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I purchased a Korean airline economy ticket from Dulles (IAD) to Incheon (ICN). Can I upgrade to business class with my Barclays Mastercard® Black Card® points?
Using points to fly in business class is my favorite way to use credit card rewards. However, Glenn's situation is a bit different because Barclays doesn't have a flexible points program. So you can't transfer Barclays Mastercard Black Card points to airline travel programs.
How to upgrade your flight to Korean with points
Upgrading flights with the Mastercard Black Card
You can redeem Mastercard Black Card points for 1.5 cents each as cash back or 2 cents each toward airfare. It also has an annual $200 airline credit that applies to airfare, baggage fees, lounge access and more.
The option for upgrading any flight with these rewards is straightforward. You'll have to pay the cash price for the upgrade (if it's available) and then redeem points for cash back as a statement credit or direct deposit. Unfortunately, you'll only be getting 1.5 cents per point and not 2 cents per point because that elevated rate only applies to airfare booked through Myluxurycard.com.
If you haven't used up your $200 airline credit, it's possible that paying for a flight upgrade could trigger the credit. However, I can't say for certain as I've never had this card, and it depends on how the airline codes the purchase.
The Mastercard Black Card offers solid travel perks and a strong 2% airfare redemption rate. But its steep $699 annual fee and low rewards rates make it hard to justify unless you'll fully use its luxury benefits.
- 2% value on airfare redemptions
- 1.5% value on cash-back redemptions
- 24/7 Luxury Card Concierge and travel perks
- No fee on purchases made outside the U.S.
- $699 annual fee
- Low rewards rate on everyday purchases
Highlights
Highlights shown here are provided by the issuer and have not been reviewed by CNBC Select's editorial staff.
- Earn 2X points on Airfare and Hotel reservations booked through LuxuryCardTravel.com. One point for every one dollar you spend for all other categories, earning points every time you spend.
- Redeem at 2% value for airfare and 1.5% for cash back. For example, when you redeem 50,000 points you will get $1,000 value for airfare or $750 value in cash back, issued as a direct deposit statement credit.
- $200 Annual Airline Credit: Receive up to $200 in annual statement credits toward flight-related purchases, including airline tickets, baggage fees, upgrades and more. No enrollment or airline designation required.
- $100 Annual Dining Credit: Receive up to $100 in annual statement credits when you use your Luxury Card for restaurant transactions. No enrollment, designated restaurant networks or third-party apps required.
- Receive up to $120 reimbursement credit for a Global Entry or TSA PreCheck® application fee. Global Entry includes access to TSA PreCheck® with no additional application or fee required.
- Your time is valuable and Luxury Card Concierge makes life easier. Agents are available to provide you with personal assistance, tailored to your specific request. Concierge can assist with travel planning, dining reservations, everyday tasks such as sending flowers or researching products and services. Available 24/7: Call, email, text, or chat with agents.
- Enjoy automatic complimentary access to over 1,800 airport lounges. Access includes participating airport restaurants, mini-suites and unlimited visits for yourself as well as your guests.
- Made of Stainless Steel®: A contactless, patented metal card design that raises the standard.
- Exclusive Luxury Card Travel® benefits—average value of $750 per stay (e.g., resort credits, room upgrades, free wifi, breakfast for two and more) at over 3,000 properties. Receive protection benefits like trip cancellation and interruption, auto rental car collision waiver, travel accident and baggage delay. Cell phone protection for eligible claims of up to $1,000 each year. Plus additional World Elite Mastercard® benefits.
- Annual Fee: $699 ($249 for each Authorized User). Terms and conditions apply.
Balance transfer fee
Either $5 or 5% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater.
If you want to get a better return for your points, you could book business class flights directly through Myluxurycard.com. Using points this way would make them worth 2 cents each. However, it may be difficult to accumulate enough points to cover a round-trip business-class flight to South Korea.
Based on what I'm seeing on Google Flights, one-stop round-trip flights from Washington, D.C. to Seoul cost around $4,500 to $5,500, and nonstop travel on the same route in business class is $7,000+ on the cheapest days. Even at 2 cents per point, you'd need at least 225,000 to 350,000 points but likely much more.
Why this specific route is difficult with points
There's an allure to using credit card rewards to upgrade from a cramped economy cabin to a lie-flat business-class seat, but upgrading with points is complicated, and the value is often questionable compared to other options. It's typically much easier to use travel rewards to directly book a business-class award ticket.
However, it's best to know where you want to go before you open a credit card or start earning rewards. That way you can earn the points that offer the best deal. Round-trip international business-class awards to/from the U.S. typically start at 90,000 to 220,000 points. Unfortunately, business class awards on the exact route Glenn wants to fly are hard to come by.
Atmos Rewards, the loyalty program for Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines, could be a good option in theory because it partners with Korean Air. Atmos uses dynamic award prices based on the region and distance flown. Business-class flights from Washington, D.C. to Seoul should start at 75,000 or 85,000 points each way, according to its partner award chart.
The problem is, Korean Air releases very few, if any, business class seats for partner bookings. Alaska Airlines flies from Seattle to Seoul, so there are one-stop options. However, I didn't see any business-class awards from Washington, D.C. to Seoul for less than 435,000 Atmos points. Even if you earned a couple of Atmos credit card welcome bonuses and opened a Bilt credit card (Bilt Points transfer to Atmos at a 1: 1 ratio), it would be difficult to earn the points you need.
The Bilt Palladium Card earns 2X Bilt Points on everyday purchases, and your choice of up to 1.25X on rent and mortgage payments
- Earns ultra-valuable flexible rewards
- Simple flat-rate rewards earning
- Can earn up to 1.25X points on rent and mortgage payments
- Additional steps for no-fee rent payments
- High annual fee
- Bilt Cash redemptions are complicated
Highlights
Highlights shown here are provided by the issuer and have not been reviewed by CNBC Select's editorial staff.
- Earn up to 1.25X points on rent and mortgage payments with no transaction fee.
- 2X points on everyday spend
- $400 Bilt Travel Hotel credit. Applied twice a year, as $200 statement credits, for qualifying Bilt Travel Portal hotel bookings.
- $200 Bilt Cash (awarded annually). At the end of each calendar year, any Bilt Cash balance over $100 will expire.
- Welcome bonus (subject to approval): 50,000 Bilt Points + Gold Status after spending $4,000 on everyday purchases in the first 3 months + $300 of Bilt Cash.
- Priority Pass ($469/year value). See Guide to Benefits.
- Bilt Point redemptions include airlines, hotels, future rent and mortgage payments, Lyft rides, statement credits, student loan balances, a down payment on a home, and more.
- Earn additional points through Bilt Neighborhood Benefits™ when you use your card at Bilt's network of 50,000+ merchant partners.
Balance transfer fee
Greater of 5% or $5
Airlines tend to offer their own loyalty members greater access to award seats, so earning Korean Air SKYPASS miles may provide Glenn with the most opportunities to book the business-class award he wants.
But Korean Air miles are difficult to earn; you cannot transfer points to Korean Air from any of the major U.S. travel programs, and the SKYPASS credit card welcome bonuses are mediocre at best.
At the time of writing, Flying Blue, Virgin Atlantic and Aeroplan have slightly more reasonable points prices on select dates at 102,000 to 135,000 points one-way in business class from Washington, D.C. to Seoul, and rewards are easy to accumulate for these programs. However, the Virgin Atlantic and Flying Blue fees can be exceptionally high at $700 to $1,000 one-way, and the points price on return flights is much higher.
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A maximum benefit amount and certain restrictions and limitations apply. Please review the Mastercard Guide to Benefits for details: https://www.biltrewards.com/terms/palladium-card-guide-to-benefits
