65,000 points · 3–4 months timeline
Quick Answer
Flying to Seoul, South Korea costs 65,000 points for economy or 150,000 points for business class (round-trip). The best route is ANA via Virgin Atlantic or Korean Air via partners. Get the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card (60,000 bonus after $4,000 in 3 months) and reach your goal in 3–4 months.
Virgin Atlantic Flying Club is the secret weapon for flights to Japan and South Korea. While most travelers assume they need to book directly with the local airline, Virgin Atlantic's partnership with ANA (All Nippon Airways) unlocks premium award space at just 65,000 miles round-trip in economy — often 20–30% cheaper than booking through other programs. ANA consistently ranks among the world's best airlines, so you're getting top-tier service at some of the lowest points costs available.
The booking process works like this: once you've transferred your Chase points to Virgin Atlantic, search for award availability at virginatlantic.com. Select 'Book with miles', choose your route, and specifically look for ANA-operated flights (flight numbers starting with NH). For the best availability, search 6–11 months in advance — ANA releases award space to partners in batches. If you can't find space online, call Virgin Atlantic's award booking line where agents can sometimes locate space not visible on the website.
The bottom line: Seoul, South Korea requires approximately 65,000 points for economy or 150,000 for business class. With Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card (60,000 bonus points), you can reach this goal in 3–4 months. The points value delivered — compared to cash fares of $1000–$1600+ for economy — makes this one of the most powerful travel strategies available.
HYATT · Best hotel redemption in Seoul, South Korea
Grand Hyatt Seoul / Park Hyatt Seoul offers an exceptional points redemption in Seoul, South Korea. At 12,000 HYATT points per night, you're getting outstanding value compared to cash rates in the area. Park Hyatt Seoul is 20K/night for a world-class property. Grand Hyatt is 12-15K. Transfer your credit card points to HYATT and book directly at hyatt.com — award availability for most properties in Seoul, South Korea is generally strong outside peak holiday periods.
A round-trip economy flight to Seoul (ICN) costs approximately 65,000 Virgin Atlantic Flying Club miles booking ANA. Business class runs around 150,000 miles round-trip. Korean Air is another option via Chase transfer to Korean Air SkyPass.
The Chase Sapphire Preferred with 60,000 points is the best choice — it's close to the 65,000 needed for Seoul. Pair it with any Chase Freedom card (5,000–20,000 bonus) to bridge the gap. Transferring to Virgin Atlantic for ANA availability works best for Korean routing.
The best path is transferring Chase Ultimate Rewards to Virgin Atlantic and booking ANA flights to Seoul (ICN). Alternatively, Korean Air's SkyPass program directly awards flights to Seoul — Chase transfers to Korean Air at 1:1, and Korean Air often has good availability.
Yes — Seoul cash fares run $800–$1,300 economy round-trip, and Park Hyatt Seoul costs $400–$600/night in cash but only 20,000 Hyatt points. The point value is excellent, particularly for hotel redemptions in Seoul where cash prices are high.
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