The 9 Best Ways to Use Asiana Miles For Maximum Value
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The Asiana Airlines Asiana Club program is one you may not be familiar with since Asiana is based in South Korea and only offers flights to a handful of U.S. cities. But the program offers excellent redemptions you should consider.
In this article, I’ll walk you through how to earn Asiana Airlines miles, how to leverage Asiana’s airline partners, and the best ways to redeem your Asiana Airline miles.
Table of contents
- Using Asiana Airlines With Airline Partners
- The 9 Best Ways to Use Your Asiana Airlines Asiana Club Miles
- Star Alliance U.S. to Europe: 40,000 Miles in Business Class, One-Way
- Etihad from Europe to the Middle East: 40,000 Miles in First Class, One-Way
- Asiana U.S. to Korea: 80,000 Miles in First Class, One-Way
- Lufthansa from Mexico to Europe: 50,000 Miles in First Class, One-Way
- Star Alliance U.S. to Southern South America: 35,000 Miles in Business Class, One-Way
- Star Alliance U.S. to Korea: 60,000 Miles in Business Class, One-Way
- Star Alliance U.S. to Southeast Asia: 135,000 Miles in Business Class, Round-Trip
- Asiana intra Korea: 10,000 Miles in Economy, Round-Trip
- United intra U.S./Canada: 45,000 Miles in Business Class, Round-Trip
- List of Star Alliance Partners
- List of Non-Star Alliance Partners
- List of Hotel Partners
- List of Car Rental Partners
- Use the Asiana Award Charts to Plan Award Travel
- Final Thoughts
Table of Contents
- Using Asiana Airlines With Airline Partners
- The 9 Best Ways to Use Your Asiana Airlines Asiana Club Miles
- 1. Star Alliance U.S. to Europe: 40,000 Miles in Business Class, One-Way
- 2. Etihad from Europe to the Middle East: 40,000 Miles in First Class, One-Way
- 3. Asiana U.S. to Korea: 80,000 Miles in First Class, One-Way
- 4. Lufthansa from Mexico to Europe: 50,000 Miles in First Class, One-Way
- 5. Star Alliance U.S. to Southern South America: 35,000 Miles in Business Class, One-Way
- 6. Star Alliance U.S. to Korea: 60,000 Miles in Business Class, One-Way
- 7. Star Alliance U.S. to Southeast Asia: 135,000 Miles in Business Class, Round-Trip
- 8. Asiana intra Korea: 10,000 Miles in Economy, Round-Trip
- 9. United intra U.S./Canada: 45,000 Miles in Business Class, Round-Trip
- List of Star Alliance Partners
- List of Non-Star Alliance Partners
- List of Hotel Partners
- List of Car Rental Partners
- Use the Asiana Award Charts to Plan Award Travel
- Final Thoughts
Using Asiana Airlines With Airline Partners
You can earn Asiana miles through credit cards such as the Asiana Visa Signature card from Bank of America.
Asiana Airlines Credit Cards
Asiana currently offers 2 Bank of America co-branded credit cards. Each offers different benefits, so it’s important to read through them.
| Asiana Card | Benefits & Info |
|---|---|
| Asiana Visa Signature® card |
|
| Asiana Visa® Business card |
|
Marriott Credit Cards
You can earn Marriott points and transfer those to Asiana at a transfer rate of 3:1. Plus, for every 60,000 Marriott points that you transfer, you’ll receive an extra 5,000 Asiana miles bonus.
Recommended Marriott Cards
| Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card - For a limited time only, earn 125,000 Bonus Points and 1 Free Night Award (value up to 50,000 points) after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. Get automatic silver elite status each account anniversary year; and a free night award (valued up to 35,000 points) every year after account anniversary. Plus, earn up to 17x total Bovoy points per $1 when using your Marriott Bonvoy Boundless card at at over 7,000 participating Marriott Bonvoy hotels, and 2x Bonvoy points per $1 on all other purchases. Annual Fee is $95. |
| Marriott Bonvoy Bold® Credit Card - For a limited time only, earn 60,000 Bonus Points after you spend $2,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. Earn up to 14x total Bonvoy points per $1 when using your Marriott Bonvoy Bold card at over 7,000 participating in Marriott Bonvoy hotels, earn 2X on other travel purchases, then 1x on all other purchases. A solid card for Marriott loyalists looking for a no-annual-fee card offering Marriott Bonvoy Silver Elite status. |
| Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant™ American Express® Card - Earn 75,000 bonus Marriott Bonvoy points after you use your new Card to make $3,000 in purchases within the first 3 months. Plus, earn up to $200 in Statement Credits for eligible purchases at U.S. Restaurants within the first 6 months of Card Membership. Earn 6x per $1 at hotels participants in the Marriott Bonvoy™ program plus 3x at U.S. restaurants and flights booked directly with airlines. Annual Fee is $450. Terms Apply. For rates and fees of the Bonvoy Brilliant card, click here. |
| Marriott Bonvoy Business™ American Express® Card - For a limited time, earn 125,000 Marriott Bonvoy bonus points & 2 bonus Free Night Awards after you use your new Card to make $5,000 in eligible purchases within the first 3 months. Each bonus Free Night Award has a redemption level up to 50K points. Certain hotels have resort fees. Offer ends 11/3/2021. This is a solid card for business owners who will get complimentary Marriott Bonvoy silver elite status. Annual fee is $125. Terms Apply. For rates and fees of the Marriott Bonvoy Business Card, click here. |
Earn Points With Partners
Asiana partners with several hotel and car rental companies, offering the ability to earn additional miles.
Simply link your Asiana account with one of their partners, and you’ll earn points on every dollar that you spend with that partner.
The 9 Best Ways to Use Your Asiana Airlines Asiana Club Miles
Asiana’s extensive partnerships in Europe and South America open up several exciting routes. As you’ll read below, premium cabins are typically the best way to maximize the value of your Asiana Club miles.
Grab a pen and paper, and get ready to read through the ways you can use your Asiana miles.
1. Star Alliance U.S. to Europe: 40,000 Miles in Business Class, One-Way
A Star Alliance one-way business-class flight from the U.S. to Europe offers solid value for your Asiana miles.
With 40,000 Asiana miles, you can book a one-way business-class flight on any Star Alliance partner airline from the U.S. to Europe.
Examples of transatlantic Star Alliance flights include:
- Chicago (ORD) to Vienna (VIE) on Austrian Airlines
- New York (JFK) to Brussels (BRU) on Brussels Airlines
- Washington (IAD) to Frankfurt (FRA) on Lufthansa
- Miami (MIA) to Copenhagen (CPH) on SAS
- Houston (IAH) to Amsterdam (AMS) on United Airlines
(There are many other ways that you can fly to Europe using points and miles.)
Taxes and fees for one-way business-class flights will be $28-$549. Airlines such as Lufthansa and Swiss Air Lines will have the highest taxes and fees, particularly for flights in premium cabins.
Need help booking an award flight? Here’s our step-by-step guide to booking Lufthansa business class.
2. Etihad from Europe to the Middle East: 40,000 Miles in First Class, One-Way
The Etihad First Class Apartment is one of the best products in the sky.
With 40,000 Asiana miles, you can book a one-way first-class flight from Europe to the Middle East.
You’ll want to search from Paris (CDG) or London (LHR) to Abu Dhabi (AUH) to find award space.
Taxes and fees for a one-way first-class flight will be $268-$306.
Need help booking an award flight? Here’s our step-by-step guide to booking Etihad first class.
3. Asiana U.S. to Korea: 80,000 Miles in First Class, One-Way
Asiana offers an excellent way to fly transpacific first class from the U.S. to Asia.
With 80,000 Asiana miles, you can book a one-way first-class flight from the U.S. to Korea.
Examples of non-stop first-class flights on Asiana include:
- Los Angeles (LAX) to Seoul (ICN)
- New York to Seoul
Examples of non-stop business class flights on Asiana include:
- Honolulu (HNL) to Seoul
- San Francisco (SFO) to Seoul
- Seattle (SEA) to Seoul
Taxes and fees for both first and business class are manageable at $149 one-way.
Hot Tip: Want to dig deeper? Check out our complete guide to booking Asiana first class tickets with miles.
4. Lufthansa from Mexico to Europe: 50,000 Miles in First Class, One-Way
Lufthansa offers a first class option if you want to fly from Mexico to Europe.
With 50,000 Asiana miles, you can book a one-way first-class flight from Mexico to Germany.
Transatlantic flights that you can book on Lufthansa include:
- Mexico City (MEX) to Frankfurt (FRA)
- Mexico City to Munich (MUC)
Taxes and fees are material at $560 for a one-way flight.
Need help booking an award flight? Here’s our step-by-step guide to booking Lufthansa first class.
5. Star Alliance U.S. to Southern South America: 35,000 Miles in Business Class, One-Way
Avianca, Copa Airlines, and United offer several options to fly from the U.S. to southern South America.
With 35,000 Asiana miles, you can book a one-way business-class flight on any of those airlines from the U.S. to South America.
Examples of flights on Star Alliance partners include:
- Houston (IAH) to Santiago (SCL) on United Airlines
- Newark (EWR) to Buenos Aires (EZE) on United Airlines
- San Francisco (SFO) to São Paulo (GRU) on Copa Airlines
Taxes and fees for a one-way business class flight are between $28-$30.
6. Star Alliance U.S. to Korea: 60,000 Miles in Business Class, One-Way
Singapore Airlines and United Airlines provide great ways to fly transpacific in business class.
With 60,000 Asiana miles, you can book a one-way business-class flight on those airlines from the U.S. to Korea.
Examples of transpacific flights on Star Alliance partners include:
- Los Angeles (LAX) to Seoul (ICN) on Singapore Airlines
- San Francisco (SFO) to Seoul on United Airlines
Taxes and fees for a one-way business-class flight are $28.
Need help booking an award flight? Here’s our step-by-step guide to booking Singapore Airlines business class.
7. Star Alliance U.S. to Southeast Asia: 135,000 Miles in Business Class, Round-Trip
Star Alliance airlines including ANA and United provide great ways to fly round-trip from the U.S. to Southeast Asia in business class.
With 135,000 Asiana miles, you can book a round-trip business-class flight from the U.S. to Southeast Asia.
Hot Tip: You also have the option to book a round-trip economy flight for 90,000 Asiana miles. The main downside with a round-trip economy flight is the value is likely not much higher than 1 cent per mile.
Examples of flights to Southeast Asia on a Star Alliance partner include:
- New York (JFK) to Hong Kong (HKG) on ANA
- Chicago (ORD) to Singapore (SIN) on United
- Los Angeles (LAX) to Bangkok (BKK) on EVA Air
Taxes and fees for a round-trip business class flight will be $121-$202.
Bottom Line: The taxes and fees will vary depending upon the carrier that you choose. It’s important to check the fees on a website like ITA Flight Matrix, where you’ll notice airlines including Air Canada have high fees.
Need help booking an award flight? Here’s our step-by-step guide to booking ANA business class.
8. Asiana intra Korea: 10,000 Miles in Economy, Round-Trip
Using Asiana can be a great way to fly domestic in Korea when the flight cash costs are high.
With 10,000 Asiana miles, you can book a round-trip economy flight on Asiana.
Domestic Asiana flights that you can book include:
- Gimpo (GMP) to Gwangju (KWJ)
- Gimpo to Jeju (CJU)
- Gimpo to Yeosu (RSU)
Taxes and fees are nearly $0, helping to increase the value of this award further.
9. United intra U.S./Canada: 45,000 Miles in Business Class, Round-Trip
Booking a United or Air Canada award flight with Asiana miles provides value when the price of domestic flights on these airlines is high.
With 45,000 Asiana miles, you can book a round-trip business-class flight on Star Alliance partners United or Air Canada.
Examples of intra North American flights on United or Air Canada include:
- Washington (IAD) to Seattle (SEA) on United
- San Francisco (SFO) to Atlanta (ATL) on United
- Vancouver (YVR) to Newark (EWR) on Air Canada
Taxes and fees will be lower on United than Air Canada. You can expect to pay $91-$143 for a round-trip business-class flight.
Bottom Line: There are many instances where I found the value of this redemption below 2 cents per mile. I recommend looking for another way to use your miles if your redemption is not above 2 cents per mile.
Have United miles that you’re looking to redeem? Here are our best ways to redeem United miles.
List of Star Alliance Partners
| Aegean | Ethiopian |
| Air Canada | EVA Air |
| Air China | LOT Polish Airlines |
| Air India | Lufthansa |
| Air New Zealand | Scandinavian Airlines |
| ANA | Shenzhen Airlines |
| Asiana Airlines | Singapore Airlines |
| Austrian | South African Airways |
| Avianca | SWISS |
| Brussels Airlines | TAP Air Portugal |
| Copa Airlines | Thai Airways |
| Croatia Airlines | Turkish Airlines |
| Egypt Air | United Airlines |
List of Non-Star Alliance Partners
| China Southern |
| Etihad |
| Qantas |
| Qatar Airways |
| Srilankan Airlines |
List of Hotel Partners
| Asiana Hotel Partners | |||
| Marriott | IHG | Hilton | Swissotel |
| Hyatt | Best Western | WorldHotels | Regent |
| Carlson | Langham Hotels | Regal | |
| Okura Nikko Hotels | Hotelnjoy | Expedia | |
List of Car Rental Partners
| Asiana Car Rental Partners | |||
| Hertz | Alamo | National | LOTTE |
| Rentalcars.com | |||
Use the Asiana Award Charts to Plan Award Travel
Asiana uses 2 award charts: 1 for flights on its own airline and 1 for flights on its partner airlines. You can book a one-way flight for 50% of the miles shown in both of the charts.
Asiana Airlines Award Chart
When flying on Asiana Airlines, it’s important to note that the pricing in the award chart is for the low season. For high-season flights, Asiana charges an additional 50% in miles.
The chart below shows the peak season dates you’ll want to avoid.
Asiana Airlines Partner Award Chart
Hot Tip: You can’t book Asiana Airlines partner flights online. You’ll need to call 800-227-4262 to book an award ticket.
Final Thoughts
The key with Asiana is making sure you’re receiving substantial value for the miles you’ve earned or transferred from hotel programs.
You can find the highest value redemptions when redeeming points and miles for a premium cabin ticket. With some of the economy redemptions, you may find yourself receiving less than 2 cents per point, which isn’t ideal.
Asiana is a program that you’ll want to keep on your radar.
The information regarding Asiana Visa Signature® card, and Asiana Visa® Business card was independently collected by Upgraded Points and not provided nor reviewed by the issuer.
For rates and fees of the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant™ American Express® Card, click here.
For rates and fees of the Marriott Bonvoy Business™ American Express® Card, click here.
Asiana biz card is ONLY 10k miles. You copied and pasted the same as the personal but it is different
Corrected, thank you!
The one-way USA-SE Asia is half the price of the roundtrip. Why is the roundtrip a good value and the one way a bad deal? I think you miscalculated the value of a one way reward. A one-way business ticket costs much more than $625 (67,500 miles * $.01).
HOT TIP:
You also have the option to book a one-way flight for 67,500 Asiana miles. The main downside with a one-way business-class flight is the value is likely not much higher than 1 cent per mile.
Hi Explore
Thank you for catching this error! I’ve update the “Hot Tip” section to reflect economy redemptions.
Was simply looking at too many award charts and google flight tabs at once!
Any idea on what the fees/surcharges would be on an Austrian flight using Asiana miles? I looked up the flight on ITAMatrix and the YQ is ~$130 and the YR is $20. Interestingly the YQ is stated as “UA YQ Surcharge”. I assume that the UA means United Airlines, but i found these fare breakdowns on ITAMatrix. Would an Austrian flight using Asiana miles still incur this surcharge? Would this surcharge be replaced by an “OZ YQ Surcharge”?
Thanks.
Hi Jung, it depends on your routing. If you’re leaving North America to go to Vienna, then expect huge surcharges of $1100 round-trip in business class. Asiana will pass all fuel surcharges on.
So are there any transatlantic partners that have low/reasonable fuel surcharges for flights from USA->Europe and vice versa?
80K is a great price but if we’re talking $1,100 in fuel surcharges that completely negates any value.
Hey HoKo,
We understand your concerns. However, your options for low fuel surcharges would be United Airlines, LOT Polish, Air New Zealand (which flies from Los Angeles to London), and TAP Portugal. Thanks for reading.
Hi Stephen,
Would you update this. I’ve tried to book Asiana awards flights on there website lax to icn and it’s never gone through there is always an error saying I have to call. I’ve called twice in the last two months and of course I get no where. I don’t want to book on the phone as I travel often. I just emailed their marketing dept. Anything you can do?
Thanks so much!
Hey Terry,
Sometimes the awards that are unavailable online must be booked over the phone. In this case, it’s because Asiana is no longer going to sell first class tickets and instead they’re going to re-brand these products as business class suites in addition to “regular” business class. Unfortunately, there’s no way around it. The phone call should take less than 30 minutes.
Great and very detailed review!
I would add another 2 benefits of Asiana program for people who consider to actually collect miles with Asiana in the air:
1. It offers Family Mileage Plan for up to 8 family members including spouse, children, parents, paternal/maternal grandparents, grandchildren, siblings, son in law, daughter in law, and parents of spouse.”
If some members of your family/household travel only occasionally and would never collect enough miles for an award flight, it would make sense to sign up for a family/household account to pool miles together.
2. It is best for obtaining and keeping Star Alliance Gold status (you would need to earn 40.000 miles and you could keep status up to 2 years).
You actually cant transfer asiana miles to anyone else – even if they are an asiana mile club member.
We have been trying for months to book 2 tix LAX to SCL and Asiana cant (or wont) see any of the availability for partner awards that is available on BOTH ANA & United’s search engines.
Frustrating & now we have 140K asiana miles that are going to be wasted!!!
Thanks for letting us know Lacey! I updated the post.
How can you transfer Amex Membership Reward points to Asiana?
Hi Talent Hacker,
Amex Membership Reward points do not transfer to Asiana. The only transferable currency that can be moved to Asiana is Marriott Bonvoy points.
Hi community, is it possible to transfer chase points to Marriott Bonvoy and then transfer those Bonvoy points to Asiana?
Hi Kapeed,
Yes, but it is generally terrible value to do so. For example, you’d have to transfer 120,000 Chase points to Marriott in order to get 50,000 Asiana Miles. Thanks for reading.
Is anyone else struggling to book a United award using Asiana? I’ve called twice but both Asiana agents told me there is no availability. United shows saver space on their website, which I thought meant the award could be booked. Do I have my info wrong?
Hi Tim,
Unless you are booking United flights with United miles, you’ll want to use a partner’s website to search for availability. One example if Air Canada Aeroplan.
I have a lot of Chase Ultimate Reward points that I can transfer to United. Ultimately, I am trying to book a RT business class ticket on Asiana from JFK to ICN, but the there is almost no availability on United.com. Is there another way to do this? I wish I could transfer my Chase points directly to Asiana, but this seems impossible to do.
Hi Katie, we recommend staying open to other alliance carriers too. Check Oneworld and SkyTeam partners like British Airways (for booking Cathay Pacific and Japan Airlines) and Air France/KLM Flying Blue (for booking Delta, etc) to Asia. These points transfer from Chase, and will give you more options to choose from.