Korean Air is a founding member of the SkyTeam Alliance that includes Delta Air Lines, KLM, Air France, and other well-known airlines. It serves 45 countries with its fleet of 155 aircraft and has a hub at Incheon International Airport (ICN).
SKYPASS, Korean Air’s frequent flyer loyalty program, provides members many opportunities to earn SKYPASS miles, other benefits, and discounts.
This guide will detail the many ways to earn SKYPASS miles. When you finish reading, you’ll be prepared to accrue SKYPASS miles as quickly as possible. Then it’s simply a matter of redeeming them for award travel!
Korean Air SKYPASS Loyalty Program
1. Join Korean Air SKYPASS
Sign up for Korean Air SKYPASS to begin earning miles based on the following factors: route flown, booking class, and cabin. It’s important that the name you use for your account matches the name on your passport.
Unlike some airline loyalty programs, you can’t claim miles for flights you took before enrolling in SKYPASS. In addition, miles aren’t earned for award flights, discounted flights, and infant tickets.
Korean Air SKYPASS has elite membership tiers, but they don’t earn bonus miles. However, if you think you’d enjoy perks like lounge access, priority boarding, and priority baggage handling, you’ll want to qualify.
Plus, members who have elite status with any SkyTeam carrier (including Korean Air) are eligible for a SkyTeam elite membership without meeting any other requirements.
2. Book a Korean Air Flight
A great reason to fly Korean Air is its first class award availability. However, with cash tickets, you can still earn points for travel on Korean Air and its partner airlines.
Miles earned are determined by the route and booking class of each ticket. Here is the mileage accrual chart for North America to give you an idea of the mileage earned by route (based on one-way economy class):
| Route |
Mileage |
Route |
Mileage |
|
|
7,132 |
|
6,879 |
|
|
7,047 |
|
5,636 |
|
|
6,538 |
|
5,196 |
|
|
6,824 |
|
6,602 |
|
|
4,560 |
|
5,088 |
|
|
6,009 |
Incheon – Washington, D.C.
|
6,944 |
|
|
5,973 |
|
3,831 |
The table below shows the accrual rates for each fare class until December 31, 2022:
|
Domestic Within Korea |
International |
Accrual Rates |
| First Class |
– |
P |
200% |
| – |
F |
165% |
| – |
A |
No accrual |
| Prestige Class |
– |
J |
135% |
| C, D |
C, D, I, R |
125% |
| Z |
Z |
100% |
| O |
O |
No accrual |
| Economy Class |
W, Y, B, M, S, H, E |
W, Y, B, M, S, H, E, K, L, U |
100% |
| G |
G |
80% |
| Q, T Ref. 2 |
Q, N, T |
70% |
| K, L, N, U, X, V |
X, V |
No accrual |
Earn SKYPASS Miles With Credit Cards
3. Korean Air Credit Cards
While there is no shortage of Korean Air co-branded credit cards, most of them are from Korean and Japanese banks, so they aren’t available in the U.S.
Luckily, there are several credit cards to choose from in the U.S., shown in the table below:
| Korean Air U.S. Credit Card |
Earned Miles |
| SKYPASS Visa® Business Card |
1 mile for every eligible $1 spent |
| SKYPASS Select Visa Signature® Card |
1 mile for every eligible $1 spent |
| SKYPASS Visa Signature® Card |
1 mile for every eligible $1 spent |
The U.S.-issued Korean Air credit cards are from U.S. Bank. For the vast majority of us, earning Korean Air SKYPASS miles via its transfer partner Marriott Bonvoy is much more viable.
Here are the co-branded Korean credit cards that can be used to earn Korean Air SKYPASS miles:
- BC Card
- Hyundai Card
- Jeju Bank Card
- KB Card
- KEB
- Hana Card
- Korea Citibank Card
- Lotte Card
- NH Card
- Samsung Card
- Shinhan Card
- Suhyup Bank Card
Here are the co-branded Japanese credit cards that can be used to earn Korean Air SKYPASS miles:
- DC Card
- Diners Club International
- JCB Card
- MUFG/AMEX Card
There is even a credit card option available in Vietnam with Shinhan Bank Vietnam.
4. Marriott Bonvoy Credit Cards
You can earn Marriott Bonvoy points and transfer those points to Korean Air at a transfer rate of 3:1. Plus, for every 60,000 Marriott points that you transfer, you’ll receive an extra 5,000 SKYPASS miles bonus. The time it takes to transfer Marriott Bonvoy points to Korean Air can vary wildly from 1 business day up to 3 weeks!
Recommended Marriott Bonvoy Cards
Korean Air SKYPASS Travel Partners
5. Fly SkyTeam Carriers
There are loads of SkyTeam partner airlines. Partners can be used to earn miles in other partners’ loyalty programs, or for award travel. Image Credit: SkyTeam
Fly with carriers in the SkyTeam alliance and earn up to 150% in mileage bonuses! Each airline has its own earnings rate.
You must include your SKYPASS number when booking to receive mileage bonuses and show your SKYPASS card to receive discounts from SKYPASS partners.
The Mileage Accrual Chart per Route displays all domestic and international routes.
It’s a good idea to keep your ticket receipt and boarding pass until the miles are applied (typically 3 to 14 days from the date of travel). SKYPASS and SkyTeam miles expire 10 years from accrual.
Code-share flights must be issued on a KA flight number to earn miles if serviced by a partner carrier. Also, you cannot transfer miles between carriers.
Hot Tip: Need help finding award space? Check out our guide to searching for SkyTeam award availability.
6. Fly Other Partner Airlines
Korean Air non-alliance partners. Image Credit: Korean Air
Other Korean Air-affiliated carriers also offer up to 150% in mileage bonuses:
- Alaska Airlines
- American Airlines
- China Southern
- Emirates
- Etihad
- GOL
- Hawaiian Airlines
- Japan Airlines
Mileage can only be credited to one frequent flyer program at a time. Miles are not earned on complimentary tickets, award tickets, any tickets discounted 50% or more, or other special discounts.
| Marketing Airline |
Operating Airline |
Mileage Accrual |
| Alaska Airlines, China Southern Airlines, Emirates, Etihad Airways, GOL, Hawaiian Airlines, Japan Airlines |
Korean Air |
Eligible |
| Non-Korean Air |
Ineligible |
Hot Tip: For more information, check out our in-depth guide to help you know where to credit your airline miles.
7. SKYPASS Car Rental Partners
Choose from a variety of rental car partners to earn additional SKYPASS miles, including Alamo, Avis, Hertz, National, and Rentalcars.com.
Here is the earning structure for all car rental partners with SKYPASS:
| Car Rental Company |
Earning Structure |
Car Rental Company |
Earning Structure |
| Alamo |
500 miles per rental |
National |
500 miles per rental |
| Avis |
500 miles per rental and 250 miles for commercial contract rates |
Rentalcars.com |
500 miles per rental |
| Hertz |
500 miles per rental, 250 miles per rental in some Asian countries (Brunei, China, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Pakistan, Philippines, Singapore, Sri Lanka, and Thailand), and 250 miles for commercial contract rates |
SK Rent-a-Car |
100 miles per 24 hours with a maximum of 1,000 miles per rental |
| Lotte rent-a-car |
100 miles per 24 hours with a maximum of 1,000 miles per rental |
|
|
As always, provide your SKYPASS membership number when making reservations and show it at pickup. Miles are credited to the renter (driver) only 2 to 4 weeks from the date of service. Again, hang onto your receipt or voucher until the miles are credited to your SKYPASS account.
8. SKYPASS Hotel Partners
Stay at SKYPASS partner hotels in the table below and receive miles! It takes 2 to 4 weeks for miles to be applied to your SKYPASS account.
| Hotel |
Offer |
Hotel |
Offer |
| Booking.com |
2 miles per $1 |
Paradise City |
|
| Dusit Hotels & Resorts |
300 to 500 miles per stay |
Seogwipo KAL Hotel |
|
| Grand Hyatt Incheon |
500 miles per stay |
Shangri-La Hotels & Resorts |
|
| Hotels.com |
1 mile per $1 |
The Shilla Seoul |
|
| Hyundai Card PRIVIA Travel |
100 to 300 miles per night |
TOURVIS |
100 to 300 miles per night
|
| IHG Hotels & Resorts |
1 to 2 miles per $1 |
Trip.com |
|
| Lotte Hotels & Resorts |
500 miles per stay |
Waikiki Resort Hotel |
|
| Marriott Bonvoy |
1 to 2 miles per $1 |
World of Hyatt |
|
| Okura Nikko Hotels |
250 to 500 miles per stay
|
|
|
Special SKYPASS Programs
9. Pool Family Points
With the SKYPASS Family Plan, up to 5 members (including the SKYPASS member) can pool miles and redeem awards. You must register your family before endorsing an award to them or redeeming an award through the Family Plan.
Members must be immediate family, including spouse, children, parents, siblings, parents-in-law, children-in-law, grandparents, or grandchildren.
Applications with family proof documents can be submitted through the website, fax, or a local office. The U.S. and Canada fax number is 310-417-5696 for reference.
10. Book International Services
If you are in Korea, there are several opportunities to earn SKYPASS miles.
For instance, exchange or transfer money, participate in the SKYPASS mileage credit tour program through agencies like Hanjin Travel, or convert miles from OK Cashbag.
Specifically, if you exchange or transfer money from these partners, you can also earn Korean Air SKYPASS miles:
| Money Exchange/Transfer Company |
Offer |
Money Exchange/Transfer Company |
Offer |
| Citi Bank |
Earn 1 mile for every $3 (cash) or $4 (traveler’s check) when buying U.S. dollars.
Earn 1 mile for every $15 when the 3-month balance is over $1,000 for money transfers (limited to $75,000 per quarter). |
NongHyup Bank |
Earn 1 mile for every $5 when exchanging over $500 and 1 mile for every $20 when transferring over $1,000.
Also, earn 1 mile per $10 through online money transfers or overseas automated transfers when transferring over $500.
You are limited to 2,000 miles per transaction and 100,000 miles per year. |
| KB Kookmin Bank |
Earn 1 to 3 miles for every $5 when exchanging over $500 and 1 to 3 miles for every $10 when transferring over $1,000 with a maximum of 30,000 miles per transaction |
Shinhan Bank |
Earn 1 mile for every $5 when exchanging over $500 and 1 mile for every $2 when exchanging over $300.
Also, earn 1 mile for every $3 and 1 mile for every $10 when the complimentary exchange rate is applied for internet money transfers. |
The miscellaneous companies you can earn SKYPASS miles with are:
| Company |
Earning Structure |
Company |
Earning Structure |
| BMW Korea |
Transfer at a ratio of 1 mile:20 coins |
Hanjin Travel |
Earn 1 mile per ₩1,000 spent on the “SKYPASS mileage credit tour program” |
| Cyber SkyShop |
Transfer at a ratio of 1,000:500 |
Lotte Members L.POINT |
Transfer at a ratio of 220:10 with a limit of 120,000 miles per year and 1 transaction every 24 hours |
| e-Xanadu |
Transfer at a ratio of 1:24 |
OK Cashbag |
Transfer at a ratio of 22:1 with a limit of 120,000 miles per year and 1 transaction every 24 hours |
| H.Point |
Transfer at a ratio of 22:1 with a limit of 1 transaction every 24 hours |
S-oil |
Transfer at a ratio of 20:1 with a limit of 10,000 miles per year |
| Hanjin Express |
Earn 50 to 200 miles for delivery service (when paying over ₩50,000 KRW or $50) |
|
|
11. Ongoing SKYPASS Promotions
Participate in ongoing SKYPASS promotions to earn additional miles. Check the Korean Air website for updates.
Shopping for Miles
12. Korean Air e-SKYSHOP
The e-SkyShop is accessible easily with Korean Air SKYPASS — earn miles for shopping online! Image Credit: Korean Air
Earn SkyPoints for duty-free purchases you make at the e-SKYSHOP, then transfer 1,000 points for 500 SKYPASS miles.
Final Thoughts
As you can see, there are plenty of ways to earn Korean Air SKYPASS miles, whether booking travel with Korean Air and its partners or participating in non-travel partner opportunities.
Of course, one of the quickest ways to accumulate SKYPASS miles is by transferring points earned with credit cards. SKYPASS is transfer partners with Marriott Bonvoy, so that’s probably going to be the go-to method for many U.S.-based travelers. Happy earning!
The information regarding the SKYPASS Visa® Business Card, SKYPASS Select Visa Signature® Card, and SKYPASS Visa Signature® Card was independently collected by Upgraded Points and not provided nor reviewed by the issuer.
For rates and fees of the Marriott Bonvoy Bevy™ American Express® Card, click here.
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.
