The best ways to travel to South Korea with points and miles

From the bustling metropolis streets of Seoul to the sandy seashores of Busan, South Korea has so much to supply. And though it is a lengthy (and sometimes costly) journey from the U.S., you are able to do it comfortably along 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, supplying you with loads of choices.

Right here, we’ll talk about the most effective methods to redeem factors and miles for flights from the U.S. to South Korea by airline.

Air Canada Aeroplan has an award chart that mixes dynamic pricing with mounted charges, so shorter flights value fewer factors however can nonetheless vary in worth. Do not anticipate any nice offers, although. The most affordable 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 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 Airlines 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 cheap, with economic system class beginning at 35,000 miles and enterprise class beginning at 65,000 miles on many dates. Taxes and charges are the identical: $5.60 when departing HNL and $35 when departing ICN.

You possibly can switch Bilt Rewards Factors to Alaska Airways Mileage Plan. You may as well 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 following a number of months. Nonetheless, pricing varies because the AAdvantage program dynamically costs American-operated flights. The excellent news is that taxes and charges are minimal, particularly when departing the U.S. You may pay roughly $35 in taxes and charges when flying from ICN to DFW.

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One other good possibility 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 charges.

These with Capital One miles, American Categorical Membership Rewards factors or Citi ThankYou Rewards factors may 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 charges are between $250 and $350 one-way.

Asiana Airways

Asiana Airlines is the second-largest airline in South Korea and is within the means of merging with Korean Air. In the interim, nevertheless, 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)

If in case you have American Categorical Membership Rewards factors, Bilt Rewards factors, Capital One miles or Chase Final Rewards factors, your finest guess is normally reserving with Air Canada Aeroplan. You may pay 55,000 factors for an economic system ticket or 87,500 factors for enterprise class from JFK to ICN. West Coast flights are cheaper at 50,000 and 75,000 factors in economic system and enterprise class, respectively. Taxes and charges vary between $50 and $100 per flight.

If in case you have United Airlines MileagePlus miles, anticipate 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 charges. Observe that this pricing is similar whatever the U.S. airport from which you depart.

ANA Mileage Club can current wonderful offers as nicely. If yow will discover award area, you may 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 charges are average. You possibly can switch Amex factors to All Nippon Airways, however transfers take up to 48 hours to course of.

Delta Air Strains

Seoul is one among Delta’s major 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 geared up with Delta One business class, although the seat you may get varies primarily based on the route you ebook and the aircraft that operates it.

Reserving these routes with Delta SkyMiles is usually a first rate possibility for economic system flights, however do not anticipate 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 economic system, 105,000 miles in Premium Choose (premium economic system) and 160,000 miles in Delta One enterprise class. You possibly can save 15% if you have a Delta cobranded credit card.

Different reserving choices embrace Air France-KLM Flying Blue and Virgin Atlantic Flying Club. 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 biggest airline in South Korea and one of many largest in Asia. It has an in depth 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 Value 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)

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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 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 charges. You possibly can 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 affordable solution to ebook Korean Air business-class flights with factors and miles is with Alaska Airways Mileage Plan. You possibly can redeem 37,500 miles for economic system class and 75,000 miles for enterprise class from the U.S. to ICN every means. 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 every day service from SFO to ICN. On this route, you may 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 may pay varies by route, if you fly and if you ebook. The bottom costs you are prone 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 charges of $5.60 when departing the U.S. and round $34 within the different course. You possibly can switch Chase and Bilt factors to United.

As with Asiana flights, Air Canada Aeroplan is usually the most effective deal when you use Amex, Bilt, Capital One or Chase factors to ebook United business-class tickets from SFO to ICN. You may pay 50,000 factors in economic system class or 75,000 in enterprise class, plus roughly $57 in taxes and charges on ICN-bound flights and $70 on U.S.-bound flights.

You may as well 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 restrictions we mentioned when reserving Asiana flights with ANA Mileage Membership apply right here.

Finest factors accommodations in Seoul

Seoul is dwelling to dozens of factors accommodations spanning all the key lodge loyalty packages. This is a have a look at just a few 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

Touring to South Korea means paying in South Korean received, so it is best to journey with a credit score that does not cost foreign transaction fees. This may enable you to lower your expenses in your journey and earn rewards towards your subsequent journey.

Some playing cards to think about embrace:

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