Asiana acquired by HYUNDAI HDC starting with new management
Nov 16, 2020, 12:24 pm
#61
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2002
Location: Saipan, MP 96950 USA (Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands = the CNMI)
Programs: UA Silver, Hilton Silver. Life: UA .57 MM, United & Admirals Clubs (spousal), Marriott Platinum
Posts: 14,990
It's definitely going to be a terrible outcome for the rest of us. After all, we've invested time and money into the program. However, OZ have been losing money for a while. Seems like even the government is losing the will to maintain two airlines in the country. KE will have a monopoly if it's gone.
I am worried that I'll end up sinking more time and money into a sinking company. I believe any merger will just pull OZ into ST. I'm already crediting all of my ST flights to DL. I don't really want to be in KE's program. I'm really praying someone else will step in and save OZ.
Yet KE also offers Lifetime Morning Calm Premium (ST E+) @ 500k miles on any SkyTeam flights.
Lifetime status by airline -- attempted summary
I wonder if KE will "grandfather" the lifetime elites of OZ. As for those not yet there, there may be many disappointments, similar to what happened with the Marriott Bonv°y Lifetime Titanium Elite fiasco. It depends upon how generous KE chooses to be in recognizing accrued *A miles on OZ.
Disregarding the prospect of lifetime status difficulties, the "good news" is that ultimately, OZ miles are likely to be transmuted to KE miles for ongoing use within that program.
How you react to that is up to you. People on Saipan will miss the OZ flights, and hope that KE resumes ICN-SPN service once Covid-19 has been resolved.
Nov 16, 2020, 1:59 pm
#62
Join Date: Jan 2010
Posts: 1,332
As a leisure traveler without a trust fund or a portfolio, TK seems to be the only viable option for me to ever regain and retain *G. There is no way I will ever be able to meet the mileage requirements of many of the *A airlines, and at least TK gives you two years to qualify. The biggest problem with TK is that connecting anywhere in the EU from LAX requires overnight layovers in IST on both ends, and the new airport is way out in BFE. Aegean, and Greece in general, seem too unpredictable, and I will definitely not be making annual trips to Greece just to meet the lower mileage threshold. Unfortunately, any dreams of lifetime status went out the window for me. I am definitely not going anywhere near the wretched programs of UA or LH, as I do not travel for business and do not have an expense account to pay for my travel. I don't really care about mileage redemption, but *G definitely comes in handy, since almost all of my travel is in Y or PE.
Nov 16, 2020, 2:01 pm
#63
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Los Angeles, CA; Philadelphia, PA
Programs: OZ Diamond
Posts: 6,133
LAX
Nov 16, 2020, 4:10 pm
#64
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2010
Programs: DL, OZ, AC, AS, AA, BA, Hilton, Hyatt, Marriott, IHG
Posts: 19,882
Nov 16, 2020, 4:14 pm
#65
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2010
Programs: DL, OZ, AC, AS, AA, BA, Hilton, Hyatt, Marriott, IHG
Posts: 19,882
Wow. The linked article certainly makes it sound like a done deal. I guess I will need to see what KE would do with regards to existing miles and status. It looks like the decision will be made for me. Maybe if I get to retain some status with KE, I can use that to match to one of the *A members.
LAX
LAX
Nov 16, 2020, 4:17 pm
#66
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2010
Programs: DL, OZ, AC, AS, AA, BA, Hilton, Hyatt, Marriott, IHG
Posts: 19,882
As a leisure traveler without a trust fund or a portfolio, TK seems to be the only viable option for me to ever regain and retain *G. There is no way I will ever be able to meet the mileage requirements of many of the *A airlines, and at least TK gives you two years to qualify. The biggest problem with TK is that connecting anywhere in the EU from LAX requires overnight layovers in IST on both ends, and the new airport is way out in BFE. Aegean, and Greece in general, seem too unpredictable, and I will definitely not be making annual trips to Greece just to meet the lower mileage threshold. Unfortunately, any dreams of lifetime status went out the window for me. I am definitely not going anywhere near the wretched programs of UA or LH, as I do not travel for business and do not have an expense account to pay for my travel. I don't really care about mileage redemption, but *G definitely comes in handy, since almost all of my travel is in Y or PE.
Nov 16, 2020, 5:02 pm
#67
Join Date: Mar 2015
Location: YVR
Posts: 1,076
As a leisure traveler without a trust fund or a portfolio, TK seems to be the only viable option for me to ever regain and retain *G. There is no way I will ever be able to meet the mileage requirements of many of the *A airlines, and at least TK gives you two years to qualify.
Nov 16, 2020, 5:07 pm
#68
Join Date: Jan 2010
Posts: 1,332
No lifetime status right for TK right now. Apparently, they just started showing the lifetime mileage in the online accounts fairly recently, so it was possible that they may have been considering rolling out a program before Covid shut everything down. I doubt we will ever see another airline offering lifetime status for anywhere near as low as OZ. Some airlines require the miles to be exclusively on their own flights, and others seem to keep raising the bar for qualification.
Nov 16, 2020, 5:11 pm
#69
Join Date: Jan 2017
Location: PHX, ICN
Programs: OZ Diamond Plus, Marriott Gold
Posts: 502
Undoubtedly many people were enticed by the prospect of earning Lifetime Diamond Plus (*G) after 500,000 miles on *A flights or taking 500 OZ flights.
Yet KE also offers Lifetime Morning Calm Premium (ST E+) @ 500k miles on any SkyTeam flights.
Lifetime status by airline -- attempted summary
I wonder if KE will "grandfather" the lifetime elites of OZ. As for those not yet there, there may be many disappointments, similar to what happened with the Marriott Bonv°y Lifetime Titanium Elite fiasco. It depends upon how generous KE chooses to be in recognizing accrued *A miles on OZ.
Disregarding the prospect of lifetime status difficulties, the "good news" is that ultimately, OZ miles are likely to be transmuted to KE miles for ongoing use within that program.
How you react to that is up to you. People on Saipan will miss the OZ flights, and hope that KE resumes ICN-SPN service once Covid-19 has been resolved.
Yet KE also offers Lifetime Morning Calm Premium (ST E+) @ 500k miles on any SkyTeam flights.
Lifetime status by airline -- attempted summary
I wonder if KE will "grandfather" the lifetime elites of OZ. As for those not yet there, there may be many disappointments, similar to what happened with the Marriott Bonv°y Lifetime Titanium Elite fiasco. It depends upon how generous KE chooses to be in recognizing accrued *A miles on OZ.
Disregarding the prospect of lifetime status difficulties, the "good news" is that ultimately, OZ miles are likely to be transmuted to KE miles for ongoing use within that program.
How you react to that is up to you. People on Saipan will miss the OZ flights, and hope that KE resumes ICN-SPN service once Covid-19 has been resolved.
Nov 16, 2020, 5:30 pm
#70
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2010
Programs: DL, OZ, AC, AS, AA, BA, Hilton, Hyatt, Marriott, IHG
Posts: 19,882
Nov 16, 2020, 5:36 pm
#71
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: Sydney, Australia
Programs: QFF, Velocity, Asiana
Posts: 296
https://www.executivetraveller.com/n...-flyer-changes
Under the current system, the SkyTeam Elite Plus frequent flyer tiers in Skypass can only be earned on a lifetime basis after a serious amount of travel: at least 500,000 miles flown with Korean Air and its partners.
These tiers – Morning Calm Premium Club (at 500,000 miles), and Million Miler Club (predictably at 1,000,000), will both close to new members from January 31 2022, from which point, Korean Air will no longer grant lifetime frequent flyer status.
These tiers – Morning Calm Premium Club (at 500,000 miles), and Million Miler Club (predictably at 1,000,000), will both close to new members from January 31 2022, from which point, Korean Air will no longer grant lifetime frequent flyer status.
Nov 16, 2020, 7:51 pm
#72
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Los Angeles, CA; Philadelphia, PA
Programs: OZ Diamond
Posts: 6,133
We probably won't know what KE's plan will be until 2021 or when the merger is complete. I doubt it'll be lucrative for us. I'm just pissed off that all of my effort in terms of money and time will be for nothing. Now I'll have to start all over with another program. I definitely gotta do a better job picking an airline with better odds of surviving.
LAX
Nov 16, 2020, 10:11 pm
#73
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2010
Programs: DL, OZ, AC, AS, AA, BA, Hilton, Hyatt, Marriott, IHG
Posts: 19,882
With no viable competition in Korea, KE won't have much incentives to improve their program. I think the news said they'll control nearly 60% if US-Korea flights? That's insane.
Nov 16, 2020, 10:23 pm
#74
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: CAN, LAX, TPE
Programs: AA, AS, CI, DL, UA
Posts: 2,894
I think existing Asiana Lifetime members may have a case on getting their lifetime status recognized by Korean Air, but doesn’t mean KE will grant it especially when you base on Seoul and have no other choice.
As for those who have yet to reach lifetime status, you have 2021 to do some runs or say goodbye to the goal. KE is slashing lifetime to its own members and there’s no chance they will extend these to OZ members.
As for those who have yet to reach lifetime status, you have 2021 to do some runs or say goodbye to the goal. KE is slashing lifetime to its own members and there’s no chance they will extend these to OZ members.
Nov 16, 2020, 11:41 pm
#75
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2010
Programs: DL, OZ, AC, AS, AA, BA, Hilton, Hyatt, Marriott, IHG
Posts: 19,882
I think existing Asiana Lifetime members may have a case on getting their lifetime status recognized by Korean Air, but doesn’t mean KE will grant it especially when you base on Seoul and have no other choice.
As for those who have yet to reach lifetime status, you have 2021 to do some runs or say goodbye to the goal. KE is slashing lifetime to its own members and there’s no chance they will extend these to OZ members.
As for those who have yet to reach lifetime status, you have 2021 to do some runs or say goodbye to the goal. KE is slashing lifetime to its own members and there’s no chance they will extend these to OZ members.
