Korean Air Skypass - Can someone educate me on a Korean Award using Delta Skymiles?

Hi FT'ers:

I am planning to go to SAO, Brazil summertime 2009. I have 60K Delta Skymiles and of course they are unusable flying Delta, as Skymiles is asking for up to 90K for a RT. So I was thinking about taking the LAX-GRU nonstop on KE.

My questions are:

1. Do you think I can get a RT on KE for 60K Delta Skymiles?
2. How can I "easily" search for available award seats on KL? I signed up for KE SkyPass but it won't let me search without adequate miles in my account.
3. Does the 3 tier Skymiles thing apply to KE flights too?
Any help appreciated.

www.nwa.com
go to award travel reservations.

LAX-GRU with KE 50,000 miles (World Perks)
In the mean time, you can use WP redemption table as a SkyMiles member.

Hi FT'ers:

I am planning to go to SAO, Brazil summertime 2009. I have 60K Delta Skymiles and of course they are unusable flying Delta, as Skymiles is asking for up to 90K for a RT. So I was thinking about taking the LAX-GRU nonstop on KE.

My questions are:

1. Do you think I can get a RT on KE for 60K Delta Skymiles?
2. How can I "easily" search for available award seats on KL? I signed up for KE SkyPass but it won't let me search without adequate miles in my account.
3. Does the 3 tier Skymiles thing apply to KE flights too?
Any help appreciated.

1. Do you think I can get a RT on KE for 60K Delta Skymiles?
2. How can I "easily" search for available award seats on KL? I signed up for KE SkyPass but it won't let me search without adequate miles in my account.
3. Does the 3 tier Skymiles thing apply to KE flights too?
Any help appreciated.

1. Yes, 60K, according to delta.com. But be aware that KE has ridiculously long black out days on north america departure flights. For all US/Canada/Brazil departing flights, 5/19~6/30, 12/8~12/23 are black out dates in 2008. Well, at least available on summer and christmas high seasons.
2. You can check award availability on nwa.com. Yes, how awesome. Be aware that nwa.com cannot recognize black out dates, it just shows whatever there. So if your dates are within black out, don't trust nwa.com. Availability is pretty good for most flights.
3. No such stupid thing in KE. Either yes for saver award, or no.

In the meantime, Delta is to start LAX-GRU on May 21.

Thanks for the replies guys.

Went to NWA but nothing shows up for KE flights. Either the availability is horrible or they havent released their seats...

Hmm.. no availability between Jul 13 - Aug 10 for LAX-GRU, while GRU-LAX is pretty much available throughout July and August except for a few flights. In between, delta just opened award seats for LAX-GRU nonstop flights, saver is available on several dates, you'd better go grab them now.

Do you not want to just call DL? The person I spoke with a fewmonths back was quite knowledgable of KE. The intl. res. people at DL are usually among their best agents. Be sure to ask for them.

1. Yes, 60K, according to delta.com. But be aware that KE has ridiculously long black out days on north america departure flights. For all US/Canada/Brazil departing flights, 5/19~6/30, 12/8~12/23 are black out dates in 2008. Well, at least available on summer and christmas high seasons.
2. You can check award availability on nwa.com. Yes, how awesome. Be aware that nwa.com cannot recognize black out dates, it just shows whatever there. So if your dates are within black out, don't trust nwa.com. Availability is pretty good for most flights.
3. No such stupid thing in KE. Either yes for saver award, or no.

In the meantime, Delta is to start LAX-GRU on May 21.

Related to above, do you know where I can find the black out dates for 2009? Planning to book KE award ticket using NW miles. I was assuming that if the KE option shows on nwa.com search then the flight is available, am I wrong?

Related to above, do you know where I can find the black out dates for 2009? Planning to book KE award ticket using NW miles. I was assuming that if the KE option shows on nwa.com search then the flight is available, am I wrong?

Link for blackout dates:
http://www.koreanair.com/local/na/gd/eng/sp/rm/eng_sp_rm_ka02.htm
You're right: through nwa.com, you can search same inventory as in KE website. But it seems availability calender at nwa.com is not working well for KE award, so you should find specific dates to do that. Also nwa.com cannot recognize blackout dates, so avoid those dates by yourself. :)

Link for blackout dates:
http://www.koreanair.com/local/na/gd/eng/sp/rm/eng_sp_rm_ka02.htm
You're right: through nwa.com, you can search same inventory as in KE website. But it seems availability calender at nwa.com is not working well for KE award, so you should find specific dates to do that. Also nwa.com cannot recognize blackout dates, so avoid those dates by yourself. :)

Thanks. Luckily we're traveling in the early part of the year. We'll be back in the US long before May 2009.

just booked for jan gru-lax (Korean air)lax -jfk--gru delta for 60000