U.S. Bank Korean Air SKYPASS Visa Review
Updated September 23, 2016.
The Facts
There are several versions of the Korean Air SKYPASS visa. Here we will cover three of them.
SKYPASS Visa Signature
SKYPASS Visa Business Card
SKYPASS Visa Classic
The Math
The effective annual fee on the Visa Signature becomes $52 considering the 2,000 annual bonus miles with our current valuation of SKYPASS miles at 1.4 cents per mile. Its 2-1 earning structure is pretty standard compared to other miles cards. For most travelers, we recommend Amex SPG, Chase Sapphire Reserve, Chase Sapphire Preferred, as they all allow points to be transferred to SKYPASS miles at 1:1 (SPG also offers a 25% bonus when transferring 20K). As such, Amex SPG returns a higher rate for general spending, while Sapphire Preferred and Sapphire Reserve offer better category bonus (2-3x points in travel including Korean Air purchases and dining). Most KAL lounges are actually part of the Priority Pass Select, which is complimentary to Sapphire Reserve cardholder. So the only obvious reason to choose SKYPASS Visa Signature is when you need up to 20,000 elite qualifying miles toward Morning Calm Club.
SKYPASS Visa Signature vs. SKYPASS Visa Classic: the difference in annual fees is $30; however, as the Visa Signature offer an extra 1,000 annual bonus miles (worth $14), the effective difference is only $16. With that, Visa Signature offers 2x Korean Air, 2 KAL lounge passes, waived foreign transaction fees, and Visa Signature benefits such as hotel privileges and concierge service. We say most Korean Air travelers will probably benefit more from the Visa Signature version. However, if you already have one of the two Chase Sapphire cards and plan to use SKYPASS visa only for the 20K elite qualifying miles, then choosing the cheaper Visa Classic may be a good option.
The Conclusion
Unless you need the up to 20,000 elite qualifying miles toward Morning Clam Club, it is better to look into Amex SPG or two Chase Sapphire cards.
The Facts
There are several versions of the Korean Air SKYPASS visa. Here we will cover three of them.
SKYPASS Visa Signature
- Annual Fee: $80
- Signup Bonus: 15,000 miles after your first purchase.
- Rewards: 2x Korean Air, and 1x everywhere else. You also receive 2,000 bonus miles at renewal.
- Best Use of SKYPASS miles: SKYPASS is the frequent flyer program of Korean Air, a member of SkyTeam. SKYPASS miles are generally valuable for redeeming for flights on Korean Air flights or partner airlines.
- Korean Air Benefits: (1) 2 KAL lounge passes each year. (2) Miles you earn through the card counts toward Korean Air entry level elite status - Morning Calm Club; however, there is an annual cap of 20,000 elite qualifying miles from the card while Morning Calm Club requires 50,000 miles to qualify for the first time and 30,000 miles to maintain.
- Other Benefits: (1) Waived foreign transaction fees with en EMV embedded chip. (2) special privileges at over 900 luxury hotels worldwide through Visa Signature Luxury Hotel Collection. (3) Complimentary 24/7 concierge service. (4) Exclusive events and entertainment access.
SKYPASS Visa Business Card
- Annual Fee: $75
- Signup Bonus: 10,000 miles after your first purchase.
- The rest of the card is exactly the same as the personal Visa Signature.
SKYPASS Visa Classic
- Annual Fee: $50
- Signup Bonus: 5,000 miles after your first purchase.
- Rewards: 1x everywhere. You also receive 1,000 bonus miles at renewal.
- Korean Air Benefits: Miles you earn through the card counts toward Korean Air entry level elite status - Morning Calm Club; however, there is an annual cap of 20,000 elite qualifying miles from the card while Morning Calm Club requires 50,000 miles to qualify for the first time and 30,000 miles to maintain.
The Math
The effective annual fee on the Visa Signature becomes $52 considering the 2,000 annual bonus miles with our current valuation of SKYPASS miles at 1.4 cents per mile. Its 2-1 earning structure is pretty standard compared to other miles cards. For most travelers, we recommend Amex SPG, Chase Sapphire Reserve, Chase Sapphire Preferred, as they all allow points to be transferred to SKYPASS miles at 1:1 (SPG also offers a 25% bonus when transferring 20K). As such, Amex SPG returns a higher rate for general spending, while Sapphire Preferred and Sapphire Reserve offer better category bonus (2-3x points in travel including Korean Air purchases and dining). Most KAL lounges are actually part of the Priority Pass Select, which is complimentary to Sapphire Reserve cardholder. So the only obvious reason to choose SKYPASS Visa Signature is when you need up to 20,000 elite qualifying miles toward Morning Calm Club.
SKYPASS Visa Signature vs. SKYPASS Visa Classic: the difference in annual fees is $30; however, as the Visa Signature offer an extra 1,000 annual bonus miles (worth $14), the effective difference is only $16. With that, Visa Signature offers 2x Korean Air, 2 KAL lounge passes, waived foreign transaction fees, and Visa Signature benefits such as hotel privileges and concierge service. We say most Korean Air travelers will probably benefit more from the Visa Signature version. However, if you already have one of the two Chase Sapphire cards and plan to use SKYPASS visa only for the 20K elite qualifying miles, then choosing the cheaper Visa Classic may be a good option.
The Conclusion
Unless you need the up to 20,000 elite qualifying miles toward Morning Clam Club, it is better to look into Amex SPG or two Chase Sapphire cards.