South Korea's Fair Trade Commission has approved Korean Air's revised mileage integration plan for Asiana Airlines customers. The plan ensures Asiana customers can use their existing mileage for 10 years post-merger, with specific conversion rates and membership tier alignments.
The approval of the mileage integration plan is crucial for consumer confidence and loyalty as Korean Air finalizes its acquisition of Asiana Airlines, ensuring a smoother transition for millions of frequent flyers.
SEOUL, Sept. 15 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's antitrust regulator, the Fair Trade Commission (FTC), has approved a revised mileage integration plan for Korean Air Co. ahead of its planned absorption of Asiana Airlines Inc. in December. The FTC had previously instructed Korean Air to resubmit the plan in December, seeking measures to protect consumer rights by expanding mileage usage opportunities.
Under the approved plan, Asiana customers' mileage will be managed separately for 10 years from the merger date. Their existing mileage will be retained with current redemption terms and expiration periods, without mandatory conversion to Korean Air mileage. Following the merger, Asiana customers will be able to use their mileage for bonus tickets, seat upgrades, combined cash-and-mileage payments, and shopping across all Korean Air routes.
Korean Air is also obligated to maintain the number of bonus seats on popular routes to the Americas, Europe, and Oceania at or above the combined level of both airlines in 2023 for the next decade. The conversion rates for Asiana mileage will be 1:1 for mileage earned through flights and 1:0.82 for mileage earned through purchases or partner services. Customers can request conversion at any time during the 10-year period, with any remaining mileage automatically converted at the applicable rates after the decade.
Furthermore, Asiana customers will be assigned equivalent Korean Air membership tiers, such as Platinum members receiving Korean Air's Million Miler status. Asiana Airlines currently operates as a subsidiary of Korean Air, and the two are scheduled to merge into a single entity on December 17.