Korean Air seals mileage integration plan, clearing path to December merger

Mileage integration plan finalized after 15 months of Fair Trade Commission talks

Dedicated guidance website opens Tuesday

Asiana reservations and tickets to migrate to Korean Air systems in November

'Unified Korean Air' set to launch Dec. 17

A Korean Air B747-8i aircraft. [Korean Air]

Korean Air has resolved one of the last major hurdles before its merger with Asiana Airlines, securing final approval for a plan to integrate the two carriers' frequent-flyer programs. The approval, coming after roughly 15 months of negotiations with the Korea Fair Trade Commission, clears the way for the launch of a unified Korean Air in December.

Korean Air said Tuesday it had received final approval from the Fair Trade Commission for its mileage integration plan with Asiana Airlines. The carrier first submitted a proposal on June 12, 2025, and after rounds of revisions reached a conclusion 15 months later. The commission approved the final plan on Monday.

Mileage programs have been among the most closely watched issues for customers ahead of the merger. Even after Korean Air brought Asiana Airlines under its umbrella as a subsidiary, the two carriers continued to operate their loyalty programs separately, and Fair Trade Commission approval was required before any integration could proceed. There had been concern that if approval came after the merger date, the two programs might have to be maintained separately for some time.

With the approval now in hand, Korean Air can launch the integrated mileage system as planned from the moment the merger takes effect.

Korean Air will begin informing customers immediately. Starting Tuesday, the airline is opening a dedicated mileage integration guidance website covering how Asiana miles can be retained or converted, the conversion ratio, and details of the frequent-flyer tier system. A tool allowing existing Asiana members to preview their projected mileage balance and expected loyalty tier under the new system will also be available from the time of integration.

Under the plan, existing Asiana miles will be maintained separately from Korean Air's SkyPass program for 10 years after the merger. Customers may convert to SkyPass at any time during that period. Those who wish to keep their Asiana miles do not need to submit any request.

The conversion ratio is one-to-one for miles earned through flights. For miles accumulated through credit cards, hotels and other partners, one Asiana mile converts to 0.82 Korean Air miles. Conversion applies to a customer's entire mileage balance and will be processed within five business days of the request.

Workers load semiconductors from Samsung Electronics and SK hynix bound for export onto an aircraft at the Korean Air cargo terminal at Incheon International Airport on July 30. [Lim Se-jun]

Customers who keep their Asiana miles will be able to use them for award tickets and seat upgrades under the existing Asiana redemption standards. The range of eligible flights will expand from Asiana's current 69 routes to cover all Korean Air routes as well, adding 59 Korean Air-only routes and increasing the total number of redeemable routes by 85 percent.

Korean Air will also map Asiana's frequent-flyer tiers onto its own system. Asiana's Platinum tier will be matched to Korean Air's "Million Miler" status, while lifetime Diamond Plus members will be matched to "Morning Calm Premium." A new tier called "Morning Calm Select" — carrying SkyTeam Elite Plus benefits — will be created for term-based Diamond Plus and Diamond members.

The threshold for redeeming miles will also be lowered. The combined payment option, which allows customers to pay with a mix of cash and miles, will be expanded from a current minimum of 500 miles covering up to 30 percent of the fare to a minimum of 100 miles covering up to 40 percent after integration.

Shareholders arrive at an extraordinary general meeting held at Asiana Airlines' headquarters in Gangseo-gu, Seoul, on Aug. 12. Asiana Airlines voted to approve the merger agreement at the meeting. [Lim Se-jun]

Mileage plan settled, merger preparations enter final stretch

With the mileage issue resolved, Korean Air's integration preparations have moved into a more concrete execution phase.

Korean Air and Asiana Airlines each held board meetings in May to approve the merger agreement, and Asiana Airlines passed the merger approval resolution at an extraordinary general meeting last month with a 99.33 percent vote in favor. The legal merger is now within reach, nearly six years after Korean Air first announced its bid to acquire Asiana Airlines in November 2020.

Customer-facing integration work is already underway. From Nov. 2 through Dec. 3, Korean Air will migrate existing Asiana Airlines reservations and tickets for flights departing after the unified carrier's launch date into its own systems. Asiana flight numbers will be converted to Korean Air flight numbers in stages during this process.

Customers whose flight numbers change will be notified individually via messaging apps, text messages and email with their updated reservation and ticket information. The airline is also preparing a merger-related FAQ section on its website and mobile app, with a focus on minimizing customer confusion during the actual merger process.

Work to consolidate internal systems covering flight operations, cabin services and maintenance is also proceeding in parallel. Job training for Asiana Airlines passenger and cargo staff and drills for flight operations and cabin crew are ongoing, while facilities including the operations control center and cabin training center are being upgraded to handle the expanded fleet and route network.

Travelers check in at Terminal 2 of Incheon International Airport on Jan. 14, when Asiana Airlines began operating out of the terminal. [Lim Se-jun]

The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport granted conditional approval for the merger in June, and the merger securities registration statement took effect in July. The two carriers will complete the remaining procedures, including creditor protection, before the merger date of Dec. 16, with the unified Korean Air set to begin operations the following day, Dec. 17.

However, challenges remain after the legal merger. Labor and management have yet to agree on how to combine the seniority rankings and promotion systems of pilots from both carriers, and the work of aligning organizational structures, human resources policies and service standards on the ground still lies ahead.

In approving the mileage integration plan, the Fair Trade Commission required Korean Air to maintain award seat utilization and mileage redemption volumes above a certain level for the next 10 years. For major long-haul routes to the Americas, Europe and Oceania, the airline must sustain award seat utilization at or above the highest level recorded in the past decade. The commission said it will monitor compliance through a dedicated oversight committee.

kwater@heraldcorp.com