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 50 countries with its fleet of 180 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!
The Korean Air SKYPASS Loyalty Program
1. Join Korean Air SKYPASS
Earn SKYPASS miles by flying Korean Air, SkyTeam airlines, and other affiliated carriers. Image Credit: Korean AirSign up for Korean Air SKYPASS here 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.
Elite status comes with a variety of perks like access to lounges operated by Korean Air. Image Credit: Korean AirPlus, 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
Flying on Korean Air flights is the basic way you can begin earning points in SKYPASS. Image Credit: Korean AirA 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 chart for North America to give you an idea of distance traveled:
SKYPASS mileage accrual chart for Korean Air flights from North America. Image Credit: Korean AirThe table below shows the accrual rates for each fare class:
Korean Air mileage accrual by class. Image Credit: Korean AirEarn SKYPASS Miles With Credit Cards
3. Korean Air Credit Cards
While there is no shortage of Korean Air co-branded credit cards, unfortunately, most of them are from Korean and Japanese banks, so they aren’t available in the United States.
Here are the co-branded Korean credit cards that can be used to earn Korean Air SKYPASS miles:
| Korean Air Partner Credit Card Companies in Korea |
| BC Card | Lotte Card |
| Hyundai Card | NH Card |
| Jeju Bank Card | Samsung Card |
| KB Card | Shinhan Card |
| KEB Hana Card | Suhyup Bank Card |
| Korea Citibank Card | |
Here are the co-branded Japanese credit cards that can be used to earn Korean Air SKYPASS miles:
| Korean Air Partner Credit Card Companies in Japan |
| DC Card | JCB Card |
| Diners Club International | MUFG/AMEX Card |
Luckily, there are several credit cards to choose from in the U.S., shown in the table below:
| Korean Air Credit Card | Earned Miles |
| SkyBlue SKYPASS Visa® Card | 1 mile for every eligible $2 spent |
| SKYPASS Visa® Business Card | 1 mile for every eligible $1 spent |
| SKYPASS Visa Classic Card | 1 mile for every eligible $1 spent |
| SKYPASS Visa® Secured 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 transfer partners is much more viable.
Luckily, Korean Air partners with Marriott Bonvoy.
4. Marriott Bonvoy Credit Cards
You can earn Marriott 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 points to Korean Air can vary wildly from 1 business day up to 3 weeks!
Recommended Marriott Bonvoy Cards
| Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card - Earn 3 Free Nights (each night valued up to 50,000 points) after qualifying purchases + 10x total points on eligible purchases in select categories. 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 hotels participating in Marriott Bonvoy, and 2x Bonvoy points per $1 on all other purchases. Annual Fee is $95. |
| Marriott Bonvoy Bold® Credit Card - Earn 30,000 Bonus Points after you spend $1,000 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 hotels participating in Marriott Bonvoy, 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 Marriott Bonvoy bonus 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, 3x at U.S. restaurants and flights booked directly with airlines, and 2x on all other eligible purchases. Annual Fee is $450. Terms Apply. For rates and fees of the Bonvoy Brilliant card, click here. |
Marriott Bonvoy Business™ American Express® Card - Earn 75,000 bonus Marriott Bonvoy points after you use your new Card to make $3,000 in eligible purchases within the first 3 months of Card Membership. Plus, earn up to $150 back in statement credits on eligible purchases made on your new Card within the first 3 months of Card Membership.
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. |
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: SkyTeamFly with carriers in the SkyTeam alliance and earn up to 150% in mileage bonuses! Each airline has its own earnings rate, which can be found under terms and conditions.
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 by 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 3-14 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 AirOther Korean Air-affiliated carriers also offer up to 150% in mileage bonuses. Click on an airline in the chart below for more information about that carrier’s policies:
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.
Similar to most other airlines, you can earn miles on any of the alliance partners or on flights operated by Korean Air, but you will not be able to earn miles for flights otherwise. Image Credit: Korean AirHot 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 |
| AJ Rent-A-Car | 100 miles per 24 hours with a maximum of 1,000 miles per rental | Hanjin Rent-A-Car (Jeju only) | 100 miles per 24 hours with a maximum of 1,000 miles per rental |
| Alamo | 500 miles per rental | Lotte rent-a-car | 100 miles per 24 hours with a maximum of 1,000 miles per rental |
| Avis | 500 miles per rental | National | 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 | Rentalcars.com | 500 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 2-4 weeks from the date of service. Again, hang onto your receipt or voucher until the miles are credited to your SKYPASS account.
Earn up to 1,000 SKYPASS miles per rental when booking a car with one of the SKYPASS rental car partners. Image Credit: 4 PM production via Shutterstock.com8. SKYPASS Hotel Partners
Stay at SKYPASS partner hotels in the table below and receive miles! It takes 2-4 weeks for miles to be applied to your SKYPASS account.
| Hotel | Offer | Hotel | Offer |
| AccorHotels | Can only transfer at a 4,000:2,000 ratio | Lotte Hotel (in Korea) | 500 miles per stay |
| Hotel Nikko & JAL City | 500 miles per stay at Nikko Hotels and 250 miles per stay at Hotel JAL City | Marriott Hotels | 1-2 miles/$1 spent. Can also transfer at a 3:1 ratio with a 5,000 mile bonus |
| Hotels.com | 1 mile/$1 spent | Okura Hotels & Resorts | 500 miles per stay |
| Hyatt Hotels & Resorts | 500 miles per stay. Can also transfer at a 5,000:2,000 ratio. | Shangri-La Hotels & Resorts | 500 miles per stay |
| IHG Hotels & Resorts | 500 miles per stay | The Shilla Seoul | 500 miles per stay |
| KAL Hotel (Jeju/Seogwipo) | 500 miles per stay | Waikiki Resort Hotel (Hawaii) | 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 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. Host an Event
Earn 1 mile per $1 spent when hosting an event at a Marriott hotel. Image Credit: MarriottHold a Marriott Bonvoy Rewarding Event to earn 1 mile per $1 spent, with a maximum of 20,000 miles per event if you also booked at least 10 room nights on a single night (catered-only events are at certain participating hotels).
This includes most properties under the Marriott Bonvoy portfolio.
11. 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 1-3 miles for every $5 when exchanging over $500 and 1-3 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 |
| Cyber SkyShop | Transfer at a ratio of 1,000:500 | Lotte Members | Transfer at a ratio of 220:10 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 | OK Cashbag | Transfer at a ratio of 22:1 with a limit of 120,000 miles per year and 1 transaction every 24 hours |
| Hanjin Express | Earn 50-200 miles for delivery service (when paying over 50,000 KRW or $50) | S-oil | Transfer at a ratio fo 20:1 with a limit of 10,000 miles per year |
| Hanjin Travel | Earn 1 mile per 1,000 KRW spent on the “SKYPASS mileage credit tour program” | | |
12. Ongoing SKYPASS Promotions
Participate in ongoing SKYPASS promotions to earn additional miles. Check the Korean Air website for updates.
Shopping for Miles
13. The Cyber SkyShop
The Cyber SkyShop is accessible easily with Korean Air SKYPASS — earn miles for shopping online! Image Credit: Korean AirEarn SkyPoints for duty-free purchases you make at the Cyber SkyShop, then transfer 1,000 points for 500 SKYPASS miles.
Duty-free shopping is also available on Korean Air International Flights on board the fleet of 10 A380 aircraft from Seoul to New York, Los Angeles, and Paris. If you prefer to pre-order, this service is available for Korean Air only (no codeshare flights) at cyberskyshop.com.
Here are the shopping channels and methods:
Image Credit: Korean AirFinal 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!
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.
