Business class award fares to Seoul from Los Angeles started at 116,000 points one way in PointsGPT's recorded finds, and half of the 29 Los Angeles business finds were at or below 167,000. From New York, business started at 102,500 points, with half of the 17 finds at or below 174,000. Economy from New York started at 33,000 points. These finds were recorded September to November 2026, for one traveler, one way, as of 3 November 2026. They were available when someone searched and may not be by the time you do. Award availability changes frequently.
What the recorded finds show
A recorded find is the cheapest award fare a PointsGPT search returned in the cabin and on the dates the person asked for. The figures below are airline miles, one way, for one traveler, to Seoul Incheon (ICN). When your card points transfer at 1:1, the miles and the card points are the same number.
From New York (JFK, Newark and LaGuardia):
- Business (17 finds, from 17 people): the two cheapest were 102,500 and 115,000 points, through Air Canada Aeroplan. Half were at or below 174,000, which was also the most common price (six of 17).
- Economy (9 finds, from eight people): four were 33,000 points, through Virgin Atlantic with a connection, and half were at or below 37,500.
- Premium economy: two recorded finds, the lower at 65,000 points, through Flying Blue.
From Los Angeles (LAX and the nearby airports):
- Business (29 finds, from 29 people): five were 116,000 points, through Emirates Skywards, and seven were 130,000. Half were at or below 167,000.
- Economy: three recorded finds, at 38,000, 42,000 and 45,500 points. The 38,000 find came through Cathay Pacific Asia Miles.
From other cities: Seattle's cheapest business finds were two at 95,000 points through Alaska Atmos, both nonstop. Three of the five Washington business finds were 105,000 points through Emirates. In economy, Las Vegas had a Virgin Atlantic nonstop at 31,000 points and Seattle a Flying Blue nonstop at 35,000.
From every US departure city we recorded:
- Business (89 finds): a quarter were at or below 130,000 points, half at or below 174,000 and three quarters at or below 249,040. The most common price was 130,000 (11 of 89), then 116,000 and 250,000 (10 each).
- Economy (32 finds): a quarter were at or below 35,000 points, half at or below 40,000 and three quarters at or below 48,900. The most common price was 33,000 (7 of 32).
- Premium economy (7 finds): 65,000 was the most common price (3 of 7), and half were at or below 97,041.
Most fares connected. Only 5 of the 32 economy finds, 6 of the 89 business finds and 2 of the 7 premium economy finds were nonstop. The New York economy and every premium economy figure rest on fewer than 10 finds, so read them as a range.
| Recorded | Route | Cabin | Program | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 18 Oct 2026 | JFK → ICN | Economy | Virgin Atlantic | 33,000 |
| 8 Oct 2026 | JFK → ICN | Business | Air Canada Aeroplan | 102,500 |
| 30 Oct 2026 | LAX → ICN | Economy | Cathay Pacific Asia Miles | 38,000 |
| 29 Sep 2026 | LAX → ICN | Business | Emirates Skywards | 116,000 |
| 14 Oct 2026 | LAS → ICN | Economy | Virgin Atlantic | 31,000 |
| 12 Oct 2026 | SEA → ICN | Economy | Flying Blue | 35,000 |
| 22 Oct 2026 | SEA → ICN | Business | Alaska Atmos | 95,000 |
| 19 Oct 2026 | IAD → ICN | Business | Emirates Skywards | 105,000 |
| 2 Oct 2026 | SFO → ICN | Premium economy | United MileagePlus | 65,000 |
Which programs priced these fares
Each search shows a board of fares from several programs. Of the 131 Seoul finds, Aeroplan was on the board for 89, followed by United MileagePlus (78), Emirates Skywards (66), Flying Blue (48) and Aeromexico (43). Emirates priced the find itself most often (33 of 131), ahead of Aeroplan (20), Alaska Atmos (16), Flying Blue (14), United (13) and Virgin Atlantic (11).
These are the card points that reach each program, from the transfer grid PointsGPT uses:
- Emirates Skywards: Bilt Points at 1:1, Amex Membership Rewards and Citi ThankYou Points at 5 points to 4 miles, and Capital One miles at 4 to 3.
- Aeroplan: Amex, Bilt, Capital One and Chase Ultimate Rewards at 1:1.
- Flying Blue: Amex, Bilt, Capital One, Chase and Citi at 1:1.
- Alaska Atmos: Bilt at 1:1.
- United MileagePlus: Bilt and Chase at 1:1.
- Virgin Atlantic: Amex, Bilt, Chase and Citi at 1:1.
- Asia Miles: Bilt, Capital One and Citi at 1:1, and Amex at 5 to 4.
Below 1:1, you need more card points than miles. You can check each of the programs PointsGPT searches before you pick one. Partner lists and ratios change, so check your card's current partner list before you transfer. A transfer cannot be undone.
The cash part decides this route
Every award fare carries taxes and fees paid in cash, and some programs add carrier surcharges. All 27 Emirates business finds carried four-figure cash charges, and all 7 Flying Blue business finds three-figure ones. By contrast, 13 Aeroplan business finds carried two-figure cash charges, Alaska Atmos stayed at two figures (11) or one (2), and United at one figure (9) or two (1).
That changes which fare is cheaper. From Los Angeles, Emirates priced business at 116,000 points with a four-figure cash part, while Alaska Atmos business finds at 130,000 points from New York, San Francisco and Chicago carried two-figure ones. In economy, Virgin Atlantic finds split 8 three-figure and 3 two-figure: the connecting fares from New York and Chicago were three-figure, and the nonstops from Las Vegas and Boston two-figure. All 6 Emirates economy finds carried three-figure cash charges. The surcharge trap explains why programs charge so differently for the same flight.
Plan your search
- Flexible dates: search a few days either side of your target.
- Two or more travelers: search for everyone at once. One award fare on a flight does not mean the same price is open for your whole party.
- Nonstop or one stop: the nonstops we recorded flew from cities such as Seattle, Las Vegas and Boston, so a different departure airport can change the result.
- Other North Asia trips: our guide to flying to Japan on points looks at a nearby long-haul trip.
Points or cash?
Before you transfer, compare the award fare's full cost, the points plus the cash part, with the cash fare for the same flight. When the cash part runs to four figures, the total can sit closer to the cash fare than the points price suggests. Our guide to points versus cash covers the questions to ask.
How to search it in PointsGPT
When you start a search, type the trip the way you would say it, for example:
Business class from Los Angeles to Seoul, any week in April, 2 travelers
- Tell PointsGPT which card points you hold, so it can mark the fares those points reach.
- Compare the points and the cash part on each fare, nonstop and connecting.
- Confirm the fare with the airline program before you transfer, because the transfer cannot be reversed.