Asiana–Korean Air Merger Miles Guide: What Happens to Star Alliance Gold?

Asiana miles, SKYPASS conversion, Star Alliance Gold and the key dates frequent flyers need to know before the Korean Air–Asiana integration.

Updated September 2026 · BiteVoyage Travel Intelligence

Asiana Miles Korean Air Star Alliance Gold SKYPASS SkyTeam December 17, 2026

🇰🇷 한국어 요약 보기 — 테라스 트립노트

1. The One Date Travelers Should Remember

The most important date in the Asiana Korean Air merger miles story is December 17, 2026. Korean Air has announced that its integrated mileage program will begin when Korean Air and Asiana Airlines are integrated on that date.

That does not mean your existing Asiana miles suddenly disappear. The integration plan gives travelers a transition period and different options depending on whether they want to continue using their Asiana miles or convert them to Korean Air SKYPASS miles.

Until December 16, 2026 Asiana remains in Star Alliance and eligible Asiana Club members can continue receiving Star Alliance benefits according to the transition rules.

From December 17, 2026 The integrated Korean Air mileage structure begins and eligible Asiana elite members are matched to corresponding Korean Air elite status.

Official Korean Air Mileage Integration Notice → Korean Air · Asiana Mileage Integration Guide →

Asiana Airlines Airbus A330 aircraft before Korean Air integration — Asiana Airlines aircraft. The airline is scheduled to leave Star Alliance immediately before the integrated Korean Air launches in December 2026. Image: Wikimedia Commons. License information is available on the source file page.

2. Do Your Existing Asiana Miles Disappear?

No. One of the most important points in the Asiana Korean Air merger miles plan is that existing Asiana Club mileage can remain separately managed for 10 years after integration.

This means travelers do not necessarily have to rush to use every Asiana mile before December 2026 simply because the airline brands are being integrated.

Keeping Asiana miles vs. converting them

Option	What happens?
Keep Asiana miles	Existing Asiana mileage can continue to be managed separately during the announced 10-year transition period.
Convert to SKYPASS	Members may choose to convert eligible Asiana mileage into Korean Air SKYPASS mileage under the official conversion rules.
After conversion	Once the conversion is completed, the separately maintained Asiana mileage balance ends for the converted account.

3. What Happens to Asiana Star Alliance Gold?

This is where the timeline becomes more important. Asiana Airlines has announced that it will officially leave Star Alliance at 23:59 KST on December 16, 2026.

For an Asiana Club member with Star Alliance Gold, the alliance-level benefits associated with Asiana status therefore do not simply continue on Star Alliance after the airline leaves.

Eligible Star Alliance elite benefits — including lounge access, priority check-in and additional baggage — remain available for qualifying flights through December 16, 2026 under Asiana's published rules.

Important distinction

Your accumulated Asiana miles and your Star Alliance Gold benefits are two different things. Your existing mileage balance is not automatically erased when Asiana leaves Star Alliance. But the Star Alliance Gold privileges linked to Asiana elite status end with Asiana's departure from the alliance.

Official Asiana Star Alliance Exit Notice →

Korean Air Airbus A380 aircraft and SKYPASS integration — Korean Air Airbus A380. From December 17, 2026, eligible Asiana elite members are scheduled to move into the corresponding Korean Air elite structure. Image: Wikimedia Commons. License information is available on the source file page.

4. Star Alliance Gold Does Not Become “Star Alliance Gold Forever”

After the integration, Asiana elite members are scheduled to receive a corresponding Korean Air SKYPASS elite tier. That means the alliance environment also changes from Star Alliance to SkyTeam.

Before integration Asiana elite status can provide the corresponding Star Alliance Silver or Gold benefits.

After integration The corresponding Korean Air elite tier provides benefits within Korean Air's SKYPASS and SkyTeam framework.

So if your main reason for maintaining Asiana status has been access to Lufthansa, LOT Polish Airlines, ANA, Singapore Airlines or other Star Alliance carriers, this change deserves particular attention.

This is one of the practical consequences of the Asiana Korean Air merger miles transition that can matter more than the mileage balance itself for frequent international travelers.

5. What If You Mainly Fly LOT Polish Airlines?

This is particularly relevant for travelers between Korea and Central Europe. LOT Polish Airlines is a Star Alliance member, so an Asiana Club member could historically use Asiana status and mileage within the Star Alliance framework.

However, Asiana's exit means that simply continuing to fly LOT after the integration will not maintain an Asiana-based Star Alliance Gold relationship. The airline through which you earn alliance status matters.

LOT travelers: note November 30, 2026

According to Asiana's current Star Alliance transition notice, the deadline for issuing eligible Star Alliance mileage award tickets on LOT Polish Airlines (LO) using Asiana mileage is November 30, 2026. Always recheck the official notice immediately before booking because partner-airline schedules and conditions can change.

What about Lufthansa?

The current Asiana notice lists an earlier deadline for Lufthansa. Eligible Lufthansa Star Alliance mileage award tickets using Asiana mileage are listed with an issuance deadline of October 31, 2026.

That difference illustrates why travelers should not use December 16 as the only deadline when planning an award trip. Each partner airline can have a different cutoff.

6. The 2026 Timeline at a Glance

Date	Why it matters
Oct. 15	Important cutoff in Asiana's published procedures for automatic Star Alliance mileage accrual.
Oct. 31	Current award issuance cutoff for several partners including Lufthansa, SWISS and Austrian Airlines.
Nov. 30	Current award issuance cutoff for several partners including LOT Polish Airlines and ANA.
Dec. 16	Final day of Asiana's Star Alliance membership and eligible Star Alliance elite benefits.
Dec. 17	Integrated Korean Air launches and the integrated mileage framework begins.

Do not wait until December to check an award booking.
If you intend to use Asiana miles on a Star Alliance airline, check the individual carrier's issuance and travel deadline first. Some deadlines arrive weeks before Asiana formally leaves Star Alliance.

7. What Should Asiana Mileage Holders Check Now?

The best response to the Asiana Korean Air merger miles transition depends on how you actually travel. There is no single strategy that fits every member.

Large Asiana mileage balance? Compare the value of keeping the separately managed miles with the official SKYPASS conversion option before making an irreversible decision.

Star Alliance Gold important? Separate the question of mileage from alliance status. The end of Asiana's Star Alliance membership changes your alliance benefits.

Europe via LOT or Lufthansa? Check the partner-specific award ticket deadlines well before December.

Flying after Dec. 17? Recheck your flight number, reservation and operating-carrier information because Asiana flights are scheduled to transition to Korean Air flight numbers.

8. Already Holding an Asiana Ticket for After December 17?

There is another practical change beyond mileage. Korean Air says Asiana flights departing from December 17, 2026 will transition to Korean Air flight numbers. Reservation information is scheduled to be migrated in stages before integration.

If you already hold a late-December or 2027 ticket, check the reservation again as the integration date approaches rather than relying only on the original OZ flight number shown on your first confirmation.

Official Flight Number & Reservation Migration Notice →

9. Quick Answers

Will my Asiana miles disappear on December 17? No. Existing Asiana mileage is scheduled to remain separately manageable for up to 10 years under the integration plan.

Can I keep using Asiana Star Alliance Gold after the merger? Asiana-linked Star Alliance elite benefits end with Asiana's departure from Star Alliance. Eligible elite members are instead matched into the corresponding Korean Air status structure.

Can I continue flying LOT? Yes, of course. The issue is not whether you can fly LOT. The change concerns earning and using Asiana mileage and receiving Star Alliance benefits through Asiana status.

Can I use Asiana miles for LOT awards until December 16? Do not assume so. The currently announced issuance deadline for eligible LOT awards is November 30, 2026.

10. Prefer a Short Korean Explanation?

For Korean travelers who want the key dates without the longer English analysis, Terrace Tripnote has a compact Korean version of this guide.

🇰🇷 아시아나·대한항공 합병 마일리지 한국어 정리

BiteVoyage Traveler Takeaway

The Asiana Korean Air merger miles transition is easier to understand when you separate three questions:

1. What happens to my existing Asiana miles?
2. What happens to my Asiana elite status?
3. What happens to my Star Alliance benefits?

Existing miles have a long transition framework, while Asiana's Star Alliance relationship has a much clearer end date: December 16, 2026. If you regularly use LOT, Lufthansa, ANA, Singapore Airlines or another Star Alliance carrier, check your partner-airline deadlines before deciding when and how to use your remaining Asiana miles.

Information in this article is based on official Korean Air and Asiana Airlines announcements available in September 2026. Airline integration schedules, partner award availability and individual airline policies may change. Always confirm the latest rules with the operating airline before booking.

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Asiana–Korean Air Merger Miles Guide 2026: What Happens to Star Alliance Gold?