Can’t get upgraded? Sue.

A new US class action lawsuit is challenging Korean Air’s rules for mileage upgrades.

    A U.S. resident in California brought a class legal action against Korean Air, arguing the airline company charged him an extra $200 for his ticket when he asked the company to upgrade his economy-class ticket to a business-class one using his accumulated flying mileage.

    The company explained the plaintiff had to purchase a different ticket because upgrading one’s seat using their flyers’ mileage can only be done when the ticket is valid for more than six months. The one the plaintiff had originally purchased had the validity period of only three months.


    The plaintiff asked the court to order a suspension of their business practice arguing the practice was unfair because it was not stated in their service contract while also asking for a compensation for all people in the U.S. subscribing to the service.

Airlines limit upgrades to certain fares. It’s a fact of life. Let’s sue.

About Gary Leff

Gary Leff is one of the foremost experts in the field of miles, points, and frequent business travel - a topic he has covered since 2002. Co-founder of frequent flyer community InsideFlyer.com, emcee of the Freddie Awards, and named one of the "World's Top Travel Experts" by Conde' Nast Traveler (2010-Present) Gary has been a guest on most major news media, profiled in several top print publications, and published broadly on the topic of consumer loyalty. More About Gary »

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