Korean Air said Monday it will carry out the flight-number conversion, known as re-accommodation, from Nov. 2 to Dec. 3 for passengers who already hold Asiana reservations or tickets for flights departing on or after Dec. 17, when the integrated carrier is set to launch.
The monthlong process will transfer Asiana booking and ticketing information into Korean Air’s system in stages rather than switching all reservations at once.
A Korean Air official told AJP that because of the large volume of booking data, the timing of the change will vary by route.
“Some routes will already have been changed to KE, while others may still remain under OZ for a while,” the official said. “The purpose of the monthlong period is to gradually complete the conversion.”
Passengers checking reservations during the transition could therefore see either an OZ or KE flight number, depending on the route and timing of the conversion.
Korean Air said affected customers will be notified individually through KakaoTalk messages, text messages or email so they can check their new reservation and ticket information before departure.
The airline will also provide frequently asked questions on its website and mobile app covering major changes related to the integration.
The Korean Air official said the conversion will primarily mean a change in the airline code and flight number rather than a major change to passengers’ itineraries.
“The departure and arrival points will remain the same, and you can basically think of it as the flight number changing,” the official said.
Some departure times could be adjusted slightly as Korean Air aligns the two carriers’ schedules, but major changes are not expected, the official said. The number of flights is also not expected to change as a result of the re-accommodation process.
Under final approval from Korea's Fair Trade Commission on Tuesday, existing Asiana mileage will remain separately usable for 10 years after the Dec. 17 merger.
Customers who choose not to convert their miles will be able to use them on Korean Air-operated routes for bonus tickets, seat upgrades, cash-and-mile payments and shopping under Asiana’s existing redemption standards.
Passengers who prefer to convert their Asiana mileage into Korean Air SKYPASS miles can do so at a 1-to-1 ratio for miles earned through flights. Miles accumulated through credit cards and other partners will be converted at a ratio of 1 Asiana mile to 0.82 Korean Air mile.
Customers can apply for conversion at any time during the 10-year period, although their entire remaining balance must be converted at once. Any Asiana mileage left after the 10-year period will be automatically converted into Korean Air miles.
Korean Air is also required to maintain or expand opportunities for customers to use their mileage.
For popular long-haul routes to the Americas, Europe and Oceania, bonus-seat availability must be maintained at no less than the highest level recorded by the two airlines over the past decade, based on 2023 performance, for the next 10 years.
The airline plans to provide an online tool allowing customers to compare the benefits of retaining their existing Asiana mileage with those of converting it to Korean Air miles.
With flight numbers switching from OZ to KE and the mileage framework now approved, two of the most visible parts of Asiana’s identity are entering their final transition ahead of the merger.
AJP Takeaways
- Asiana’s “OZ” flight code will begin shifting to Korean Air’s “KE” from November ahead of the Dec. 17 merger.
- Asiana mileage can remain separately usable for 10 years or be converted into Korean Air SKYPASS miles.
- Korean Air plans to maintain mileage redemption options and long-haul bonus-seat availability during the integration.
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