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Korean Air granted regulatory approval for Asiana Airlines mileage integration plan
September 17th 2026
Korean Air (KAL) said it has received final approval from the Korea Fair Trade Commission (KFTC) on its mileage integration plan with Asiana Airlines. Read More » KAL’s revised plan, which gained regulatory approval, stipulates that Asiana Airlines customers will not have to immediately convert their Asiana mileage to Korean Air’s program. Instead, Asiana mileage will be managed separately for 10 years from the merger date, even after Asiana Airlines ceases to exist as a corporate entity. During the 10-year period, Asiana customers will retain the airline’s existing redemption standards and expiration rules. They can also use their mileage for award tickets, seat upgrades, mileage-and-cash payments, and shopping in Korean Air. Asiana Airlines mileage holders can convert their Asiana mileage to the KAL loyalty program at any time. Flight-earned mileage will convert at a 1-to-1 rate, while miles earned through credit cards and other partnerships will convert at a rate of 0.82 Korean Air miles for each Asiana mile. Any remaining Asiana miles will be automatically converted at the same rates when the 10-year separate-management period ends.
In its decision, the FTC placed particular emphasis on expanding award-seat availability, which it identified as the most-used mileage benefit. KAL said it will maintain award seat availability at or above pre-integration levels to expand redemption opportunities. On key long-haul routes – including the Americas, Europe, and Oceania – the airline will provide award seats at or above the highest levels recorded over the past 10 years. Korean Air will also manage total redemption capacity so that annual mileage usage exceeds the combined pre-integration volume of both carriers by 20% or more. The SkyTeam member carrier added that it may add special mileage flights during peak travel periods and on high-demand routes if necessary to meet the requirement.
The FTC said it will monitor compliance through an implementation monitoring committee for 10 years after the merger.
