From the bustling metropolis streets of Seoul to the sandy seashores of Busan, South Korea has rather a lot 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 numerous South Korean and U.S. airways, supplying you with loads of choices.
Right here, we’ll talk about the very 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 need to 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 value fewer factors however can nonetheless vary in value. Do not count on any nice offers, although. The most cost effective flights we might discover are on the YVR-to-ICN route, with economic system class beginning at 82,400 factors, premium economic system beginning at 139,700 factors and enterprise class beginning at 182,000 factors. You will 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 Airlines Mileage Plan miles. Financial 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 Ok. Inouye Worldwide Airport (HNL) to Seoul. Charges are extra affordable, with economic 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 can too switch American Express Membership Rewards factors to Hawaiian Airways after which transfer those miles to Alaska.
American Airways
American Airways serves ICN from its Dallas Fort Value Worldwide Airport (DFW) hub. You should utilize American Airlines AAdvantage miles to ebook this route for as little as 35,000 miles in economic system, 66,000 miles in premium economic system or 81,000 miles in enterprise class for the subsequent 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 will pay roughly $35 in taxes and costs when flying from ICN to DFW.
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One other good choice for reserving American flights to Seoul is Alaska Airways Mileage Plan. Nonstop flights on the DFW-to-ICN route value 37,500 miles in economic system class and 75,000 miles in enterprise class with minimal taxes and costs.
These with Capital One miles, American Specific Membership Rewards factors or Citi ThankYou Rewards factors also can use Qantas Frequent Flyer to ebook these flights. Nonstop flights on this route value 37,600 factors in economic system and 94,900 factors in enterprise class, and taxes and costs are between $250 and $350 one-way.
Asiana Airways
Asiana Airlines 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 Ok. 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 Specific Membership Rewards factors, Bilt Rewards factors, Capital One miles or Chase Final Rewards factors, your greatest wager is normally reserving with Air Canada Aeroplan. You will pay 55,000 factors for an economic 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 economic system and enterprise class, respectively. Taxes and costs vary between $50 and $100 per flight.
When you’ve got United Airlines MileagePlus miles, count on to pay 60,500 miles for an economic system ticket or 110,000 miles for a business-class ticket within the coming months, plus low taxes and costs. Be aware that this pricing is identical whatever the U.S. airport from which you depart.
ANA Mileage Club can current wonderful offers as effectively. If you’ll find award area, you will pay 60,000 miles in economic 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 ebook round-trip tickets (open jaws are allowed) and taxes and costs are reasonable. You’ll be able to switch Amex factors to All Nippon Airways, however transfers take up to 48 hours to course of.
Delta Air Traces
Seoul is one in all Delta’s most important 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 can even start service from Salt Lake City International Airport (SLC) to ICN in the course of June. Flights on this route are outfitted with Delta One business class, although the seat you will get varies based mostly on the route you ebook and the airplane that operates it.
Reserving these routes with Delta SkyMiles generally is a respectable choice for economic 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 numerous U.S. airports begin at 68,000 miles in Essential Cabin economic system, 105,000 miles in Premium Choose (premium economic system) and 160,000 miles in Delta One enterprise class. You’ll be able to save 15% if you have a Delta cobranded credit card.
Different reserving choices embody Air France-KLM Flying Blue and Virgin Atlantic Flying Club. Nevertheless, no award area was accessible in enterprise on the routes we searched. It is price checking these companions earlier than reserving with Delta SkyMiles, as pricing could also be decrease.
Korean Air
Korean Air is the biggest airline in South Korea and one of many largest in Asia. It has an intensive world 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 Value Worldwide Airport (DFW)
- Daniel Ok. 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)
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These with American Specific Membership Rewards factors, Bilt Rewards factors, Capital One miles, Chase Final Rewards factors or Citi ThankYou factors can switch to Virgin Atlantic Flying Club to ebook awards on Korean Air. From the East Coast, Korean Air flights value 37,000 factors in economic system or 100,000 miles in enterprise class, plus minimal taxes and costs. You’ll be able to ebook flights from the West Coast for fewer factors — 31,000 in economic system and 85,000 in enterprise class — however award area is proscribed.
The most cost effective method to ebook 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 economic system class and 75,000 miles for enterprise class from the U.S. to ICN every method. 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 will discover United Polaris business-class seats, which provide a persistently comfy expertise throughout the Pacific.
United MileagePlus makes use of dynamic pricing for its personal flights, that means the value you will pay varies by route, whenever you fly and whenever you ebook. The bottom costs you are more likely to discover on this route are 42,800 miles in economic system, 65,000 miles in premium economic 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 the very best deal when you use Amex, Bilt, Capital One or Chase factors to ebook United business-class tickets from SFO to ICN. You will pay 50,000 factors in economic 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 can too use ANA Mileage Membership to ebook round-trip flights on this route for 60,000 miles in economic system and 130,000 in enterprise class. Nevertheless, the constraints we mentioned when reserving Asiana flights with ANA Mileage Membership apply right here.
Finest factors motels in Seoul
Seoul is house to dozens of factors motels spanning all the most important lodge loyalty packages. This is a take a look at a number 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 convey 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 foreign transaction fees. It will make it easier to lower your expenses in your journey and earn rewards towards your subsequent journey.
Some playing cards to think about embody:
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Backside line
It is a lengthy flight from the U.S. to South Korea, however having factors and miles accessible makes it simpler to fly there comfortably with out breaking the financial institution. In case you plan to ebook 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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