Korean Air Seeks to Buy Asiana (Recent News Article)
Nov 27, 2020, 12:13 am
#61
Join Date: Nov 2013
Location: NYC
Programs: OZ Diamond *A Gold / Delta Gold
Posts: 775
They can't. It just wasn't being discussed publicly too much in Western media. This is of no shock to anyone in Korea their situation.....and IMO even if "Stakeholders" object, the government has a VERY strong hand in everything business here and basically the businesses must follow the govt.
Nov 27, 2020, 7:12 am
#62
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: ORD
Programs: AA, UA, GE
Posts: 5,123
FYI, if you live in the USA, UA is offering the Infinite Card, which provides lounge access, for no fee for the first year. There is no telling how long this promo will last, but it would provide a year of 'select' *G lounge access while building up miles in another program, since OZ could exit *A at any moment. I changed the FF on my current trip from OZ to TK, but it will be hard for me to hit 40k miles until Asia opens up.
https://www2.theexplorercard.com/business-cards/club
Feb 21, 2021, 11:50 pm
#64
Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: Gangnam-gu, Seoul, Korea
Programs: KE Skypass Morning Calm Member, OZ Club
Posts: 2,352
Overall, "Everything" is not gonna "be finalized" for a loooooooong time. I wouldn't expect any change for consumers for at least 3 years.
Mar 30, 2021, 8:51 pm
#65
Join Date: Feb 2009
Posts: 568
"Asiana Airlines brand to disappear after Korean Air take-over".
Just discovered this article by journalist Mr David Flynn, which appeared today on Executive Traveller.
Article Link: https://www.executivetraveller.com/n...-air-take-over
Just discovered this article by journalist Mr David Flynn, which appeared today on Executive Traveller.
Article Link: https://www.executivetraveller.com/n...-air-take-over
Mar 31, 2021, 4:00 am
#66
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: SYD
Programs: |QF Platinum|DL Platinum|HH Gold|ALL Silver|
Posts: 1,738
Yonhap reports in the Korea Times that the merged entity should have synergies of at least the equivalent of USD$250 million+ once fully in place.
https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/tec...74_306401.html
Some of those will no doubt come from the merger of the frequent flyer programs.
https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/tec...74_306401.html
Some of those will no doubt come from the merger of the frequent flyer programs.
Mar 31, 2021, 7:09 am
#67
Join Date: Jan 2010
Posts: 1,333
Hopefully this means I have until 2022 to get *G with another airline. At what point does KE step in and try to entice the OZ members to switch over to Skypass? Surely, they must realize that many of us are looking to stay in *A, so the sooner, the better, if they actually want to gain our patronage? Or perhaps we are just another liability they are keen to shed? ICN is a great gateway to Asia from LAX, but no better than TYO. TPAC flights are out of the question for most of us for now, but so is switching back after I earn 40-50k miles in a different program while flying TATL and around NA this year.
Mar 31, 2021, 7:47 am
#68
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: PIT
Programs: OZ Diamond, UA Gold
Posts: 9,926
Hopefully this means I have until 2022 to get *G with another airline. At what point does KE step in and try to entice the OZ members to switch over to Skypass? Surely, they must realize that many of us are looking to stay in *A, so the sooner, the better, if they actually want to gain our patronage? Or perhaps we are just another liability they are keen to shed? ICN is a great gateway to Asia from LAX, but no better than TYO. TPAC flights are out of the question for most of us for now, but so is switching back after I earn 40-50k miles in a different program while flying TATL and around NA this year.
Mar 31, 2021, 10:01 am
#69
Join Date: Jan 2010
Posts: 1,333
That was my plan initially, but the fine print on the TK status match leaves a lot to be desired. I will just achieve TK status the old fashioned way, which seems to be the preferred method for most people. Of course, once I start earning in TK, it will be a much harder sell to make me consider earning with KE.
Mar 31, 2021, 7:29 pm
#70
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Los Angeles, CA; Philadelphia, PA
Programs: OZ Diamond
Posts: 6,140
That was my plan initially, but the fine print on the TK status match leaves a lot to be desired. I will just achieve TK status the old fashioned way, which seems to be the preferred method for most people. Of course, once I start earning in TK, it will be a much harder sell to make me consider earning with KE.
LAX
Apr 1, 2021, 7:22 am
#71
Join Date: Jan 2010
Posts: 1,333
I cannot say exactly, as my decision was based on reading numerous posts here and in a few other threads over the last 6 months, but there are quite a few hoops that make it less than desirable. The first flight must be on TK metal, the miles earned in the first year do not qualify for renewal, the second year requires 37500 miles (vs the normal renewal at 30k). It just seems a lot easier to hit 40k *A miles in the first year and be done with it, especially since I already have a *G card from OZ that I can use in the meanwhile.
Apr 1, 2021, 12:55 pm
#72
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Netherlands
Programs: KL Platinum; A3 Gold
Posts: 28,750
Short of having KE decide to jump ship from Skyteam and instead join Star Alliance - what kind of "enticement" had you in mind that would keep you flying on Asiana/KE flights?
Apr 1, 2021, 1:18 pm
#73
Join Date: Jan 2010
Posts: 1,333
Details about exactly how and when we will be able to transfer to the new program would be useful, rather that being stuck in limbo for 2-3 years. Most of us have not been flying much lately, so we will be close to losing our status by the time the merger takes place. Any kind of retention offer (e.g. maintain status in Skypass for xx months after transfer) would be useful. Will we all need to start over at square one? Will we only have a couple months to earn enough miles to retain status? As it is, my status is set to expire at the beginning of '22. If they make the switch a month or two before that, will I still have the same expiration date? What will the qualification requirements be? There are just too many unknowns, and given the poor financial position of KE, along with the fact that they no longer have a domestic competitor, there is no reason to expect that any changes to their program will be for the better. I'm not looking for a bribe, but it would be nice to get some reassurance that we will receive a soft landing and a welcome mat, if I am to stay loyal to a dying program. A retention offer hardly seems to much to ask for, even if the 'offer' is just in the form of information.
Apr 1, 2021, 1:40 pm
#74
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Netherlands
Programs: KL Platinum; A3 Gold
Posts: 28,750
Asiana Club members will have their accounts automatically ported over to whatever new programme will eventually be used by the joint airline. It is highly unlikely that, as a result of being ported over to the "new" programme, any Asiana Club member will lose status simply as a result of the changeover.
Of course, there will come a date where these members arriving from Asiana Club will lose the ability to earn and redeem points on Star Alliance carriers; some "conversion" of your existing mileage balance will be announced, but it is unrealistic to have full details of all such topics given 2 or 3 years in advance.
Even if, as it seems, you are already pretty sure you will be fleeing to some other Star Alliance programme, it still makes sense to stick where you are until you are in possession of more information. There seems little point in already now deciding to try starting from scratch in some other Star Alliance programme (you likely won't find any Star Alliance programme that will currently match from Asiana, but if you just wait, they probably nearly all will match your status). Of course, any of those status matches to other *A programmes will not give you any credit or recognition of whatever mileage balance you may be leaving behind with Asiana.
This is another reason to just leave things as they are. You will be given advance notice of the terms of the "changeover"; not only will you receive the same/similar status in whatever new programme the new KE will have, but you will also receive some corresponding starting balance, in recognition of your "closing" Asiana Club balance. (Of course, you may be better off spending your Asiana Club miles on a redemption, possibly on *A carriers, prior to losing the ability to spend your existing Asiana miles on *A flights).
Most of us have not been flying much lately, so we will be close to losing our status by the time the merger takes place. Any kind of retention offer (e.g. maintain status in Skypass for xx months after transfer) would be useful. Will we all need to start over at square one? Will we only have a couple months to earn enough miles to retain status? As it is, my status is set to expire at the beginning of '22. If they make the switch a month or two before that, will I still have the same expiration date? What will the qualification requirements be? There are just too many unknowns, and given the poor financial position of KE, along with the fact that they no longer have a domestic competitor, there is no reason to expect that any changes to their program will be for the better. I'm not looking for a bribe, but it would be nice to get some reassurance that we will receive a soft landing and a welcome mat, if I am to stay loyal to a dying program. A retention offer hardly seems to much to ask for.
Of course, those are important considerations too, but that's almost a separate issue. The current Asiana rules - including their evolving status retention extensions etc - will continue to dictate those questions.
It is highly likely that all Covid extensions and waivers will have come to an end by the time Asiana Club comes to an end.
As long as you "play" by current/evolving Asiana Club rules, you will be fine. There simply is no question that an Asiana status member will be at an immediate disadvantage when being "status matched" into KE's new programme. If you have status at the time Asiana Club ends, you can assume that you will have the same or similar status in the new programme. You can also assume you will have some pro-rata recognition of your requalification progress, i.e. you won't merely be matched in status, and find that you have little to no time left in that new programme to accomplish a full 12 or 24 months qualification period's worth of flying to retain that status again.
Apr 2, 2021, 10:10 pm
#75
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Los Angeles, CA; Philadelphia, PA
Programs: OZ Diamond
Posts: 6,140
I cannot say exactly, as my decision was based on reading numerous posts here and in a few other threads over the last 6 months, but there are quite a few hoops that make it less than desirable. The first flight must be on TK metal, the miles earned in the first year do not qualify for renewal, the second year requires 37500 miles (vs the normal renewal at 30k). It just seems a lot easier to hit 40k *A miles in the first year and be done with it, especially since I already have a *G card from OZ that I can use in the meanwhile.
LAX