Asiana Airlines rolls out memberships for upgrades

Asiana Airlines launches its premium “upgrade membership” today, allowing its customers to upgrade their business-class seats to first class. The membership is available on three of the most popular long-distance routes: Los Angeles, New York and Frankfurt.

Customers can buy either of the two types: the annual membership, which allows them to upgrade their seats throughout the year without limit for 1.3 million won ($1135), and the single-use membership for 700,000 won.

The carrier expected business travelers, in particular, would find the annual membership attractive since they often go on trips.

Since the annual membership offers unlimited upgrades for a year, it is expected to attract frequent travelers, who wish to “experience the top class service offered by Asiana Airlines” said Doo Sung-gook, director of marketing. The single-use membership could be popular, as it normally costs more than 3 million won to upgrade to first class.

Earlier this month, Asiana Airlines, the second largest carrier in Korea, said that its accumulated number of passengers surpassed 300 million since the service began in 1988.