Korean Air Skypass - How far in advance can I book seat assignments for DL SM award ticket on KE?

I'll be flying "D" Class (Prestige/Business) on KE using an award ticket booked with DL SM. I understand that KE books seat assignments only 30 days before flights.

However, since I have an award ticket, and it's from a different airline than KE, will I have to wait even longer to reserve seats? The rules I've read on this are confusing.

Thanks.

I'll be flying "D" Class (Prestige/Business) on KE using an award ticket booked with DL SM. I understand that KE books seat assignments only 30 days before flights.

However, since I have an award ticket, and it's from a different airline than KE, will I have to wait even longer to reserve seats? The rules I've read on this are confusing.

Thanks.

This is actually not an answer to your question, but just out of curiosity, may i ask which route you are flying, and how many delta miles it took for you to book that route?

In somewhat of an answer to both questions... you could select seats immediately earlier this year (we did), but that has apparently changed now to 30 days before and you have to call in to their reservation center to do it. We booked Business Class from SLC-LAX-ICN-HAN and return by same route for 120,000 skymiles per person. If seats are available on Korean Air Lines they are at the base rate unlike the 3 tier system (that acts more like a upper 2 tier system on Asian flights) of Delta. Hardest part of the whole trip was getting seats from SLC-LAX. We are flying LAX-ICN Prestige Class on the 380, so looking forward flying that aircraft, though my previous favorite seats were upstairs on the 747, favorite aircraft is probably the 777LR. Hope that helps with both questions and then some.

30 days out, as cruise2006 said. However, you can also email or use the live chat on koreanair.com. You'll need a SkyPass account for chat, but then give them your flight information (maybe with your ticket number or else ask DL for the KE booking number) and they should be able to find it right away.

Welcome to FT, and enjoy your great flight(s) with KE! I just flew them FRA-ICN-MEL, and it was brilliant. Will take MH back to LHR in a couple of weeks since my return is during the dates DL blacks out KE. If it weren't, I'd be very happy to fly KE back. My next big redemption should be US-Asia, and I hope to get KE for at least one direction.

Thanks for all the replies.

We're flying ATL-ICN-PEK and HKG-ICN-ATL for 120 K DL SM per ticket in D class.

For seat assignments, Delta told me to contact KE.

On the phone, KE told me "30 days"....without even giving me the chance to explain it was D class from DL SM.

The reason I'm questioning this further is that I've also read confusing rules in various places that might suggest that if you are flying on an award ticket...and from a partner airline....that wait might be even longer.....perhaps only 24 hours before the flight.

On different forums I've read conflicting information about seat assignments. I just want to be prepared as much as possible.

Thanks, mtkeller, for the nice welcome.

I think this 24 hr thing comes from KAL always stating that your seat assignment is "not guanteed" until a boarding pass is issued. As you know even a "boarding pass" isn't a guarantee of a specific seat... with KE & DL sometimes not even of the class of issue. But I have not particularly found that to be a problem and while I cannot "see" our seats on KAL or DL's websites, I do see those seats consistantly showing as not available.

Does that mean I won't follow through at 30 days out... you can beat your bottom dollar that I will be on the phone as early as possible. And by the way as DL seems to make the itinerary adjustments primarily on weekends, I check out all my reservation every Sunday and Monday. I just do everything I can to try to keep my reservations as is and sometimes even improved. We don't fly out on KAL until Feb, but looking forward to the 380 experience... most give it real thumbs up and I'm hopeful that will be our experience as well.

I booked an award trip on KE through DL a month ago, and the DL agent submitted seat requests for aisle seats and received seat assignments back in a couple of minutes. Yesterday I made changes to that itinerary for better connections, but the DL agent could not get seat requests to go through and told me to call KE. The KE agent advised me of the 30 day rule, which was news to me. When did they start doing this 30 day limit for seat assignments?

The KE agent advised me of the 30 day rule, which was news to me. When did they start doing this 30 day limit for seat assignments?

I believe it started back in July. I had booked tickets late July and requested seats through Delta too and got the request and assignments back. After that I was told all seat assignments had to be done through KE directly. I hung up with Delta and a little while later my wife wanted to make a change so I called KE directly and was told of the rule from them (same day I made the reservations and got seat assignments). They said the system had fully been updated yet but even seat assignments that were requested were never fully assigned in their system. So sadly its the 30-day rule and believe me I'll be calling as soon as my 30 day window opens for my flights in January.

So sadly its the 30-day rule and believe me I'll be calling as soon as my 30 day window opens for my flights in January.
Seems like an odd rule to me, but I am going to mark my calender right now.

Can you get seats for both outbound and return at the 30 day mark, or will I have to call again for the return?

Thanks for all the replies.

We're flying ATL-ICN-PEK and HKG-ICN-ATL for 120 K DL SM per ticket in D class.

For seat assignments, Delta told me to contact KE.

On the phone, KE told me "30 days"....without even giving me the chance to explain it was D class from DL SM.

The reason I'm questioning this further is that I've also read confusing rules in various places that might suggest that if you are flying on an award ticket...and from a partner airline....that wait might be even longer.....perhaps only 24 hours before the flight.

On different forums I've read conflicting information about seat assignments. I just want to be prepared as much as possible.

Thanks, mtkeller, for the nice welcome.
My flights were SkyMiles tickets in D class and I had no issues requesting seats 30 days out. You'll be fine.

My flights were SkyMiles tickets in D class and I had no issues requesting seats 30 days out. You'll be fine.

So are mine and I've hit a brickwall with getting them. I've even tried the old 'hang-up, call back and talk to someone else' approach and got nowhere. 30 days is 30 days.

I'm yet to find out about the other question posed if its 30 days for flights or for itinerary. I'll update everyone mid-December when I can set my outbound and see if they allow my return too.

Flying LAX to ICN 1/12. Does that mean 30 days before lax time or ICN time?

Thanks again for all the input. I'm relieved to know that I'm not the only one confused about a lot of these rules. It would be nice to get the seat assignments when you make the res. But I can understand that itineraries and equipment change and seat assignments can be a big headache for the airline in these cases.

I hit the same "brick wall" ....calling several times to speak with different agents.

Landgraf13....I've wondered also about the 30-day rule regarding the whole itinerary vs. just the outbound flight. I'm assuming the "worst".

Thanks again.

It's going to be by flight, and likely by departure time at the flight's origin. For example, I flew FRA-ICN-MEL, leaving FRA on 1 Dec and ICN on 2 Dec. I couldn't see the seat map in ExpertFlyer for the second flight until 30 days out from its departure. You won't be able to do the return until 30 days in advance. I don't get why you're all so stressed about this. I had my pick of seats when the 30-day window rolled around, and you will as well. No one's going to bend the rules for you because they simply can't. The reservation systems won't allow agents to see the seat maps and do anything with seats until 30 days out.

It's going to be by flight, and likely by departure time at the flight's origin. For example, I flew FRA-ICN-MEL, leaving FRA on 1 Dec and ICN on 2 Dec. I couldn't see the seat map in ExpertFlyer for the second flight until 30 days out from its departure. You won't be able to do the return until 30 days in advance. I don't get why you're all so stressed about this. I had my pick of seats when the 30-day window rolled around, and you will as well. No one's going to bend the rules for you because they simply can't. The reservation systems won't allow agents to see the seat maps and do anything with seats until 30 days out.

Thanks, not stressed just want the seat I plan for if possible. The flight (particularly a380 in business class) is half the vacation to me.

Thanks, not stressed just want the seat I plan for if possible. The flight (particularly a380 in business class) is half the vacation to me.

I feel the same way. But there is also the fine balance of making sure you can get good positioning on the plane both for comfort and more so to make sure you're all set for disembarking. Especially when connections are involved. That's my real motivation, otherwise, even as big as it is, after 14 hours that plane will still feel pretty small, even with the 2 bars...

I feel the same way. But there is also the fine balance of making sure you can get good positioning on the plane both for comfort and more so to make sure you're all set for disembarking. Especially when connections are involved. That's my real motivation, otherwise, even as big as it is, after 14 hours that plane will still feel pretty small, even with the 2 bars...

+1

From what I can tell, selecting seats is not a big thing for the Korean passengers. There were a lot of unassigned seats on my flights at T-24, but they were occupied upon departure. At T-30, you should have your choice of seats (or an equivalent one, I did need to take a window seat on the right side rather than the left side on one flight, but in the same row). ICN also has dual jetways at every single gate, from what I could tell, so disembarkation is pretty easy. Probably a bit slower from the A380, but should still be very reasonable.

Here is my experience:

I purchased a trans-pacific business class flight directly from KE in October for a January 1 departure. I was advised when I booked the flight that seats could not be assigned until 30 days before departure. I then forgot to call KE at the beginning of the 30 day window...it was more like 24 days from departure.

My call was answered by a friendly lady who assigned seats I wanted. She also assigned seats for the return trip, even though that don't flight departs more than 30 days from the date the seats were assigned.

At the end of the day this is just another flight in a metal tube across an ocean. Korean Air will get you to your destination safely and comfortably. You/we are flying an Asian airline ....adapt to the carrier's culture and enjoy the flight.

So I just wanted to give an update on my experience. I'm departing on my outbound 29 days from now, but my return leg isn't for 44 days. I just got off the phone with Korean Air and was effectively able to choose all of my seats for all 4 legs (even those further out than 30 days). I'm sure if you have a much longer duration there might be an issue but it seems as long as your first flight is within the 30 day window you should be good to get them all.