Asiana miles: convert or keep?

What changes

• Conversion rates: miles earned from flights convert 1:1, miles earned from partners such as credit cards convert at 1:0.82. Each rate applies to that part of your balance.
• You must convert your whole balance at once, and converted miles cannot be turned back into Asiana miles.
• You can apply any time after the merger on Korean Air’s website; it is processed within 5 business days. If you don’t want to convert, you don’t need to do anything.
• Unconverted miles are managed separately for 10 years from the merger date, then any balance left converts automatically at the same rates.
• Expiry dates stay as they are. Converting does not extend them.

Where unconverted miles work

• Award tickets (economy, prestige) and upgrades on every Korean Air route
• Cash and miles: pay part of a fare in miles (from 100 miles up to 40% of the fare)
• Shopping (merchandise, hotels, theme parks, movies, in-flight duty-free vouchers)

They keep Asiana’s existing award chart. First class, premium economy and SkyTeam or other partner awards need converting to SKYPASS first.

How to decide

• Mostly flight miles: converting costs you nothing. Convert if you want to pool them with SKYPASS or use SkyTeam or first class.
• Lots of partner (card) miles: converting cuts that part by 18%. If you plan to fly Korean Air economy or prestige, using them unconverted on Asiana’s chart loses nothing.
• No plans to use them yet: there is no rush. You can convert any time within 10 years, and whatever is left converts automatically at the same rates.
• Need to pool with SKYPASS for one ticket: you have to convert to combine them. Compare the miles you lose with the ticket you gain.

e.g. 30,000 flight + 50,000 partner miles → 30,000 + 41,000 = 71,000 SKYPASS miles (9,000 fewer)

It has not been published whether flight or partner miles are used first when you spend them, so tricks like “spend partner miles first, then convert” can’t be confirmed. Korean Air says a screen showing your expected converted miles opens on the merger date.

Check before the merger

• Consent to transfer personal data: according to Asiana, members who don’t consent are withdrawn, can use their miles only until then, and lose them on withdrawal.
• Star Alliance awards: Asiana leaves Star Alliance on December 16, 2026. To fly Lufthansa, ANA, United and others on Asiana miles, book before each airline’s deadline.
• Miles about to expire: they still expire on their original date, merger or not.