Korean Air
SKYPASS, loyalty program of Korean Air, is a fantastic program that allows you to book Korean Air flights, SkyTeam flights and codeshare agreement (meaning you would use your Korean Air SKYPASS miles to fly on an Emirates flight for example) partner flights.
Korean Air has a multitude of redemptions so here are five for US-based travelers to check out. One, business class to Europe. Two, business class to Africa and the Middle East. Three, economy / business to Hawaii and the Caribbean. Four, business class to Asia. Five, business class to South America. When you decide to take advantage of these or other redemptions, here are items to know about their program:
- Fuel surcharges will vary between Korean Air and its airline partners
- SkyTeam and Partner flights are charged the round-trip price so do not book a one-way flight
- Korean Air flights can be booked one-way
- The program uses a peak and off-peak calendar for Korean Air and partner flights
- Korean Air flights allow one stopover (staying more than 24 hours after you land) on the outbound and inbound flights
- SkyTeam flights allow one stopover and two open jaws (departing from a different city than the city you landed in)
- Korean Air uses another set of charts for partners like Alaska, Etihad and Hawaiian
Now that we have a basic overview of the Korean SKYPASS program, below are redemptions to consider.
You can book Korean Air and SkyTeam Alliance flights by transferring your Chase Ultimate Rewards directly to your Korean Air account. Simply login to your Ultimate Rewards account, select “Use Points,” select “Transfer to Travel Partners,” select “Transfer Points” to the right of Korean Air, and transfer the points necessary for your redemption.
1. North America to Europe (80,000 Miles Business Class Round-Trip)
Korean Air prices business class SkyTeam flights to Europe at 80,000 miles.
SkyTeam members with direct flights to Europe include Air France, Delta, KLM, Alitalia and Air Europa.
Here are examples of SkyTeam non-stop routes that require 80,000 Korean Air SKYPASS miles + variable taxes and fees.
Atlanta (ATL) <> Paris (CDG) – Air France
Boston (BOS) <> Amsterdam (AMS) – Delta
Detroit (DTW) <> London (LHR) – Delta
Minneapolis (MSP) <> Amsterdam – KLM
New York (JFK) <> Madrid (MAD) – Air Europa
2. North America to Africa / Middle East (120,000 Miles Business Class Round-Trip)
Korean Air prices SkyTeam business class flights to Africa and the Middle East at 120,000 miles.
SkyTeam members with direct flights to Africa include Delta and Kenya Airways.
The only SkyTeam member with a direct flight to the Middle East is Saudia.
Here are examples of SkyTeam routes that require 120,000 Korean Air SKYPASS miles + variable taxes and fees.
Atlanta (ATL) <> South Africa (JNB) – Delta
New York (JFK) <> Kenya (NBO) – Kenya Airways
New York (JFK) <> Nigeria (LOS) – Delta
Los Angeles (LAX) <> Saudi Arabia (JED) – Saudia
3. North America to Hawaii / US Virgin Islands (25/40K Miles Economy/Business Class Round-Trip)
Korean Air prices SkyTeam economy and business class flights to Mexico, domestic US, Hawaii, US Virgin Islands, Canada and Puerto Rico at 25,000 and 45,000 miles respectively.
Delta is the only SkyTeam member with direct flights to Hawaii.
Korean Air also partners with Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines who require 30,000 / 60,000 miles for economy / business respectively for their flights to Hawaii.
Here are examples of Delta, Alaskan and Hawaiian routes that require 25,000 / 45,000 or 30,000 / 60,000 Korean Air SKYPASS miles + $11.20 in taxes and fees.
Atlanta (ATL) <> Honolulu (HNL) – Delta
Oakland (OAK) <> Kona (KOA) – Alaska Airlines
Los Angeles (LAX) <> Maui (OGG) – Hawaiian Airlines
4. North America to Korea / China / Japan (125,000 Miles Business Class Round-Trip)
Korean Air prices its own business class flights to Korea, China and Japan at 125,000 miles round-trip and has non-stop flights to 10 US cities.
Those cities are Atlanta (ATL), Chicago (ORD), Dallas (DFW), Honolulu (HNL), Las Vegas (LAS), Los Angeles (LAX), New York (JFK), San Francisco (SFO), Seattle (SEA), and Washington (IAD).
SkyTeam partner Delta has non-stop flights to Korea, Japan, China and Hong Kong. China Eastern has non-stop flights to China.
Here are examples of Korean and SkyTeam non-stop flights that require 125,000 Korean Air SKYPASS miles + variable taxes + fees.
Washington (IAD) <> Seoul (ICN) – Korean Air
Detroit (DTW) <> Japan (NRT) – Delta
Chicago (ORD) <> Shanghai (PVG) – China Eastern
5. North America to South America (110,000 Miles Business Class Round-Trip)
Korean Air prices SkyTeam business class flights from North America to South America at 110,000 miles round-trip.
SkyTeam partner Delta has non-stop service to Brazil, Colombia, Chile, Peru, and Ecuador.
Here are examples of non-stop Delta flights that require 110,000 Korean Air SKYPASS miles + variable taxes + fees.
New York <> Brazil (GRU) – Delta
Atlanta <> Colombia (BOG) – Delta
Atlanta <> Chile (SCL) – Delta
Conclusion
The flexibility to use this program across multiple continents and fare classes makes Korean Air SKYPASS an excellent way to use your Chase Ultimate Rewards points.
Business class to Europe for only 80,000 SKYPASS miles (80,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards points converted to 80,000 Korean Air SKYPASS miles) is a redemption I look forward to reporting back on in a couple of months after our trip to Italy.
If want the flexibility to fly to different continents and use different fare classes, Korean Air is a program to keep on your radar.
