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After 23 years in Star Alliance, Asiana Airlines is closing the chapter. The South Korean carrier will leave the global alliance on December 16, 2026, the day before its final merger with Korean Air. For Canadian travellers who use their Aeroplan points on this airline, two dates matter right now.
The merger between Korean Air and Asiana Airlines is the end of a process started in 2020. Both airlines’ boards approved the merger agreement on May 13, 2026. The official closing date is set for December 17, 2026: on that day, Asiana will cease to exist as a separate entity and will be fully integrated into Korean Air.
Star Alliance confirmed Asiana’s exit the day before, on December 16, 2026 at 11:59 p.m. (Korea Standard Time). The alliance currently has 26 members; it will have 25 from December 17. Fourteen Star Alliance carriers will still operate out of Incheon International Airport in Seoul, with more than 1,900 monthly direct flights to 29 destinations worldwide.
Korean Air, for its part, is a founding member of SkyTeam, the rival alliance. It has no points transfer partnership with Aeroplan.
Star Alliance and Asiana published a detailed transition timeline. Here is what it means in practice for an Aeroplan member.
You can keep earning Aeroplan points on flights operated by Asiana departing no later than October 15, 2026. Missing mileage claims will be accepted until October 31, 2026.
After October 15, Asiana flights will no longer earn Aeroplan points, even if the trip takes place before the alliance exit date.
This is the pivotal date. You can book an Aeroplan award ticket on Asiana and fly it through December 16, 2026 at 11:59 p.m. (Seoul time), which is the morning of December 16 in Canada. After that moment, Asiana inventory disappears from Star Alliance booking engines.
Early press reports cited a December 1 booking cut-off. That date has been dropped: December 16 applies to both booking and travel. Aeroplan Elite status benefits (lounge access, boarding priority) on Asiana flights end the same day.
This is the most sensitive point of the transition. Asiana stated that Star Alliance award tickets issued for travel scheduled after December 16, 2026 will not be honoured, even if they have already been confirmed and paid for in points.
The good news: Asiana has committed to fully refunding the points used and waiving taxes without penalty for all affected tickets. If you hold an Aeroplan ticket on an Asiana flight scheduled after December 16, check your booking now and contact Aeroplan to confirm the refund terms that apply to your file.
Important nuance: at the time of writing, some sources point to a contradiction in Asiana’s official FAQ, which would still allow certain award bookings to other partners for travel extending into 2027. We are monitoring the situation and will update this article if the policy changes.
Asiana operates routes from Vancouver (YVR) and Toronto (YYZ) to Seoul-Incheon (ICN) in business and economy class. These routes were accessible via Aeroplan at competitive rates, notably 75,000 Aeroplan points for a one-way business class ticket from North America to Seoul.
After December 16, 2026, these award tickets via Aeroplan on Asiana flights will no longer be available. Korean Air, which absorbs Asiana, is part of SkyTeam and is not an Aeroplan redemption partner.
To reach Seoul with Aeroplan points after December 2026, plenty of Star Alliance alternatives remain.
These carriers remain Aeroplan redemption partners, unlike Korean Air.
This merger between the two main South Korean carriers creates a more powerful player on transpacific routes. For now, no partnership between Korean Air SKYPASS and Aeroplan has been announced. The situation is worth watching: a commercial collaboration between Air Canada and the enlarged Korean Air entity is not ruled out in the long run, but nothing supports that claim today.
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