FirstClassFlyer

Two new benefits make the best better.

First: On Aug. 11, the Starwood Preferred Guest Amex Credit Card eliminated foreign transaction fees.

Second: On Aug. 18, Starwood added Korean Airlines as a new transfer partner. Many of you shrug, and I would agree, if it weren’t for the fact that Korean (SkyTeam) has very good free award availability in First Class on most routes year-round. (See chart below for First and Business Class award availability.)

Korean also has new First Class Kosmos Suites on its A380 routes: Los Angeles, New York, and (almost always) Atlanta to Seoul.

The King of Cards, Starwood, Just Got Better

The points required for First Class are 130,000 off-peak to 195,000 peaks with a Starwood transfer, versus Chase transfer rates of 160,000 and 240,000, respectively.

Business Class is 100,000 (off peak) to 150,000 (peak) with Starpoints; Chase charges 125,000 to 185,000 points.

In Business Class to Asia, Korean has flat-beds, with the newest flat-bed version on its A380 Prestige Suites.

Sweet Redeems Survey: Korean Air to/from Seoul

[table_opt style="double-blue-header" id="2389 " width="" alignment="center" responsive="all" heading="thcenter" rows="tdcenter"]

[["U.S. Departure City<\/strong>","Class of Service<\/strong>","U.S. to<\/strong><\/span> Seoul<\/strong>","#colspan#","#colspan#","U.S. to<\/strong><\/span> Seoul<\/strong>","#colspan#","#colspan#"],["#rowspan#","#rowspan#","Handful<\/strong>","Hopeful<\/strong>","Hooray<\/strong>","Handful<\/strong>","Hopeful<\/strong>","Hooray<\/strong>"],["**Atlanta","Business","Sept.<\/strong><\/span>","","","","Sept.<\/span><\/strong>",""],["#rowspan#","First","Oct.<\/span><\/strong>","Sept.<\/span><\/strong>","Sept.","Sept.<\/span>, Oct.<\/span><\/strong>","Sept., Oct.",""],["Chicago","Business","Sept., Oct., Dec.<\/span><\/strong>","Sept., Oct, Dec.,\nMay<\/span><\/strong>","Nov.<\/span><\/strong>, Jan.<\/span><\/strong> to April<\/span><\/strong>,\nJuly","Sept.<\/span>, Oct.<\/span>, July<\/span><\/strong>","Dec.<\/span>, Jan.<\/span><\/strong>","Nov.<\/span><\/strong>, Dec.<\/span><\/strong>, Jan.<\/span><\/strong>,\nFeb.<\/span><\/strong> to June<\/span><\/strong>, July<\/span><\/strong>"],["#rowspan#","First","May<\/span><\/strong>","Sept., Dec., May<\/span><\/strong>","Sept., Oct.<\/span>, Nov.<\/span><\/strong>,\nDec., Jan.<\/span><\/strong> to April<\/span><\/strong>,\nJuly","","Sept.<\/span><\/strong>","Sept., Oct. to July<\/span><\/strong>"],["Dallas","Business","Dec., May<\/span><\/strong>","Jan., Feb., May<\/span><\/strong>","Nov.<\/span><\/strong>, Jan.<\/span>, Feb.<\/span><\/strong>,\nMarch<\/span>, April<\/span>,\nJune<\/span><\/strong>, July","Nov.<\/span><\/strong> to Jan.<\/span><\/strong>, July<\/span><\/strong>","Sept.<\/span><\/strong>, Dec.<\/span><\/strong>, Feb.<\/span><\/strong>,\nApril<\/span><\/strong>, July<\/span><\/strong>","Nov.<\/span><\/strong>, Jan.<\/span><\/strong>, Feb.<\/span><\/strong>,\nMarch<\/span><\/strong>, April<\/span><\/strong>, May<\/span><\/strong>,\nJune<\/span><\/strong>"],["#rowspan#","First","Sept., Dec.<\/span><\/strong>","Oct., Dec., May<\/span><\/strong>","Sept., Oct., Nov.<\/span>,\nJan.<\/span><\/strong> to April<\/span>, July<\/span><\/strong>","","Sept.<\/span><\/strong>, Oct.<\/span><\/strong>, Dec.<\/span><\/strong>,\nJuly<\/span><\/strong>","Sept., Oct., Nov.<\/span><\/strong>,\nJan.<\/span><\/strong> to June<\/span><\/strong>"],["Honolulu","Business","Sept, Nov.<\/span><\/strong> to Jan.<\/strong><\/span>,\nFeb., May<\/span><\/strong>","Sept., Nov., Jan.,\nMay<\/span><\/strong>","Feb.<\/span><\/strong>, March<\/span>, April<\/span><\/strong>,\nJune<\/span><\/strong>, July<\/span><\/strong>","Sept.<\/span><\/strong>, Oct., Nov.,\nJan.<\/span><\/strong>, Feb.<\/span><\/strong>","Sept., Dec.<\/span><\/strong>, July<\/span><\/strong>","Jan.<\/span><\/strong> to June<\/span><\/strong>,\nMarch<\/span><\/strong> to June<\/span><\/strong>"],["#rowspan#","First","May<\/span><\/strong>","Dec.<\/span><\/strong>","Sept.<\/span><\/strong> to Nov.<\/span>, Jan.<\/span><\/strong>\nto April<\/span>, July<\/span><\/strong>","","Dec., July<\/span><\/strong>","Sept.<\/span><\/strong> to Nov.<\/span><\/strong>, Jan.<\/span><\/strong>\nto June<\/span><\/strong>, July<\/span><\/strong>"],["Houston","Business","Sept., Oct.,\nDec.<\/span><\/strong> to Feb.<\/span><\/strong>","Sep., Nov., May<\/span><\/strong>","Nov., Jan., Feb.,\nMarch<\/span>, April<\/span>, July<\/span><\/strong>","Oct., Nov.<\/span><\/strong>, Jan.<\/span><\/strong>","Dec., March<\/span><\/strong>, July<\/span><\/strong>","Nov., Jan. to March,\nApril <\/span><\/strong>to June<\/span><\/strong>, July"],["#rowspan#","First","Sept., Oct.<\/span><\/strong>","Dec., May<\/span><\/strong>","Sept., Oct., Nov.<\/span>,\nJan.<\/span><\/strong> to April<\/span>, July<\/span><\/strong>","Sept.<\/span><\/strong>, Oct.<\/span><\/strong>","Dec.<\/span><\/strong>","Sept., Oct., Nov.<\/span><\/strong>,\nJan.<\/span><\/strong> to July<\/span><\/strong>"],["Las Vegas","Business","Sept., Oct., Nov.<\/span><\/strong>,\nDec., Jan., May,\nJuly<\/span><\/strong>","Jan., March, April<\/span><\/strong>","Feb.<\/span><\/strong>, March, July","Sept., Oct., Dec.,\nJan., June<\/span><\/strong>","Feb., April, July","March, May, June"],["#rowspan#","First","Sept., Dec.,\nMay<\/span><\/strong>","Oct.<\/span><\/strong>","Sept., Nov.<\/span>, Jan.<\/span><\/strong> to\nApril<\/span>, July<\/span><\/strong>","Sept., Oct.<\/span><\/strong>, July<\/span><\/strong>","Nov.<\/span><\/strong>, Dec.<\/span><\/strong>","Oct., Jan. to June<\/span><\/strong>"],["***Los Angeles","Business","Nov., Jan. to\nMarch, May, July<\/span><\/strong>","April<\/span><\/strong>","July","Nov.<\/span><\/strong> to Feb.<\/span><\/strong>, May<\/span><\/strong>,\nJuly<\/span><\/strong>","March, April","July"],["#rowspan#","First","Oct., Nov.<\/span><\/strong>, Dec.,\nJan., Feb.<\/span><\/strong>, May","Nov., Jan., Feb.,\nMarch, April, July<\/span><\/strong>","March, April, July","Nov. to Jan., April,\nMay, July","Nov., Feb.<\/span><\/strong>, March<\/span><\/strong>","March, April, July"],["**Los Angeles","Business","Sept., Oct.<\/span><\/strong>","Oct., Dec., May<\/span><\/strong>","Sept.<\/span><\/strong>, Nov.<\/span>, Jan.<\/span><\/strong> to\nApril<\/span><\/strong>, July<\/span><\/strong>","Oct.<\/span><\/strong>","Sept.<\/span><\/strong>, Oct.<\/span><\/strong>, Nov.<\/span><\/strong>,\nDec.<\/span><\/strong>","Nov.<\/span><\/strong>, Dec.<\/span><\/strong>, Jan.<\/span><\/strong>\nto July<\/span><\/strong>"],["#rowspan#","First","Dec., May<\/span><\/strong>","Sept.<\/span><\/strong> to Nov.<\/strong>,<\/span> Dec.<\/strong><\/span>,\nJan.<\/strong><\/span> to April<\/strong><\/span>, May<\/span><\/strong>","Sept.<\/span><\/strong> to Nov., Jan.<\/span><\/strong>\nto April, July<\/span><\/strong>","","","Sept.<\/span><\/strong> to June<\/span><\/strong>"],["**New York","Business","Nov., Dec.<\/span><\/strong>","Dec., Feb.<\/span><\/strong>","Jan.<\/span><\/strong>, Feb.<\/span><\/strong>, March<\/span><\/strong>","Nov., Dec.<\/span><\/strong>, Jan.<\/span><\/strong>,\nFeb.<\/span><\/strong>","Dec., Jan.","Feb.<\/span><\/strong>, March<\/span><\/strong>"],["#rowspan#","First","","Dec.<\/span><\/strong>","Nov., Jan. to March<\/span><\/strong>","","Dec.<\/span><\/strong>","Nov.<\/span><\/strong>, Dec., Jan.<\/span><\/strong> to\nMarch<\/span><\/strong>"],["San Francisco","Business","Oct.<\/span><\/strong>, Nov., Dec.<\/span><\/strong>","Sept.,<\/span><\/strong> Oct., Jan.,\nMay<\/span><\/strong>","Sept., Jan., Feb.<\/span><\/strong> to\nApril<\/span>, July<\/span><\/strong>","Sept.<\/span><\/strong> to Jan.<\/span><\/strong>, July<\/span><\/strong>","Oct.","Sept., Nov., Dec.,\nJan., Feb. <\/span><\/strong>to June<\/span><\/strong>,\nJuly"],["#rowspan#","First","","Dec., May<\/span><\/strong>","Sept.<\/span><\/strong> to Nov.<\/span><\/strong>,\nDec., Jan.<\/span><\/strong> to April<\/span>,\nJuly<\/span><\/strong>","","","Sept.<\/span><\/strong> to July<\/span><\/strong>"],["Seattle","Business","Sept., Jan., Feb.,\nMay<\/span><\/strong>","Nov., Dec., March<\/span><\/strong>","Jan. to March, April<\/span>,\nJuly<\/span><\/strong>","Sept.<\/span><\/strong>, Oct.<\/span><\/strong>, Nov.,\nDec., Feb.<\/span><\/strong>, April<\/span><\/strong>,\nJune<\/span><\/strong>, July<\/span><\/strong>","Jan., Feb., March<\/span><\/strong>,\nMay<\/span><\/strong>","March to June"],["#rowspan#","First","Oct., May<\/span><\/strong>","April<\/span><\/strong>","Sept.<\/span><\/strong>, Oct., Nov.<\/span><\/strong> to\nMarch<\/span><\/strong>, April, July","","Sept.<\/span><\/strong>, Oct.<\/span><\/strong>, July<\/span><\/strong>","Sept., Oct., Nov.<\/span><\/strong>\nto June<\/span><\/strong>"],["Washington,\nDC","Business","Dec., May<\/span><\/strong>","Nov., Dec., May<\/span><\/strong>","Sept., Oct, Jan. to\nApril, June","","Nov., Dec.<\/span><\/strong>, Jan.<\/span><\/strong>,\nJuly<\/span><\/strong>","Sept.<\/span><\/strong>, Oct.<\/span><\/strong>, Jan.<\/span><\/strong>,\nFeb.<\/span><\/strong> to June<\/span><\/strong>"],["#rowspan#","First","","Sept., May<\/span><\/strong>","Sept., Oct.<\/span><\/strong> to April<\/span>,\nJuly<\/span><\/strong>","","Sept.<\/span><\/strong>, Oct.<\/span><\/strong>","Sept., Oct., Nov.<\/span><\/strong>\nto July<\/span><\/strong>"]]

Handful: Our most recent research shows that award space is available for at least one person about 4 to 8 days during the months indicated in the chart. Worth pursuing if you’re flexible. Hopeful: Our most recent research shows that award space is available for at least one person about 9 to 12 days during the months indicated. Hooray: Our most recent research shows that award space is available for at least one person about 13 days or more during the months indicated. **Airbus 380 service. ***Los Angeles - São Paulo service. Months in black at least one seat available; in blue at least two seats; in green at least four seats.

The King of Cards, Starwood, Just Got Better

Two new benefits make the best better.

Sweet Redeems Survey: Korean Air to/from Seoul