If I book a ticket before 4/1/21 under the existing award chart for a flight in late 2021 or early 2022, would any changes to that ticket (made after 4/1/21) be subject to re-pricing under the new award chart? I’m assuming that the ticket would still be governed under the ticketing rules at the time of booking (only a cash charge of 30,000 KRW for any changes), but just want to make sure I don’t get stuck with the unpleasant surprise of needing more miles for the same itinerary.

I was on the phone with a KE agent today and asked him your question. He said he has received no direction from the company on how it will work, but in the past, award ticket changes have been repriced to the new ticket price. I guess we will wait and see.

That's what I would expect as well. So what I would do is - book now as far out as you can. Then in April, judging by Corona situation which probably won't even be any better - re-book as far out as you can again.

Thanks for the responses. According to this post from Fly with Moxie (and Google Translate), it appears that you would be able to preserve pre-devaluation pricing for the return segment of a roundtrip award ticket (if you had to change it after April 2021), but that's not necessarily the case for one-way award tickets. It appears that you might be able to keep a one-way award ticket at the old pricing if you are just rescheduling dates, but any reissuance of the ticket post-April would fall under the new award chart.

I wish Korean Air would postpone these changes altogether with COVID-19 still raging on throughout the world and its impending merger with Asiana!

And with F inventory blocked until EOY its really not helping.

But for them, they really have no incentive to delay this. They have their captive audience, they're about to get a whole lot more from OZ. Of course, some will be lost along the way bit the savings for them must greatly outweigh the costs unfortunately.

May I ask, what's the source for this statement?
When I last checked, JFK and LAX were still being shown as available (and these are currently the only F routes).

This may be certain routes?
I checked (award tickets only) JFK -ICN, ORD - ICN, ATL-ICN (and vice versa) for the entire month of Nov. 2021, and a few dates in October 2021. Not a single F award seat available. Either you get the "no seats available" or "first not offered". J seats, yes.

I did not check cash bookings or other routes or round trips.

Ya, all of these routes are generally not open in F. Only LAX and JFK are currently being served with F service (independent of payment form).

There was a statement on the website which pointed this out, but I can't find it anymore.

Do we know what KE plans on doing with F cabins for planes that are operating them but don't have F fares for sale (77W)? Run them empty or upgrade elite members (with Prestige-level service)? I'm assuming that it's more likely an equipment swap will happen to a plane with no F in them, but just curious how they will plan on dealing with that? I'm looking at SFO-ICN and they will have 77Ws operating later this year (November), but no First Class is available and I'd bet they'd just revert to 787-9 if First Class and overall ticket sales don't return closer to normal by then.

As Digicola said, I think KE will just run out the clock on this. If F cabins are reinstated to more destinations beyond LAX or JFK, they can just open them up for award inventory post-devaluation after April, while the rest of us who are trying to book at pre-devaluation rates will be out of luck.

Chosun Ilbo just reported that KE will delay the devaluation! They did not announce a new timeline, but it appears that enough Skypass members complained about the major program change happening during the middle of the pandemic.

https://flywithmoxie.com/2021/01/05/...m-devaluation/

Great news, just hope it holds true and they still give us a 6-12 month period to make bookings, once flights resume on regular schedules.

More good news coming out through the Korean press - apparently the change in mileage redemption rates and earnings will be delayed for an additional 2 years until April 1, 2023. I wonder if it’s related to the Asiana acquisition, but this is great for all those with Skypass balances to burn.

Two more timing changes - the change in elite qualifications will be delayed until Feb 2024, and expiring mileage balances in 2021 will be extended one year into 2022.

Genuinely surprised by this news. I'm glad we're finally getting some good news. I was hoping to get in one last return trip between Singapore and Korea/Japan in F, this might be enough to make that come true.

Glad that they're delaying the changes, although I don't forsee F returning (if ever) until maybe 2023 anyway. But I'll happily be wrong.

While I haven't checked recently, based on reading some of this thread, I'm assuming it's more or less futile to search for F tpac redemptions? Does this delay pushback the more than 24 hour stopover for redemptions?

Thanks.