Asiana Airlines rating

6.4/10Axel score · #22 of 77

5.0/10Repriceability · #21

Checked October 26, 2026 · How Axel rates airlines

Included bags add value, but recovering later fare drops remains unproven

Axel sees Asiana as a reasonable choice for travelers carrying checked bags on U.S. routes, where economy includes two bags as well as cabin baggage. Its refund complaint record is favorable, but recovering a later fare drop is not an established benefit. Unverified change penalties and shrinking loyalty access weaken the case for choosing it on price alone.

Best
Economy includes two checked bags up to 23 kg each on U.S. routes.
Directly purchased, fully unused paid tickets qualify for cancellation without penalties within 24 hours, before departure.
DOT recorded 1.33 refund complaints per 100,000 passengers on U.S. routes in April and May 2026.

Worst
A fee-free adjustment when an unchanged flight gets cheaper was not confirmed.
Free lowest-fare seat selection and adjacent family seating were not confirmed.
New partner award issuance and itinerary changes end December 17, 2026.

If the fare drops after you book, can you get money back?

PartlyRepriceability 5.0/10

Partly, the confirmed route is to cancel an eligible ticket within 24 hours and buy again at the lower fare. No fee-free adjustment on an unchanged flight is confirmed. Later change permission, reissue fees and refundable fare differences depend on the purchased fare rules, which remain unverified for the lowest and standard fares. Refunds use the original payment method. The cancellation window covers fully unused paid tickets bought directly, before departure, without a seven-day advance-purchase requirement. Branch and reservation-center requests are limited to business hours. Ordinary e-Vouchers last one year and are nontransferable. Separate U.S. disruption credits last five years, but neither product establishes the validity or transferability of voluntary price-drop credits.

Axel's record contains a small sample of repricing attempts, but no observation period or observed savings results are supplied. Repricing is Axel's price-drop protection: after you book, Axel watches the fare and works to deliver further savings when it drops. Repricing is included with Axel Membership.

No fare table: Asiana Airlines publishes no readable comparison of the fares it sells on US routes, so each fare's rules have to be read at booking.

Fare difference on a cheaper change: Depends on the fare. The disputed lowest-fare change permission remains unknown: the missing entry in run 2 does not establish either prohibited changes or free changes. Asiana's Reservation Guide says changes depend on the purchased fare rules; permitted changes involve current-fare repricing, collection or refund of the difference, and possible reissue fees. Refunds use the original payment method. Neither this guide nor Change and Refund shows a publication or update date; both were reviewed October 26, 2026. Standard-fare residual eligibility remains unverified.
Same flight, lower price: No explicit fee-free adjustment for a price decrease on the unchanged flight was confirmed. General itinerary-change rules do not establish that entitlement. Eligible unused tickets can be canceled within the published 24-hour window and purchased again; later penalties depend on fare rules.
Credits (e-Voucher; separate U.S. irregular-operations credit): Ordinary e-Vouchers expire one year after issuance. Separately, Asiana offers five-year passenger-name credits instead of qualifying U.S. disruption refunds. Neither establishes validity for voluntary cancellation or repricing credits.
24-hour rule: For fully unused paid tickets purchased directly, Asiana waives refund penalties and service fees for cancellation within 24 hours of purchase, before departure. Its paid-ticket policy states no seven-day advance-purchase requirement. Branch and reservation-center requests are restricted to office business hours. Award-ticket rules differ.
Same-day change: No separate U.S.-route same-day confirmed-change or standby benefit was confirmed. Ordinary changes require fare-rule permission and may involve repricing and reissue fees. Cancel or change before departure to avoid no-show penalties.
Schedule changes: On U.S. international itineraries, cancellation, departure at least six hours earlier, arrival at least six hours later, an origin/destination airport change, additional connections, downgrade, or specified disability-accessibility changes trigger refund rights when the traveler declines the changed transportation and alternatives. Direct-booking refunds must be automatic when qualifying alternatives are not accepted; Asiana's generic statement that canceled flights are not automatically refunded does not override this requirement. Refunds are due within seven business days for credit-card payments or 20 calendar days for other payments. Asiana alternatively offers five-year passenger-name credits. Its U.S. disruption provision states an October 28, 2024 effective date.

Score breakdown

Repriceability 35%5.0
- Standard fare change fee: no data, median 4.0/10 used · no data
- Lowest fare flexibility: no data, median 4.0/10 used · no data
- Lower fare on the same flight: no data, median 4.0/10 used · No fee-free adjustment for a price drop on the unchanged flight was confirmed, and standard-economy change fees, cancellation terms and residual eligibility remain unverified. General change rules allow collection or refund of fare differences depending on the purchased fare rules, but do not establish recovery after the 24-hour window.
- Credit terms: 7.0/10 · Ordinary e-Vouchers expire one year after issuance. Separately, Asiana offers five-year passenger-name credits instead of qualifying U.S. disruption refunds. Neither establishes validity for voluntary cancellation or repricing credits.
- Cancel the standard fare: no data, median 4.0/10 used · no data
- Risk-free window: 10.0/10 · For fully unused paid tickets purchased directly, Asiana waives refund penalties and service fees for cancellation within 24 hours of purchase, before departure. Its paid-ticket policy states no seven-day advance-purchase requirement. Branch and reservation-center requests are restricted to office business hours. Award-ticket rules differ.
- Same-day change: no data, median 7.0/10 used · No separate U.S.-route same-day confirmed-change or standby benefit was confirmed. Ordinary changes require fare-rule permission and may involve repricing and reissue fees. Cancel or change before departure to avoid no-show penalties.
- What Axel saw: does not apply · fewer than 10 attempts · Axel repricing attempts
Refunds and disruptions 20%8.2
- Commitments when the airline causes the problem: 6.0/10 · Covered by: US_DOT_refund_rule, EU261, Other_national; For US-route disruptions, the verified written commitment is the refund policy described above. Asiana also publishes an EU261 rights notice covering its departures from EU airports, including applicable care, rerouting, refunds and compensation; these are legal obligations, not additional benefits. Its current legal-notices page lists Thailand's CAAT Regulation No. 101 for departures from Thailand. The downloadable customer-service plan and international conditions could not be retrieved, so a current worldwide promise of meals, hotels, competitor-airline rebooking or cash compensation beyond law could not be confirmed. The regimes list contains verified coverage only and is not exhaustive.
- Refund conduct: 10.0/10 · No refund or compensation findings in 5 years
- Refund complaints: 9.3/10 · 1.33 refund complaints per 100,000 passengers (median for airlines based abroad: 4.39) · DOT complaint cases per 100,000 passengers on flights to and from the US (DOT T-100), April and May 2026; a month with fewer than 5 cases, which DOT does not list, counts as 2
Reliability 15%7.7*
- On-time arrival: does not apply · no data
- Cancellations: does not apply · no data · unknown
Fees and transparency 15%7.5
- Carry-on in the lowest fare: 10.0/10 · Economy includes one carry-on up to 10 kg and 115 cm combined dimensions, plus one personal item up to 40 × 30 × 20 cm. Business includes two carry-ons up to 10 kg each plus one personal item.
- First checked bag: 10.0/10 · On Asiana's U.S. routes, economy includes two checked bags up to 23 kg each; business includes two up to 32 kg each. Each bag may measure up to 158 cm combined dimensions. These are published cabin-wide allowances, not verified fare-brand distinctions. U.S. territories such as Saipan follow non-U.S. allowances. Excess and overweight charges are separate.
- Seat in the lowest fare: no data, median 3.0/10 used · unknown
- Children seated with a parent: no data, median 5.0/10 used · Advance selection is offered during booking, through Find My Trip and at check-in; international advance selection normally opens 360 days before departure and closes 48 hours before departure. Access may depend on ticket type and membership tier. Free standard-seat selection on every lowest-fare ticket and free adjacent seating for every child aged 13 or younger were not established. International passengers traveling with infants under two are excluded from the normal advance-selection process. Preferred seats cost extra; Korea–U.S. Extra Legroom seats cost USD 150 one way, with availability-dependent exemptions for Asiana Club Platinum members and booking classes Y, B and M.
- Price shown is price paid: 7.0/10 · 2025-08-03 Korea Fair Trade Commission
Complaints and handling 10%5.5
- Complaint rate: 5.5/10 · 12.87 complaints per 100,000 passengers (median for airlines based abroad: 14.73) · DOT complaint cases per 100,000 passengers on flights to and from the US (DOT T-100), April and May 2026; a month with fewer than 5 cases, which DOT does not list, counts as 2
- Mishandled bags: does not apply · not reported to DOT · U.S. DOT, April, May, July and August 2026
- Mishandled wheelchairs and scooters: does not apply · not reported to DOT · U.S. DOT, April, May, July and August 2026
- Bumping: does not apply · not reported to DOT · U.S. DOT, April to June 2026
Loyalty fairness 5%3.6
- Miles expiry: 2.0/10 · Miles earned from October 1, 2008 expire on December 31 of the tenth year for Magic Miles, Silver and Gold members, or the twelfth year for Diamond, Diamond Plus and Platinum members, based on status when earned. Miles earned through September 30, 2008 do not expire. This is fixed expiry, not an inactivity clock. Award pricing uses published redemption amounts, with a 50% peak-season mileage premium and occasional discounted awards.
- Devaluations: 2.0/10 · 2026-09-15: The finalized merger plan announced conversion of partner-earned Asiana miles to SKYPASS at 1:0.82, compared with 1:1 for flight-earned miles, effective with integration on December 17, 2026. This is not an immediate compulsory 18% reduction: customers can retain Asiana miles separately for ten years under existing redemption and expiry terms. Conversion is optional during that period, applies to the entire balance and is irreversible; remaining miles convert after the separate-operation period.; 2026-10-14: An updated partnership-withdrawal notice confirmed reduced earning and redemption access. Partner-program mileage earning on Asiana is unavailable for flights from October 16 through December 16, 2026 under the notice's schedule. Star Alliance award ticketing and travel cutoffs vary by partner, some ending October 31; no new partner award issuance or itinerary changes will be permitted from December 17. This is a loss of partner access, not an increase in Asiana's own-flight award chart.
- Award pricing: 10.0/10 · published_chart

Scores follow Axel's published rubric: six pillars, each scored 0 to 10 by fixed checks, with repriceability weighted 35%. Facts were checked October 26, 2026. No data at all for Reliability, so it takes the median of all rated airlines. No data for 7 checks (Standard fare change fee, Lowest fare flexibility, Lower fare on the same flight, Cancel the standard fare, Same-day change, Seat in the lowest fare, Children seated with a parent), each scored at the median of all rated airlines.

Refunds and disruptions

U.S. DOT rules require refunds when Asiana cancels or makes qualifying significant changes and you decline alternatives. Direct-booking refunds must be automatic, within seven business days for card payments or 20 calendar days otherwise. Five-year credits are optional. EU261 covers departures from EU airports, including applicable care and compensation. Thailand's CAAT Regulation No. 101 covers departures from Thailand. Additional worldwide meal, hotel or rebooking commitments were not confirmed.

DOT recorded 1.33 refund complaints per 100,000 passengers on U.S. routes in April and May 2026, below the 4.39 foreign-airline median. No refund or compensation findings were identified in five years. Separately, on December 22, 2025, the Korea Fair Trade Commission imposed approximately KRW 580 million for merger-related seat-supply breaches. Asiana challenged the decision in January 2026, with no final outcome confirmed.

Regulator actions since October 2021

December 2025, Korea Fair Trade Commission: The KFTC imposed an enforcement penalty of approximately KRW 580 million on Asiana for breaching merger-related minimum seat-supply requirements on Incheon–Frankfurt. Combined Korean Air/Asiana supply during the examined period was 69.5% of the comparable 2019 level, below the required 90%. Asiana reportedly challenged the decision in court in January 2026; no final outcome was confirmed. An action-date USD conversion was not verified. Source
October 2025, South Korea Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport: Asiana was fined KRW 12 million for failing to notify passengers promptly that checked baggage would not travel on three Incheon–New York flights on August 8–9, 2025. According to the ministry, Asiana knew three to four hours before departure but sent notifications after departure. The USD amount is Yonhap's contemporaneous October 2 conversion. Source
August 2025, Korea Fair Trade Commission: The KFTC announced a KRW 12.1 billion enforcement penalty against Asiana and a referral of the company to prosecutors for breaching merger-related average-fare caps in the first quarter of 2025. Four routes were affected: Incheon–Barcelona, Incheon–Frankfurt, Incheon–Rome and Gwangju–Jeju, with specified cabin fares exceeding permitted levels by 1.3%–28.2%. This concerned excessive fares, not checkout drip pricing. The approximate USD amount uses contemporaneous August 2025 reporting, not today's exchange rate; the official release identifies Asiana as the penalized company. Source

Reliability

No qualifying Asiana-specific on-time arrival or cancellation figures were verified as of October 26, 2026. Cirium's On-Time Performance Review 2025 was examined, but no qualifying calendar-year or trailing-12-month result was established for this assessment. Axel cannot judge schedule reliability from this evidence. Asiana says flights departing from December 17, 2026 will use Korean Air flight numbers and be operated by Korean Air.

Fees

Economy includes a 10 kg carry-on and a personal item. On U.S. routes, it also includes two checked bags up to 23 kg each. These are cabin-wide allowances, not verified fare-brand distinctions. Excess and overweight bags cost extra. Free standard-seat selection on the lowest fare and free adjacent family seating were not confirmed. Korea to U.S. Extra Legroom seats cost USD 150 one way, with some exemptions. Whether mandatory charges appear after the first displayed price was not confirmed. On August 3, 2025, the Korea Fair Trade Commission announced a KRW 12.1 billion penalty for merger-related fare-cap breaches, not checkout drip pricing.

Complaints

DOT recorded 12.87 complaints per 100,000 passengers on flights to and from the U.S. in April and May 2026, compared with a 14.73 median for airlines based abroad. DOT did not report Asiana bag or wheelchair mishandling figures for April, May, July and August 2026, or bumping figures for April through June 2026. Separately, South Korea's Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport fined Asiana KRW 12 million on October 2, 2025 for failing to notify passengers promptly about baggage disruptions.

Loyalty program

Asiana Club publishes award prices with a 50% peak-season premium. Miles earned from October 1, 2008 expire at year-end in the tenth or twelfth year, depending on status when earned. Optional SKYPASS conversion uses 1:0.82 for partner-earned miles and 1:1 for flight-earned miles. Existing balances can remain separate for ten years under existing expiry rules. Partner access is shrinking, with new partner award issuance and itinerary changes ending December 17, 2026.

Choose Asiana Airlines if

Carry checked bags on U.S. routes and value the included allowance.
You can check the purchased fare rules before committing.
Value an early cancellation window more than later price adjustments.

Book elsewhere if

You need guaranteed fee-free recovery when the same flight gets cheaper.
You need confirmed free adjacent seating for your family.
You plan to rely on continuing Star Alliance award access.

Tips

Buy directly to qualify for the cancellation window covering fully unused paid tickets within 24 hours, and cancel before departure.
Keep economy bags within the published 10 kg cabin and 23 kg per checked bag limits on U.S. routes to avoid excess charges.
Check the availability-dependent Extra Legroom seat exemptions for Asiana Club Platinum members and Y, B or M bookings before paying USD 150 one way on Korea to U.S. routes.

Questions travelers ask

Does Asiana charge change fees?

Change fees depend on the purchased fare rules, and a standard amount was not confirmed. Permitted changes can involve current-fare repricing and reissue fees, while lowest-fare change eligibility remains unverified. No separate U.S.-route same-day confirmed-change or standby benefit was confirmed. Cancel or change before departure to avoid no-show penalties.

Can I get money back if my Asiana fare drops?

The early cancellation route is confirmed, but a fee-free adjustment on the same flight is not. For a fully unused paid ticket bought directly, you can cancel within 24 hours, before departure, without refund penalties or service fees and buy again. Later changes depend on fare rules, and a refundable lower-fare difference is not established for the standard fare.

How long do Asiana credits last?

Ordinary e-Vouchers expire one year after issue, while separate credits offered instead of qualifying U.S. disruption refunds last five years. Ordinary e-Vouchers are nontransferable and not cash-refundable, and must be redeemed through Asiana rather than an agency. The disruption credit's transferability was not confirmed. Neither product establishes the validity or transferability of voluntary cancellation or price-drop credits.

What do I get if Asiana cancels my flight?

On a covered U.S. itinerary, you are entitled to a refund if you decline replacement transportation and other alternatives. Qualifying direct-booking refunds must be automatic, within seven business days for card payments or 20 calendar days for other payments. A five-year credit is an alternative, not mandatory. EU261 provides applicable care, rerouting, refund and compensation rights for departures from EU airports.

How much are carry-on and checked bags on Asiana?

Economy includes a carry-on up to 10 kg plus a personal item, and U.S. routes include two checked bags up to 23 kg each without a separate bag charge. These are published cabin allowances, not confirmed distinctions between fare brands. Each checked bag can measure up to 158 cm in combined dimensions. Extra and overweight bags cost more, and U.S. territories such as Saipan follow non-U.S. allowances.

Sources

Notice on Flight Number Changes and Booking & Ticket Information Transfer Following the Asiana Airlines–Korean Air Integration, Asiana Airlines, 2026-09-14
Korean Air Clears US Antitrust to Close $1.3 Billion Asiana Deal, Bloomberg News, 2024-12-12
Asiana Airlines United States website and booking selector, Asiana Airlines
Change and Refund, Asiana Airlines
Reservation Guide, Asiana Airlines
Book Online — e-Voucher conditions, Asiana Airlines
Checked Baggage, Asiana Airlines
Carry-on Baggage, Asiana Airlines
Advance Seat Selection, Asiana Airlines
Traveling with Infants or Children, Asiana Airlines
Cabin Classes, Asiana Airlines
Extra Legroom Seat, Asiana Airlines
Refunds, U.S. Department of Transportation, 2025-11-07
Contract of Carriage and Notifications, Asiana Airlines
Notice of Changes to Preferred Seat Services, Asiana Airlines, 2025-12-10
Itinerary Selection — United States, Asiana Airlines
Notice on Flight Number Changes and Transfer of Reservation/Ticket Information due to the Asiana Airlines-Korean Air Merger, Asiana Airlines, 2026-09-14
FTC approves revised mileage integration plan for Korean Air, Asiana, Yonhap News Agency, 2026-09-15
Sanctions against Asiana Airlines for noncompliance with corrective measures, Korea Fair Trade Commission, republished by Korea Development Institute, 2025-08-04
Korean Air, Asiana fined $8.7 million for violating merger agreement, Korea JoongAng Daily, 2025-08-03
Asiana, Aero K fined over notification issues involving baggage, flight delays, Yonhap News Agency, 2025-10-02
February 2026 overseas competition developments, Japan Fair Trade Commission, 2026-02
Korean Air, Asiana face fines for breaching merger conditions on seat supply, Aju Press, 2025-12-22
Korean Air, Asiana Airlines sue gov't over $4.5mn fine, ch-aviation, 2026-01-27
Expiration Dates, Asiana Airlines
Mileage Tickets, Asiana Airlines
Notice on Mileage Integration Plan for Korean Air and Asiana Airlines, Asiana Airlines, 2026-09-15
Notice of End of Partner Airlines & Star Alliance Mileage Partnership (Part 3), Asiana Airlines, 2026-10-14
On-Time Performance Review 2025, Cirium
Cirium On-Time Performance Review 2025 — Airlines & Airports, Cirium, copy hosted by Poder360, 2026-01
AirHelp reveals the best and worst airlines in 2025 AirHelp Score, AirHelp, 2025-11-20
AirHelp Score — Airport Rankings 2026 and Airline Rankings 2025, AirHelp
Customer Service — United States, Asiana Airlines
Special Assistance — United States, Asiana Airlines
Korean Air, Asiana Report Data Breach at Booking System Operator, Seoul Economic Daily, 2026-10-23
'OZ→KE' Launch of Integrated Korean Air to Suspend Asiana Airlines Reservations for Up to 23 Hours, MoneyToday, 2026-10-26
EU Passenger Rights, Asiana Airlines
March 2026 Air Travel Consumer Report, revised May 28, 2026, U.S. Department of Transportation

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