If you hold Asiana Club miles, you are probably wondering what happens to them once Asiana becomes part of Korean Air. This post walks through the official conversion rates, the timeline, the elite tier matching, and the things you should watch out for. Any difficult or unfamiliar airline mileage terms will be explained one sentence at a time so they are easy to understand.
1. Integration Schedule Explained
Korean Air and Asiana Airlines will complete their merger on December 17, 2026, and the mileage program integration takes effect on that date. This means the two airlines become one company on that day, and the loyalty programs are joined at the same time.
Until the merger is complete, the two mileage programs continue to operate independently. This means that for now nothing about your Asiana miles changes, and the new rules only apply from the merger date onward.
[Key Terms Explained]
Mileage integration: The process of combining two separate airline point systems into a single program so members eventually use one account and one set of rules.
[Key Terms Explained]
SKYPASS: Korean Air's frequent flyer program, which is the surviving program that Asiana Club miles will move into after the merger.
2. The 10-Year Separate Operation Period Explained
Existing Asiana Club mileage will be maintained as "former Asiana Mileage" for 10 years from the date of integration and may be used until its original validity date. This means your Asiana miles are not deleted; they sit in your account under a separate label and keep their existing expiration dates.
After integration, all newly accrued flight and partner miles are credited as SKYPASS miles, and former Asiana Mileage is no longer earned. This means that going forward you build up SKYPASS miles, while your old balance simply waits to be used or converted.
Members may hold both SKYPASS miles and former Asiana Mileage in one SKYPASS account, and to combine them the former Asiana Mileage must first be converted into SKYPASS miles. This means the two balances stay separate until you decide to merge them through conversion.
[Key Terms Explained]
Former Asiana Mileage: The name given to your existing Asiana Club balance after the merger, kept as a separate pool inside your SKYPASS account for up to 10 years.
3. Conversion Rates Explained
The conversion rate depends on how you originally earned the miles. This means the airline treats miles earned by flying differently from miles earned through credit cards and other partners.
Table explanation: The first row shows that miles earned by flying convert one-for-one, so you keep their full value. The second row shows that miles earned from credit cards, hotels, and other partners convert at 1:0.82, so a partner mile is worth about 18% less after conversion. This means the value you keep depends entirely on whether the mile came from a flight or from a partner.
[Key Terms Explained]
Partner-accrued miles: Miles you collected without flying, such as through co-branded credit cards, hotels, or shopping partners, rather than by taking a flight.
4. Conversion Method and Timing Explained
Members may convert their former Asiana Mileage into SKYPASS miles at any time during the 10-year period. This means there is no rush; you choose when to move your balance.
Conversion must be made in full, meaning the entire remaining balance is converted at once rather than in small portions. This means you cannot convert only part of your miles and leave the rest as former Asiana Mileage.
At the end of the 10 years, all remaining former Asiana Mileage is automatically converted into SKYPASS miles. This means if you never convert manually, the system does it for you when the window closes.
5. Elite Tier Matching Explained
From the integration date, Asiana Club elite tiers are automatically matched to the corresponding SKYPASS elite tier, and each member's existing validity period is honored. This means you do not lose your status and you do not have to re-qualify from scratch.
Table explanation: The first row shows lifetime Platinum becomes lifetime Million Miler. The second row shows lifetime Diamond Plus becomes lifetime Morning Calm Premium. The third row shows that both Diamond Plus (24 months) and Diamond (24 months) map to the brand-new Morning Calm Select tier for 24 months. The fourth row shows Gold becomes Morning Calm for 24 months. This means every Asiana elite tier has a defined landing spot in SKYPASS, and the top tiers keep their lifetime protection.
[Key Terms Explained]
Morning Calm Select: A new SKYPASS tier created between Morning Calm and Morning Calm Premium; it offers SkyTeam Elite Plus benefits and is the matched status for Asiana's Diamond Plus (24 months) and Diamond members.
6. Tier Re-Evaluation and Benefits Explained
Members holding elite status in both programs are granted the higher of the matched tier based on their Asiana Club status or their existing SKYPASS status. This means the merger can only lift you up, never push you down.
After integration, elite status is reassessed by combining Korean Air qualifying miles and Asiana Airlines flight miles, and the higher of the reassessed tier and your current tier is granted. This means your flying history on both airlines is added together so it counts toward a possibly higher tier.
For redemption, former Asiana Mileage can be used for Korean Air award tickets (Economy and Prestige Class only), upgrade awards, Cash and Miles payments of up to 30% of the airfare when booking online, and Mileage Mall purchases including duty-free vouchers. This means your old miles remain widely usable even before you convert them.
[Key Terms Explained]
Cash and Miles: A payment option that lets you cover part of a ticket price with miles instead of paying the full fare in cash, here allowed for up to 30% of the airfare when booking online.
7. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) Explained
Q1. Will my Asiana miles disappear after the merger?
No. They are kept as former Asiana Mileage for 10 years from the integration date and can be used until their original validity date. This means your balance is preserved and keeps its existing expiration.
Q2. Why is the partner mile rate lower than the flight mile rate?
Flight-accrued miles convert at 1:1 while partner-accrued miles convert at 1:0.82. This means miles earned by flying keep full value, while miles from cards and other partners are worth about 18% less after conversion.
Q3. Can I convert only part of my Asiana balance?
No. Conversion must be made in full, covering the entire remaining balance. This means you convert everything at once or not yet at all.
Q4. Could my elite tier go down after matching?
No. You receive the higher of your matched tier or your existing SKYPASS tier, and re-evaluation only applies the higher result. This means the process is upgrade-only.
Q5. What if I never convert my miles myself?
At the end of the 10 years, all remaining former Asiana Mileage is automatically converted into SKYPASS miles. This means the system finishes the job for you when the window closes.
Q6. When does the merger and integration take effect?
The merger completes and the mileage integration begins on December 17, 2026. This means the new rules described here start applying from that single date.
Note: According to searched reporting, the revised mileage plan still awaited final Korea Fair Trade Commission (KFTC) approval, with a decision expected around mid-2026, so specific figures could still be adjusted (needs verification). Details may change over time, so please confirm the latest information on Korean Air's official mileage integration site before acting.
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