Asiana Mileage Kept for 10 Years, More Bonus Seats Available

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Ahead of the merger between Korean Air and Asiana Airlines slated for December, the plan to integrate their mileage programs has been finalized. Asiana mileage can be kept for up to 10 years, and the number of bonus seats available for use with mileage will also be increased.

Reporter Hong Yeongjae has the details.

[Reporter]

One of the major hurdles in creating a mega-carrier combining Korean Air and Asiana Airlines was the integration of their mileage systems.

In particular, Asiana's mileage was the key issue.

The Fair Trade Commission has ensured that Asiana mileage can continue to be used just as it is now, without any changes to its expiration date, for 10 years starting from December 17, the scheduled merger date of the two airlines.

It can also be used to purchase Korean Air tickets, upgrade seats, or for shopping.

After 10 years, it will automatically convert to Korean Air mileage, and passengers can also apply to convert it in advance even before that period ends.

However, when converting, the exchange ratio will vary depending on how the mileage was accumulated.

Mileage earned by boarding Asiana flights will be converted directly into Korean Air mileage.

Mileage accumulated through partner companies such as credit cards will be adjusted at a ratio of 1 to 0.82, meaning 1,000 Asiana miles will become 820 Korean Air miles.

What passengers are concerned about is whether there will be enough seats available to actually use their mileage.

[Interview / Kim Jong-ok / Gangnam-gu, Seoul: Because when I want to use my mileage to board, the available seats or flights are limited.]

The Fair Trade Commission has mandated that the usage performance of mileage tickets and seat upgrades be maintained at or above the combined performance of the two airlines at the time of the corporate merger for the next 10 years.

In particular, for long-haul and popular routes such as the U.S., Europe, and Oceania, the supply must be maintained at or above the level of 2023, which recorded the highest bonus seat usage among the past 10 years.

[Interview / Jeon Seong-bok / Director General for Merger Review, Fair Trade Commission: To prevent operating in a way that increases bonus seats only during off-peak seasons and reduces them during peak seasons, Korean Air must submit the status of bonus seat supply during peak seasons to the Implementation Monitoring Committee every year.]

In addition, actual mileage usage is to be increased in phases, maintaining a level 21% higher than last year starting in 2030.

Korean Air plans to deploy special flights using mileage if necessary, focusing on peak seasons and popular routes.

(Video Reported by Kim Nam-sung | Video Edited by Chae Chul-ho | Design by Lee Jun-ho | PDs: Kim Do-gyun, Han Seung-ho | XR: Lee Jun-ho, Jeon Yu-keun)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.