South Korea's Fair Trade Commission has ordered Korean Air to revise its mileage integration plan as part of its merger with Asiana Airlines. The directive focuses on supplementing measures for bonus seats and seat upgrades. Korean Air must submit the updated plan within one month to protect customer interests.
South Korea's Fair Trade Commission (FTC) on December 22, 2025, ordered Korean Air to revise its mileage conversion program with Asiana Airlines by supplementing a redemption program for in-flight seats. The regulator urged the airline to submit updated measures on managing bonus seats and seat upgrades using mileage, with less than a month to report the changes.
This marks the second time the FTC has halted Korean Air's mileage integration plan. In June, it rejected the initial proposal over concerns it might limit Asiana customers' options. Three months later, Korean Air submitted a rectified plan allowing a 1-to-1 conversion ratio for flight-accrued mileage and a 1-to-0.82 ratio for partner mileage from credit card rewards.
An FTC official stated, “We view that the mileage conversion plan should be fixed in line with the expectations of the public, so the FTC will review the proposed integration plans more strictly and thoroughly.” Under the September-approved plan, Asiana customers can use their mileage for 10 years after Asiana ceases operations, with the option to convert it entirely to Korean Air mileage. The 1:1 rate for flight-earned mileage is not seen as problematic.
Korean Air signed a deal in November 2020 to acquire a controlling stake in Asiana, finalized in December 2024 after international reviews. Asiana now operates as a Korean Air subsidiary, with organizational integration expected to take over a year, leading to an operational merger by the end of 2026 and a converged mega carrier in 2027.
On the same day, the FTC fined Korean Air 5.88 billion won ($4 million) and Asiana 580 million won for violating a merger precondition to maintain over 90% of 2019 seat levels. An investigation found that on the Incheon-Frankfurt route from December 12, 2024, to March 28, 2025, seat supply was only 69.5% of 2019 levels. The watchdog said this reduction allowed undue airfare increases.
The FTC added, “After Korean Air submits its updated integration measures, we will conduct a review to further strengthen customer rights and interests.” The mileage issue affects tens of millions of customers, drawing keen public attention.
