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What Delta, Korean Air fence-mending means for SkyMiles

Korean Air KAL 747 747-8

Soon it will be much easier to earn Delta SkyMiles on Korean Air flights like the new 747-8 flying SFO-Seoul (Image: Korean Air)

Delta frequent flyers will get a lot more opportunities to earn and burn Delta SkyMiles on trips to Asia starting later this year. The carrier is planning a big expansion of its code-sharing partnership with Korean Air, followed next year by the addition of a new Delta flight from Atlanta to Seoul Incheon.

This is great news for flyers affected by the previously chilly relationship between the two SkyTeam partners which greatly diluted (or eliminated) the ability to earn Delta SkyMiles (including MQMs) when flying Korean Air. When Delta places its code on Korean Air flights, you buy the ticket from Delta, which means that you earn SkyMiles just like any other Delta flight. But when you get to the airport, you board a Korean Air flight.

Delta and Korean Air have been partners in the SkyTeam global alliance since it was founded 20 years ago. But that partnership got a little rocky in recent years when the two carriers could not agree on a potential joint venture.

With the big code-share expansion, subject to government approvals, Delta’s code will go onto Korean’s flights from San Francisco and Houston to Seoul, and on Korean Air flights beyond Seoul to 32 Asia destinations including Taipei, Osaka, Singapore, Nagoya, Okinawa and others.  Korean will put its code onto Delta’s new Atlanta-Seoul flights and on Delta flights beyond Atlanta, Los Angeles and New York to 115 destinations in the U.S. and Canada.

Related: Trip Report- Korean Air Boeing 747-8 SFO-Seoul

The Delta-KAL codeshare lets you buy a ticket from Delta, but fly KAL (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

The Delta-KAL codeshare lets you buy a ticket from Delta, but fly on KAL metal (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

“Combined, Delta and Korean will offer round-trip connectivity to 142 destinations in the Americas and 33 destinations across Asia between their joint Atlanta-Seoul schedules,” the airlines said.

Delta said its new ATL-Seoul flight — set to launch on June 3 of next year using a 291-seat 777-200LR – will complement Korean Air’s existing daily service in the market. The flight will have 37 Delta One seats, 36 in Delta Comfort and 218 regular economy seats. Korean’s ATL-Seoul flight uses a 777-300ER with eight seats in First Class, 42 in Prestige business class and 227 in economy. The Delta flight will depart Atlanta at 1:05 p.m.; Korean’s flight leaves Atlanta at 12:20 p.m.

If you had to chose Delta or KAL to fly to Asia, which would you pick? Why? Please leave your comments below. 

(We’re back from summer vacation! In case you missed our other recent round-up posts, here they are: Domestic Routes Roundup | Tips from a Hawaiian Vacation | August’s most important travel news)

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Comments

  2. I saw via another source that DL’s ICN to ATL flight leaves in the evening from ICN and arrives ATL in the evening same day. As an ATL based traveler I’d prefer this over KE’s AM arrival time in ATL as I recover from jet lag easier with evening arrivals. I’ve done the AM KE arrival and while possible my day tends to be a write off.

  3. I agree unless (like me) you’re SFO based. In which case, non-stop KE vs connect-in-SEA DL certainly dilutes the benefit of aisle access.

  4. You state that it’s critical for DL to have a Northern Asia hub. But you don’t feel that it’s critical for KE to have a US hub. I’m not really sure that I get your logic. I think they both need each other.

    To answer your question, MQMs are based on marketing carrier, not operating carrier. That means, if you purchase a flight that has a DL flight number, it’s treated exactly like a DL flight (makes no difference whose paint is on the exterior of the plane). So, if/when the codeshare agreement gets approved, all the KE flights with DL codeshares will be automatically eligible for full MQMs.

  5. While the FAs and food are great on KL, every-seat-an-aisle on biz tops everything else for me. So unless FC on KL = DeltaOne in price, it will always be DL metal for me

  6. KAL all the way if you want service. The 1:00 departure for DAL is starting to get too late for good connections. If I go only to Korea (from ATL) I’m going KAL if I’m going beyond I was getting the DAL to ICN for the connections (via DTW or SEA) as they arrived earlier. If I’m getting the gist have the fences been mended enough to get MQM’s and miles on a KAL flight? Other than that I don’t really see the big news. I think DAL was somewhat seeing the hand writing on the wall that it needed KAL more than the other way around. DAL has to have a northern Asia hub and I think China is problematic and Japan (NRT) is too freaking congested.

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