"Saved Up for Overseas Trips, but When Can We Use Them?"... Korean Air Mileage Surpasses 3 Trillion Won

Usage Share Drops Instead
Deferred Revenue Hits 3.12 Trillion Won by Mid-Year, Up 9.7% in Six Months
Mileage Ticket Redemption Rate Declines for Two Consecutive Years
Korean Air: "Postponed Redemptions Ahead of Integration"

Korean Air’s deferred revenue related to unused mileage surpassed 3 trillion won in the first half of this year, yet the rate of mileage ticket usage has declined for two consecutive years.

At the Korean Air aircraft maintenance hangar in Jung-gu, Incheon, Korean Air officials are cleaning an aircraft fuselage featuring the new corporate identity. April 24, 2025. Photo by Jinhyung Kang

According to data submitted to Assemblyman Jang Jongtae of the Democratic Party of Korea (representing Seo-gu Gap, Daejeon), a member of the National Assembly Land, Infrastructure and Transport Committee, by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport on September 27, Korean Air’s deferred mileage revenue stood at 3.1199 trillion won at the end of the first half of this year. This is an increase of 275.4 billion won (9.7 percent) from 2.8445 trillion won at the end of last year.

Deferred mileage revenue represents the amount airlines account for as a future obligation to provide services to customers with unredeemed mileage.

As of the end of last year, Asiana Airlines’ deferred mileage revenue totaled 936.1 billion won. Combined, the two airlines’ deferred mileage balance reached 3.7806 trillion won at that time.

Meanwhile, the actual proportion of tickets redeemed through mileage by passengers has decreased. Out of Korean Air’s total passenger transport performance, the share of mileage ticket usage dropped from 11.8 percent in 2023 to 11 percent in 2024, and further down to 10.3 percent last year, marking a decline for two years in a row.

At Korean Air's aircraft maintenance hangar in Jung-gu, Incheon, Korean Air officials are cleaning an aircraft fuselage featuring the new corporate identity (CI). April 24, 2025. Photo by Jinhyung Kang

Last year, the total distance traveled by mileage ticket passengers was 8.006 billion kilometers, down 5.1 percent from 8.435 billion kilometers the previous year.

Korean Air explained that deferred revenue increased due to the accumulation of more mileage following a rise in travel demand, and because many members postponed using their mileage while waiting to see how operations would be handled after the integration with Asiana Airlines. The airline also noted that the current level of mileage ticket usage is higher than before COVID-19, specifically in 2019.

Assemblyman Jang stated, “Mileage is a benefit accumulated by customers through the purchase of flight tickets and the use of related services, so it must be accessible and usable in reality,” adding, “Opportunities for bonus tickets should be expanded on routes and at times with high consumer demand.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.