Asiana Airlines American Express Card from Bank of America Review

Who is the Asiana Airlines American Express Card from Bank of America Good For?

The Asiana Airlines card appeals to anyone who regularly travels to Asia and appreciates Asiana’s impeccable service. Asiana miles can also be very valuable. Premium class award seats on Asiana flights and some Star Alliance partner flights are notably cheaper when bought with Asiana miles rather than United MileagePlus miles.

The best feature of the Asiana Airlines card is its generous earning scheme. Unfortunately, miles earned with the credit card do not count towards elite status. Flying is the only way to achieve that.

Although the Asiana card carries a relatively high $99 annual fee that is not waived the first year, cardholders do get a $100 rebate on Asiana tickets and two free lounge passes. Both the rebate and the passes renew annually.

Sign-Up Bonuses:

The current sign-up bonus is 10,000 miles after the first purchase, which is enough for a round-trip flight within Korea. In the past, sign-up bonuses have been close to 40,000 miles, so it’s possible a better will become available.

Miles Earned:

The best feature of the BofA Asiana Airlines credit card (and rare among airline credit cards) is its generous earning scheme. You get:

• Three miles per dollar spent on Asiana Airlines purchases
• Two miles per dollar for gas and groceries
• One mile per dollar for all other purchases

What Do Your Miles Get You?

Since Asiana Airlines is a member of the Star Alliance, you can use the miles to fly worldwide on 26 airlines. In addition, Asiana Club miles can be used to fly on Asiana’s partners outside the alliance, Qatar and Etihad Airways.

Asiana Club is a good all-around program that offers some exceptional redemption opportunities, particularly in premium classes. Award seat availability usually ranges from good to excellent, even for purchasing two or more tickets in the same cabin.

Usage Perks:

• Miles expire in 10 years for most members, and 12 years for Diamond and Platinum elite status holders
  
• Cancellation fee is only 3,000 miles or $30
• Good award availability

Usage Quirks:

• Low sign-up bonus
• Fuel surcharges on award flights
  
• One percent foreign transaction fee
  

How Far Do Your Miles Go?

There are quite a few sweet spots in the Asiana Club program, particularly flying during the low season in premium cabins. A round-trip, off-peak flight between the U.S. and Korea is only 160,000 miles in Asiana’s luxurious First Suite class. Those tickets cost $7,000, so you get an excellent value of over four cents per mile. If you use United MileagePlus miles for the same ticket, it’ll cost 240,000 miles.

The airline’s Business Smartium class, which features excellent service and lie-flat seats, is only 125,000 miles between the U.S. and Korea. The same Asiana flight costs 160,000 MileagePlus miles.

Using Asiana miles to fly in a premium cabin from the U.S. to Europe on a Star Alliance airline during the low season will save you 20 to 45 percent compared to United’s redemptions. Business class is only 80,000 Asiana miles, and first is 100,000.

Additional Cardholder Benefits:

• Zero liability guarantee
• Extended warranty and retail protection coverage
• Overdraft protection
• Emergency roadside assistance
• Car rental loss and damage Insurance
• Concierge service
• Travel accident insurance
• Identity theft recovery unit
• Chip technology