hpark21

I got a quick question.

My wife and I would like to use our UR points transferred to Skypass account to book travel for my wife's parents to come over from Korea to US and back on Prestige class.

I understand it will be 250K skypass points (we are very close but need about 16K points - maybe someone can point me to a bonus program to reach that).

Anyways, am I understanding it correctly?

First, I transfer all my UR points converted to my wife's skypass account (which will need to be made), then convert all my wife's UR points to her skypass account (all following UR conversion rule).

Now, my wife must add her parents into her family circle? (possibly need to create skypass accounts for her parents if they do not have one yet)

Then book award seats for her parents using her skypass miles?

Thank you.

zippy the pinhead

KE Family Pooling/Family Plan allows you to include parents and in-laws. Everyone in the plan needs an individual SkyPass account. Clearly your plan would need to include you, your wife, and her parents.

But at the moment, Chase is not facilitating the transfer of UR points to Korean Air. Supposedly at some point in the future the ability to transfer UR points will be restored, but I've not seen any hard date promised by either side (Chase or KE).

Once the ability to transfer points returns, you can simply transfer your UR points to your SkyPass account, your wife's to her own SkyPass account, and then either of you can book an award seat for her parents. The points/miles can be available for anyone in the pool to use, though I have not messed with the feature since the new KE Web site was released. I had all my family plan authorizations in place prior to the switchover.

Regarding a source for additional miles, you can pursue a signup bonus via other Chase cards (Ink Plus, Sapphire Preferred) or via the Korean Air US Bank Visa, which Korean Air is touting via their Web site. Personally, I don't think the US Bank card is a very good deal, but it might work well for you.

hpark21

Thanks for the info. Now, how the F* do you sign up for skypass account? I can not see the link anywhere on their website (All it says is sign up online).

The new site kinda bites.

zippy the pinhead

You can use this link. You can find it in the dialogue box which pops up on the KAL main page when you click on the LOGIN/REGISTER link at the top right.

roadbird

If I want to transfer UR points to SKYPass to book a flight for myself and my domestic partner (via Delta, within the US) is this:

a) impossible bc we're not married.
b) possible, but he needs to make his own SKYPass account and I can transfer the needed number of UR points to him.
c) not an issue. I can book a ticket for both of us.

Anyone have experience booking for someone that isn't LEGALLY family? I'm hesitant to pull the trigger until I know they are not going to block me from book a tkt for him...

mikesaidyes

You cannot book for anyone on Skypass unless they qualify as family under Skypass rules. Which it appears your partner does not. KE is old school sometimes.

haslipe

While may not be allowed to book the flight by having all the points in your Skypass account, I think Chase will let you transfer points to your partner. Then you would just both redeem the points individually. Here is from Chases website

"Points can only be transferred to yourself, spouse, domestic partner or your joint business owner(s), as applicable. "

so option b)

Journey4Happy

Ok, so we know option b) is not as easy with Chase's new rules.... But my question repeats the OP's question, but more specifically. Is Korean's "family member" rule specific to booking FOR someone else or does it also apply to 1 booking which you're on.

Example: Person A has Korean miles. Person B is A's friend. We know A can't use his miles for booking a flight for B. But can person A book 1 flight for A+B?

hpark21

My understanding from the rule is that A can NOT use his miles for ANYONE outside of the family. No matter whether A is being booked or not.

It is not 1 flight, it is 2 tickets for 1 flight. You can not get a ticket for a person outside of the immediate family as defined by Korean air skypass rule.

However, possibility MAY be that if you have chase BUSINESS account and you can qualify the trip as business trip AND you can claim person B as working with/for you, then you can potentially transfer your UR points (from your business account) to that person's account. However, just in case there is an audit, you SHOULD be ready to assert that the point being used will be used for business which would be easier if both of you will be travelling. However, IF that UR point is going to be transferred to that person's Skypass account, then that person also must be authorized user which make become sticky here. Potentially, you COULD make an employee account and when you get the card, you can keep the card safe (so that person does not really have to have the card), then he/she can transfer the UR point to his/her skypass account. The detail is sticky, but like I said, not impossible.

Stgermainparis

I'm setting up a family account (spouse and kids all have accounts now). When I go to "add family member" it asks for marriage license or birth certificate, etc. It does not give passport as option. It would be easier for me to use passport. Can anyone chime in if this is acceptable? No clue where 18 year old marriage cert is. Spouse + kids have different last name than I. Will that be an issue?

Java Cool Dude

My wife and I added each other recently and had to provide both marriage certificate and name change documents.

Stgermainparis

Geez. I'll have to order a marriage cert then. No one changed names though. One of the options was tax return, so I uploaded that with redactions. We shall see what they say. We can always book separately but what a pain that what be.

Java Cool Dude

Good luck to you, it only took a couple of days for our requests to process

Stgermainparis

That's good to know. I already put in for the three kids (birth certs) and did upload spouse's passport and our tax return. I am pleased to report that ordering a marriage certificate from myfloridacounty.com was extremely easy. $6.75 and they fax it to me in 1-2 business days. It won't be a hard "certified" copy, but given that I'm going to pdf it anyway, I figure it'll be fine, esp along with all the other documentation I have. So hopefully I'll have this done on my end on Tuesday and then a few more days on their end.

Did you call them or did the family members just appear in your dashboard on KE site?

I'll need to call them and reserve flights before transferring points over from UR. I'm nervous that I will transfer points and then call only to have them say the flights are gone. Grrr. The paperwork part, esp the award booking paperwork, seems so 1980s!

Once you established family pool, how was the booking process?

Stgermainparis

Wanted to give everyone some datapoints for establishing family pooling at KE.

Site allows 3 files uploaded per webpage, so these were done in 3 separate batches:


Feb 5: Established KE accounts for all family members.

Feb 5: Uploaded birth certificates and passports for three kids.

Feb 5: Also uploaded redacted 1040 tax return and passport for spouse. Spouse is also listed as parent on kids birth certificates. Did not upload marriage cert yet.

Feb 9: family members all appear in my family plan page on dashboard of KE site. WOOHOO. Easy peasy. No need to upload the marriage cert I ordered.

Can anyone provide play by play of booking award on DL via KE with family pooling?