhere.
Korean Air’s loyalty program, Korean Air SkyPass, allows frequent flyers to earn rewards and gain elite status for their travel. Among the loyalty programs that point.me analyzed in its rankings of the world’s best loyalty programs, SkyPass scored 33.68 out of 100. That’s on the lower end, thanks mainly to its difficult-to-earn miles. Still, let’s take a look at Korean Air’s SkyPass program, how it works, and the benefits of being a member.
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Overview of Korean Air SkyPass
Korean Air was launched in 1969 after the government-owned Korean Air Lines was privatized. As a member of SkyTeam, it partners with KLM, Delta Air Lines, and Virgin Atlantic to offer a global flight network.
However, despite its limited usefulness for those in the United States, Korean Air SkyPass offers flexible change and refund policies and a fairly generous award chart for redemptions.
Credit card transfer partners of Korean Air SkyPass
Unlike many other airlines, there are no credit card transfer partners for Korean Air SkyPass.
Airline partners of Korean Air SkyPass
Korean Air is a member of the SkyTeam alliance, which includes the following airlines:
- Aerolineas Argentinas
- Aeromexico
- Air Europa
- Air France
- China Airlines
- China Eastern
- Delta Air Lines
- Garuda Indonesia
- Kenya Airways
- KLM
- Korean Air
- Saudia
- Tarom
- Vietnam Airlines
- Virgin Atlantic
- Xiamen Airlines
In addition to its SkyTeam partners, Korean Air also has some non-alliance airline partners:
- Alaska Airlines
- American Airlines
- China Southern Airlines
- Emirates
- Etihad Airways
- GOL Airlines
- Hawaiian Airlines
- Japan Airlines
What we love about Korean Air SkyPass
Although it has some drawbacks, there are a few major perks when it comes to Korean Air SkyPass:
- No domestic change or cancellation fees
- Tickets can be refunded even after they expire
- Offers good award availability
- Maintaining elite status costs less compared to other airlines
What we don’t love about Korean Air SkyPass
The biggest downside to Korean Air SkyPass is just how difficult it is to earn its miles.
- Miles are difficult to earn
- Doesn’t allow you to hold awards
- Earning elite status requires a lot of miles
Korean Air elite status tiers and how to earn them
Korean Air has three elite status levels depending on how much you fly. Unusually, once you earn elite status, it’s valid for two years. You also have reduced requirements to maintain elite status.
Morning Calm Club
Morning Calm Club is the airline’s lowest tier of status. To qualify, you’ll need to meet one of two conditions:
- Earn 50,000 miles, 30,000 of which must be on Korean Air flights.
- Earn 80 points from Korean Air (1 point for a domestic flight and 2 points for international flights).
To maintain your status, you’ll need to meet one of the following conditions within two years:
- Earn 30,000 miles, of which 20,000 must be on Korean Air flights.
- Earn 30,000 miles and 30 points from Korean Air.
- Earn 40 points from Korean Air flights.
Benefits of Morning Calm Club status include:
- Priority reservation waitlist
- Exclusive check-in counter
- Extra free checked bag
- Priority baggage handling
- Airport lounge access
- Free seat selection on international flights
Morning Calm Premium Club
Morning Calm Premium Club is the second level of elite status for Korean Air. It’s a lifetime membership; once earned, you’ll have it forever. To earn Morning Calm Premium Club status, you’ll need to earn 500,000 miles with Korean Air and its SkyTeam partners.
Benefits of the Morning Calm Premium Club include:
- Off-peak pricing for awards during peak season
- Award ticket reissue fee waivers
Million Miler Club
The Million Miler Club is the final tier of SkyPass elite status. Like Morning Calm Premium Club, it is a lifetime membership. To acquire it, you’ll need to accrue 1 million miles with Korean Air or its SkyTeam partners.
Those with Million Miler Club elite status receive all the benefits of previous statuses, plus a special hotline to call while in Korea.
How to earn Korean Air SkyPass miles
Earning Korean Air SkyPass miles can be done in a few different ways, including:
- Flying: With Korean Air or its partners
- Travel: By booking with hotel, tour, or rental car partners
- Shopping: With eligible partners
- Credit card spending: Via Korean Air’s co-branded credit cards, issued by U.S. Bank
Redeeming miles with Korean Air SkyPass
Redeeming Korean SkyPass miles is simple. To do so, you’ll simply need to head over to Korean Air’s website. On the search bar, you’ll find the toggle to search for flights using miles.
Aside from redeeming your miles for flights, you can also use them to upgrade flights. The cost to do so will depend on whether you’re upgrading to first or business class, as well as the flight you’re taking.
For a detailed breakdown of the cost to upgrade your seat, take a look at Korean Air’s upgrades page.
How much are Korean Air SkyPass miles worth?
Korean Air uses award charts to determine the cost of your flight. At their lowest, you’ll pay just 5,000 miles one way for an economy flight within Korea.
There are quite a few different award charts used by Korean Air SkyPass, depending on where you’re taking off from. Here’s how it looks when departing from North America in economy class:
| Destination | Off-peak | Peak season |
| Korea/Japan/China/Northeast Asia | 35,000 | 52,500 |
| Southeast Asia/Guam | 42,500 | 62,500 |
| Southwest Asia | 47,500 | 70,000 |
| Oceania | 55,000 | 82,500 |
And here’s the cost of flying business class from North America:
| Destination | Off-peak | Peak season |
| Korea/Japan/China/Northeast Asia | 62,500 | 92,500 |
| Southeast Asia/Guam | 75,000 | 112,500 |
| Southwest Asia | 85,000 | 127,500 |
| Oceania | 97,500 | 145,000 |
To give you some context, Delta Air Lines, another SkyTeam partner, charges 45,000 miles one way for economy class flights to South Korea and 130,000 miles one way for business class. So, Korean SkyPass can be significantly cheaper.
The best Korean Air SkyPass redemptions
U.S. to Asia in business class
One of the best deals you’ll find with SkyPass is business-class seats to Asia. Korean Air’s award chart allows you to continue to Japan for the same rate as stopping in South Korea – 62,500 miles – which is cheap compared to other business class options. Plus, availability is generally pretty good.
Domestic Korea flights
It doesn’t get much cheaper than paying 5,000 miles for a flight, no matter where you’re traveling. And while you may be able to find low-cost flights that won’t break the bank, fees for extras can often add up. Even during peak season, flights cost just 7,500 miles each way.
U.S. to Australia in business class
Korean Air charges 97,500 miles one way for business-class seats from North America to Oceania, which isn’t exactly cheap. However, its awards are plentiful and, even at this rate, not much more expensive than you’ll find from other carriers (if you can even find business-class award space with them).
Tips for using Korean Air SkyPass miles
Maximizing your Korean Air SkyPass miles is always a good idea. Here are some of the best ways to do so.
Redeem for upgrades
Redeeming for upgrades isn’t always a good idea because the costs can be prohibitively high. However, Korean Air is relatively affordable. For example, it costs just 40,000 miles off-peak to upgrade from economy class to business class when flying from the U.S. to South Korea.
Fly off-peak
Korean Air has peak and off-peak award charts. If you’re not an elite member, you’ll need to keep an eye on the pricing of your dates. Although the difference in pricing isn’t huge, aim to redeem for off-peak flights to get the best from your miles.
Frequently asked questions about Korean Air SkyPass
What are Korean Air’s airline partners?
Korean Air has numerous partners, including members of the SkyTeam alliance and other non-alliance airlines.
What are Korean Air’s transfer partners?
Korean Air doesn’t have any credit card transfer partners.
What are Korean Air’s tier status levels?
Korean Air has three elite status levels, including Morning Calm Club, Morning Calm Premium Club, and Million Miler Club.
How many Korean Air SkyPass miles do I need for a free flight?
Off-peak flights for Korean Air start at 5,000 miles one way.
Do Korean Air SkyPass miles expire?
Korean SkyPass miles earned after June 30, 2008 will expire ten years after they’ve been earned.
Can I transfer or gift my Korean Air SkyPass miles to someone else?
You can transfer or gift Korean Air SkyPass miles to someone else by creating a family pool. Those who are members of the Korean Air family plan can pool their miles together.
Can I book a flight for someone else with my Korean Air SkyPass miles?
You can book flights with your Korean Air SkyPass miles for anyone who is registered with your family plan.
Can I book a Korean Air flight using a combination of miles and cash?
Yes, you can book a Korean Air flight using a combination of cash and miles.
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