Seoul: Korean Air Lines Co. announced plans to operate mileage-exclusive flights on its domestic route connecting Seoul to Jeju from July to September. The special flights are scheduled to run on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays over three consecutive weeks each month, targeting the growing demand for domestic travel during the summer vacation period.

According to Yonhap News Agency, these flights will be exclusively available for mileage use. A total of 54 flights will be operated between July 4 and September 21, utilizing an Airbus A330-300 aircraft, which includes prestige-class seating and can accommodate 284 passengers. This strategy is seen by industry observers as a way to encourage the use of mileage points, especially as Korean Air integrates its mileage system with that of Asiana Airlines amid their ongoing merger.

The move comes in the wake of South Korea's Fair Trade Commission rejecting a proposed mileage integration plan by Korean Air and Asiana Airlines. The commission cited a lack of details and concerns over consumer benefits as reasons for the rejection. As of the end of March, Korean Air reported unredeemed mileage totaling 2.62 trillion won (US$1.92 billion), marking a 1.8 percent increase from the previous quarter.