The very best methods to journey to South Korea with factors and miles

From the bustling metropolis streets of Seoul to the sandy seashores of Busan, South Korea has quite a bit to supply. And though it is a lengthy (and infrequently costly) journey from the U.S., you are able to do it comfortably together with your airline miles or bank card factors. Seoul’s Incheon Worldwide Airport (ICN) has direct flights to a number of North American airports throughout varied South Korean and U.S. airways, providing you with loads of choices.

Right here, we’ll focus on one of the best methods to redeem factors and miles for flights from the U.S. to South Korea by airline.

Air Canada

Air Canada operates an intensive route community to most main U.S. cities, which you should use to connect with ICN-bound flights from Air Canada’s hubs. The Canadian flag provider operates flights from the next cities to ICN:

• Montreal-Trudeau Worldwide Airport (YUL)
• Toronto Pearson Airport (YYZ)
• Vancouver Worldwide Airport (YVR)

Air Canada Aeroplan has an award chart that mixes dynamic pricing with fastened charges, so shorter flights price fewer factors however can nonetheless vary in worth. Do not count on any nice offers, although. The most cost effective flights we may discover are on the YVR-to-ICN route, with financial system class beginning at 82,400 factors, premium financial system beginning at 139,700 factors and enterprise class beginning at 182,000 factors. You may pay roughly $44 in taxes on ICN-bound flights and $17 on Canada-bound flights.

Alaska Airways

Alaska Airways is launching flights from Seattle-Tacoma Worldwide Airport (SEA) to ICN this September utilizing Hawaiian Airways plane. Flights are bookable with Alaska Airways Mileage Plan miles. Economic system class begins at 37,500 miles and enterprise class begins at 250,000 miles, plus $5.60 in taxes on ICN-bound flights and roughly $35 in taxes on flights to SEA. We’re hopeful that business-class award charges will drop over time.

Hawaiian Airways additionally flies from Daniel Okay. Inouye Worldwide Airport (HNL) to Seoul. Charges are extra affordable, with financial system class beginning at 35,000 miles and enterprise class beginning at 65,000 miles on many dates. Taxes and costs are the identical: $5.60 when departing HNL and $35 when departing ICN.

You’ll be able to switch Bilt Rewards Factors to Alaska Airways Mileage Plan. You too can switch American Categorical Membership Rewards factors to Hawaiian Airways after which switch these miles to Alaska.

American Airways

American Airways serves ICN from its Dallas Fort Price Worldwide Airport (DFW) hub. You should use American Airways AAdvantage miles to e-book this route for as little as 35,000 miles in financial system, 66,000 miles in premium financial system or 81,000 miles in enterprise class for the following a number of months. Nonetheless, pricing varies because the AAdvantage program dynamically costs American-operated flights. The excellent news is that taxes and costs are minimal, particularly when departing the U.S. You may pay roughly $35 in taxes and costs when flying from ICN to DFW.

One other good choice for reserving American flights to Seoul is Alaska Airways Mileage Plan. Nonstop flights on the DFW-to-ICN route price 37,500 miles in financial system class and 75,000 miles in enterprise class with minimal taxes and costs.

These with Capital One miles, American Categorical Membership Rewards factors or Citi ThankYou Rewards factors may also use Qantas Frequent Flyer to e-book these flights. Nonstop flights on this route price 37,600 factors in financial system and 94,900 factors in enterprise class, and taxes and costs are between $250 and $350 one-way.

Asiana Airways

Asiana Airways is the second-largest airline in South Korea and is within the technique of merging with Korean Air. In the intervening time, nonetheless, the airways function individually and Asiana is a Star Alliance member (for now). Asiana operates flights from the next airports to ICN:

• Daniel Okay. Inouye Worldwide Airport (HNL)
• Los Angeles Worldwide Airport (LAX)
• John F. Kennedy Worldwide Airport (JFK)
• San Francisco Worldwide Airport (SFO)
• Seattle-Tacoma Worldwide Airport (SEA)

When you’ve got American Categorical Membership Rewards factors, Bilt Rewards factors, Capital One miles or Chase Final Rewards factors, your greatest guess is often reserving with Air Canada Aeroplan. You may pay 55,000 factors for an financial system ticket or 87,500 factors for enterprise class from JFK to ICN. West Coast flights are inexpensive at 50,000 and 75,000 factors in financial system and enterprise class, respectively. Taxes and costs vary between $50 and $100 per flight.

When you’ve got United Airways MileagePlus miles, count on to pay 60,500 miles for an financial system ticket or 110,000 miles for a business-class ticket within the coming months, plus low taxes and costs. Observe that this pricing is identical whatever the U.S. airport from which you depart.

ANA Mileage Membership can current glorious offers as nicely. If you will discover award area, you may pay 60,000 miles in financial system and 130,000 in enterprise class round-trip from the U.S. to South Korea on Asiana or different Star Alliance airways. That stated, you possibly can solely e-book round-trip tickets (open jaws are allowed) and taxes and costs are average. You’ll be able to switch Amex factors to All Nippon Airways, however transfers take as much as 48 hours to course of.

Delta Air Traces

Seoul is one in all Delta’s predominant Asian outposts, and you will find flights on the airline from the next airports to ICN:

• Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta Worldwide Airport (ATL)
• Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport (DTW)
• Minneapolis-St. Paul Worldwide Airport (MSP)
• Seattle-Tacoma Worldwide Airport (SEA)

The airline will even begin service from Salt Lake Metropolis Worldwide Airport (SLC) to ICN in the course of June. Flights on this route are outfitted with Delta One enterprise class, although the seat you may get varies based mostly on the route you e-book and the airplane that operates it.

Reserving these routes with Delta SkyMiles generally is a respectable choice for financial system flights, however do not count on a deal in enterprise class. The loyalty program costs award tickets dynamically. In our analysis, nonstop tickets on ICN-bound flights from varied U.S. airports begin at 68,000 miles in Principal Cabin financial system, 105,000 miles in Premium Choose (premium financial system) and 160,000 miles in Delta One enterprise class. You’ll be able to save 15% when you have a Delta cobranded bank card.

Different reserving choices embrace Air France-KLM Flying Blue and Virgin Atlantic Flying Membership. Nevertheless, no award area was out there in enterprise on the routes we searched. It is value checking these companions earlier than reserving with Delta SkyMiles, as pricing could also be decrease.

Korean Air

Korean Air is the most important airline in South Korea and one of many largest in Asia. It has an intensive international route community from Seoul. It operates flights from ICN to the next airports:

• Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta Worldwide Airport (ATL)
• Boston Logan Worldwide Airport (BOS)
• O’Hare Worldwide Airport (ORD)
• Dallas Fort Price Worldwide Airport (DFW)
• Daniel Okay. Inouye Worldwide Airport (HNL)
• Harry Reid Worldwide Airport (LAS)
• Los Angeles Worldwide Airport (LAX)
• John F. Kennedy Worldwide Airport (JFK)
• San Francisco Worldwide Airport (SFO)
• Seattle-Tacoma Worldwide Airport (SEA)
• Dulles Worldwide Airport (IAD)

Associated: Korean Air simply made large modifications to its look, eating and inflight facilities

These with American Categorical Membership Rewards factors, Bilt Rewards factors, Capital One miles, Chase Final Rewards factors or Citi ThankYou factors can switch to Virgin Atlantic Flying Membership to e-book awards on Korean Air. From the East Coast, Korean Air flights price 37,000 factors in financial system or 100,000 miles in enterprise class, plus minimal taxes and costs. You’ll be able to e-book flights from the West Coast for fewer factors — 31,000 in financial system and 85,000 in enterprise class — however award area is restricted.

The most cost effective technique to e-book Korean Air business-class flights with factors and miles is with Alaska Airways Mileage Plan. You’ll be able to redeem 37,500 miles for financial system class and 75,000 miles for enterprise class from the U.S. to ICN every approach. Once more, you possibly can switch Bilt Rewards factors on to Alaska or switch Amex factors to Hawaiian after which switch these miles to Alaska.

United Airways

United operates nonstop day by day service from SFO to ICN. On this route, you may discover United Polaris business-class seats, which supply a constantly snug expertise throughout the Pacific.

United MileagePlus makes use of dynamic pricing for its personal flights, which means the worth you may pay varies by route, whenever you fly and whenever you e-book. The bottom costs you are prone to discover on this route are 42,800 miles in financial system, 65,000 miles in premium financial system or 100,000 miles in enterprise class, plus minimal taxes and costs of $5.60 when departing the U.S. and round $34 within the different course. You’ll be able to switch Chase and Bilt factors to United.

As with Asiana flights, Air Canada Aeroplan is commonly one of the best deal in the event you use Amex, Bilt, Capital One or Chase factors to e-book United business-class tickets from SFO to ICN. You may pay 50,000 factors in financial system class or 75,000 in enterprise class, plus roughly $57 in taxes and costs on ICN-bound flights and $70 on U.S.-bound flights.

You too can use ANA Mileage Membership to e-book round-trip flights on this route for 60,000 miles in financial system and 130,000 in enterprise class. Nevertheless, the restrictions we mentioned when reserving Asiana flights with ANA Mileage Membership apply right here.

Greatest factors lodges in Seoul

Seoul is dwelling to dozens of factors lodges spanning all the main lodge loyalty packages. This is a take a look at a couple of of our favourite properties within the South Korean capital, alongside pattern award pricing:

• Andaz Seoul Gangnam: 17,000 to 23,000 World of Hyatt factors per evening
• Conrad Seoul: From 70,000 Hilton Honors factors per evening
• Grand InterContinental Seoul Parnas: From 44,000 IHG One Rewards factors per evening
• JW Marriott Dongdaemun Sq. Seoul: From 47,000 Marriott Bonvoy factors per evening
• Park Hyatt Seoul: 21,000 to 29,000 World of Hyatt factors per evening
• Voco Seoul Gangnam: From 26,000 IHG One Rewards factors per evening

Bank cards to deliver to South Korea

Touring to South Korea means paying in South Korean received, so you need to journey with a credit score that does not cost international transaction charges. This may allow you to get monetary savings in your journey and earn rewards towards your subsequent journey.

Some playing cards to contemplate embrace:

Associated: Forms of playing cards you need to pack on your subsequent journey overseas

Backside line

It is a lengthy flight from the U.S. to South Korea, however having factors and miles out there makes it simpler to fly there comfortably with out breaking the financial institution. In case you plan to e-book any of the flights on this record together with your factors, begin your searches early, as award area is booked rapidly, particularly in enterprise class.

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