Korean Air, the largest airline in South Korea and a prominent global carrier and a founding member of SkyTeam Alliance, has established a significant presence in the aviation industry. With a reputation for exceptional service and an extensive network, Korean Air offers the SKYPASS loyalty program, designed to reward frequent travelers with a range of benefits. This article explores the history of Korean Air and its SKYPASS program, detailing its benefits, tier status requirements, partner affiliations, and its role within the SkyTeam alliance.
The SKYPASS program is Korean Air’s frequent flyer program, designed to reward loyal passengers with miles that can be redeemed for a variety of travel-related services. The program offers a range of benefits and features aimed at enhancing the travel experience for its members.
Status Tiers and Credits
Skypass offers several status tiers, each with increasing benefits. Members advance through the tiers by accumulating Skypass Miles and flight segments. Here’s a breakdown of the requirements for each tier:
- Morning Calm:
- 50,000 Skypass Miles or 80 flight segments within a calendar year
- Morning Calm Premium:
- 500,000 Skypass Miles
- Million Miler Club:
- Accumulate one million Skypass Miles or more
Benefits of the SKYPASS Program
Korean Air’s SKYPASS program offers several membership tiers, each with distinct benefits tailored to reward frequent flyers. The tiers include Morning Calm, Morning Calm Premium, and Million Miler Club. Here’s a detailed comparison of the benefits offered by each tier:
| Benefits | Morning Calm | Morning Calm Premium | Million Miler |
| Priority reservation waiting list | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Exclusive counter | You can use the Morning Calm Bag Drop Counter | Yes | Yes |
| Extra free baggage allowance | Yes, but not applicable to Economy Class flights to and from the Americas. | Yes | Yes |
| Priority baggage handling | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Lounge access | Yes, and Morning Calm Club members can access the KAL Prestige Class lounges up to four times in two years. | Yes | Yes |
| Free advance seat selection in Economy Class for international flights | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Off-peak mileage redemption for award travel during a peak season | X | Yes | Yes |
| Award ticket reissue charge waiver | X | Yes | Yes |
| Hotline service (Korea) | X | X | Yes |
Partner Airlines and Affiliations
Korean Air’s Skypass program is enhanced by its partnerships with various airlines and its membership in the SkyTeam alliance. These affiliations provide additional opportunities for earning and redeeming miles.
SkyTeam Alliance
Korean Air is a founding member of SkyTeam, the global airline alliance that comprises 19 member airlines. SkyTeam offers a unified travel experience across its network, allowing Skypass members to earn and redeem miles with any of the following airlines:
- Air France
- Delta Air Lines
- KLM Royal Dutch Airlines
- China Eastern Airlines
- Aeroflot
- Vietnam Airlines
- Alitalia
- Kenya Airways
- China Southern Airlines
Non-SkyTeam Partners
In addition to its SkyTeam membership, Korean Air has partnerships with several non-SkyTeam airlines, expanding the earning and redemption possibilities for Skypass members:
- Asiana Airlines
- Singapore Airlines
- Emirates
- Qantas
- Etihad Airways
Other Partners
Beyond airlines, Skypass has partnerships with hotels, car rental agencies, and retail brands. Members can earn miles through stays with major hotel chains such as Marriott and Hilton, car rentals from companies like Hertz and Avis, and purchases from various retail partners.
Source: https://www.koreanair.com/contents/skypass/benefits
Points Calculation
The exact calculation of tier points earned in Korean Air’s Skypass program for domestic and international flights depends on the distance flown, the fare class, and the type of flight (domestic or international). Korean Air’s Skypass program uses a mileage-based system for earning tier points, also known as Skypass Miles. Here’s a detailed breakdown:
Earning Skypass Miles
Domestic Flights
Korean Air generally uses a fixed mileage chart for domestic flights within South Korea. The exact miles earned can vary based on the specific route, but here’s an example for a common domestic route:
Seoul (Gimpo) – Busan (Gimhae): Approximately 202 miles
- Economy Class:
- Discount Economy: 100% of miles flown (202 miles)
- Standard Economy: 125% of miles flown (252.5 miles)
- Business Class:
- Business Class: 150% of miles flown (303 miles)
International Flights
For international flights, the Skypass miles earned are calculated based on the actual distance flown and the booking class. The fare class multipliers for Korean Air flights are as follows:
- Economy Class:
- Discount Economy (Class Y, B, M, S, H, E, K, L, U, R): 100% of miles flown
- Standard Economy (Class V, T, Q): 125% of miles flown
- Premium Economy: Not available on Korean Air flights as they don’t have a separate Premium Economy class.
- Business Class:
- Discount Business (Class C, D, I): 150% of miles flown
- Standard Business (Class J): 200% of miles flown
- First Class:
- Discount First (Class P): 200% of miles flown
- Standard First (Class F): 300% of miles flown
Example Calculations
Domestic Flight: Seoul (Gimpo) – Busan (Gimhae)
- Economy Class:
- Discount Economy: 202 miles × 100% = 202 miles
- Standard Economy: 202 miles × 125% = 252.5 miles
- Business Class:
- Business Class: 202 miles × 150% = 303 miles
International Flight: Seoul (Incheon) – New York (JFK)
This route is approximately 6,897 miles one-way.
- Economy Class:
- Discount Economy: 6,897 miles × 100% = 6,897 miles
- Standard Economy: 6,897 miles × 125% = 8,621.25 miles
- Business Class:
- Discount Business: 6,897 miles × 150% = 10,345.5 miles
- Standard Business: 6,897 miles × 200% = 13,794 miles
- First Class:
- Discount First: 6,897 miles × 200% = 13,794 miles
- Standard First: 6,897 miles × 300% = 20,691 miles
The program’s earning structure allows travelers to maximize their rewards by choosing higher fare classes, especially on long-haul international flights.