Getting to Ulan Bator
 

Could someone please provide guidance on the most efficient, allowable SkyTeam award route from JFK to ULN. Thanks.

Korean through ICN I would think

'Allowable' is set by the program rules of the carrier from which miles are redeemed. That's not a SkyTeam issue per se.

It would be DL miles.

The SkyTeam timetable also shows a routing via SVO with Aeroflot. This involves an 8hr (afternoon) layover in SVO on the outbound, but is actually somewhat quicker than KE on the inbound.

However, SVO-ULN and vv is only on SU-metal three times a week (there is also a twice weekly SU codeshare on OM-metal, but I'd guess that is not eligible for award redemptions).

However, I don't know the specifics of what DL would or would not allow as a routing.

Getting to Ulan Bator
 

ULN? Good choice indeed

And why is that?

Getting to Ulan Bator
 

Cities badass. Been there four times and love it

Either this:

SU 103 Y JFKSVO HS2 1910 #1215
SU 330 Y SVOULN HS2 2000 #0610

or this:

KE 86 Y JFKICN HS1 0050 #0400
KE 867 Y ICNULN HS1 1955 2230

The SU option takes 10hrs less than the KE solution.
Also consider that KE have fierce black out periods for award tickets.

Or even this, if you prefer flying DL over the ocean:

DL 30 Y JFKSVO HS1 1610 #0955
SU 330 Y SVOULN HS1 2000 #0610

I've used both KE and SU. Flew ICN-ULN on KE, then ULN-SVO on SU business class.

Now that trip has been finalized, here's what I learned: According to Delta, going to ULN through SVO on SU (in J) requires two awards (265,000 SM + $568 in fees -- and long SVO layovers in both directions and we know what that is like!. Since there was no KE availability for my outgoing date (from any US gateway), I'm going on DL from DTW to PEK and then Mongolian Airlines to ULN (140,000 miles + $39 on DL and approximately $600 for flight to ULN in J. There is a long layover in PEK for ULN connection, but enought time for a driver to take me to the Great Wall.

Getting to Ulan Bator
 

For such a short flight why bother flying J? Almost anyone should be able to bear Y