Korean Air is a founding member of the SkyTeam Alliance which includes Delta Air Lines, KLM, Air France, and other well-known airlines. It serves ~50 countries with its fleet of 160+ aircraft and has a hub at Incheon International Airport (ICN).
SKYPASS, Korean Air’s frequent flyer loyalty program, provides members with 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):
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Route | Mileage | Route | Mileage |
7,132 | 6,879 | ||
7,047 |
Incheon – San Francisco |
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 from January 1 to March 31, 2023:
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Domestic Within Korea | International | Accrual Rates | |
First Class | – | F | 200% |
– | A | No accrual¹ | |
Prestige Class | – | J | 135% |
C, D | C, D, I, R | 125% | |
Z | Z | 100% | |
O | O | No accrual | |
Economy Class | Y, B, M, S, H, E | W, Y, B, M, S, H, E, K, L, U | 100% |
G | G | 80% | |
Q, T² | Q, T | 70% | |
K, L, W U, X, V | X, V | No accrual |
The table below shows the accrual rates for each fare class as of April 1, 2023:
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Domestic Within Korea | International | Accrual Rates | |
First Class | – | F | 300% |
– | A | No accrual¹ | |
Prestige Class | – | J | 200% |
C | C | 175% | |
D | D | 150% | |
– | I, R | 125% | |
Z | Z | 100% | |
O | O | No accrual | |
Economy Class | Y, B, M, S, H, E | W, Y, B, M, S, H, E | 100% |
K, L, U | K, L, U | 75% | |
G | G | 50% | |
Q, W, T, V | Q, T | 25% | |
X | V, X | 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:
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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. 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
A great option for Marriott hotel fans who want a no annual fee card and automatic Marriott Bonvoy elite status.
$210
![15 Best Ways To Earn Lots of Korean Air SKYPASS Miles 2 - Korean Air Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card](https://go.traveltrade.today/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/marriott_bonvoy_boundless_card.png)
Marriott loyalists will love this card’s annual free night award, automatic elite status, and up to 17x points per $1 on Marriott hotel stays.
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![15 Best Ways To Earn Lots of Korean Air SKYPASS Miles 3 - Korean Air Marriott Bonvoy Bevy™ American Express® Card](https://go.traveltrade.today/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/marriott-bonvoy-bevy-card.png)
The Marriott Bonvoy Bevy card gives you automatic Marriott elite status and helps you earn more Marriott Bonvoy points on your everyday purchases.
Learn More(at Amex’s secure site)
$595
20.99%-29.99% Variable
![15 Best Ways To Earn Lots of Korean Air SKYPASS Miles 4 - Korean Air Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card](https://go.traveltrade.today/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Marriott-Bonvoy-Brilliant-9222022.png)
A premium card for Marriott fans who want perks like an annual statement credit and Free Night Award, plus a fast track to Marriott elite status.
Learn More(at Amex’s secure site)
$665
20.99%-29.99% Variable
- Earn 95,000 Marriott Bonvoy bonus points after you use your new Card to make $6,000 in purchases within the first 6 months of Card Membership.
- $300 Brilliant Dining Credit: Each calendar year, get up to $300 (up to $25 per month) in statement credits for eligible purchases made on the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card at restaurants worldwide.
- With Marriott Bonvoy Platinum Elite status, you can receive room upgrades, including enhanced views or suites, when available at select properties and booked with a Qualifying Rate.
- Earn 6X Marriott Bonvoy points for each dollar of eligible purchases at hotels participating in Marriott Bonvoy®. 3X points at restaurants worldwide and on flights booked directly with airlines. 2X points on all other eligible purchases.
- Free Night Award: Receive 1 Free Night Award every year after your Card renewal month. Award can be used for one night (redemption level at or under 85,000 Marriott Bonvoy points) at hotels participating in Marriott Bonvoy®. Certain hotels have resort fees.
- Each calendar year after spending $60,000 on eligible purchases on your Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card, you will be eligible to select a Brilliant Earned Choice Award benefit. You can only earn one Earned Choice Award per calendar year. See https://www.choice-benefit.marriott.com/brilliant for Award options.
- $100 Marriott Bonvoy Property Credit: Enjoy your stay. Receive up to a $100 property credit for qualifying charges at The Ritz-Carlton® or St. Regis® when you book direct using a special rate for a two-night minimum stay using your Card.
- Fee Credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck®: Receive either a statement credit every 4 years after you apply for Global Entry ($100) or a statement credit every 4.5 years after you apply for a five-year membership for TSA PreCheck® (up to $85 through a TSA PreCheck official enrollment provider) and pay the application fee with your Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card. If approved for Global Entry, at no additional charge, you will receive access to TSA PreCheck.
- Each calendar year with your Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card you can receive 25 Elite Night Credits toward the next level of Marriott Bonvoy® Elite status. Limitations apply per Marriott Bonvoy® member account. Benefit is not exclusive to Cards offered by American Express. Terms apply.
- Enroll in Priority Pass™ Select, which offers unlimited access to over 1,200 lounges in over 130 countries, regardless of which carrier or class you are flying. This allows you to relax before or between flights. You can enjoy snacks, drinks, and internet access in a quiet, comfortable location.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees on international purchases.
- With Cell Phone Protection, you can be reimbursed, the lesser of, your repair or replacement costs following damage, such as a cracked screen, or theft for a maximum of $800 per claim when your cell phone line is listed on a wireless bill and the prior month’s wireless bill was paid by an Eligible Card Account. A $50 deductible will apply to each approved claim with a limit of 2 approved claims per 12-month period. Additional terms and conditions apply. Coverage is provided by New Hampshire Insurance Company, an AIG Company.
- $650 Annual Fee.
- Terms Apply.
Financial Snapshot
- APR: 20.99%-29.99% Variable
- Foreign Transaction Fees: None
Card Categories
Rewards Center
Korean Air SKYPASS Travel Partners
5. Fly SkyTeam Carriers
![SkyTeam Airline Alliance SkyTeam Airline Alliance](https://go.traveltrade.today/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/SkyTeam-Airline-Alliance.jpg)
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 Korean Air non-alliance partners](https://go.traveltrade.today/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Korean-Air-non-alliance-partners.png)
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.
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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:
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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 (Bangladesh, Brunei, China, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, 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 Tour Partners
SKYPASS members can earn miles with a variety of tour partners.
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Tour Company | Earning Structure |
JTB MyBus | 1 mile per ¥100 spent |
KLOOK | 1 to 2 miles per $1 spent |
Veltra | 1 mile per ¥100 spent |
9. 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.
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Hotel | Offer | Hotel | Offer |
Agoda | 1 mile per $1 | Okura Nikko Hotels |
250 to 500 miles per stay |
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 | |
InterContinental LADT | 2 miles per $1 | Waikiki Resort Hotel | |
Lotte Hotels & Resorts | 500 miles per stay | World of Hyatt | |
Marriott Bonvoy | 1 to 2 miles per $1 |
You can also transfer miles from ALL – Accor Live Limitless at a rate of 2,000 miles per 4,000 ALL points (once a day).
Special SKYPASS Programs
10. 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.
11. Book International Services
If you are in Korea, there are several opportunities to earn SKYPASS miles.
Specifically, if you exchange or transfer money from these partners, you can also earn Korean Air SKYPASS miles:
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Money Exchange/Transfer Company | Offer | Money Exchange/Transfer Company | Offer |
Citi Bank |
|
NongHyup Bank |
|
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 |
|
12. SKYPASS Insurance Partners
SKYPASS also has 2 insurance partners you can earn miles with.
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Insurance Company | Offer |
Assist Card |
|
DB Insurance |
|
13. Miscellaneous SKYPASS Partners
The miscellaneous shopping and points partners you can earn SKYPASS miles with are:
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Company | Earning Structure | Company | Earning Structure |
BMW Korea | Transfer at a ratio of 1 mile:20 coins | Hyundai Department Store |
|
eMart |
|
Lotte Members L.POINT | Transfer at a ratio of 220:10 with a limit of 150,000 miles per year and 1 transaction every 24 hours |
eMart24 |
|
Naver Pay | Transfer at a ratio of 220:10 with a limit of 15,000 miles per month |
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 or $50) |
14. Ongoing SKYPASS Promotions
Participate in ongoing SKYPASS promotions to earn additional miles. Check the Korean Air website for updates.
15. Korean Air e-SKYSHOP
![Korean Air e-SkyShop Korean Air e-SkyShop](https://go.traveltrade.today/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Korean-Air-e-SkyShop.png)
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.
The information regarding the Marriott Bonvoy Bold® Credit Card was independently collected by Upgraded Points and not provided nor reviewed by the issuer.
The information regarding the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit 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.