Compare 15 loyalty programs for Chicago to Seoul award flights, with economy seats from 33,000 points.
Chicago to Seoul is an ultra-long-haul US–South Korea corridor, and nonstop award space shows up on Korean Air. Award pricing spans 15 programs, and the cheapest economy award is 33,000 points on a routing that includes Air France. The lowest price comes through Virgin Atlantic Flying Club, not Air France's own program, so it pays to look past the obvious choice before transferring anything. The tables below compare ORD–ICN pricing across all 15 programs.
Best one-way award prices per airline over the next 12 months.
| Airline | Economy | Premium economy | Business | First |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Air FranceAF | 33,000Lowest | 66,000pts | 182,900pts | Not available |
 American AirlinesAA | 35,000pts | 50,000Lowest | 123,500pts | Not available |
 Alaska AirlinesAS | 35,000pts | Not available | 60,000Lowest | 185,000pts |
 Korean AirKE | 37,000pts | Not available | 100,000pts | Not available |
 EmiratesEK | 37,500pts | 95,000pts | 105,000pts | Not available |
 FinnairAY | 42,500pts | 130,800pts | Not available | Not available |
 DeltaDL | 45,000pts | 113,400pts | 190,000pts | 180,000pts |
 United AirlinesUA | 48,000pts | 65,000pts | 98,010pts | 85,000Lowest |
 Air CanadaAC | 49,300pts | 69,183pts | 85,000pts | Not available |
ANANH | 50,000pts | Not available | Not available | Not available |
When award seats between Chicago and Seoul price cheapest over the next year.
| Month | Cheapest award (points) |
|---|---|
| Nov 2026 | 33,000 |
| Dec 2026 | 33,000 |
| Jan 2027 | 35,000 |
| Feb 2027 | 33,000 |
| Mar 2027 | 35,000 |
| Apr 2027 | 33,000 |
| May 2027 | 33,000 |
| Jun 2027 | 37,000 |
| Jul 2027 | No award data |
| Aug 2027 | No award data |
| Sep 2027 | No award data |
| Oct 2027 | No award data |
14 airlines with award seats between Chicago and Seoul, nonstop or connecting.
American AirlinesAAAir CanadaAC
AeromexicoAMAlaska AirlinesASFinnairAY
JetBlueB6
Cathay PacificCXDeltaDLEmiratesEK
Etihad AirwaysEY
LufthansaLH
Qatar AirwaysQR
Turkish AirlinesTKUnited AirlinesUAWhat to know before booking Chicago to Seoul with points.
About 6,540 miles, roughly 13h40 nonstop. Seoul runs 14 hours ahead of Chicago (15 while Chicago is on standard time). Data covers November 2026–October 2027, with calendar prices for eight months. Of the well-covered ones, November 2026, December 2026, and February 2027 are among the cheapest, at 33,000 points; pricier months include March 2027 (35,000) and June 2027 (37,000).
Chicago to Seoul is served by American Airlines, Air Canada, Air France and 27 more, offering multiple options for award travelers. Compare 15 loyalty programs to find the best value for your points. Award prices start from 33,000 points in economy. Use our search tool to check real-time award availability on this route.
Roughly 6,540 miles separate Chicago's O'Hare International Airport (ORD) and Seoul's Incheon International Airport (ICN), so a nonstop spends about 13h40 in the air, a little more or less depending on winds and direction. Nonstop award space in the data comes from a single airline: Korean Air. The Boeing 777-300ER appears on those nonstop award segments. Most award options in the data connect. Nonstops are less than 1% of the total.
On an ultra-long-haul trip like Chicago–Seoul, pick the cabin before the program. The economy floor connects once; an economy nonstop on Korean Air costs more. The cheapest economy seat's $458 in taxes and fees is the catch, well above the route's typical economy taxes; more points and less cash can come out ahead. Measured against economy, premium economy is about 1.5 times the points and business about 1.8 times. Virgin Atlantic Flying Club is a bank-points transfer partner, but transfers are one-way, so confirm the seat before moving anything.
Virgin Atlantic Flying Club wins economy at 33,000 points. American AAdvantage takes premium economy at 50,000 points and business class at 60,000. First class starts at 85,000 points through Air Canada Aeroplan on a connecting itinerary, often first on one leg only, so confirm the cabin on each flight. Of the other 12, Air France-KLM Flying Blue, Alaska Atmos Rewards, and Etihad Guest are worth a look too.
In the current award data, only Korean Air shows nonstop space on Chicago–Seoul, but as a SkyTeam member its seats also price through alliance partners, not just Korean Air's own program. Beyond the nonstop, the cheaper connecting awards in the data change planes in Paris, Seattle, and Dallas/Fort Worth. In business class, the floor sits on Alaska Airlines, booked through oneworld partner American AAdvantage.
At the Seoul end, Gimpo (GMP) sits just above the floor at 35,000 points in economy, a fair fallback when Incheon dates are stripped. Two related routes to weigh at last check: Honolulu to Seoul at 25,500 points and Chicago to Athens at 9,500. Whichever Seoul airport you pick, confirm the arrival code before transferring points.
Alternative corridors travelers consider alongside Chicago to Seoul.
From 1,883 ptsBusiness 9,000 pts
From 5,500 ptsBusiness 29,000 pts
From 5,700 ptsBusiness 25,500 pts
From 6,293 ptsBusiness 55,000 pts
From 6,900 ptsBusiness 30,000 pts
From 7,500 ptsBusiness 25,000 pts
Common questions travelers ask about the Chicago to Seoul route.
