Alaska Airlines Adds 5 Korean Air Codeshare Routes, but There’s a Catch

Updated: August 10, 2026, 9:44am CDT

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Alaska Expands Its Korean Air Codeshare to Southeast Asia
What This Means for Your Points
Final Thoughts

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Alaska Airlines is adding its code to 5 more Korean Air routes this week, extending its reach past Seoul and into Southeast Asia.

On paper, that sounds like a nice new way to reach Bangkok, Singapore, or Vietnam on a single Alaska Airlines-issued ticket. But if you were counting on booking these flights with Atmos Rewards points, there’s a catch: I couldn’t find these same itineraries when I searched for award tickets.

Here’s what the codeshare expansion means — and what it doesn’t.

Alaska Expands Its Korean Air Codeshare to Southeast Asia

Alaska Airlines will add its flight numbers to 5 Korean Air routes beyond Seoul starting August 13, 2026, as first reported by AeroRoutes. All 5 connect through Seoul Incheon (ICN):

Seoul-Bangkok (BKK)
Seoul-Busan (PUS)
Seoul-Hanoi (HAN)
Seoul-Ho Chi Minh City (SGN)
Seoul-Singapore (SIN)

Alaska Airlines already codeshares on Korean Air flights between the U.S. and Seoul, so this fills in the second half of the trip. Now the airline can sell you a route like Seattle to Singapore, connecting in Seoul on Korean Air, as a single Alaska-marketed itinerary.

For an airline still building out its international network after absorbing Hawaiian, adding recognizable destinations such as Bangkok and Ho Chi Minh City is a sensible move.

What This Means for Your Points

This is where things get complicated.

When I searched Alaska’s website, I found these new itineraries without any trouble when paying with cash. Thus, the codeshare does exactly what it’s supposed to do for paid travel. It can save you the headache of booking 2 separate tickets and hoping the connection doesn’t have any headaches.

Alaska Airlines flight options to Singapore — The routes showed up when searching for cash fares. Screenshot: Alaska Airlines

When I switched to an award search, those same flights vanished. Every time I toggled to redeem Atmos Rewards points, the Korean Air, Japan Airlines, and Singapore Airlines options disappeared from the page, leaving only award space on other carriers.

Simply put, you can pay cash for these connections, but you can’t book them with points right now.

That tracks with the bigger picture we covered last year. Korean Air has been pulling back on its Alaska loyalty ties. Earning miles on Alaska flights ended on December 31, 2025, and Korean revised its list of eligible Alaska award routes on January 1, 2026.

The commercial relationship is expanding while the loyalty relationship is shrinking, which is odd.

Bottom Line:

One thing still worth checking: If you fly on a paid Korean Air segment booked through Alaska Airlines, see whether it earns Atmos Rewards points and elite-qualifying credit. You can still earn even when redemptions don’t, and that’s a small consolation if you’re paying cash. This should be possible in the codeshare.

Final Thoughts

The new codeshare is real, and it goes live on August 13, 2026, giving you a simpler way to book flights to Southeast Asia on 1 ticket when you’re paying — just don’t count on using Atmos Rewards points yet. Korean Air’s award space through Alaska has long been thin, and the recent partnership changes only tighten it further.

If your goal is to reach Bangkok, Singapore, or Vietnam on points, you’ll probably do better through other transfer partners and loyalty programs. We’ll keep an eye on Alaska’s award search in the meantime.