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Ahead of its official departure from Star Alliance on December 16, 2026 at 23:59 KST, Asiana Airlines has announced phased redemption deadlines for partner award tickets and major revisions to flight mileage accrual procedures. Award ticket redemptions for key European partners, including Lufthansa and Swiss, will close early on October 31. Crucially, effective October 16, 2026, automatic mileage accrual for Star Alliance flights is suspended, shifting entirely to retroactive manual claims. Key timelines for partner redemptions—including bilateral partner Etihad Airways (EY), which permits departures through December 2027—and strict post-exit reissue restrictions are detailed below. Asiana Airlines Official Announcement

Asiana Airlines Boeing 777-200ER HL7732 in Star Alliance special livery
Asiana Airlines Boeing 777-200ER (HL7732) in special Star Alliance livery. Partner mileage redemptions are closing in phased stages ahead of the carrier's alliance exit on December 16, 2026. Photo: Charles / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 2.0 (cropped)

Phased Deadlines for Partner Award Redemptions

Deadlines for booking Star Alliance partner award tickets and cabin upgrades using Asiana Club miles are structured into four distinct phases. Major European carriers feature the earliest cutoff dates.

Phase Booking Cutoff (KST) Participating Airlines Key Operating Networks
Phase 1 (Early Cutoff) October 31, 2026, 23:59 Lufthansa (LH), Swiss (LX), Austrian Airlines (OS), Brussels Airlines (SN), Air New Zealand (NZ) Non-stop flights from Incheon to Frankfurt, Munich, Zurich, and extensive European and Oceanic networks
Phase 2 November 5, 2026, 23:59 LOT Polish Airlines (LO) Non-stop Incheon–Warsaw corridor and Eastern Europe
Phase 3 November 30, 2026, 23:59 Air India (AI), Ethiopian Airlines (ET), EgyptAir (MS) South Asian and African continental gateways
Phase 4 (Final Exit) December 16, 2026, 23:59 United Airlines (UA), Air Canada (AC), ANA (NH), Singapore Airlines (SQ), Thai Airways (TG), EVA Air (BR), Air China (CA), Copa Airlines (CM), South African Airways (SA), TAP Air Portugal (TP) Transpacific, Japanese, Southeast Asian, and Latin American networks

Members planning European travel on Lufthansa Group carriers must issue award tickets before midnight on October 31. With approximately two weeks remaining, travelers should finalize itineraries immediately.

Lufthansa Airbus A350-941 aircraft in flight
Lufthansa Airbus A350-941 (D-AIXA). Asiana Club award redemptions for European flagship carriers including Lufthansa and Swiss close early on October 31, 2026 at 23:59 KST. Photo: Anna Zvereva / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 2.0

Suspension of Automatic Mileage Accrual from October 16

Effective October 16, 2026, the mileage accrual process for flying on Star Alliance partners has been modified due to IT system migration protocols. Automatic registration of Asiana Club numbers during booking or airport check-in is no longer functional.

Flight Date Window Accrual Method Retroactive Claim Deadline
Flights on or before October 15, 2026 Standard automatic accrual (membership number provided at check-in) October 31, 2026 via website claim
Flights from October 16 to December 16, 2026 Automatic accrual disabled (manual post-flight claim required) November 1 to December 16, 2026, 18:00 KST

Passengers flying on Star Alliance member airlines (such as United, Singapore Airlines, or ANA) between October 16 and December 16 will not see miles credited automatically. Travelers must retain original boarding passes (or digital boarding pass screenshots) alongside their e-ticket receipts to manually submit claims via the Asiana website once the portal opens on November 1.

Check-in counters at Incheon International Airport Terminal 1
Departure hall at Incheon International Airport Terminal 1. Automatic mileage accrual is suspended for Star Alliance partner flights taken from October 16; retain physical or digital boarding passes for post-flight registration. Photo: Arne Müseler / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 3.0 de

2027 Travel Extensions and Strict Reissue Prohibitions

While standard Star Alliance award flights must generally be flown prior to the December 16 exit, specific exceptions permit departure dates extending through late 2027 under bilateral and transitional alliance agreements.

  1. Etihad Airways (EY) Partner Redemptions:
    • Etihad Airways operates as an independent bilateral partner rather than a Star Alliance member.
    • Award tickets issued by December 16, 2026 remain valid for departures through December 16, 2027 (valid for up to one year from issuance).
    • This offers a valuable redemption avenue for travelers booking non-stop flights between Seoul Incheon and Abu Dhabi (AUH), with onward connections to Europe, the Middle East, and the Maldives.
  2. Four Star Alliance Carriers Permitting 2027 Travel:
    • Turkish Airlines (TK), Aegean Airlines (A3), Avianca (AV), and Croatia Airlines (OU) permit departures through December 16, 2027, provided tickets are issued before December 16, 2026.
  3. Strict Prohibition on Reissues and Date Changes:
    • Starting December 17, 2026 at 00:00 KST, all ticket modifications—including departure date changes, rerouting, and cabin reissues—are strictly prohibited.
    • If travel dates must be changed after December 16, the only available option is ticket cancellation and refund. However, because partner redemption ticketing systems will be permanently closed, rebooking is impossible. Travelers must book only fully finalized itineraries.
  4. Immediate Forfeiture of Expired Miles:
    • Upon refunding an award ticket after issuance, any refunded miles that have passed their original validity expiration date will be forfeited immediately and cannot be restored.
Etihad Airways Boeing 787-9 taxiing at Incheon International Airport
Etihad Airways Boeing 787-9 (A6-BLM) at Incheon International Airport. Asiana Club award redemptions on Etihad issued before December 16, 2026 remain valid for travel through December 16, 2027. Photo: hyolee2 / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped)

Practical Strategy for Asiana Club Members

Members holding Asiana Club balances should follow four operational guidelines:

  1. Secure European Flights Before October 31: Redemptions on Lufthansa, Swiss, and Austrian Airlines close permanently at midnight on October 31. Members planning spring or summer 2027 European vacations must search and confirm seats immediately.
  2. Utilize Etihad and Turkish Airlines for 2027 Long-Haul Trips: For autumn 2027 holiday travel, target Etihad Airways (via Abu Dhabi) or Turkish Airlines (via Istanbul), which guarantee flight validity through December 16, 2027.
  3. Avoid Booking Uncertain Dates: Because reissues are blocked after December 16 and expired miles cannot be recovered upon refund, avoid speculative bookings.
  4. Archive Boarding Passes for Partner Flights: For flights operated by partner carriers starting October 16, preserve boarding passes and e-tickets to file manual retroactive claims between November 1 and December 16.

Official Sources and Verification Date

Verification Date: October 16, 2026. Route cutoff timelines, accrual transitions, and reissue policies were cross-referenced directly against Asiana Airlines’ official customer announcements regarding the termination of Star Alliance and partner airline cooperation. Policies on post-exit schedule changes and mile expiration forfeitures were confirmed.

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