The best ways to travel to South Korea with points...

From the bustling metropolis streets of Seoul to the sandy seashores of Busan, South Korea has quite a bit to supply. And though it is a lengthy (and sometimes costly) journey from the U.S., you are able to do it comfortably along with your airline miles or bank card factors. Seoul’s Incheon Worldwide Airport (ICN) has direct flights to a number of North American airports throughout varied South Korean and U.S. airways, supplying you with loads of choices.

Right here, we’ll talk about one of the best methods to redeem factors and miles for flights from the U.S. to South Korea by airline.

Air Canada

Air Canada operates an in depth route community to most main U.S. cities, which you should use to connect with ICN-bound flights from Air Canada’s hubs. The Canadian flag service operates flights from the next cities to ICN:

• Montreal-Trudeau Worldwide Airport (YUL)
• Toronto Pearson Airport (YYZ)
• Vancouver Worldwide Airport (YVR)

Air Canada Aeroplan has an award chart that mixes dynamic pricing with mounted charges, so shorter flights price fewer factors however can nonetheless vary in worth. Do not anticipate any nice offers, although. The most cost effective flights we might discover are on the YVR-to-ICN route, with economic system class beginning at 82,400 factors, premium economic system beginning at 139,700 factors and enterprise class beginning at 182,000 factors. You may pay roughly $44 in taxes on ICN-bound flights and $17 on Canada-bound flights.

Alaska Airways

Alaska Airways is launching flights from Seattle-Tacoma Worldwide Airport (SEA) to ICN this September utilizing Hawaiian Airways plane. Flights are bookable with Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan miles. Economic system class begins at 37,500 miles and enterprise class begins at 250,000 miles, plus $5.60 in taxes on ICN-bound flights and roughly $35 in taxes on flights to SEA. We’re hopeful that business-class award charges will drop over time.

Hawaiian Airways additionally flies from Daniel Ok. Inouye Worldwide Airport (HNL) to Seoul. Charges are extra affordable, with economic system class beginning at 35,000 miles and enterprise class beginning at 65,000 miles on many dates. Taxes and costs are the identical: $5.60 when departing HNL and $35 when departing ICN.

You may switch Bilt Rewards Factors to Alaska Airways Mileage Plan. You can even switch American Express Membership Rewards factors to Hawaiian Airways after which transfer those miles to Alaska.

American Airways

American Airways serves ICN from its Dallas Fort Value Worldwide Airport (DFW) hub. You need to use American Airlines AAdvantage miles to e book this route for as little as 35,000 miles in economic system, 66,000 miles in premium economic system or 81,000 miles in enterprise class for the following a number of months. Nonetheless, pricing varies because the AAdvantage program dynamically costs American-operated flights. The excellent news is that taxes and costs are minimal, particularly when departing the U.S. You may pay roughly $35 in taxes and costs when flying from ICN to DFW.

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One other good choice for reserving American flights to Seoul is Alaska Airways Mileage Plan. Nonstop flights on the DFW-to-ICN route price 37,500 miles in economic system class and 75,000 miles in enterprise class with minimal taxes and costs.

These with Capital One miles, American Specific Membership Rewards factors or Citi ThankYou Rewards factors may use Qantas Frequent Flyer to e book these flights. Nonstop flights on this route price 37,600 factors in economic system and 94,900 factors in enterprise class, and taxes and costs are between $250 and $350 one-way.

Asiana Airways

Asiana Airlines is the second-largest airline in South Korea and is within the technique of merging with Korean Air. In the interim, nevertheless, the airways function individually and Asiana is a Star Alliance member (for now). Asiana operates flights from the next airports to ICN:

• Daniel Ok. Inouye Worldwide Airport (HNL)
• Los Angeles Worldwide Airport (LAX)
• John F. Kennedy Worldwide Airport (JFK)
• San Francisco Worldwide Airport (SFO)
• Seattle-Tacoma Worldwide Airport (SEA)

If in case you have American Specific Membership Rewards factors, Bilt Rewards factors, Capital One miles or Chase Final Rewards factors, your greatest wager is normally reserving with Air Canada Aeroplan. You may pay 55,000 factors for an economic system ticket or 87,500 factors for enterprise class from JFK to ICN. West Coast flights are cheaper at 50,000 and 75,000 factors in economic system and enterprise class, respectively. Taxes and costs vary between $50 and $100 per flight.

If in case you have United Airlines MileagePlus miles, anticipate to pay 60,500 miles for an economic system ticket or 110,000 miles for a business-class ticket within the coming months, plus low taxes and costs. Observe that this pricing is identical whatever the U.S. airport from which you depart.

ANA Mileage Club can current wonderful offers as nicely. If you’ll find award area, you will pay 60,000 miles in economic system and 130,000 in enterprise class round-trip from the U.S. to South Korea on Asiana or different Star Alliance airways. That mentioned, you’ll be able to solely e book round-trip tickets (open jaws are allowed) and taxes and costs are average. You may switch Amex factors to All Nippon Airways, however transfers take up to 48 hours to course of.

Delta Air Traces

Seoul is one in all Delta’s principal Asian outposts, and you will find flights on the airline from the next airports to ICN:

• Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta Worldwide Airport (ATL)
• Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport (DTW)
• Minneapolis-St. Paul Worldwide Airport (MSP)
• Seattle-Tacoma Worldwide Airport (SEA)

The airline can even start service from Salt Lake City International Airport (SLC) to ICN in the midst of June. Flights on this route are geared up with Delta One business class, although the seat you will get varies primarily based on the route you e book and the aircraft that operates it.

Reserving these routes with Delta SkyMiles generally is a respectable choice for economic system flights, however do not anticipate a deal in enterprise class. The loyalty program costs award tickets dynamically. In our analysis, nonstop tickets on ICN-bound flights from varied U.S. airports begin at 68,000 miles in Most important Cabin economic system, 105,000 miles in Premium Choose (premium economic system) and 160,000 miles in Delta One enterprise class. You may save 15% if you have a Delta cobranded credit card.

Different reserving choices embrace Air France-KLM Flying Blue and Virgin Atlantic Flying Club. Nevertheless, no award area was obtainable in enterprise on the routes we searched. It is value checking these companions earlier than reserving with Delta SkyMiles, as pricing could also be decrease.

Korean Air

Korean Air is the biggest airline in South Korea and one of many largest in Asia. It has an in depth international route community from Seoul. It operates flights from ICN to the next airports:

• Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta Worldwide Airport (ATL)
• Boston Logan Worldwide Airport (BOS)
• O’Hare Worldwide Airport (ORD)
• Dallas Fort Value Worldwide Airport (DFW)
• Daniel Ok. Inouye Worldwide Airport (HNL)
• Harry Reid Worldwide Airport (LAS)
• Los Angeles Worldwide Airport (LAX)
• John F. Kennedy Worldwide Airport (JFK)
• San Francisco Worldwide Airport (SFO)
• Seattle-Tacoma Worldwide Airport (SEA)
• Dulles Worldwide Airport (IAD)

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These with American Specific Membership Rewards factors, Bilt Rewards factors, Capital One miles, Chase Final Rewards factors or Citi ThankYou factors can switch to Virgin Atlantic Flying Club to e book awards on Korean Air. From the East Coast, Korean Air flights price 37,000 factors in economic system or 100,000 miles in enterprise class, plus minimal taxes and costs. You may e book flights from the West Coast for fewer factors — 31,000 in economic system and 85,000 in enterprise class — however award area is restricted.

The most cost effective technique to e book Korean Air business-class flights with factors and miles is with Alaska Airways Mileage Plan. You may redeem 37,500 miles for economic system class and 75,000 miles for enterprise class from the U.S. to ICN every approach. Once more, you’ll be able to switch Bilt Rewards factors on to Alaska or switch Amex factors to Hawaiian after which switch these miles to Alaska.

United Airways

United operates nonstop every day service from SFO to ICN. On this route, you will discover United Polaris business-class seats, which supply a constantly snug expertise throughout the Pacific.

United MileagePlus makes use of dynamic pricing for its personal flights, which means the value you will pay varies by route, once you fly and once you e book. The bottom costs you are more likely to discover on this route are 42,800 miles in economic system, 65,000 miles in premium economic system or 100,000 miles in enterprise class, plus minimal taxes and costs of $5.60 when departing the U.S. and round $34 within the different path. You may switch Chase and Bilt factors to United.

As with Asiana flights, Air Canada Aeroplan is usually one of the best deal in case you use Amex, Bilt, Capital One or Chase factors to e book United business-class tickets from SFO to ICN. You may pay 50,000 factors in economic system class or 75,000 in enterprise class, plus roughly $57 in taxes and costs on ICN-bound flights and $70 on U.S.-bound flights.

You can even use ANA Mileage Membership to e book round-trip flights on this route for 60,000 miles in economic system and 130,000 in enterprise class. Nevertheless, the restrictions we mentioned when reserving Asiana flights with ANA Mileage Membership apply right here.

Finest factors motels in Seoul

Seoul is dwelling to dozens of factors motels spanning all the main lodge loyalty packages. This is a have a look at a couple of of our favourite properties within the South Korean capital, alongside pattern award pricing:

• Andaz Seoul Gangnam: 17,000 to 23,000 World of Hyatt factors per evening
• Conrad Seoul: From 70,000 Hilton Honors factors per evening
• Grand InterContinental Seoul Parnas: From 44,000 IHG One Rewards factors per evening
• JW Marriott Dongdaemun Sq. Seoul: From 47,000 Marriott Bonvoy factors per evening
• Park Hyatt Seoul: 21,000 to 29,000 World of Hyatt factors per evening
• Voco Seoul Gangnam: From 26,000 IHG One Rewards factors per evening

Touring to South Korea means paying in South Korean gained, so it’s best to journey with a credit score that does not cost foreign transaction fees. It will allow you to lower your expenses in your journey and earn rewards towards your subsequent journey.

Some playing cards to think about embrace:

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