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

Key Takeaways

• Korean Air business class can be booked using Korean Air SKYPASS miles or through SkyTeam alliance partner programs like Delta SkyMiles.
• SKYPASS has better mileage requirements than partner airlines and releases more award space.
• Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan is another alternative to booking business class. It is not part of the SkyTeam alliance but does have a partnership with Korean Air.

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.

A Look Inside Korean Air Business Class

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.

Korean Air SKYPASS

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:

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

Hot Tip:

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

Alaska Airlines

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.

Hot Tip:

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

Air France-KLM Flying Blue

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!

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:

1. Go to Air France’s website.
2. Select Book with Miles.
3. Sign in to your Flying Blue account.
4. Select your origin and destination.
5. Select your travel dates.
   • If your travel dates are flexible, leave the departure date box empty to show a monthly award availability.
6. Select Business so the search shows Korean Air business class flights.
7. Select the appropriate flight, then fill in the passenger information.
8. 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.

Other Ways To Book Korean Air Business Class

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.

Great Korean Air Business Class Redemptions

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!

Bottom Line:

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.

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When Should You Search for Business Class Award Space?

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.

Best Business Class for Families

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.

Apex Suite

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.

Great Business Class Service

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.

Final Thoughts

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!