Award flight · one-way
Seattle → Seoul on points: 15 options across the alliance backbones our cards can reach. Aeroplan's fixed band only applies to partners outside its dynamic Select column, so the Aeroplan row here is Asiana nonstop, or EVA Air via TPE, banded on the 5,204 miles that routing actually flies, AAdvantage prices the oneworld routing off its region chart, and Flying Blue covers SkyTeam dynamically. The verified charts crown THE PLAY; the dynamic row is shown as an honest estimate.
The play · economy
Which card mints this?
+7 more ways in — the full funnel, ratios and ₹/mile side by side →
One of your cards is in those 7 — see it in the funnel →
| Program | Metal / routing | Points | Surcharge | All-in ₹ | vs play |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| American Airlines AAdvantage the play | oneworld partner metal, AAdvantage region award — or Cathay Pacific via HKG | 35,000 | — | ₹35,000 | the play |
| Alaska Airlines Atmos Rewards | Alaska Airlines own metal from SEA, dynamic award | ~30,000 est. | — | ₹30,000 | 0.9× |
| Korean Air SKYPASS | Korean Air own metal from ICN, region award | 35,000 | — | ₹35,000 | 1.0× |
| Air France-KLM Flying Blue | SkyTeam metal, Flying Blue (dynamic) — China Airlines via TPE | ~40,000 est. | — | ₹40,000 | 1.1× |
| Delta SkyMiles | Delta Air Lines own metal from SEA, dynamic award | ~45,000 est. | — | ₹45,000 | 1.3× |
| Air Canada Aeroplan | Asiana nonstop, or EVA Air via TPE — the fixed "All other partners" Aeroplan cell, 5,204 mi flown, or Air Canada via YVR, or United Airlines via SFO | 50,000 | — | ₹50,000 | 1.4× |
The play · business
Which card mints this?
+7 more ways in — the full funnel, ratios and ₹/mile side by side →
One of your cards is in those 7 — see it in the funnel →
| Program | Metal / routing | Points | Surcharge | All-in ₹ | vs play |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| American Airlines AAdvantage the play | oneworld partner metal, AAdvantage region award — or Cathay Pacific via HKG | 60,000 | — | ₹60,000 | the play |
| Korean Air SKYPASS | Korean Air own metal from ICN, region award | 62,500 | — | ₹62,500 | 1.0× |
| Air Canada Aeroplan | Asiana nonstop, or EVA Air via TPE — the fixed "All other partners" Aeroplan cell, 5,204 mi flown, or Air Canada via YVR, or United Airlines via SFO | 85,000 | — | ₹85,000 | 1.4× |
| Air France-KLM Flying Blue | SkyTeam metal, Flying Blue (dynamic) — China Airlines via TPE | ~95,000 est. | — | ₹95,000 | 1.6× |
| Alaska Airlines Atmos Rewards | Alaska Airlines own metal from SEA, dynamic award | ~95,000 est. | — | ₹95,000 | 1.6× |
| Delta SkyMiles | Delta Air Lines own metal from SEA, dynamic award | ~115,000 est. | — | ₹1,15,000 | 1.9× |
The play · first
Which card mints this?
+7 more ways in — the full funnel, ratios and ₹/mile side by side →
One of your cards is in those 7 — see it in the funnel →
| Program | Metal / routing | Points | Surcharge | All-in ₹ | vs play |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| American Airlines AAdvantage the play | oneworld partner metal, AAdvantage region award — or Cathay Pacific via HKG | 80,000 | — | ₹80,000 | the play |
| Korean Air SKYPASS | Korean Air own metal from ICN, region award | 80,000 | — | ₹80,000 | 1.0× |
| Air Canada Aeroplan | Asiana nonstop, or EVA Air via TPE — the fixed "All other partners" Aeroplan cell, 5,204 mi flown, or Air Canada via YVR, or United Airlines via SFO | 120,000 | — | ₹1,20,000 | 1.5× |
All-in ₹ = points × the program's house value (valuation index) + the sourced one-way surcharge; a dash means the carrier doesn't publish it and the ranking counts it ₹0 — the row's note carries the caveat. That surcharge is the airline's own cash charge on an award — YQ, as the notes below call it — and it is not the fuel-surcharge waiver your credit card advertises: that one hands back a hundred rupees or two at a petrol pump, this one runs to tens of thousands and decides whether the award is worth taking at all. “Dynamic” and estimated (~… est.) rows never compete for the play — the crown is always a verified, bookable price. Feed-ins come from the same transfer data as the optimizer, multi-hop chains included.
Chart-priced, not live seats. These prices are read off each programme’s published award chart and valued at our own house ₹/point. 37% of the 39,855 priced options on the board are stated estimates for programmes that publish no chart; they are marked ~ est. and never crowned the play. Nobody here can see whether a seat exists on your date — confirm the space with the programme before you transfer. Points that leave your issuer do not come back.
The cash on top of the miles. Air France-KLM Flying Blue states that a carrier-imposed surcharge is charged on an award. American Airlines AAdvantage and Alaska Airlines Atmos Rewards make you liable for one if the operating airline levies it, without saying whether it does. Air Canada Aeroplan states it adds none on its own metal. Government taxes and airport charges are payable in every case. Almost no programme publishes the amount, so the desk carries each one’s policy in its own words — on its programme hub — rather than a number nobody published. 2 other programmes priced here publish nothing the desk could read.
Cathay Pacific oneworld
AAdvantage prices partner awards on a fixed region-to-region chart. A valid oneworld routing is assumed.
Feed it: 105,000 Amex Membership Rewards (3:1 via Marriott Bonvoy) · 210,000 RBL Reward Points (6:1 via Club ITC → Marriott Bonvoy) · 70,000 RBL Reward Points (Nova/Lumière) (2:1 via Club ITC → Marriott Bonvoy)
Alaska Airlines oneworld
Alaska Airlines own-metal Seattle→Seoul.60 one-way US domestic, ~$45 one-way on the Seattle long-haul). The heavy YQ people associate with Alaska comes from partner British Airways, which is not priced in this file. A valid Alaska Airlines routing is assumed.
Estimate Alaska 787 / Hawaiian A330 long-haul international (SEA-NRT/ICN/LHR) is dynamically priced - no fixed chart; published starting-from saver levels: economy 30,000, business 95,000 one-way; discounted business dates ~75k-95k, peaks ~150k (London to ~200k).
Feed it: 75,000 Amex Membership Rewards (2.5:1 via Marriott Bonvoy) · 150,000 RBL Reward Points (5:1 via Club ITC → Marriott Bonvoy) · 50,000 RBL Reward Points (Nova/Lumière) (1.67:1 via Club ITC → Marriott Bonvoy)
Korean Air SkyTeam
Korean Air own-metal Seattle→Seoul. Korean passes low-to-moderate carrier surcharges on its own-metal awards — noticeably milder than Turkish or British Airways, but not zero: expect a modest YQ plus government taxes, heaviest on long-haul and on Japan/Europe departures. A valid Korean Air routing is assumed.
Feed it: 70,000 HSBC Reward Points (2:1 via Accor Live Limitless (ALL)) · 140,000 HDFC Reward Points (4:1 via Accor Live Limitless (ALL)) · 350,000 Axis EDGE Reward Points (10:1 via Accor Live Limitless (ALL))
China Airlines SkyTeam
Flying Blue prices dynamically — no fixed chart. Air France/KLM pass carrier (YQ) surcharges on own metal — typically €90–110 economy / €200–300 business one-way long-haul; intra-region SkyTeam ~€15–40. Typical one-way economy runs 32k–55k; award space and travel date drive the real number.
Estimate Dynamic program — estimate is the typical one-way level for this region-pair (range 32k–55k); not a fixed chart price, and never crowned THE PLAY.
Feed it: 40,000 HDFC Reward Points (1:1) · 20,000 Axis EDGE Miles (1:2) · 40,000 HSBC Reward Points (1:1)
Delta Air Lines SkyTeam
Delta Air Lines own-metal Seattle→Seoul. Delta SkyMiles is fully dynamic — no award chart, no saver level. Levels below are the typical one-way per person; ranges are the honest low/high seen across dates and demand. Delta One is business class, priced under 'biz'. A valid Delta Air Lines routing is assumed.
Estimate Dynamic/unpublished-chart program — estimate is the typical one-way economy level Seattle→Seoul (range 33k–85k); not a fixed chart price, never THE PLAY.
Feed it: 135,000 Amex Membership Rewards (3:1 via Marriott Bonvoy) · 270,000 RBL Reward Points (6:1 via Club ITC → Marriott Bonvoy) · 90,000 HSBC Reward Points (2:1 via Accor Live Limitless (ALL))
Asiana AirlinesEVA AirAir CanadaUnited Airlines Star Alliance
Re-metalled 2026-08-01. The old row named United while asserting a fixed chart cell, and United sits in the DYNAMIC column, so that cell never applied to its metal. Aeroplan's chart prints two rows per band: a dynamic "Starting at" floor for "Air Canada and/or Select Partners" (United Airlines, Emirates, Flydubai, Etihad Airways, Canadian North, Calm Air, Bearskin and PAL), and one fixed number for "All other partners". Asiana flies Seoul–Seattle nonstop, 5,204 miles, inside the same 5,001–7,500-mile band the old row read. EVA Air via Taipei flies 6,971 miles and lands in that band too, so the number survives Asiana leaving Star Alliance on 16 Dec 2026, the eve of the Korean Air merger. Priced on the 5,001–7,500-mile North America–Pacific band at the flown distance this routing actually covers, 5,204 mi. The band does not move, so the price is UNCHANGED at 50,000 economy / 85,000 business / 120,000 First. The United option the old row leaned on is still bookable, but it prices off the dynamic column's "Starting at" floor for the 5,001–7,500-mile band (45,000 economy / 85,000 business / 110,000 First) — a floor that climbs with demand, never a number we can promise.
Feed it: 25,000 Axis EDGE Miles (1:2) · 50,000 SBI Travel Credits (1:1) · 125,000 Axis EDGE Reward Points (5:2)
Cathay Pacific oneworld
AAdvantage prices partner awards on a fixed region-to-region chart. A valid oneworld routing is assumed.
Feed it: 180,000 Amex Membership Rewards (3:1 via Marriott Bonvoy) · 360,000 RBL Reward Points (6:1 via Club ITC → Marriott Bonvoy) · 120,000 RBL Reward Points (Nova/Lumière) (2:1 via Club ITC → Marriott Bonvoy)
Korean Air SkyTeam
Korean Air own-metal Seattle→Seoul. Korean passes low-to-moderate carrier surcharges on its own-metal awards — noticeably milder than Turkish or British Airways, but not zero: expect a modest YQ plus government taxes, heaviest on long-haul and on Japan/Europe departures. A valid Korean Air routing is assumed.
Feed it: 125,000 HSBC Reward Points (2:1 via Accor Live Limitless (ALL)) · 250,000 HDFC Reward Points (4:1 via Accor Live Limitless (ALL)) · 625,000 Axis EDGE Reward Points (10:1 via Accor Live Limitless (ALL))
Asiana AirlinesEVA AirAir CanadaUnited Airlines Star Alliance
Re-metalled 2026-08-01. The old row named United while asserting a fixed chart cell, and United sits in the DYNAMIC column, so that cell never applied to its metal. Aeroplan's chart prints two rows per band: a dynamic "Starting at" floor for "Air Canada and/or Select Partners" (United Airlines, Emirates, Flydubai, Etihad Airways, Canadian North, Calm Air, Bearskin and PAL), and one fixed number for "All other partners". Asiana flies Seoul–Seattle nonstop, 5,204 miles, inside the same 5,001–7,500-mile band the old row read. EVA Air via Taipei flies 6,971 miles and lands in that band too, so the number survives Asiana leaving Star Alliance on 16 Dec 2026, the eve of the Korean Air merger. Priced on the 5,001–7,500-mile North America–Pacific band at the flown distance this routing actually covers, 5,204 mi. The band does not move, so the price is UNCHANGED at 50,000 economy / 85,000 business / 120,000 First. The United option the old row leaned on is still bookable, but it prices off the dynamic column's "Starting at" floor for the 5,001–7,500-mile band (45,000 economy / 85,000 business / 110,000 First) — a floor that climbs with demand, never a number we can promise.
Feed it: 42,500 Axis EDGE Miles (1:2) · 85,000 SBI Travel Credits (1:1) · 212,500 Axis EDGE Reward Points (5:2)
China Airlines SkyTeam
Flying Blue prices dynamically — no fixed chart. Air France/KLM pass carrier (YQ) surcharges on own metal — typically €90–110 economy / €200–300 business one-way long-haul; intra-region SkyTeam ~€15–40. Typical one-way business runs 80k–140k; award space and travel date drive the real number.
Estimate Dynamic program — estimate is the typical one-way level for this region-pair (range 80k–140k); not a fixed chart price, and never crowned THE PLAY.
Feed it: 95,000 HDFC Reward Points (1:1) · 47,500 Axis EDGE Miles (1:2) · 95,000 HSBC Reward Points (1:1)
Alaska Airlines oneworld
Alaska Airlines own-metal Seattle→Seoul.60 one-way US domestic, ~$45 one-way on the Seattle long-haul). The heavy YQ people associate with Alaska comes from partner British Airways, which is not priced in this file. A valid Alaska Airlines routing is assumed.
Estimate Alaska 787 / Hawaiian A330 long-haul international (SEA-NRT/ICN/LHR) is dynamically priced - no fixed chart; published starting-from saver levels: economy 30,000, business 95,000 one-way; discounted business dates ~75k-95k, peaks ~150k (London to ~200k).
Feed it: 240,000 Amex Membership Rewards (2.53:1 via Marriott Bonvoy) · 480,000 RBL Reward Points (5.05:1 via Club ITC → Marriott Bonvoy) · 160,000 RBL Reward Points (Nova/Lumière) (1.68:1 via Club ITC → Marriott Bonvoy)
Delta Air Lines SkyTeam
Delta Air Lines own-metal Seattle→Seoul. Delta SkyMiles is fully dynamic — no award chart, no saver level. Levels below are the typical one-way per person; ranges are the honest low/high seen across dates and demand. Delta One is business class, priced under 'biz'. A valid Delta Air Lines routing is assumed.
Estimate Dynamic/unpublished-chart program — estimate is the typical one-way business level Seattle→Seoul (range 80k–240k); not a fixed chart price, never THE PLAY.
Feed it: 345,000 Amex Membership Rewards (3:1 via Marriott Bonvoy) · 690,000 RBL Reward Points (6:1 via Club ITC → Marriott Bonvoy) · 230,000 HSBC Reward Points (2:1 via Accor Live Limitless (ALL))
Cathay Pacific oneworld
AAdvantage prices partner awards on a fixed region-to-region chart. A valid oneworld routing is assumed.
Feed it: 240,000 Amex Membership Rewards (3:1 via Marriott Bonvoy) · 480,000 RBL Reward Points (6:1 via Club ITC → Marriott Bonvoy) · 160,000 RBL Reward Points (Nova/Lumière) (2:1 via Club ITC → Marriott Bonvoy)
Korean Air SkyTeam
Korean Air own-metal Seattle→Seoul. Korean passes low-to-moderate carrier surcharges on its own-metal awards — noticeably milder than Turkish or British Airways, but not zero: expect a modest YQ plus government taxes, heaviest on long-haul and on Japan/Europe departures. A valid Korean Air routing is assumed.
Feed it: 160,000 HSBC Reward Points (2:1 via Accor Live Limitless (ALL)) · 320,000 HDFC Reward Points (4:1 via Accor Live Limitless (ALL)) · 800,000 Axis EDGE Reward Points (10:1 via Accor Live Limitless (ALL))
Asiana AirlinesEVA AirAir CanadaUnited Airlines Star Alliance
Re-metalled 2026-08-01. The old row named United while asserting a fixed chart cell, and United sits in the DYNAMIC column, so that cell never applied to its metal. Aeroplan's chart prints two rows per band: a dynamic "Starting at" floor for "Air Canada and/or Select Partners" (United Airlines, Emirates, Flydubai, Etihad Airways, Canadian North, Calm Air, Bearskin and PAL), and one fixed number for "All other partners". Asiana flies Seoul–Seattle nonstop, 5,204 miles, inside the same 5,001–7,500-mile band the old row read. EVA Air via Taipei flies 6,971 miles and lands in that band too, so the number survives Asiana leaving Star Alliance on 16 Dec 2026, the eve of the Korean Air merger. Priced on the 5,001–7,500-mile North America–Pacific band at the flown distance this routing actually covers, 5,204 mi. The band does not move, so the price is UNCHANGED at 50,000 economy / 85,000 business / 120,000 First. The United option the old row leaned on is still bookable, but it prices off the dynamic column's "Starting at" floor for the 5,001–7,500-mile band (45,000 economy / 85,000 business / 110,000 First) — a floor that climbs with demand, never a number we can promise. Neither carrier files a First cabin — Asiana retired its own First in Sep 2019 and EVA tops out at Royal Laurel business — so the chart First cell has no seat behind it on this pair.
Feed it: 60,000 Axis EDGE Miles (1:2) · 120,000 SBI Travel Credits (1:1) · 300,000 Axis EDGE Reward Points (5:2)
Flying back? Seoul to Seattle on points (ICN–SEA). Or take the whole region: every corridor we price into East Asia — 273 of them. Or pick any two hubs — 2,450 corridors priced.