Flying Mom to South Korea in Business Class: Here’s How I Booked It for Under 200K Points

Earning points and miles has allowed me to indulge in incredible experiences many times over, but nothing compares to using them for someone as deserving as my mother. At 23 years old, she immigrated from South Korea to the U.S. with my father. In more than 3 decades of living in the U.S., she’s only been able to return home to visit her parents and 4 siblings less than a handful of times.

After she recently took a much-needed sabbatical from work, I surprised her with tickets to South Korea just in time for Mother’s Day. I used a little over 200,000 points to book flights, which allowed her to travel more comfortably than we could normally afford.

Here’s how I did it.

How I Earned 200,000 Points

Using rewards credit cards is the key to unlocking business and first-class flights, but which one can earn the most points?

Cobranded airline credit cards (like the Delta SkyMiles^® Gold American Express Card or The New United Quest℠ Card) offer nice perks when flying that specific airline, such as free checked bags or priority boarding. However, the value of their airline miles tends to be lower overall.

I prefer to earn points with a travel credit card from a major bank like American Express or Chase. Bank-issued points give me the flexibility to earn and redeem across many airlines, not just one.

I use travel cards regularly to earn the welcome bonus offer and accumulate points on everyday purchases and travel expenses. Here’s a look at the cards I used to earn the roughly 200,000 points needed to book my mom’s round-trip flight to South Korea.

The Business Platinum Card^® from American Express

The Amex Business Platinum card was a huge part of why I earned a ginormous balance of points so quickly. I applied and scored a great welcome bonus offer on the Amex Business Platinum card:

• LIMITED TIME TRAVEL OFFER: Earn 150,000 points after spending $20,000 on purchases in the first 3 months. Plus, earn a $500 statement credit after spending $2,500 on qualifying flights booked directly with airlines or through American Express Travel in the first 3 months. Offer ends 6/30/25.

The minimum spend requirements are among the highest we’ve ever seen, but I knew that I could meet the welcome offer spending threshold on this premium business card with my upcoming business expenses.

LIMITED TIME TRAVEL OFFER

Terms Apply / Rates & Fees

The Business Platinum Card^® from American Express

U.P. Rating 

The rating for this card has been determined by our own industry experts who know the ins and outs of credit card products. Bonuses, rewards as well as rates and fees are all taken into account. Compensation from the issuer does not affect our rating. We only recommend products we either use ourselves or endorse.

This card is ideal for business travelers who enjoy luxury travel and are looking for a card loaded with benefits!

Apply Now(at Amex's secure site)

The Business Platinum Card^® from American Express

This card is ideal for business travelers who enjoy luxury travel and are looking for a card loaded with benefits!

Welcome Offer

Earn 150,000 Membership Rewards^® points after you spend $20,000 on eligible purchases on your Business Platinum Card^® within the first 3 months of Card Membership. Plus, earn a $500 statement credit after you spend $2,500 on qualifying flights booked directly with airlines or through American Express Travel with your Business Platinum Card^® within the first 3 months of Card Membership. You can earn one or both of these offers. Offer ends 6/30/25.

150,000 points + $500 statement credit

UP's Offer Valuation*:

Up to $3,800

Annual Fee

$695

APR

18.49% - 27.49% Variable

Credit Recommended

Upgraded Points credit ranges are a variation of FICO^®Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit cardapplication.

Good to Excellent

Why We Like This Card

The Business Platinum Card^® from American Express is a premium travel rewards card tailored toward business owners who are frequent travelers with a high number of annual expenses.

When you factor in the large number of perks that the card offers like the best airport lounge access at over 1,400 lounges, along with tons of annual credits, it’s easy to see why this card can is a top option for frequent traveling business owners.

Pros & Cons

Pros

• 5x Membership Rewards points per $1 on flights, prepaid hotels, and short-term rentals and prepaid flight and hotel packages booked through Amex Travel
• Access to over 1,400 worldwide airport lounges as part of the American Express Global Lounge Collection (as of 10/2024).
• Get 50% more Membership Rewards points (1.5 points per $1) on eligible purchases in key business categories, as well as on purchases of $5,000 or more (on up to $2 million per calendar year)

Cons

• High annual fee of $695 (rates & fees)
• Airline fee credit does not cover airfare, only incidentals like checked bags

Read Full Review

Card Highlights

• Limited Time Travel Offer: Earn 150,000 Membership Rewards^® points after you spend $20,000 on eligible purchases on your Business Platinum Card^® within the first 3 months of Card Membership. Plus, earn a $500 statement credit after you spend $2,500 on qualifying flights booked directly with airlines or through American Express Travel with your Business Platinum Card^® within the first 3 months of Card Membership. You can earn one or both of these offers. Offer ends 6/30/25.
• The American Express Global Lounge Collection^® can provide an escape at the airport. With complimentary access to more than 1,400 airport lounges across 140 countries and counting, you have more airport lounge options than any other credit card issuer on the market as of 10/2024.
• Unlock over $1,000 in statement credits on select purchases, including tech, recruiting and wireless in the first year of membership with the Business Platinum Card^®. Enrollment required.
• Fly like a pro with a $200 Airline Fee Credit. Select one qualifying airline to receive up to $200 back per year on baggage fees and other incidentals.
• NEW! Make the Business Platinum Card^® work even harder for you. Hilton For Business members get up to $200 back per calendar year when you make an eligible purchase at Hilton properties across the globe. Benefit enrollment required.
• Earn 5X Membership Rewards^® points for flights, prepaid hotels, and short-term rentals and prepaid flight + hotel packages booked at AmexTravel.com. 1X points on other eligible purchases.
• Earn 1.5X points (that’s an extra half point per dollar) on each eligible purchase at US construction material, hardware suppliers, electronic goods retailers, and software & cloud system providers, and shipping providers, as well as on purchases of $5,000 or more, on up to $2 million per Card Account per calendar year. Purchases eligible for multiple additional point bonuses will only receive the highest eligible bonus.
• $199 CLEAR^® Plus Credit: Use your card and get up to $199 in statement credits per calendar year on your CLEAR^® Plus Membership (subject to auto-renewal) when you use the Business Platinum Card^®.
• $695 Annual Fee.
• Terms Apply.

Financial Snapshot

• APR: 18.49% - 27.49% Variable
• Foreign Transaction Fees: None

Rewards Center

American Express Membership Rewards

With the card, I also earn 5x points on flights, hotels, short-term rentals, and prepaid flight and hotel packages booked at AmexTravel.com. It earns 1.5x points at U.S. construction material, hardware suppliers, electronic goods retailers, and software and cloud system providers, and shipping providers, as well as on purchases of $5,000 or more, on up to $2 million per card account per calendar year, which aligned well with my ongoing business expenses.

The card’s benefits are ample, from airport lounge access to useful statement credits for business and travel (some may require enrollment). That said, the consumer version of this card is an excellent choice for non-business owners.

BEST LOUNGE ACCESS

Terms Apply / Rates & Fees

The Platinum Card^® from American Express

U.P. Rating 

The rating for this card has been determined by our own industry experts who know the ins and outs of credit card products. Bonuses, rewards as well as rates and fees are all taken into account. Compensation from the issuer does not affect our rating. We only recommend products we either use ourselves or endorse.

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

Apply Now(at Amex's secure site)

Apply With Confidence

Know if you're approved with no credit score impact

If you're approved and accept this Card, your credit score may be impacted.

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.

Welcome Offer

Earn 80,000 Membership Rewards^® Points after you spend $8,000 on eligible purchases on the Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership.

80,000 points

UP's Offer Valuation*:

Up to $1,760

Annual Fee

$695

APR

See Pay Over Time APR

Credit Recommended

Upgraded Points credit ranges are a variation of FICO^®Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit cardapplication.

Good to Excellent

Why We Like This Card

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.

Make no mistake — the Amex Platinum card is a premium card with a premium price tag. With amazing benefits like best-in-class airport lounge access, hotel elite status, and tremendous value in annual statement credits, it can easily prove to be one of the most lucrative cards in your wallet year after year.

Pros & Cons

Pros

• The best airport lounge access out of any card (by far) — enjoy access to over 1,400 worldwide lounges, including the luxurious Amex Centurion Lounges, Priority Pass lounges (enrollment required), Plaza Premium Lounges, and many more!
• 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

Cons

• $695 annual fee (rates and fees)
• Airline credit does not cover airfare (only incidentals like checked bags)

Read Full Review

Card Highlights

• Earn 80,000 Membership Rewards^® Points after you spend $8,000 on eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership.
• Earn 5X Membership Rewards^® Points for flights booked directly with airlines or with American Express Travel^® up to $500,000 on these purchases per calendar year and earn 5X Membership Rewards^® Points on prepaid hotels booked with American Express Travel^®.
• $200 Hotel Credit: Get up to $200 back in statement credits each year on prepaid Fine Hotels + Resorts^® or The Hotel Collection bookings through American Express Travel using your Platinum Card^®. The Hotel Collection requires a minimum two-night stay.
• $240 Digital Entertainment Credit: Get up to $20 back in statement credits each month on eligible purchases made with your Platinum Card^® on one or more of the following: Disney+, a Disney+ bundle, ESPN+, Hulu, The New York Times, Peacock, and The Wall Street Journal. Enrollment required.
• With American Express Global Lounge Collection^® eligible Card Members can enjoy access to over 1,400 airport lounges globally, including The Centurion^® Lounge, Unlimited Delta Sky Club^® Access when flying an eligible Delta flight, Escape Lounges, Lufthansa Lounges when flying Lufthansa Group, Plaza Premium, Priority Pass™ Select Lounges, & Additional Global Lounge Collection Partner Lounges subject to visit limitations. Lounges may have their own rules, like additional access rules and guest fees, and for Priority Pass Select, you need to enroll and there are unlimited airport lounge visits for Card Members. With Delta Sky Club Access, Card Members will receive 10 Visits to the Delta Sky Club to be used from February 1 until January 31 of the next calendar year and can unlock Unlimited Delta Sky Club Access by spending $75,000 in eligible purchases on their Card in a calendar year. To find a lounge, visit the membership section in the American Express^® App or visit http://www.americanexpress.com/findalounge#/loungefinder.
• A Walmart+ membership can get you free shipping with no order minimum on eligible items shipped by Walmart. Use your Platinum Card^® to pay for a monthly Walmart+ membership (subject to auto-renewal) and receive one statement credit for up to $12.95 (plus applicable taxes. Plus Ups not eligible) each month. Free Shipping excludes most Marketplace items, freight & certain location surcharges. Paramount+ Essential plan only, separate registration required.
• $200 Airline Fee Credit: Select one qualifying airline and then receive up to $200 in statement credits per calendar year when incidental fees, such as checked bags and in-flight refreshments, are charged by the airline to your Platinum Card^® Account. American Express relies on airlines to submit the correct information on airline transactions to identify incidental fee purchases. If you do not see a credit for a qualifying incidental purchase on your eligible Card after 8 weeks, simply call the number on the back of your Card. Qualifying airlines are subject to change. See terms & conditions for more details.
• $200 Uber Cash: Platinum Card^® Members can ride or dine in style with $15 in Uber Cash each month, plus a bonus $20 in December after adding their Card to their Uber account. Use your Uber Cash on rides and orders in the U.S. when you select an Amex Card for your transaction.
• $199 CLEAR^® Plus Credit: CLEAR^® Plus helps get you to your gate faster by using unique facial attributes to verify you are you at 50+ airports nationwide. Use the dedicated CLEAR Lane to confirm your identity without taking out your passport or ID – this can mean shorter lines, less waiting. Receive up to $199 in statement credits per calendar year after you pay for your CLEAR Plus Membership (subject to auto-renewal) with the Platinum Card^®.
• Receive either a $120 statement credit every 4 years for a Global Entry application fee or a statement credit up to $85 every 4.5 years for a TSA PreCheck^® (through a TSA official enrollment provider) application fee, when charged to your Platinum Card^®. Card Members approved for Global Entry will also receive access to TSA PreCheck at no additional cost.
• Shop Saks with Platinum: Get up to $100 in statement credits annually for purchases in Saks Fifth Avenue stores or at saks.com on your Platinum Card^®. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
• Use Global Dining Access by Resy to access premium dining experiences. Receive Priority Notify and unlock insider access to some of the world's most sought-after restaurants with Global Dining Access by Resy. Download the Resy iOS app or log into Resy.com and add your Platinum Card^® to your Resy profile to take advantage of your special benefits and discover restaurants near you.
• $695 annual fee.¤
• Apply with confidence. Know if you're approved for a Card with no impact to your credit score. If you're approved and you choose to accept this Card, your credit score may be impacted.
• Terms Apply.

Financial Snapshot

• APR: See Pay Over Time APR
• Foreign Transaction Fees: None

Rewards Center

American Express Membership Rewards

The Platinum Card^® from American Express comes with this publicly available welcome bonus:

• Earn 80,000 points after you spend $8,000 on eligible purchase in your first 6 months.

But here’s where it gets good: American Express occasionally rolls out even higher, targeted welcome bonus offers. In the past, we’ve seen welcome offers of 125,000 or even 150,000 points for the same minimum spending requirement. If you spot one of these elevated bonus offers and want to apply for a luxury travel card, it’s worth jumping on it fast.

Please note that these offers are not available to all applicants. Any information related to targeted offers has been collected independently and has not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.

Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card

While I used my points to cover the long-haul portion of the flight, my mom had some points of her own from opening a Capital One Venture card earlier this year. It was a great fit for her as an occasional traveler, since the straightforward rewards rate of 2x miles on every purchase made it easy for her to earn rewards without overthinking it.

LAST CHANCE

Terms Apply / Rates & Fees

Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card

U.P. Rating 

The rating for this card has been determined by our own industry experts who know the ins and outs of credit card products. Bonuses, rewards as well as rates and fees are all taken into account. Compensation from the issuer does not affect our rating. We only recommend products we either use ourselves or endorse.

Get 2x miles plus some of the most flexible redemptions offered by a travel credit card!

Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card

Get 2x miles plus some of the most flexible redemptions offered by a travel credit card!

Welcome Offer

Earn 75,000 miles once you spend $4,000 within the first 3 months of account opening, plus receive a one-time $250 Capital One Travel credit in your first cardholder year – that’s equal to $1,000 in travel.

75,000 miles + $250 travel credit

UP's Offer Valuation*:

$1,600

Annual Fee

$95

APR

Purchases: 19.99% - 29.24% (Variable)

Credit Recommended

Upgraded Points credit ranges are a variation of FICO^®Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit cardapplication.

Good to Excellent Credit (670-850)

Why We Like This Card

The Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card is one of the most popular rewards cards on the market. It’s perfect for anyone in search of a great welcome offer, high rewards rates, and flexible redemption options.

Frequent travelers with excellent credit may benefit from this credit card that offers a lot of bells and whistles. And it offers easy-to-understand rewards earning and redemption.

Pros & Cons

Pros

• 5x miles per $1 on hotels, vacation rentals, and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel
• 2x miles per $1 on all other purchases
• Up to a $120 Global Entry or TSA PreCheck application fee credit

Cons

• $95 annual fee (rates & fees)
• Limited elite benefits

Read Full Review

Card Highlights

• Offer Expired: Enjoy $250 to use on Capital One Travel in your first cardholder year, plus earn 75,000 bonus miles once you spend $4,000 on purchases within the first 3 months from account opening – that’s equal to $1,000 in travel
• Earn unlimited 2X miles on every purchase, every day
• Earn 5X miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel, where you’ll get Capital One’s best prices on thousands of trip options
• Miles won’t expire for the life of the account and there’s no limit to how many you can earn
• Receive up to a $100 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck^®
• Use your miles to get reimbursed for any travel purchase—or redeem by booking a trip through Capital One Travel
• Enrich every hotel stay from the Lifestyle Collection with a suite of cardholder benefits, like a $50 experience credit, room upgrades, and more
• Transfer your miles to your choice of 15+ travel loyalty programs

Financial Snapshot

• APR: Purchases: 19.99% - 29.24% (Variable)
• Foreign Transaction Fees: None

Rewards Center

Capital One Miles

She scored a sizable welcome bonus offer when applying:

• Earn 75,000 miles after spending $4,000 within the first 3 months of account opening, plus receive a one-time $250 Capital One Travel credit in your first cardholder year – that’s equal to $1,000 in travel.

Since each credit card program has its own set of transfer partners, having access to her Capital One miles gave me more options to help book her flights.

Hot Tip:

I usually apply for a new travel credit card at least once a year, but helping friends and family find the right cards for their needs can empower them to fund their own trips using points and miles, too.

Redeeming Points for a Business Class Flight to South Korea

This trip came together pretty last minute for my mom. After deciding to take a break from her job, she asked me to help her find affordable flights anytime in April and May — aiming for economy, of course.

Round-trip fares from her home airport, Raleigh-Durham International (RDU), were surprisingly reasonable. I found Korean Air tickets for about $900 with a simple one-stop connection in Atlanta. Still, I started thinking: Could I find something in business class instead?

My mom was open to repositioning to a different major airport if it meant a better shot at finding business class availability, and she was pretty flexible with her travel dates, too. That flexibility made my search a lot easier. I was lucky she was willing to consider any routing or timing.

I start all of my award searches with Seats.aero, and I highly recommend it as a starting point to see what’s out there in real time.

Flight From the U.S. to South Korea

Although Raleigh-Durham has seen a notable increase in international flights in recent years, this mid-sized airport doesn’t have nonstop service to Asia yet. At first, I thought I would have to reposition my mom to a major hub like New York (JFK) or Atlanta (ATL), or perhaps even somewhere on the West Coast.

But to my surprise, I found a points itinerary that worked from her original departure airport. It took her from Raleigh-Durham to Frankfurt (FRA) on Lufthansa — a route that launched last summer. Then, she would connect from Frankfurt (FRA) to Seoul (ICN) on Asiana Airlines.

Since both airlines are part of the Star Alliance network, I was able to book the one-stop itinerary on a single ticket through Air Canada Aeroplan, one of my favorite frequent flyer programs. The total cost for business class on 2 airlines, spanning nearly 10,000 miles in flight distance, cost just 87,500 Aeroplan miles and $140 CAD (about $101 USD).

American Express Membership Rewards transfer instantly to Air Canada Aeroplan at a 1:1 ratio. Since you can only transfer points in 1,000 increments, I quickly moved over 88,000 points to book this award.

But there was a catch: After landing in Frankfurt early the next morning, my mom would face a 12-hour layover. Even with lounge access, that’s a long time to spend in an airport. I knew my mom would be too tired to explore Frankfurt on her own.

I’ve handled plenty of long layovers, and one of my best tips is to book a room through DayUse Hotels. Unlike standard hotel stays, where check-in times usually range from 3 p.m. to 11 a.m., DayUse lets travelers reserve hotel rooms specifically for daytime hours, which is a great hack for long layovers.

Several airport hotels are just steps away from the international terminal at Frankfurt, and the Hilton Garden Inn Frankfurt Airport was bookable for just $100 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. — which was pretty much spot on for her layover time. She checked into her DayUse hotel an hour early and napped for 4 hours, showered, and relaxed before stopping into the Asiana lounge at Frankfurt.

Hot Tip:

It’s best to book a whole year ahead for your best shot at scoring business and first-class flights. But what if you can’t plan that far in advance? I’ve been relying on last-minute flights more recently, which can feel like a gamble, but I’ve always found a way to get award space. Of course, your mileage may vary.

Flight From South Korea to the U.S.

My mom was flexible with her return dates, too. When I booked her outbound flight, I was surprised to find many options for her inbound flights, like routes from Seoul to Zurich (ZRH) and then onto Chicago (ORD) or Washington, D.C. (IAD). Still, I figured it made sense to stick with the same strategy: Wait and see if better options opened up closer to her departure.

Exactly 2 weeks before departure, I found an even better itinerary that involved spending Mother’s Day with me in my home in Salt Lake City. Rather than flying all the way to Europe just to get home, I found a United Polaris ticket from Seoul to San Francisco (SFO), then San Francisco to Salt Lake City (SLC), for 100,000 points and $128 CAD ($92 USD) in taxes and fees.

This time, there will be no 12-hour layover. My mom will have a reasonable 4-hour layover, which will be ideal for spending time in the Polaris Lounge in San Francisco.

While I booked the long-haul portion in business class, the short hop to Salt Lake City will be in economy. Air Canada Aeroplan does sell mixed-class itineraries with points, so on its website, I saw this itinerary would be 90% in business class. However, since the flight from Seoul to the U.S. was the most important part anyway, I worked quickly to book it by transferring 100,000 of my Amex Membership Rewards points to Aeroplan.

Flight From Salt Lake City to Raleigh-Durham

After spending time with me and my boyfriend in Salt Lake City, she’ll fly home to Raleigh-Durham after spending a week at our house. Delta Air Lines is the only carrier to operate nonstop service between the 2 airports, and these flights are usually unreasonably expensive — both in cash and SkyMiles.

For my mom’s travel dates, one-way tickets were between $600 and $800 (probably because it’s around college graduation season) or required more than 50,000 SkyMiles — no thanks.

Since I travel back to my hometown in North Carolina and visit my alma mater several times a year, it’s frustrating that flights are so expensive. Fortunately, one of my favorite workarounds is redeeming Virgin Atlantic Flying Club points for these flights. By using Seats.aero to find availability, I was able to snag a Main Cabin seat for just 18,500 points plus $5.60 in taxes and fees — a huge bargain compared to Delta’s pricing.

With my Amex points running low, I transferred 19,000 Capital One miles from my mom’s account to Virgin Atlantic Flying Club to book the ticket.

Final Thoughts

With this trip, I booked my mom an “around-the-world ticket” of sorts, all thanks to points and miles. She’ll fly over 17,000 miles around the globe, with the most important segments in business class, and experience multiple carriers, including Lufthansa, Asiana, United, and Delta. The total cost was 206,000 points and miles, and every single one spent was worth it for her.