Getting to Know the SKYPASS Select Visa Signature® Card
With the SKYPASS Select Visa Signature® Card travelers can expect solid mile-earning potential and some great perks. Unfortunately, those perks come with a $450 annual price tag. Cardholders earn double miles when booking through Korean Air. They also earn 2X miles when booking hotel, or car rental travel arrangements. All other purchases earn 1X miles. New cardholders receive 30,000 bonus miles when they make $3,000 worth of purchases in the first 90 days. They also get10,000 miles if their annual spend exceeds $35,000.
Cardholders also receive coupons granting complimentary entry into KAL’s lounges each year of membership. They also get reimbursement for TSA and Global Entry application fees. Other perks include coupons off Korean Air ticket purchases and in-flight duty free purchases, and the raft of impressive travel protections and incentives members have come to expect from Visa Signature®.
How It Works
Cardholders can expect the following from the SKYPASS Select Visa Signature® Card:
How to Earn Rewards:
Fly with Korean Air: Travelers earn 2 miles for every dollar they spend on Korean Air ticket purchases.
Everyday purchases: Cardholders earn 2 miles for every eligible dollar spent at gas stations, car rental agencies, and hotels, including Marriot Bonvoy and Radisson, as well as 1 mile for every dollar spent on any other eligible purchase.
Renewal Reward: Earn 10,000 bonus miles at each renewal period after spending $35,000 in purchases in a calendar year.
Earn with SkyTeam Partners: SKYPASS Select Visa Signature® Card holders can earn bonus miles when they use their Visa Signature® card at select SkyTeam alliance partner airlines.
No Cap: There is no cap on the number of bonus miles that members can accrue.
Mile Expiration: SKYPASS miles do not expire for 10 years.
How to Redeem Miles:
Travel: SKYPASS Select Visa Signature® Card holders can use their SKYPASS miles to save on select Korean Air flights, travel on a SkyTeam partner, purchase seat upgrades, or access the exclusive KAL or SkyTeam lounges worldwide.
Hotels: Cardholders can use SKYPASS miles to book stays at select Korean Air hotel partners, including Marriott Bonvoy.
Rental Car Services: Cardholders can use SKYPASS miles to book rental cars with Korean Air and SkyTeam partners, as well as select limousine services in Korea.
Other: SKYPASS members can also redeem miles toward Korean Air merchandise, visits to the Jeju Folk Village Museum, or coatroom access at Incheon Airport.
Today’s Bonus Offer
Earn 30,000 bonus miles when you spend $3,000 within the first 90 days of opening the account.
The Plane Facts
Can you expect a smooth flight from the SKYPASS Select Visa Signature® Card, or will there be turbulence?
Annual Fee: The SKYPASS Select Visa Signature® Card features an annual fee of $450, which is high, given the availability of miles that can be earned and the perks available. For $450, cardholders receive 2 passes to KAL Lounges. While this is a good value, considering the cost of lounge access is generally well into the hundreds of dollars, other cards elsewhere provide this perk for a much lower yearly rate. While the cost likely isn’t a deal-breaker for those who frequently travel to South Korea, for others, a card with equal rewards and a much lower annual fee can be found elsewhere
Airline and Airport Perks:
KAL Lounge Coupons: SKYPASS Select Visa Signature® Cardholders receive 2 complimentary KAL Lounge passes each year of membership.
TSA Pre/ Global Entry: Cardholders receive a statement credit for TSA Global Entry application fees. This is $100 value every four years. The cardholder must pay the application fee using the SKYPASS Select Visa Signature®.
Duty-Free Savings: SKYPASS Select Visa Signature® Cardholders also receive 2 $25 in-flight duty-free coupons each year of account membership.
Cardholder Protections:
Baggage Insurance Plan: Reimbursement for lost or stolen luggage. This perk only applies when paying the entire fare using the card
Travel Insurance: Visa Signature® provides $1,000,000 in travel accident insurance for Visa Signature® cardholders.
Trip Cancellation and Disruption Reimbursement: Cardholders never have to worry about life happens, as the SKYPASS Select Visa Signature® Card offers reimbursement for canceled or delayed trips.
Car Rental Loss and Damage Insurance: Auto rental collision damage is covered when you pay the whole cost of your rental car with the SKYPASS Select Visa Signature® Card and waive collision protection at the rental counter.
Global Assistance: 24/7 access to Visa’s bilingual account services. Cardholders also have access to Visa Concierge. That service provides travel assistance and coordination for any issues that may arise during travel.
Fraud Protection: Cardholders have 100% protection from any fraudulent or unauthorized purchases made.
Additional Benefits:
No foreign transaction fees
Up to a $200 annual statement credit on travel purchases
Korean Air Discounts: $100 Off coupon for Korean Air ticket purchase each year of account membership.
Free Access to VantageScore®: Vantagescore® is a credit reporting service, similar to FICO®. Cardholders receive free access to their Vantagescore® at no additional cost.
Purchase Protection: Receive protection when an eligible purchase break or suffer damage.
Entertainment Access: Exclusive access to advance ticket sales for concerts, sports, and other events with Visa Signature.
Travel and Shopping: Visa Signature® offers exclusive discounts to cardholders at leading hotels, resorts, and retail merchants.
The Perks That Make the SKYPASS Select Visa Signature® Card Worthwhile:
What are some of the pros that set this card ahead of the rest?
Introductory Bonus Offer: 30,000 bonus miles after making $3,000 in purchases in the first 90 days.
No Blackout Dates: There are no blackout dates with Korean Air.
Multiple Booking Options: Korean Air’s SKYPASS allows cardholders to book a round-trip, one-way, and multi-city trips, as well as open-jaw bookings. Additionally, Korean Air permits first-class awards.
Complimentary lounge access coupons
Potential Turbulence with the SKYPASS Select Visa Signature® Card:
What are some cons that take the wind from under this card’s wings?
The Annual Fee: While the SKYPASS Select Visa Signature® Card isn’t ripping anyone off, the $450 annual fee isn’t offering the type of rewards that would blow anyone away. 2 lounge passes annually is great (and worth the annual fee right there), but there may be much more enticing offers with other major airlines.
Seat Restrictions: While there are no blackout dates with the Select Visa Signature® Card, there are seat restrictions that may apply depending on the date and time of certain bookings.
Partial Miles Cannot Be Used: SKYPASS does not permit redeeming flights with partial miles, adding restriction on cardholders. Fortunately, the miles can be transferred to another SkyTeam alliance airline, but this will likely come at a cut-price rate – costing cardholders hard-earned miles.
Additional Charges: Flight booking may be subjected to additional fees, such as fuel surcharges, which are not covered by miles.
Thoughts Before Takeoff
Is the SKYPASS Select Visa Signature® Card right premium airline rewards card for you? Well, that depends. For $450 annually, you receive some nice coupons and savings – including 2 complimentary passes to KAL lounges. These 2 passes more than make up for the $450 fee, providing up-front savings for cardholders.
Unfortunately, however, other airline reward cards offer similar perks for a much lower annual fee – often around $95. While the majority of these cards are European or North American-based, they offer the opportunity to use miles and rewards towards partner flights perks, meaning that better value may be available elsewhere.
For those who frequently travel by Korean Air, or looking to achieve and maintain their Morning quickly Calm Club status, however, the SKYPASS Select Visa Signature® Card is a card that offers excellent value and impressive perks.
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