Dreaming of K-pop, bibimbap and Korean barbecue? You can experience all that and more thanks to Virgin Atlantic Flying Club. Award flights to Seoul, South Korea, start at 25,500 Virgin points, but you can transfer Chase Ultimate Rewards points to Virgin Atlantic with a 40% transfer bonus until Nov. 20. After that, the transfer bonus will drop to a still excellent 30% until Dec. 5. And, to make this deal even sweeter, taxes and fees on the award tickets are less than $35.
This deal will also be attractive to skiers, as South Korea is a relatively affordable and underrated ski destination, with multiple modern resorts less than an hour away from Seoul.
Read on to learn what destinations are available and how to book this deal.
Note that prices and availability were accurate at the time of writing.
Related: Best ways to book flights to the Caribbean using points and miles
TPG’s deal of the day basics
Airline: Air France, Delta Air Lines or Korean Air (Air France routes require a layover in Paris).
Routes: To Seoul from Boston; Chicago; Honolulu; Las Vegas; Los Angeles; New York City; San Francisco; Seattle; Toronto; Vancouver, British Columbia; and Washington, D.C.
Best way to book: Through Virgin Atlantic (or by transferring from American Express Membership Rewards, Chase Ultimate Rewards*, Capital One miles, Citi ThankYou Rewards, Bilt Rewards or Wells Fargo Rewards). It’s best to transfer Chase Ultimate Rewards points, which is currently offering a 40% bonus until Nov. 20, followed by a 30% bonus through Dec. 5.
Price: From 25,500 to 41,000 points one-way (starting at 18,215 points when you factor in the Chase and Virgin transfer bonus) for a seat in economy, plus taxes and fees (which range from $6 to $35).
Retail price: Starting at $612.
Travel dates: November 2025 to June 2026.
TPG tip: You can also transfer points from all the major card issuers. However, if you’re not taking advantage of the transfer bonus with Chase, you may want to skip this deal.
*Transfer points from Chase for the best deal.
How to find and book TPG’s deal of the day
Since this deal is only available on select dates, the Seats.aero tool is a lifesaver when it comes to quickly finding award availability. The best deal we found leaves from Honolulu’s Daniel K. Inouye International Airport (HNL) and costs just 18,215 points when considering the 40% Chase transfer bonus.
We also found great deals leaving from the West Coast: You can find flights from Vancouver International Airport (YVR) in British Columbia, Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA) and Las Vegas’ Harry Reid International Airport (LAS) starting at 22,150 points, factoring in the Chase transfer bonus.
And for those on the East Coast, there are great flight deals available from 23,600 Chase points, factoring in the 40% Chase transfer bonus.
New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK), Boston Logan International Airport (BOS) and Dulles International Airport (IAD) near Washington, D.C., all seem to have wide-open award availability over the next few months.
When searching Seats.aero, you can search from West Coast and East Coast airports over the next six months to find a seat.
You can instead leave from the other North American outposts of Korean Air, but expect to pay more if you choose to do so. For example, leaving from Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL) will run you around 50,000 points (35,720 points when you factor in the transfer bonus and still a great deal). The only airport that didn’t have good award deals was Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport (MSP).
These deals are also good on the return flight. You could fly round-trip for as few as 36,430 Chase points with the 40% transfer bonus.
Once you have your dates, visit the Virgin Atlantic website and log in to your Virgin account. If you don’t have an account, create one.
Once logged in, confirm your flight’s availability by searching for and finding an available seat.
Once you have confirmed availability, you can transfer Chase Ultimate Rewards points to Virgin Atlantic. Transfers are usually instant, but if you don’t currently have a Virgin account, transfers could be delayed by 24 hours or more. Remember that the 40% Chase and Virgin bonus ends Nov. 20, so act fast.
Remember, though, that there will still be a 30% transfer bonus until Dec. 5, so tickets would still start at 19,231 points one-way (plus taxes and fees) up until that date.
If you’re low on Chase points, you can also transfer points from any major U.S. credit card program at a 1:1 ratio; you just won’t receive the generous transfer bonus. Note that Capital One miles transfer to Virgin Red, which you can then link with Virgin Atlantic Flying Club and use to book award flights.
Since transfers are irreversible, be sure to confirm award availability before you transfer your hard-earned rewards.
How to earn the points and miles required for TPG’s deal of the day
It’s easy to earn Virgin Atlantic points, as the program partners with every major U.S. credit card program. However, to get the best deal, you’ll want to use a card that earns Chase points; a card from any major issuer would also work. Here are some of the best welcome offers available right now:
- American Express Platinum Card®: Find out your offer and see if you may be eligible for as high as 175,000 bonus points after spending $8,000 on purchases in the first six months of card membership. Welcome offers vary, and you may not be eligible for an offer.
- Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card: For a limited time, earn 100,000 bonus miles after spending $10,000 on purchases in the first six months from account opening.
- Chase Sapphire Reserve® (see rates and fees): Earn 125,000 bonus points after spending $6,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening.
- Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card (see rates and fees): Earn 75,000 bonus points after spending $5,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening.
- Citi Strata Elite℠ Card (see rates and fees): For a limited time, earn 100,000 bonus points after spending $6,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening.
- Citi Strata Premier® Card (see rates and fees): Earn 60,000 bonus points after spending $4,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening.
- Wells Fargo Autograph Journey℠ Card (see rates and fees): Earn 60,000 bonus points after spending $4,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening.
Related: Best airline credit cards
Bottom line
If you’re looking to explore Seoul, now is a great time. Award flights can cost as little as 18,215 points one-way (when factoring in the 40% Chase transfer bonus) plus taxes and fees for an economy seat. If you’re not based near one of the airports showing lower redemption rates, it might even be worth booking a positioning flight to take advantage of this stellar deal.
But don’t wait too long. Availability is already limited, and deals like this won’t last.
Continue planning your trip to South Korea:
- A highly curated guide to the 8 best things to do in Seoul, South Korea
- 3 hotels, 1 megacity: Experiencing Seoul, South Korea, through everything from urban-cool accommodations to an ultraluxe hotel
- The best ways to travel to South Korea with points and miles
- Taking advantage of The Edit by Chase Travel perks at Mondrian Seoul Itaewon
Editorial disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airline or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.
