Asiana passengers can use mileage on Korean Air for 10 years

Asiana Airlines passengers will be able to keep and use their mileage on Korean Air-operated flights for 10 years after the carriers merge, after Korea’s antitrust regulator approved the revised integration plan Monday. The Fair Trade Commission said the plan is meant to preserve customer benefits and expand mileage redemption options after the Dec. 17 merger. Asiana mileage will stay separate for the 10-year period, with existing redemption rules and expiration terms preserved.

Asiana mileage can be used on Korean Air-operated routes for award tickets, seat upgrades, mileage-and-cash payments and shopping during the 10-year separate-management period.

Flight-earned Asiana mileage will convert to Korean Air miles at a 1-to-1 rate, while mileage earned through credit cards and other partnerships will convert at 0.82 Korean Air miles per Asiana mile.

Korean Air must keep award-seat passenger performance for the next decade at or above the combined 2024 level, and on major long-haul routes it must meet the highest combined award-seat performance recorded over the past 10 years, reached in 2023.

The plan requires annual mileage redemption volumes to reach 106 percent in 2027 and 2028, 112 percent in 2029, and 121 percent from 2030 through 2036.

The FTC will monitor compliance for 10 years after the merger through an implementation monitoring committee.

Published Sep 15, 2026 12:01 pm KST

Updated Sep 15, 2026 2:03 pm KST

FTC approves mileage integration plan with customer benefit protections

A plane operated by Korean Air, top, along with an Asiana Airlines passenger jet are seen at Gimpo International Airport in western Seoul, Aug. 12. Yonhap

Asiana Airlines passengers will be able to keep their existing mileage and use it on Korean Air-operated flights for 10 years after the two airlines merge, under a mileage integration plan approved by Korea’s antitrust regulator Monday.

The Fair Trade Commission (FTC) approved Korean Air’s revised plan with conditions aimed at preserving customer benefits and expanding opportunities to redeem mileage following the carriers’ merger on Dec. 17.

Under the plan, Asiana mileage will be managed separately for 10 years from the merger date, even after Asiana ceases to exist as a corporate entity. Customers will not have to immediately convert their Asiana mileage to Korean Air’s program.

During the 10-year period, Asiana customers will retain the airline’s existing redemption standards and expiration rules. They will also be able to use their mileage across all Korean Air-operated routes for award tickets, seat upgrades, mileage-and-cash payments and shopping.

Customers who choose to convert their Asiana mileage can do so at any time during the 10-year period. Flight-earned mileage will be converted at a 1-to-1 rate, while miles earned through credit cards and other partnerships will be converted at a rate of 0.82 Korean Air miles for each Asiana mile.

Customers must convert their entire mileage balance if they choose to switch to Korean Air’s program. Any remaining Asiana miles will be automatically converted at the same rates when the 10-year separate-management period ends.

A promotional image for Standard Chartered Bank Korea's new deposit account in collaboration with Korean Air to convert after-tax interest at maturity to mileage for the airline. Courtesy Standard Chartered Bank Korea

The plan also preserves Asiana’s elite membership benefits. Its five existing membership tiers will be matched with corresponding Korean Air tiers after the merger. Customers who convert their mileage will have their combined mileage reassessed and may receive a higher tier if they qualify.

The FTC placed particular emphasis on expanding award-seat availability, which it identified as the most frequently used mileage benefit.

Korean Air must maintain award-seat passenger performance for the next decade at or above the combined level recorded by the two carriers in 2024. For popular long-haul routes to the Americas, Europe and Oceania, Korean Air now must meet a new higher benchmark — the highest combined award-seat passenger performance recorded over the past 10 years, which was reached in 2023.

Korean Air said it may add special mileage flights during peak travel periods and on high-demand routes if necessary to meet the requirement. The carrier must also report peak-season award-seat availability annually to an implementation monitoring committee.

The plan further requires Korean Air to increase annual mileage redemption volumes in stages. Based on the two airlines’ combined redemption volume in 2025, annual mileage usage must reach 106 percent in 2027 and 2028, 112 percent in 2029 and 121 percent from 2030 through 2036.

In addition, the minimum mileage required for mileage-and-cash payments will fall from 500 to 100 miles, while the maximum share of an airfare payable with miles will rise from 30 percent to 40 percent. Korean Air will also double the number of nonflight products available for fewer than 2,000 miles.

The FTC’s approval came nearly two years after it conditionally cleared Korean Air’s acquisition of Asiana. Under the original remedy package, Korean Air was required to submit a mileage integration proposal within six months of completing the acquisition on Dec. 12, 2024, and obtain regulatory approval before implementing it.

Korean Air submitted its final proposal to the FTC on Sept. 1 after seven meetings with the regulator and four rounds of revisions.

The FTC will monitor compliance through an implementation monitoring committee for 10 years after the merger. Korean Air and Asiana are expected to provide customers with detailed guidance on mileage use and conversion before the plan takes effect.

韩亚航空的乘客在两家航空公司合并后的10年内，仍可保留并使用其里程兑换大韩航空运营的航班。此前，韩国反垄断监管机构周一批准了修订后的整合方案。公平交易委员会表示，该方案旨在12月17日合并后，维护客户利益并扩大里程兑换选择。韩亚航空的里程将在10年内保持独立，现有的兑换规则和有效期也将保持不变。

在为期 10 年的独立管理期内，韩亚航空里程可用于大韩航空运营的航线，兑换奖励机票、升舱、里程加现金支付以及购物。

通过航班获得的韩亚航空里程将按 1:1 的比例转换为大韩航空里程，而通过信用卡和其他合作关系获得的里程将按 1 韩亚航空里程兑换 0.82 大韩航空里程的比例转换为 1 韩亚航空里程。

大韩航空必须在未来十年内保持奖励座位乘客业绩达到或超过 2024 年的综合水平，并且在主要长途航线上必须达到过去 10 年的最高综合奖励座位业绩，即 2023 年的水平。

该计划要求 2027 年和 2028 年的年度里程兑换量达到 106%，2029 年达到 112%，2030 年至 2036 年达到 121%。

美国联邦贸易委员会将通过实施监督委员会，对合并后的10年合规情况进行监督。

发布于2026年9月15日下午12:01（韩国标准时间）

更新于2026年9月15日下午2:03（韩国标准时间）

美国联邦贸易委员会批准里程积分整合计划，并加强对消费者权益的保护。

8月12日，一架大韩航空的飞机（上图）和一架韩亚航空的客机停靠在首尔西部的金浦国际机场。（韩联社）

根据韩国反垄断监管机构周一批准的里程整合计划，韩亚航空的乘客在两家航空公司合并后的 10 年内，可以保留现有的里程，并将其用于大韩航空运营的航班。

12月17日，韩国公平交易委员会（FTC）批准了大韩航空的修订计划，并附加了一些条件，旨在维护客户利益，并扩大航空公司合并后兑换里程的机会。

根据该计划，自合并之日起的10年内，即使韩亚航空不再作为一家公司实体存在，其里程仍将独立管理。客户无需立即将其韩亚航空里程转换为大韩航空的里程。

在这10年期间，韩亚航空的客户将继续适用该航空公司现有的里程兑换标准和有效期规定。他们还可以使用里程兑换所有大韩航空运营航线的奖励机票、升舱、里程加现金支付以及购物。

选择转换韩亚航空里程的乘客可以在10年有效期内的任何时间进行转换。通过飞行获得的里程将按1:1的比例转换，而通过信用卡和其他合作关系获得的里程将按每1韩亚航空里程兑换0.82大韩航空里程的比例转换。

如果客户选择转投大韩航空的常旅客计划，则必须将其全部里程余额转换。剩余的韩亚航空里程将在10年独立管理期结束后按相同比例自动转换。

这是渣打银行韩国分行与大韩航空合作推出的新型存款账户的宣传图片，该账户可将税后利息在到期时转换为大韩航空的里程。图片由渣打银行韩国分行提供。

该方案还保留了韩亚航空的精英会员权益。合并后，韩亚航空现有的五个会员等级将与大韩航空相应的会员等级相匹配。里程转换后的乘客，其合并里程将被重新评估，符合条件的乘客可能会获得更高的会员等级。

美国联邦贸易委员会特别重视扩大奖励座位的可用性，因为它认为这是最常用的里程奖励。

大韩航空必须在未来十年内保持奖励座位乘客业绩达到或超过两家航空公司在 2024 年创下的综合水平。对于飞往美洲、欧洲和大洋洲的热门长途航线，大韩航空现在必须达到一个新的更高标准——过去 10 年的最高奖励座位乘客综合业绩，该业绩在 2023 年达到。

大韩航空表示，如有必要，可能会在旅游旺季和需求量大的航线上增设里程兑换航班，以满足相关要求。此外，该航空公司还必须每年向执行监督委员会报告旺季奖励机票的可用情况。

该计划还要求大韩航空分阶段提高年度里程兑换量。根据两家航空公司2025年的合并里程兑换量，年度里程使用率必须在2027年和2028年达到106%，2029年达到112%，2030年至2036年达到121%。

此外，里程加现金支付所需的最低里程数将从500英里降至100英里，而可用里程支付的机票最高比例将从30%提高到40%。大韩航空还将把里程数低于2000英里的非航班产品数量增加一倍。

美国联邦贸易委员会的批准距离其有条件批准大韩航空收购韩亚航空已近两年。根据最初的补救方案，大韩航空需在2024年12月12日完成收购后的六个月内提交里程整合方案，并在实施前获得监管部门的批准。

在与监管机构进行了七次会议和四轮修改后，大韩航空于 9 月 1 日向联邦贸易委员会提交了最终提案。

美国联邦贸易委员会将通过实施监督委员会，对合并后的合规情况进行为期10年的监督。预计大韩航空和韩亚航空将在计划生效前，向客户提供关于里程使用和转换的详细指南。