Korean Air Skypass - Elite status: miles per calendar year or over time?

Most mileage plans have a "minimum EQMs during a calendar year period" rule for whether or not you qualify for Elite status.

Does Korean Air do something similar, or is it just a matter of meeting their mileage minimums and criteria at some point in time (e.g., years)?

Korean Air's Morning Calm program, for example, seems to work quite differently from other carriers in this regard.

I believe the first qualification is accumulated over time?

Once you get elite status, you have 2 years to fly 30,000 miles to renew.

Thanks vprp! This just seems to be a rather atypical way for acquiring elite status - but it actually works better for me.

I remember some other airlines have this format as well, which is good as it gives you more time to retain your status. Just at first sight the miles needed are over the top

But the requirement for morning calm premium level is too high: 500K. There is no requalification for this level, however.

There is not status bonus mileage for the elite member, which makes the program less attractive.

But the requirement for morning calm premium level is too high: 500K. There is no requalification for this level, however.

There is not status bonus mileage for the elite member, which makes the program less attractive.

Thats around 250K per year, Finnair requires 210K in one year for their gold, so I think is around the same.
I know is too high, given that the benefit are not that big compare to others
is strange that it does not even metion priority boarding on the site

Thats around 250K per year, Finnair requires 210K in one year for their gold, so I think is around the same.
I know is too high, given that the benefit are not that big compare to others
is strange that it does not even metion priority boarding on the site

Finnair uses Km while Korea air uses mile. So the Korea air has much higher requirement.

Finnair uses Km while Korea air uses mile. So the Korea air has much higher requirement.

Maybe they think the Koreans will travel alot by air, so they need to set it that high

Thats around 250K per year

No, the two year window is only for standard Morning Calm status requalification.

Morning Calm Premium is a lifetime status, so the 500K requirement is actually fairly low, and the quickest way to lifetime Skyteam Elite Plus status. However, the road to 500K from the standard Morning Calm status is long and dreary, enough to discourage most non-captive flyers.

No, the two year window is only for standard Morning Calm status requalification.

Morning Calm Premium is a lifetime status, so the 500K requirement is actually fairly low, and the quickest way to lifetime Skyteam Elite Plus status. However, the road to 500K from the standard Morning Calm status is long and dreary, enough to discourage most non-captive flyers.

They are? they should make it bit clearer on the site then, since they dont show, I assume it would be 2 years as well. but still hard to gain it with 500K in a year's time, or in total of lifetime?

They are? they should make it bit clearer on the site then, since they dont show, I assume it would be 2 years as well. but still hard to gain it with 500K in a year's time, or in total of lifetime?

Total lifetime. Without elite bonuses, meager COS bonuses, and sub-100% miles on most coach buckets, I gave up around 100K when the program was devaluated in 1998.

However the other routes to lifetime ST E+ I am aware of are 10 consecutive years of FB Plat (10x75K) and DL 4MM, both of which are harder to achieve. All of these are BIS miles, unlike AA.

Total lifetime. Without elite bonuses, meager COS bonuses, and sub-100% miles on most coach buckets, I gave up around 100K when the program was devaluated in 1998.

However the other routes to lifetime ST E+ I am aware of are 10 consecutive years of FB Plat (10x75K) and DL 4MM, both of which are harder to achieve. All of these are BIS miles, unlike AA.

doesnt include COS, then thats really a no no for many, why pay so much and then you dont get what you deserve in terms of miles.

Let me rephrase that: I meant that there is no elite bonus, and that COS bonuses are meager.

COS bonuses do count towards the 500K threshold, but are only 25-35% in business and 50-65% in first, which is far from generous.

The issue, as described in another post, is that making the FFP globally competitive would yield very large numbers of Korean corporate flyers with high mileage balances, a liability KE has been trying to reduce for years.

[QUOTE=monahos;11868510]Let me rephrase that: I meant that there is no elite bonus, and that COS bonuses are meager.

COS bonuses do count towards the 500K threshold, but are only 25-35% in business and 50-65% in first, which is far from generous.
QUOTE]

But arent those COS similar to those that are given on most FFP? maybe if u consider the requirement to attain 500K, ok that is not alot.

But arent those COS similar to those that are given on most FFP?

ok, to be fair those COS bonuses are average by Asian and USA standards.

My perception has been altered by European FFP's, which are often heavily biased in favor of premium classes (e.g. BD and LH have bonuses of up to 100/200% for business/first, and 50% is fairly standard for business class over here).

The problem for someone flying coach and crediting to KE Skypass, is that after achieving Morning Calm status, he/she will have precious little rewards (perks or awards) for a number of years before reaching Morning Calm Premium. Actually, before Koreans started travelling en masse and KE joined Skyteam, Morning Calm status was fairly good to have on KE (e.g. getting an empty center row in coach on a packed GRU-LAX 744).

But yes, if I were younger and had gotten credit for my KE flights in the 70's and 80's, I would definitely have gone for that desirable lifetime ST E+ status, especially since I suspect KE will be around longer than some of the other carriers offering lifetime status.

I have one more question on the liftetime status. For the Morning Calm Elite status, you need to have a minimum of miles travelled with Korean Air and the rest can be Skyteam. For the liftetime status, is there a similar proportion of miles that must be with Korean Air or they can be all Skyteam miles?

As far as I can tell from their website, the 500k needed for Morning Calm Premium can be any combination of KE + ST.

As far as I can tell from their website, the 500k needed for Morning Calm Premium can be any combination of KE + ST.

Thanks. That's how I read into it too. It just sounded a bit strange that there is no minimum for KE for Morning Calm Premium but there is for Morning Calm Elite :confused:

Thanks. That's how I read into it too. It just sounded a bit strange that there is no minimum for KE for Morning Calm Premium but there is for Morning Calm Elite :confused:

Once I read your question I thought about it a bit as well...

My BEST guess is that in order to maintain the Morning Calm status for multiple number of years before getting to Premium, the majority of your 500,000 miles would've had to have been on KE rather than ST anyways... so at that point it wouldn't be as much of a concern? Not sure if this logic even makes sense but just throwing it out there. It's quite rare these days that Premium is a lifetime status to begin with, so who knows what they're thinking! :rolleyes:

Once I read your question I thought about it a bit as well...

My BEST guess is that in order to maintain the Morning Calm status for multiple number of years before getting to Premium, the majority of your 500,000 miles would've had to have been on KE rather than ST anyways... so at that point it wouldn't be as much of a concern? Not sure if this logic even makes sense but just throwing it out there. It's quite rare these days that Premium is a lifetime status to begin with, so who knows what they're thinking! :rolleyes:

The logic sounds right. When I was deciding between joining the Delta program or Morning Calm program, the min number of KE miles required put me off. However, 500,000 miles on any Skyteam partner to obtain lifetime status was quite tempting. It's just that I would unlikely to be able to maintain Morning Calm Elite until I will get to Morning Calm Premium :)

KE actually put blackout date for its partner for the award travel. So it is very difficult to get KE award ticket with other Skyteam airlines.

KE has its own high season award table. In high season period, its own member needs to spend more miles to have an award ticket.

KE's Morning Calm Premium member, however can use the regular mile for the high sesaon ticket. This is one of the most attractive benefit I can see from KE's website.