The ultimate guide to earning and redeeming Asiana Club miles

Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here.

Asiana is a South Korean carrier in the Star Alliance. Despite operating a handful of routes to the U.S., it isn’t very well-known stateside. But that shouldn’t be the case — the airline has an excellent loyalty program with industry-leading redemption rates. Think 40,000-mile one-way flights to Europe in business class and 52,500-mile tickets from the U.S. to Korea.

Sounds amazing, right? It is — but there are few program nuances to keep in mind. In this article, I’ll show you the ins-and-outs of the Asiana Club loyalty program. We’ll start by discussing elite status and Asiana’s partner airlines. Then, we’ll move onto earning and redeeming miles.

By the end of the article, you’ll have a well-rounded look at Asiana Club and can decide if it's worth your time to earn miles with the program.

Let’s dive in!

New to The Points Guy? Sign up for our daily newsletter and check out our beginner’s guide.

Asiana Club Program partners

Like most global airlines, Asiana has a handful of partner airlines that you can earn and redeem miles with. Many of these are in the Star Alliance, but some were made with non-alliance partnerships. Each of these opens interesting redemption options — let’s take a look.

Aegean Airlines

Aegean Airlines is a Greek airline that operates routes both within Greece and around Europe. You can earn and redeem Asiana Club miles on all these airlines, giving you a great way to plan tours of Greece and beyond.

Air Astana

Air Astana is one of Asiana’s three non-alliance airline partners. Based in Kazakhstan, the airline operates international flights from the nation’s largest cities. You can earn Asiana Club miles on Air Astana flights to and from Seoul (ICN).

Air Canada

Air Canada is the largest airline in Canada and one of the Star Alliance’s biggest carriers. You can earn and redeem miles on the airline, giving you an excellent way to travel to and from Canada.

Related: 5 small Canadian cities you can use points and miles to visit in 2021

Air China

Air China is another one of the larger airlines in Star Alliance. It has hubs in a handful of Chinese cities, and you can earn and redeem Asiana Club miles on all of Air China’s flights.

Air India

Air India is the flag carrier of India. The long-time Star Alliance member has an alliance partnership with Asiana, and you can earn and redeem miles on all of the Indian carrier’s flights.

Air New Zealand

Air New Zealand is a global carrier in New Zealand, with domestic flights in the country and flights abroad. You can earn and redeem miles on all the airlines’ flights, including those to the U.S., Australia and Asia.

ANA

ANA — short for All Nippon Airways — is one of my favorite airlines, with top-tier business and first-class products that fly from Japan to the world’s major cities. You can earn and redeem Asiana Miles on ANA flights, both internationally and domestically within Japan.

Austrian Airlines

Austrian Airlines is a Vienna-based carrier owned by Lufthansa. You can fly the airline all over the world and earn and redeem miles at the same time.

Avianca

Avianca is one of the larger South American airlines. Though it recently filed for bankruptcy, the airline plans to stay in business and restructure for a better post-COVID outlook. You can earn and redeem Asiana Club miles on all the carrier’s routes.

Brussels Airlines

Brussels Airlines is another Lufthansa Group airline. It’s based in Brussels and operates a large intra-Europe network and flights to Africa and North America. You can earn and redeem Asiana Club miles on all these flights.

Copa Airlines

Copa Airlines is a Central American airline based in Panama City. It operates to a handful of U.S. cities, giving many Americans nonstop flights to one of Central America’s largest economies. You can earn and redeem Asiana Club miles on all Copa flights.

Croatia Airlines

Croatia Airlines is one of the smaller Star Alliance carriers. Earn and redeem Asiana Club miles whenever you fly with the airline.

Ethiopian Airlines

Ethiopian Airlines is one of Africa’s largest airlines, with service to most regions of the world. You can earn and redeem Asiana Club miles on all of the Star Alliance carrier’s flights, including those to and from major U.S. cities.

Etihad Airways

Asiana and Etihad Airways have long had a non-alliance partnership that allows reciprocal mileage earning and redemption. You can earn up to 300% Asiana Club miles flown in Etihad Airways first-class, so it can be a good bet for paid premium tickets.

EgyptAir

EgyptAir is the flag carrier of Egypt. The airline’s global hub is in Cairo, with flights to Asia, North America, Europe, Africa, and the Middle East. You can earn and redeem Asiana Club miles on all EgyptAir flights.

EVA Air

EVA Air is a Taiwanese airline hubbed in Taipei (TPE) and offers various fifth-freedom routes from Asia to Europe. You can earn and redeem Asiana Club miles on all of the airline’s routes.

Lufthansa

Lufthansa is Germany’s largest airline, with global hubs in Frankfurt (FRA) and Munich (MUC). You can earn and redeem Asiana Club miles on all of the airlines’ flights — including those operated in Lufthansa’s top-notch first-class product.

LOT Polish Airlines

LOT Polish Airlines operates flights from several Polish airports to major cities in Europe and beyond. Those of us based in the U.S. can fly transatlantic to Warsaw (WAW), Krakow (KRK) and Rzeszów (REZ) from various gateways. The airline also offers transatlantic flights to Budapest (BUD) from New York-JFK.

You can earn and redeem Asiana Club miles on all these flights. This can be an excellent way to fly from the U.S. to Central Europe if you want to take advantage of a super cheap 40,000-mile business class award.

Qatar Airways

Qatar Airways and Asiana are non-alliance partners. You can earn Asiana Club miles on Qatar's flights to and from Seoul (ICN).

SAS Scandinavian Airlines

SAS — short for Scandinavian Air System — is another European Star Alliance carrier, with hubs in Stockholm (ARN), Copenhagen (CPH) and Oslo (OSL). You can earn and redeem Asiana Club miles on all SAS flights.

Shenzhen Airlines

Shenzhen Airlines is a regional Chinese airline that operates domestic flights and limited flights around Asia and to London (LHR). You can earn and redeem Asiana Club miles on all of the airlines’ routes.

Singapore Airlines

Singapore Airlines and Asiana are Star Alliance partners. While you can earn Asiana Club miles on all Singapore flights, you cannot redeem them for long-haul Singapore flights in premium cabins.

South African Airways

South African Airways operates flights from its Johannesburg (JNB) hub. You can redeem and earn Asiana Club miles on all of the airlines’ routes, including New York-JFK to Johannesburg.

Swiss Airlines

Swiss is another airline in the Lufthansa Group portfolio. You can earn and redeem Asiana Club miles on all of the Star Alliance carrier’s flights.

TAP Air Portugal

TAP Air Portugal is the flag carrier of Portugal, offering both international and domestic flights. You can earn and redeem your Asiana Club miles on all these flights, including various transatlantic flights to and from the U.S.

Thai Airways

Thai Airways operates several flights from its hubs in Thailand. You can earn and redeem Asiana Club miles on all of these flights.

Turkish Airlines

Turkish Airlines is one of the world’s largest airlines, operating flights to more countries than any other airline. You can earn and redeem Asiana Club on all of these flights, giving you an excellent way to sample its top-notch business class product.

United Airlines

United Airlines is one of the Big Three U.S. airlines, with an extensive route network both domestically and internationally. As you’d expect, you can earn and redeem Asiana Club miles on all your United flights. This is especially powerful for basic economy fares.

Related: 5 mistakes to avoid when flying Star Alliance partners

Asiana elite status

Asiana has various elite status tiers for loyal flyers. Each of these tiers includes various travel benefits, like increased mileage earning and lounge access. Here’s a look at what each status level includes.

Related: How The Points Guy earns his elite status

Gold

Gold is Asiana’s entry-level status tier, which offers limited benefits. That said, these can still be powerful for those based in South Korea. Here’s a quick look at benefits:

• Business-class lounge tickets: receive two business class lounge tickets to use at Asiana lounges in Korea.
• Elite check-in: use the elite check-in counter when flying Asiana.
• Earn bonus miles when flying: earn 50% bonus miles when crediting miles to Asiana Club.
• Additional baggage: access to 9 kg in extra baggage weight.
• Star Alliance Silver status: enjoy priority waitlisting and other minor benefits when flying on Asiana and its Star Alliance partner airlines.

Diamond

Things get a bit more interesting with Diamond status. This tier includes Star Alliance Gold and other benefits, giving you a more streamlined travel experience (even in economy class). Here’s an overview of the benefits:

• Business-class lounge access in Korea: access Asiana lounges for you and a guest when flying Star Alliance.
• Access Star Alliance Gold lounges: access to Star Alliance lounges worldwide for you and a guest whenever you fly with a Star Alliance carrier.
• Business-class check-in: use business class check-in whenever you fly with a Star Alliance carrier.
• Earn bonus miles when flying: earn 10% bonus miles when crediting miles to Asiana Club.
• Free baggage: one free piece of checked baggage on all Asiana and Star Alliance member flights.
• Extended mileage expiration: mileage validity extended to 12 years.
• Star Alliance Gold status: full Star Alliance Gold benefits on partner airlines, including priority boarding, lounge access and more.

Diamond Plus

Diamond Plus is an enhanced version of Diamond that includes upgraded benefits for Asiana’s most frequent flyers. In addition to Diamond benefits, here’s what you can expect with Diamond Plus:

• Enhanced lounge access in Korea: access to a higher class of lounge than your ticket; for example, business class travelers can use the first-class lounge.
• Earn bonus miles when flying: earn 15% bonus miles when crediting miles to Asiana Club.

Platinum

Platinum is Asiana’s top-tier elite status, which is awarded after taking 1,000 Asiana flights or flying 1,000,000 miles with the carrier over your account’s lifetime. The tier never expires, so you don’t need to worry about requalifying. It includes all Diamond Plus benefits plus the following:

• Award discount coupons: Earn two coupons valid for 50% off an Upgrade Award or 10,000 miles off an award flight every 100,000 miles you fly.
• Lounge access: Access the highest class of lounge on all Asiana flights at all Korean airports.
• Bonus miles when flying: Earn 20% bonus miles when crediting to Asiana Club.

Related: Is it worth pursuing lifetime elite status?

Earning miles with Asiana Club

Unfortunately, those in the U.S. have limited options for earning Asiana Club miles, but it isn’t an impossible feat. Here’s a look at the easiest ways to earn these miles when traveling and on your everyday spending.

Related: Airline miles that are hardest to earn — and why you want them anyway

Earn by flying with Asiana Airlines and its partners

As you probably expect, you can earn Asiana Club miles when you fly with Asiana Airlines and its various partner airlines. Unlike most U.S. carriers, Asiana still awards miles based on the length of a flight and your fare class. This means longer flights in premium cabins will earn the most miles.

When flying with Asiana, refer to the Asiana earning chart listed on the airline’s website. You can calculate your earnings by multiplying the percentage listed to the right of your booking class by the length of your flight in miles. Your fare class is shown on your e-ticket.

For example, if you’re flying from New York-JFK to Seoul (ICN) in D fare business class, you’ll earn 8,632 Asiana Club miles. This is because the flight is 6,906 miles one-way and the D fare class earns 125% miles flown.

Crediting partner flights to Asiana Club works the same. Locate your partner’s earning page and find your booking class. Then, multiply the flight distance by the percentage listed to the right of your booking class.

An Air Canada flight from Montreal (YUL) to Vancouver (YVR) is 2,295 miles one-way. If you’re booked in W fare economy class, you will earn 1,147 Asiana Club miles on your flight. This is because W fare domestic Air Canada flights earn 50% miles flown.

Earn with the airline’s cobranded credit card

Want to earn Asiana miles with a credit card instead? Asiana Club doesn’t partner with any transferable points credit cards (although I wish it did), but it does offer a U.S. cobranded credit card with Bank of America.

This credit card is called the Asiana Visa Signature® Credit Card. It earns 3x miles per dollar spent on Asiana Airlines purchases, 2x miles per dollar spent at gas stations and grocery stores and 1x miles per dollar everywhere else.

In addition, you’ll earn two business class lounge passes, 10,000 bonus miles and a $100 rebate on Asiana Airlines tickets every year. These benefits offset the card’s $99 annual fee and actually make the card profitable — especially if you value Asiana Club miles highly.

You’re eligible for 30,000 bonus miles after spending $3,000 on the card in your first 90 days of account opening. This is a solid welcome bonus when you consider the program’s low redemption rates. That said, you should only apply if you’re past 5/24 and don’t have any Chase cards on your radar.

The information for the Asiana Visa Signature card has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.

Related: The best credit cards from foreign airlines

Transfer points from Marriott Bonvoy

You can transfer Marriott Bonvoy points to Asiana Club at a 3:1 transfer ratio. Also, 60,000 point transfers get a 5,000-mile bonus, meaning 60,000 Marriott Bonvoy points equals 25,000 airline miles.

There are plenty of ways to earn Marriott Bonvoy points, with the easiest being cobranded credit cards. The hotel group has a suite of cards issued by American Express and Chase — here’s a look at current offers:

• Marriott Bonvoy Bold Credit Card: Earn 60,000 bonus points after spending $2,000 on purchases in your first three months from account opening.
• Marriott Bonvoy Boundless Credit Card: Earn 5 Free Nights (each night valued up to 50,000 points) after you spend $5,000 in the first three months from account opening.
• Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant™ American Express® Card: Earn 75,000 Marriott Bonvoy bonus points after you use your new card to make $3,000 in eligible purchases within the first three months of card membership.

Related: When does it make sense to transfer Marriott points to airlines?

Book hotels and rental cars with travel partners

You can earn Asiana Club miles when you book hotels, rental cars and other travel with the airline’s partners. On the hotel side, the airline has partnerships with most of the global hotel chains. Each of these award miles differently — let’s check it out.

If you’re renting a car, you can earn the following number of miles per rental with the following partners:

Do the math and see if earning Asiana Club miles instead of hotel and rental car points makes sense for your travel plans. You may find it worthwhile if you’re booking low-cost rentals and hotel stays and are saving for a specific Asiana award.

Redeeming miles with Asiana Club

With the heavy stuff out of the way, let’s get to the fun part: redeeming miles. As discussed, Asiana Club has great redemption rates on both its own flights and its partners. Here’s a look at how to price and book award tickets, as well as a list of some award chart sweet spots.

Related: The most undervalued airline loyalty programs

Redeeming Asiana Club miles for Asiana flights

All Asiana flights are priced based on a standard region-based award chart. This means that you’ll always pay a predictable price for an award ticket so long as saver award space is available. This is a stark contrast to United MileagePlus and Delta SkyMiles, which price awards dynamically.

The airline has two different award charts: one for flights to or within Korea and one for connecting flights via Korea. You can view a copy of the airline’s 2020 award chart below — note that all prices are for round-trip awards.

Unlike ANA Mileage Club, you can book one-way flights with Asiana Club. These flights cost half the round-trip award, so a one-way flight from Seoul (ICN) to San Francisco (SFO) starts at 52,500 miles in business class.

Speaking of business class awards, there are two categories: standard and Smartium. Smartium is the airline’s new business class product and costs marginally more miles than the older product.

Asiana Club does add fuel surcharges to its own flights, but they’re nowhere near as steep as British Airways. For example, a flight from San Francisco (SFO) to Seoul has $136.50 in taxes and fees. Of that amount, $130.90 is made up of fuel surcharges.

Related: The Wizard of OZ: Asiana (A380) in business class from New York to Seoul

How to upgrade Asiana flights with miles

You can also upgrade paid Asiana flights with your Asiana Club miles — but it isn’t easy. Only Y, B and M class economy tickets are eligible for upgrades. These are generally more expensive than lower classes of economy, so always check if a discounted business class fare is more cost-effective.

Refer to the following upgrade award chart for pricing. Again, these prices are for round-trip upgrades. One-way upgrades are priced at half the cost of a round-trip upgrade.

Redeeming Asiana Club miles on partner airlines

Partner awards are also priced on a standard award chart. You can find the award chart for your specific region on the airline’s website. Enter your origin region and the chart will appear at the center of the screen. You can view the North America award chart below:

This chart includes all partner awards, including awards operated by non-alliance partners like Etihad Airways. This means that there are some excellent deals to be had, and I’ll show you them in the next section.

Unfortunately, the airline does pass on fuel surcharges. We’ve seen reports that they’re lower than what’s charged by ANA Mileage Club and other Star Alliance programs that pass on fuel surcharges, adding roughly $400 to transatlantic awards.

Asiana Club award chart sweet spots

By now, you know that Asiana Club has an excellent award chart — but what are the best redemptions? Here’s a look at some of the best ways to redeem Asiana Club miles for maximum value.

Book Etihad first and business class around the world

AAdvantage is generally seen as the best way to book Etihad first and business class, but Asiana Club offers a good deal too. You can book a one-way flight from North America to the Middle East and Africa for just 60,000 and 80,000 miles one-way in business and first-class.

Better yet? Asiana doesn’t add fuel surcharges to Etihad award tickets. This means you can redeem without paying anything more than minimal taxes and fees.

These are some of the best business and first-class products in the sky. You can expect excellent dining options, a luxurious seat and top-notch service. Check out TPG’s full review of Etihad’s The Residence first class before you book.

Redeem for United transatlantic flights on the cheap

United is one of the few airlines that Asiana Airlines doesn’t levy fuel surcharges on when crossing the Atlantic from the U.S. In most cases, you can travel on any of the airline’s transatlantic flights for just 40,000 miles and $5.60 in taxes and fees when departing the U.S.

This is an excellent deal and one that I recommend you take advantage of. It’s significantly cheaper than most other loyalty programs, including ANA Mileage Club. While you don’t get a free stopover like you do with ANA, you can book one-way tickets and save miles.

Experience Asiana’s new business class for 62,500 miles one-way

You can fly in Asiana’s newest business class product for just 62,500 miles and $136.50 one-way. This new seat is ultra-modern and offers solid dining and service for a comfortable transpacific flight.

Related: The 6 best airline award chart sweet spots

How to book Asiana Club award tickets

You can book Asiana award tickets on the Asiana website — just head to the airline’s website, sign in and use the search box at the center of the page. Then, click the Search button on the right-hand side of the page.

Then, you’ll be greeted with a calendar view that shows all available flights. All flights with a colored icon at the bottom right-hand corner are dates that have an open award seat. Scroll down and you can view all flights available on the date you originally selected.

If you like the flight shown, select it and click the Next button at the bottom of the screen. The website will then walk you through the booking process.

Related: Asiana Airlines will stop selling first class after August 31

How to book partner awards with Asiana Club miles

Unfortunately, booking partner awards with Asiana Club isn’t quite as easy. You cannot book these tickets online, so you must call in to book. Use your favorite Star Alliance search tool to find the ticket you’d like to book and call Asiana at 1-800-227-4262 to book.

Bottom line

Asiana Club is a great award program that offers some of the best redemption rates in the miles and points world. The miles are hard to earn, but if you open a cobrand credit card, transfer in some Marriott Bonvoy points and utilize other earning methods, you can rack up points relatively quickly.

Keep this program on your radar after travel resumes. I think there’s a strong possibility that it will be added as a major credit card transfer partner in the coming years — especially as the airline looks to recover from the coronavirus travel downturn.

Feature photo by EQRoy/Shutterstock