A trip to Japan or South Korea can easily come with a four figure airfare, especially when flying nonstop from the United States. This deal provides a much better option for travelers with transferable credit card points.

Delta Main Cabin flights to Tokyo and Seoul are currently bookable from just 52,000 credit card points roundtrip, thanks to competitive Flying Blue award pricing and a limited time Citi transfer bonus. Cash fares on these routes can hover around $1,500 roundtrip, while Delta SkyMiles pricing often exceeds 120,000 miles for the same Main Cabin flights.

The deal covers several major Delta gateways, including Atlanta, Detroit, Honolulu, Los Angeles, Minneapolis, Salt Lake City, and Seattle, with some excellent nonstop options to both Japan and South Korea. Better yet, availability stretches well beyond the immediate travel window, giving travelers plenty of opportunities to plan an Asia trip.

Deal at a Glance

The strongest availability is currently concentrated between September and February, although select routes have bookable dates extending all the way into next summer.

Why This Japan and South Korea Deal Is So Good

The headline price is only part of what makes this deal interesting.

These aren’t restrictive Basic Economy tickets. Awards booked through Flying Blue are for Delta Main Cabin, meaning travelers receive a checked bag, onboard meals, and advance seat assignment.

There’s also a significant advantage in booking these flights through a Delta partner rather than Delta itself. Flying Blue is currently pricing these routes between 62,000 and 93,000 miles roundtrip, with Honolulu starting even lower at 50,000 miles.

That becomes especially attractive for Citi ThankYou Rewards members.

A 20% Citi transfer bonus to Flying Blue through August 22 drops the effective cost to as little as 52,000 Citi points roundtrip, with Honolulu requiring even fewer points.

For a transpacific roundtrip flight to Asia, that’s exceptional value.

Where Can You Fly?

There are options to both Tokyo and Seoul, including plenty of nonstop Delta routes.

Delta Flights to Tokyo

Flying Blue pricing currently includes:

Seattle is particularly interesting because Delta’s new Seattle to Tokyo Narita route also has spring availability as part of this deal.

Delta Flights to Seoul

There are also strong nonstop options to Seoul:

Remember that these figures represent Flying Blue miles before factoring in the Citi transfer bonus.

Book One Way or Roundtrip

Another useful feature of this deal is the ability to book one way for approximately half the roundtrip price.

That opens the door to some interesting points and miles strategies.

You could fly Delta to Tokyo using Flying Blue miles, travel through Asia, and then return from Seoul using a completely different airline or loyalty program. Likewise, travelers who find a premium cabin award in only one direction can use this deal for the other half of the trip.

There’s no requirement to build the entire vacation around a single airline or award program.

How to Book with Flying Blue

Flying Blue is the best place to start, particularly while the Citi transfer bonus is available.

Flying Blue partners with Delta, allowing members to redeem Flying Blue miles for select Delta operated flights without using Delta SkyMiles.

To search:

1. Create a free Flying Blue account.
2. Log in through Air France or KLM.
3. Select Book with Miles.
4. Enter your departure airport and either Tokyo or Seoul.
5. Choose Economy as the cabin.
6. Search the available dates before transferring any points.
7. Transfer the required points only after confirming the award seats you want.

The source deal notes that Air France’s website can occasionally struggle to display Delta availability, so checking KLM’s website or the Air France app may help when expected flights aren’t appearing.

Which Credit Card Points Transfer to Flying Blue?

One of the best things about Flying Blue is how easy its miles are to earn.

You can transfer points from:

American Express Membership Rewards, Bilt Rewards, Capital One Miles, Chase Ultimate Rewards, Citi ThankYou Rewards, Rove, and Wells Fargo Rewards.

That flexibility makes Flying Blue one of the most useful programs to understand for travelers who collect transferable points.

The current 20% Citi transfer bonus is what produces the headline price of approximately 52,000 points roundtrip.

Just remember the golden rule of award travel: confirm availability before transferring your points. Credit card transfers generally cannot be reversed once completed.

Can You Book These Flights with Virgin Atlantic Points?

Yes.

Virgin Atlantic Flying Club is another Delta partner and can access some of the same award space. Virgin currently charges roughly 88,000 to 131,000 points roundtrip, with Honolulu starting at approximately 70,000 points.

That’s generally not as attractive as Flying Blue for this particular deal, but Virgin can still be useful for travelers who already have Flying Club points or find availability that works better through Virgin.

One important distinction is that Delta SkyMiles cannot be transferred to Flying Blue or Virgin Atlantic.

You’ll need Flying Blue miles, Virgin points, or transferable credit card rewards.

What About Taxes and Fees?

The cash component remains reasonable for flights this long.

Flying Blue charges approximately $114 roundtrip to Tokyo and $92 roundtrip to Seoul in taxes and fees. Virgin Atlantic’s fees are roughly $50 lower.

Even after accounting for the taxes, redeeming around 52,000 transferable points for a Delta Main Cabin roundtrip to Asia can represent tremendous value compared with paying roughly $1,500 in cash.

Change and Cancellation Policies

Flexibility depends on which loyalty program you use to make the reservation.

Flying Blue charges approximately $75 for changes or cancellations, while Virgin Atlantic generally charges $50. When the taxes and fees on a Virgin booking are lower than the cancellation charge, Virgin may simply retain that amount and return the miles.

Make sure your travel plans and dates are reasonably firm before transferring points and completing the reservation.

Why Flying Blue Can Be Better Than Delta SkyMiles

This deal is another reminder that the airline operating your flight doesn’t necessarily offer the best way to book it.

A Delta flight might cost 120,000 or more Delta SkyMiles roundtrip, yet that same seat can sometimes be available for significantly fewer Flying Blue miles through Delta’s airline partnership.

That’s one of the most valuable lessons in points and miles: don’t automatically book through the airline you’re flying.

Understanding airline alliances, partnerships, transfer partners, and award programs can unlock dramatically better redemption opportunities.

Flying Blue is particularly valuable because its miles can be generated through several major transferable credit card currencies, making deals like this accessible without needing to build a large balance with one airline program.

Final Thoughts

Flying nonstop to Japan or South Korea for around 52,000 credit card points roundtrip is the kind of award opportunity that shows exactly why transferable points are so powerful.

Between the broad availability, Delta Main Cabin benefits, nonstop routes from several U.S. gateways, and opportunities to travel from fall through next summer, there’s plenty to like here. The current Citi transfer bonus makes the numbers even better, but the underlying Flying Blue pricing is compelling on its own.

For travelers planning a trip to Tokyo or Seoul, start by searching your preferred dates through Flying Blue and confirm that Delta award space is available. With cash fares commonly around $1,500 and Delta SkyMiles rates frequently much higher, this is an excellent opportunity to stretch your points much further.

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