We know it's been a busy time for many of you since the announcement of the International Vaccine Traveler Self-Isolation Exemption.

Consulates around the U.S. have been inundated with calls and airline bookings have increased dramatically compared to previous years, so it's not just the magic circle.

The detailed process for consular applications is being updated.but it seems like a reasonable inference at this point to expect it to be in place by mid-July.

In today's post, we take a look at the mileage ticket situation to South Korea on major airlines since mid-July.

The number of flights has been drastically reduced, ticket prices have already gone up considerably, and traveling via Japan or Canada is subject to cancellation, so there are fewer options than before.

However, depending on the region and mileage program, seat availability can be pretty good, so it's best to look for miles seats first before considering the option of buying a paid ticket.

1. for Korean Air: it's off-season, so seat availability from the US is pretty good

First up is Korean Air, the flag carrier.

The big downside is that it's harder to earn miles after the Chase UR conversion ends, but if you've already accumulated miles, seat availability is pretty good.

If you're traveling in late July to avoid the additional peak period of 8/1-8/15 for US departures, the mileage redemption is also relatively good at 3.5k miles in economy.

Look at seat availability by region.

1) LAX

Economy has great seat availability. I haven't checked every single day, but it looks like there are enough seats every day from mid-July through the end of the month.

Most days are already sold out for business, but it's not impossible: on July 18, there are two flights per day, both of which have seven business seats available.

2) JFK

Next up is New York. Again, New York has very good availability in economy every day. However, the business seats seem to be all gone.

3) IAD

In Washington, the 787 is scheduled to fly four times a week, and while mileage seats are available, they're not exactly plentiful.

For example, for July 21, it says only 3 seats in Economy are available.

4) ATL

Atlanta is a daily 787-9 flight, and it's notoriously difficult to find miles on that route, right?

Late July is like New York for business, it's annihilation, but economy has great seats.

5) DFW

Dallas is a 3x weekly 787 flight, and the economy seat availability seems to be decent.

2. Asiana: good only on western routes in August

Asiana's 2021 peak season for departures from the Americas is 5/14-7/4.

Compared to Korean Air, which also counts 8/1-8/15 as an additional peak period, Asiana is in a much better position when it comes to the peak period itself.

However, in the case of Asiana, I did a search today and the seating situation is almost wiped out.

I wonder if this is even possible ;;

1) LAX

First up is LA. Late July is a seat wipeout, but luckily there are some economy seats available in August.

2) JFK

New York is more difficult to find seats. At the time of my search (6/21), only 8/13 have economy seats available, and the rest of the dates have no seats at all.

3) SFO

Similar to LA, San Fran has Ikon ticketing in August.

4) SEA

Seattle is the only place where seats are still available, with a few dates in late July, and business class seats in August.

3. United: The West is surprisingly okay

Next up is United Airlines.

United is considered the last bastion of peak season ticketing because it's a 1:1 UR points transfer partner, so it's relatively easy to collect miles, and because it's a Star Alliance mainline carrier with lots of route options.

The Sharp card is currently running a 100,000 point promotion, and while it may be difficult to get the card now and redeem the points in mid to late July, I think it's always a good idea to save UR for later.

Anyway, after mid-July, I searched for The West Side is a one-stop shop, but at least it has better seat availabilityIt looks like you did.

If you have a UA card, you have access to XN seatsso it's better.

If you're in the East, it's not like there aren't seats available, but you'll have to do some thinking as most of the options are back to Europe.

1) LAX

First, I tried searching for LA.

That's a lot of one-stop dates for 3.5k miles, and since United has nonstop service between San Fran and Incheon, I'm guessing you'll have to change in San Fran for your connection.

I've also seen the occasional Vancouver, Canada, dog. For Canadian routes, the likelihood of cancelations is high, so it's probably best to avoid them if possible.

2) New York

In the East, things are less favorable.

If you just look at the calendar, you might think, "Oh, there's a seat available for $3.50 or $3.85," but when you actually click on it, you'll see that it's mostly LOT flights with connections in Warsaw, Poland, or routes through Istanbul, Turkey.

With frequent flight cancellations during the pandemic, and different countries having different entry and transit requirements, it's important to understand that Transiting through Europe is not the best option, it's good to remember.

3) Atlanta

For Atlanta, for example, if you don't have a UA partner card, you'll only see routes through Europe.

If you have a UA card, there are dates that you can connect to San Fran, but there are no one-stops, and it seems like two-stops are the norm.

4. Delta: I sometimes see direct Korean Air boarding dates in the 50,000 mile range 

Next up is Delta Air Lines.

Delta doesn't have a mileage redemption chart, so the mileage redemptions are often huge during peak periods.

I mentioned earlier that United has one-way economy for 30,000 miles, while Delta has one-way economy for just over 100,000 miles during the summer peak.

For example, if you search for Atlanta to Incheon on July 16, you'll see that Delta nonstop economy is 13.5k miles each way. That's a mileage penalty that's beyond common sense ;);

That's why the only way to get a good deal on a nonstop Delta flight is to use Virgin Atlantic miles, but DTW-ICN, ATL-ICN, and MSP-ICN don't seem to have much availability after late July.

So are Delta miles worthless for a trip to South Korea this summer? Not really.

Although the mileage deduction is higher than before, Days to fly Korean Air nonstop for 50,000 milesin the file.

1) LA I did one search first.

If it comes out to 56,250 miles, I think it's safe to say that it's a good day to fly Korean Air nonstop.

For example, for July 21, it appears that both Korean Air flights are available for 56,250 miles one-way economy.

The days that come up as 68,000 miles on the calendar seem to be Delta itineraries with one-stop or more connections.

2) New York

New York is also available nonstop on Korean Air for 56,250 miles.

However, as you can see from the calendar below, the available dates are extremely sparse compared to the West, so it's best to secure your tickets as soon as possible.

Delta miles can be earned through Amex partner cards.

There's a promotion going on right now for $200 credit for up to 90,000 miles + Delta Air Lines purchases. It's not something you'll want to use this summer, but if you're thinking about visiting Korea this winter or next year, it's a good idea to stock up.

5. American Airlines: Very high mileage redemptions to South Korea

And finally, AA airlines.

On AA, a month ago there were many days when a nonstop Dallas-Incheon itinerary was available for 3.5k miles in economy and 60k miles in business, but now seats are very tight.

If I search for LA-Incheon, mid to late July is the cheapest time to fly for 62,500 miles one way in economy.

And even then, it's not a Dallas one-stop, it's a two-stop, and it's a pain in the ass.

For New York-Incheon, the situation is no different.

For those who only have AA miles and no other miles (It's never a good idea) You might want to look into Tokyo as a stopover instead of Incheon.

The reason is the nice mileage deduction.

If I search for Tokyo as a destination, there are quite a few days available for 32,500 miles in economy.

You can even get a one-way business flight for 60,000 miles.

Of course, it's important to remember that traveling through the East during this time is fraught with great risk.

1) First, I need to separate the Narita-Incheon flight, whether I get it with miles or cash, and I don't have many options.

Last time Fly ANA First Class with Virgin Miles ArticleWe're still in the situation we outlined in the previous section.

Korean Air only has one flight, KE704, which departs at 5:20pm on Mondays and 2:55pm on all other days of the week, so you'll only be able to connect if you're flying from the US on a Sunday.

You might think of Ethiopian Airlines, but baggage connections can be an issue.

2) In addition to this AA is canceling hundreds of flights these days due to pilot shortage and weather.

If even a direct trip to Korea is canceled, things get complicated, including PCR test strips, and if a separately issued ticket gets messed up, it's a real no-go.

3) Finally, because we don't know what variables will arise around the Olympic Games, we don't know how the I would suggest that traveling through Japan should only be considered as a last resort if you really have no other options..

Let's wrap up today's post.

The exemption from self-isolation for those who have been vaccinated is good news that many of us have been waiting for.

However, with the number of flights reduced due to the pandemic and the peak summer travel season, it's harder than usual to redeem miles for the itineraries you want.

In today's post, I've painted a rough big-picture picture for US departures only.

When visiting Korea, you shouldn't just look for outbound tickets, but always factor in return tickets as well.I think it's worth emphasizing again, and when I get a chance, I'll also take a look at the state of the table coming back to the US.

Have a great day.