The Korean Air SKYPASS Select Visa Signature Card has an introductory offer of: 30,000 bonus SKYPASS miles when you make at least $3,000 in the first 90 days. The value of these 30k points will be worth about $510. This bonus value offer isn’t a lot when you compare it with their competitors, plus, the annual fee is $50.
With the “Premium” SKYPASS card, it won’t really give you the best perks. The real premium cards such as Chase Sapphire Reserve and the Platinum Card from American Express do a lot better than this card does.
It doesn’t mean that this credit card doesn’t have any value for their Korean Air clients. You can make up for the annual fee with the cards perks and benefits.
- Travel credit is worth $200.
- TSA Precheck or Global Entry fee credit will be worth $85-$100. This perk is used every 4 years.
- Introductory bonus will be worth about $510.
- With the annual spend bonus included, if you spend about $35k annually, the 10,000 miles will be worth about $170.
- Get $100 off for the annual Korean Air ticket coupons.
- The 2 KAL Lounge coupons are worth 2,000 miles (about $30+) Domestic and 4,000 miles (about $60+) International.
This will all depend on the card perks that you choose to use.
There are 4 SKYPASS cards to compare:
- SKYPASS Select Visa Signature Card (subject of this page)
- SKYPASS Visa Signature Card
- SkyBlue SKYPASS Visa Card
- SKYPASS Visa Business Card
SKYPASS Select Visa Card Quick Facts
| Bonus Available | Receive 30,000 bonus miles once you spend at least $3,000 in the first 90 days of opening your account. |
| Bonus Value | $510 |
| Travel Credit | Gain no more than $200 annual statement credit on travel purchases. |
| Ongoing Rewards/Benefits | Earn 2 miles for each $1 used for Korean Air ticket expenses, 2 miles for each $1 used towards non-Korean Air airline tickets, car rentals and hotels, and 1 mile for each $1 used for other qualifying expenses.
One $100 Off coupon each year for a Korean Air ticket purchase. Gain two $25 off coupons every year for In-Flight Duty Free purchases. Get 10,000 bonus miles at renewal once you’ve spent a minimum of $35,000 annually. TSA Precheck or Global Entry application fee statement credit. |
| Foreign Transaction Fees? | No |
| Airport Lounge Access | Get two KAL Lounge coupons each year. |
| Annual Fee | $450 |
Recommended Free Credit Score (Get Free Score)
720 – 850 (Excellent)
*SKYPASS Select Visa is issued by U.S. Bank. Compare this card to other credit card offers.*
Pros
- Bonus miles
- Bonus on non-airline spending
- $200 annual travel credit
- Annual $100 air ticket coupon
- Annual $25 inflight duty free coupons
- 2 KAL Lounge passes every year
- Anniversary bonus
- No foreign transaction fees
Cons
- High annual fee
- Excellent credit needed to qualify
- Weak luxury perks
- Complicated rewards
Editor’s Alternate Pick
 The Chase Sapphire Reserve offers 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's $900 toward travel when you redeem through Chase TravelSM. You'll earn • 5x total points on flights and 10x total points on hotels and car rentals when you purchase travel through Chase Travel immediately after the first $300 is spent on travel purchases annually. • 3x points on other travel and dining • 1 point per $1 spent on all other purchases Get 50% more value when you redeem your points for travel through Chase Travel. This card does carry a $550 annual fee and there are no foreign transaction fees. However, you're able to earn a $300 Annual Travel Credit as reimbursement for travel purchases charged to your card each account anniversary year & up to $120 application fee credit for Global Entry or TSA Pre✓®. Member FDIC |
SKYPASS Select Card 30,000 Bonus Miles Offer
Make use of the SKYPASS Select credit card’s bonus offer of: 30,000 bonus miles. The evaluation for these points will be worth about $510 (more on that below).
You must charge your card with a minimum of $3,000 in the first 90 days of having your account open to be able to qualify for this bonus offer.
Here are some ideas on meeting the spending requirement:
What are Korean Air SKYPASS Miles Worth?
Compared to other airline branded credit cards, depending on how you use your miles will reflect their value. You can redeem these miles towards flights and upgrades for Korean Air and other qualifying SkyTeam Members. There are some non-SkyTeam partners that you would be able to redeem towards flights as well. Typically, every SKYPASS mile will be worth about $0.017. This is a great value since the average for cards in this platform is worth about $0.01 for each point.
You’ll be able to use your SKYPASS miles for:
- Flights (Korean Air, SkyTeam partners, non-SkyTeam partners)
- Upgrades (Korean Air, SkyTeam partners)
- KAL Lounge access
- Excess baggage (Korean Air)
- Hotel stays
- Car rentals
- KAL limousines
- Merchandise
- Coatroom service
- Visits to Jeju Folk Village Museum
To get the best value for your SKYPASS Miles would be to use them towards flights with Korean Air or one of their partner airlines. When you redeem your rewards with this, it won’t be easy. However, it’s definitely worth the extra effort and time.
SkyTeam Member Airlines
| Aeroflot | China Eastern | Korean Air |
| Aerolineas Argentinas | Czech Airlines | MEA (Middle East Airlines) |
| AeroMexico | Delta | Saudia |
| Air Europa | Garuda Indonesia | Tarom |
| Air France | Kenya Airways | Vietnam Airlines |
| Alitalia | KLM Royal Dutch Airlines | Xiamen Air |
| China Airlines |
Korean Air’s Non-SkyTeam Partner Airlines
| Alaska Airlines | Emirates | Hawaiian Airlines |
| American Airlines | Etihad Airways | Japan Airlines |
| China Southern | GOL Airlines | Jet Airways |
SKYPASS Select Visa Card Top Features
Receive immediate statement credits being no more than $200 altogether for every membership year for travel purchases. This will also include purchases that merchants list as airlines, hotels, and car rentals.
You need to have expenses that are made directly with the airlines, hotels, or car rental places to be able to qualify.
Benefit from a large variety of Korean Air perks each year. You can even receive:
- One $100 coupon towards a Korean Air ticket purchase
- Two $25 coupons towards Korean Air in-flight duty free purchases
- Two KAL Lounge coupons
Gain 10,000 bonus SKYPASS miles when you’ve spent a minimum of $35,000 in one membership year. All you have to do is pay the annual fee that comes with the card in the month it’s due to be able to qualify.
Get a statement credit for TSA Precheck ($85) or Global Entry ($100) application fee for every 4 years that has passed.
Buy things overseas without having to stress about having any foreign transaction fees with the SKYPASS Select Visa Signature credit card.
Bottom Line
The SKYPASS Select Visa Signature Card is an excellent premium credit card to have. However it doesn’t quite match up with their competitors in this platform. It’s not easy to make up for the credit cards annual fee of $450 with the small perks they have. Basically, the SKYPASS Select Visa card comes with premium costs, but acts like an average credit card. There are tons of other credit card options that would give you more for your moneys worth.
(Visit SKYPASS for more information)
What’s the Competition?
There are some of SKYPASS Select Visa Signature credit card’s top competitors listed below.
The Chase Sapphire Reserve offers 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's $900 toward travel when you redeem through Chase TravelSM. You'll earn • 5x total points on flights and 10x total points on hotels and car rentals when you purchase travel through Chase Travel immediately after the first $300 is spent on travel purchases annually. • 3x points on other travel and dining • 1 point per $1 spent on all other purchases Get 50% more value when you redeem your points for travel through Chase Travel. This card does carry a $550 annual fee and there are no foreign transaction fees. However, you're able to earn a $300 Annual Travel Credit as reimbursement for travel purchases charged to your card each account anniversary year & up to $120 application fee credit for Global Entry or TSA Pre✓®. Member FDIC |
 The Platinum Card® from American Express offers 125,000 Membership Rewards points after you spend $8,000 on eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. You'll earn: • 5X Membership Rewards Points for flights booked directly with airlines or with American Express Travel up to $500,000 on these purchases per calendar year. • 5X Membership Rewards Points on prepaid hotels booked with American Express Travel. • $200 Hotel Credit: Get up to $200 back in statement credits each year on prepaid Fine Hotels + Resorts(R) or The Hotel Collection bookings through American Express Travel using your Platinum Card(R). The Hotel Collection requires a minimum two-night stay. • $240 Digital Entertainment Credit: Get up to $20 back in statement credits each month on eligible purchases made with your Platinum Card on one or more of the following: Disney+, a Disney Bundle, ESPN+, Hulu, The New York Times, Peacock, and The Wall Street Journal. Enrollment required. • With American Express Global Lounge Collection you can enjoy access to over 1,400 airport lounges globally, including The Centurion Lounge, Unlimited Delta Sky Club® Access when flying an eligible Delta flight, Escape Lounges, Lufthansa Lounges when flying Lufthansa Group, Plaza Premium, Priority Pass Select Lounges, & Additional Global Lounge Collection Partner Lounges subject to visit limitations. Lounges may have their own rules, like additional access rules and guest fees, and for Priority Pass Select, you need to enroll and there are unlimited airport lounge visits for Card Members. With Delta Sky Club Access, Card Members will receive 10 Visits to the Delta Sky Club to be used from February 1 until January 31 of the next calendar year and can unlock Unlimited Delta Sky Club Access by spending $75,000 in eligible purchases on their Card in a calendar year. To find a lounge, visit the membership section in the American Express App or visit http://www.americanexpress.com/findalounge#/loungefinder. • $155 Walmart+ Credit: Save on eligible delivery fees, shipping, and more with a Walmart+ membership. Use your Platinum Card to pay for a monthly Walmart+ membership and get up to $12.95 plus applicable taxes back on one membership (excluding Plus Ups) each month. • $200 Airline Fee Credit: Select one qualifying airline and then receive up to $200 in statement credits per calendar year when incidental fees are charged by the airline to your Platinum Card. • $200 Uber Cash: Platinum Card Members can ride or dine in style with $15 in Uber Cash each month, plus a bonus $20 in December after adding their Card to their Uber account. Use your Uber Cash on rides and orders in the U.S. when you select an Amex Card for your transaction. • $199 CLEAR® Plus Credit: CLEAR Plus helps to get you to your gate faster at 50+ airports nationwide and get up to $199 back per calendar year on your Membership (subject to auto-renewal) when you use your Card. CLEARLanes are available at 100+ airports, stadiums, and entertainment venues. • Receive either a $120 statement credit every 4 years for a Global Entry application fee or a statement credit up to $85 every 4.5 years for a TSA PreCheck (through a TSA official enrollment provider) application fee, when charged to your Platinum Card. Card Members approved for Global Entry will also receive access to TSA PreCheck at no additional cost. • Shop Saks with Platinum: Get up to $100 in statement credits annually for purchases in Saks Fifth Avenue stores or at saks.com on your Platinum Card. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required. This card comes with a $695 annual fee.¤ (See Rates & Fees), but you cardholders can enjoy Uber VIP status and up to $200 in Uber savings on rides in the US annually. Uber Cash and Uber VIP status is available to Basic Card Member and Additional Centurion Cards only. Terms Apply. |
 The American Express® Gold Card offers 75,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 on eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. You'll earn: • 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. • 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. • 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com. • 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com. • 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases. Other benefits: • $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an American Express Card for your transaction. That's up to $120 Uber Cash annually. Plus, after using your Uber Cash, use your Card to earn 4X Membership Rewards points for Uber Eats purchases made at restaurants or U.S. supermarkets. Point caps and terms apply. • $84 Dunkin' Credit: With the $84 Dunkin' Credit, you can earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express(R) Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin' locations. • $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express(R) Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required. • $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings, sweet or savory, with the $120 Dining Credit. Earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express(R) Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and Five Guys. Enrollment required. • Explore over 1,000 upscale hotels worldwide with The Hotel Collection and receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges* with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. *Eligible charges vary by property. This card has an annual fee of $325 with no foreign transaction fees (See Rates & Fees). Terms Apply. |
