This Is Nuts: Asiana to Leave Star Alliance, Then Void Award Tickets It Already Issued

Here's some crazy news to start your day. Asiana is in the process of leaving Star Alliance after merging with Korean Air, a SkyTeam member. In the process, the airline will void all Star Alliance award tickets — even if they're already issued with a ticket number — departing after 11:59 PM KST on December 16, 2026.

In a FAQ on Asiana's website, the airline urges customers with award tickets departing after this date to call its reservation center to discuss alternative travel plans. If you're affected by this change, Asiana will reinstate your miles for free — how generous.

Right now, it's unclear what will happen to Asiana award tickets issued by other Star Alliance carriers after December 16.

For reference, this isn't a normal policy. Airlines have largely left existing tickets untouched during other mergers or alliance changes.

Andrew's Take

This is a situation I've never seen before — and it's a bad look on the airline's part. If this affects you, cancel the ticket fast and then weigh your options. You can rebook Star Alliance space that flies before December 16 or just hold the miles. After the merger, your Asiana balance remains a separate currency you can spend on Korean Air at the existing Asiana award rates for up to a decade, or convert to SKYPASS miles (1:1 on flown miles or 1:0.82 on credit card and partner miles).