MilesBuzz! - Air France from KE points?

Please move if necessary...


I am curious if I transfer Chase Ultimate Reward points to a KAL account, can I use those points to then book a trip on Air France? I assume so through Skyteam. If so, do I have to call KAL or can I do something like this online?

Really, I was curious if using the points, could I do something like:

IAD-->CDG and stay 5-7 days then...
CDG-->MRU and stay 5-7 days then...
MRU-->IAD

I live near DC and hoped that I could use Air France flights on each segment. Air France flies non-stop from CDG to MRU so that's a plus.

Are stops like that in Paris allowed per the rules? Seemed like a good idea to break up the trip to MRU and it's been a long time since I've been to Paris.

Is there a better way to do something like this using Chase Ultimate Reward Points?

TIA

It will be up to the Korean Air rules as to whether you can do a stopover in CDG. Having never booked an award with them, I have no idea what they allow.

As to whether there's a better way, most people on here seem to recommend UA/*A redemptions for Europe with UR points. You can definitely fly IAD-CDG a number of different ways on *A, and with UA you can book 3 one ways (if no stopover is allowed) without paying a mileage premium for doing a one way.

I would certainly use UA with Chase Points, but what attracted to the KAL/AF way was that Air France's codeshare flight with Air Mauritius is the only nonstop from CDG to MRU.

You're allowed a stopover per KE's rules (http://www.koreanair.com/local/na/gd/eng/sp/rm/eng_sp_rm_pa02.jsp)

It'd be 120K in J, 80K in Y. Same with UA, but with more partners.

(Also, just saw that KE is only 80K J to Europe and N. Africa, which includes flights on AF. DL is 100K. UA is 100K. AA is 100K. US is 100K. Could this be the cheapest US -> Europe in J possibility?)

thanks for the good info!

I seem to remember that KAL-->Hawaii Air is cheap for EWR-HON. But that could also be in my dreams?

thanks for the good info!

I seem to remember that KAL-->Hawaii Air is cheap for EWR-HON. But that could also be in my dreams?

30K in Y, 60K in J rt for EWR-HNL (http://www.koreanair.com/local/na/gd/eng/sp/rm/eng_sp_rm_pa03.jsp#40)

Would I be allowed to add a stop on the way home in Dubai? I think Emirates will start flying DXB-IAD later this year. Emirates codeshares with Korean Air I think...

My routing would be IAD-CDG-MRU-DXB-IAD

I think that you will have to pay the fuel surcharges, which will probably be $500-1000 for this route. I have no idea what the actual number will be, but they do assess the fuel charges.

This might be a good question for the KE forum.

It will be up to the Korean Air rules as to whether you can do a stopover in CDG. Having never booked an award with them, I have no idea what they allow.

As to whether there's a better way, most people on here seem to recommend UA/*A redemptions for Europe with UR points. You can definitely fly IAD-CDG a number of different ways on *A, and with UA you can book 3 one ways (if no stopover is allowed) without paying a mileage premium for doing a one way.
Is there a way to get to MRU on *A? I'm not seeing anything on the Wikipedia entry for MRU that points to a *A carrier operating there.

Would I be allowed to add a stop on the way home in Dubai? I think Emirates will start flying DXB-IAD later this year. Emirates codeshares with Korean Air I think...

My routing would be IAD-CDG-MRU-DXB-IAD
You can redeem KE miles on EK, but it looks like they have some weirdness in their award chart (http://www.koreanair.com/local/na/gd/eng/sp/rm/eng_sp_rm_pa03.jsp) for that. It looks like you'd have to pay MRU-DXB and DXB-IAD separately since the chart says "When connecting via Dubai or Colombo, combination of two or more redemption mileage will be required." I'm also not sure that they'll let you mix carriers between SkyTeam and non-SkyTeam. I'd probably stick with AF (including the AF-coded, MK-operated flight that you should be able to redeem on).

Is there a way to get to MRU on *A? I'm not seeing anything on the Wikipedia entry for MRU that points to a *A carrier operating there.

My best guess would be South African Airways.

You could probably do an overnight connection of up to 24 hours in AMS on the return if you want to break up the trip in that direction too. Just spend enough time at CDG to wait for CDG-AMS on AF or KLM that arrives about 23 hours before the TATL flight you pick exAMS.

Also, it might be worth looking for space on the AF A380 for IAD-CDG.

Sucks that KE only allows one-ways on KE awards. Skyteam or other partner awards are round-trip only. :(

My best guess would be South African Airways.
Doh! Still, this might be better for the OP with AF (KE miles) out of IAD since it's a pure one-stop itinerary. SA's IAD-JNB stops in DKR, so even if there's space on that flight (looks OK near end-of-schedule, but not so good coming back), it adds an extra connection.

Doh! Still, this might be better for the OP with AF (KE miles) out of IAD since it's a pure one-stop itinerary. SA's IAD-JNB stops in DKR, so even if there's space on that flight (looks OK near end-of-schedule, but not so good coming back), it adds an extra connection.

I would take an extra connection any day rather than $1,000 in fuel surcharges.

i think saving the grand would be worth the stop...