Korean Air has won final approval from South Korea’s Fair Trade Commission to merge its mileage programme with Asiana Airlines, clearing one of the last major consumer hurdles in the carriers’ long-running integration. The new scheme will take effect when the merged airline launches on 17 December, with existing Asiana miles preserved separately for 10 years and usable under current redemption rules.
Members will be able to keep using Asiana miles for award tickets, seat upgrades, mixed payments and shopping, or convert their full balance into Korean Air SkyPass miles. Flight-earned Asiana miles will transfer at a 1:1 ratio, while miles earned through credit cards, hotels, rentals and other partners will convert at 1:0.82.
Korean Air plans to launch a mileage information site and notify members individually before the integration begins. The approval follows the regulator’s conditional clearance of the broader merger in 2022 and gives the carrier a decade-long compliance period for mileage handling after the combined airline starts operating.