Korean Air has this week revealed a major rebranding, which follows the merger between Korean Air and Asiana being finalized. What’s exciting is that changes at the airline go way beyond just branding, as the airline will also invest in the passenger experience.
I’ve already covered how Korean Air plans to launch a new first class in 2028, but that’s not all. More immediately, the airline will be massively improving its lounges, and we’ll already start to see these open in the coming months. This can’t come soon enough!
In this post:
Korean Air will be refreshing its lounge network
Executive Traveller has the details of how Korean Air will be investing in its lounges, based on discussions with David Pacey, Korean Air’s EVP of Inflight Service and Lounges. These aren’t just minor cosmetic improvements, but rather, it seems like Korean Air is serious about changing virtually everything about the lounge experience.
I’d argue that as it stands, Korean Air has among the worst (if not the worst) lounges of any major airline that’s well regarded. In particular, the lounges are sterile and have lackluster food and drinks. That’s true whether you’re at the carrier’s Incheon Terminal 2 hub, or at one of the outstation lounges. Just check out my reviews of the Prestige Lounge Incheon and First Lounge Incheon.
Fortunately we have a lot to look forward to. For one, Korean Air will be introducing a completely new lounge aesthetic. Lounges will go from looking like hospital waiting rooms (which is how I’d describe the current aesthetic), to looking more like the lobbies of five-star hotels. I’m very impressed by the renderings I’ve seen posted.
Korean Air will also upgrade its food and beverage offerings. Currently the airline’s food and drinks are lackluster, with instant noodles being among the more exciting options available. Going forward, lounges will have live cooking stations, with everything from popular Korean dishes, to international food. Furthermore, lounges will have a bakery and patisserie, with fresh croissants, pizza, and desserts.
So, when can we expect these new lounges? We won’t even have to wait that long:
- The expectation is that the first new-style lounges will open in August 2025, in the form of a Prestige (Business) Lounge and Miler Club Lounge at Incheon Terminal 2
- Around August 2025, the current Incheon Terminal 2 lounges at the airport will close, with the plan being for them to reopen around April 2026
- Lounge capacity at Incheon Terminal 2 will also expand, with the footprint going from 5,000 square meters to 15,000 square meters, and the capacity going from 900 seats to 1,600 seats (in fairness, Asiana will also gradually be moving operations to the terminal)
- In January 2026, a refreshed lounge will open in Los Angeles, and in June 2026, a new lounge will open at the newly opened New York JFK Terminal 1
I’m delighted to see Korean Air investing in its product
I’ve taken a couple of trips on Korean Air lately, and have published several reviews of both flights and lounges. I’ve called the airline second rate among its Asian peers, and have pointed out how little effort the airline seemingly puts into its premium passenger experience.
Some people think I was being harsh, and they’re of course entitled to feel that way, but I have nothing against the airline. The contrast between Korean Air and some of its rivals is just huge. And it’s not just in one area, but it’s across so many aspects of the experience.
With that in mind, I’m so happy to see that Korean Air seems serious about improving its passenger experience. There’s nothing that would delight me more than to fly with Korean Air in a year or two, and to give the airline a positive review based on improvements that have been made. There are few things I like more than a comeback story.
Heck, I think I’m vindicated, because Korean Air’s own executive is acknowledging that the airline is “behind,” and it’s something they “need to work on.”
To be honest, prior to this week, I hadn’t heard of David Pacey, but I love what I’m hearing and reading. He’s remarkably candid in assessing the current state of Korean Air’s product, and that makes me confident that he’ll lead the carrier’s passenger experience in the right direction. Of course that assumes he doesn’t get too much pushback from the CEO, and that the company is actually willing to make the necessary investments.
It’s interesting to me that he has a background in hospitality rather than in aviation. He has spent decades working in the hotel industry in Asia, and I think that’s a really valuable and fresh perspective to have, if you’re trying to make radical changes.
Bottom line
Some promising changes are coming to Korean Air. Over the next year or so, Korean Air plans to not only significantly expand its lounge footprint, but also introduce an all-new lounge concept, with a new design, and much better food and drinks. This all sounds great, so let’s hope this works out as promised.
I’ve been critical of Korean Air because the airline just hasn’t been trying (at least by international standards), so it’s good to see that being addressed.
What do you make of Korean Air’s planned lounge changes?
I do feel like the merger gives not only reason but opportunity for lounge improvements.
OZ’ lounges at ICN are every bit as bad as KE’s, even if they’re slightly better visually.
With what’s now a surplus of lounge space at ICN, the merger gives KE the opportunity to close lounges for refurbishing without causing crowding.
I do wonder if the merger will lead to other carriers or alliances opening lounges at...
I do feel like the merger gives not only reason but opportunity for lounge improvements.
OZ’ lounges at ICN are every bit as bad as KE’s, even if they’re slightly better visually.
With what’s now a surplus of lounge space at ICN, the merger gives KE the opportunity to close lounges for refurbishing without causing crowding.
I do wonder if the merger will lead to other carriers or alliances opening lounges at ICN.
Right now, the only Star Alliance option (other than OZ) is SQ’s small (but very good) lounge. There are PP lounges, but it’d be pretty straightforward for one of the existing OZ lounges to be converted to a *A lounge, not unlike how OneWorld have a single alliance lounge at ICN.
I chimed in last week on KE's culture of mediocrity and said that I expected no real changes once the Asiana merger completes. I am happy if I can say I was wrong, and this is the beginning of a strong new KE product.
And to nip the poor-reading-comprehension crowd in the bud, the point isn't that OZ has good lounges. They don't. The point is that KE would just call things great because...they say...
I chimed in last week on KE's culture of mediocrity and said that I expected no real changes once the Asiana merger completes. I am happy if I can say I was wrong, and this is the beginning of a strong new KE product.
And to nip the poor-reading-comprehension crowd in the bud, the point isn't that OZ has good lounges. They don't. The point is that KE would just call things great because...they say they're great. in reality, Singapore's ICN lounge is an easy improvement over both KE & OZ, and it's a mid-level outstation lounge. That's the level KE should be competing on, not beating the OKC Delta lounge lol.
Hopefully the changes will also lead to re-engagement with US point transfer partner(s)
I don't think Delt Skyclub is anywhere better than Korean Air. Yet Delta claimed that their lounge is very "premium" (seriously, they need to stop using that word on anything that they offer because it's not true).
You are crazy.
Delta SkyClubs have hot food whereas KAL Lounges give you instant noodles.
SkyClubs have a non-premium feel because of frequent crowding. In my 5 visits total, every one like Souplantation felt like on a bad day. And the fact that you have to wait (occasionally) hours but only have a 3 hour window means they're not doing a great job with their capacity management.
To be clear: customers come first. They shouldn't restrict access more, they should add real estate capacity. Period. That's what "premium" should mean.
Sky Clubs are standard domestic lounges. Let us know how many domestic passengers KE carries from ICN.
The appropriate comparison is Delta One lounges - and Ben is right that DL is at or near the top of the global industry on that and KE is near the bottom.
There are very few domestic passengers at ICN- they fly from GMP. The domestic lounge at GMP is dire, even an Aspire lounge would be better.
However, I don't really see the point of the distinction you're making here. What's the difference between the lounge needs of someone boarding a 2-hour domestic flight to Kentucky and those of someone boarding a 2-hour international flight to Shanghai?
You obviously just hate Delta. Sky Clubs are exceptional.
It'll feel like 2016 all over again if the KAL LAX lounge becomes someplace you actually want to go to.
But didn't they upgrade (some of) their business class seats and yet you still found the whole experience somewhat underwhelming? It seems they need to improve the soft product in the air as well in order to compete with their Asian rivals.
"with instant noodles being among the more exciting options available"
This statement is just an insult towards "Grand Hyatt" Incheon.
ICN food are not bad. It's probably more catered towards Korean and Asian tastes but I'm not expecting tacos in Korea either. The only problem would be their menu rotation which is a problem at other lounges too.
Feel free to trash their outstation. They deserve it. Shin Ramyun all the way.
KAL is also overhauling premium class meals and beddings (including a mattress sheet in Prestige Class) soon. New meals would be introduced shortly (I heard that it may start tomorrow) and not sure about the beddings though.
These recent changes are quite impressive and I hope they actually work, unlike Air India (another recent brand overhauling) which seemed to have gone not so well.
I don’t think AI’s rebrand has failed, even in spite of the recent diversions and other incidents. The jury is still out on how AI’s premium routes, particularly to the US and UK on the A350 and ex-DL/EY 777, have improved themselves; if anything, they’re a tremendous improvement compared to legacy 777s/787s.
On these routes (DEL to JFK/EWR/LHR/SFO), AI is certainly on par with airlines like Saudia, Gulf Air, Thai Airways and China Airlines, at...
I don’t think AI’s rebrand has failed, even in spite of the recent diversions and other incidents. The jury is still out on how AI’s premium routes, particularly to the US and UK on the A350 and ex-DL/EY 777, have improved themselves; if anything, they’re a tremendous improvement compared to legacy 777s/787s.
On these routes (DEL to JFK/EWR/LHR/SFO), AI is certainly on par with airlines like Saudia, Gulf Air, Thai Airways and China Airlines, at the very least. SQ’s investment will go a long way in the long term when it gets more A350s and 787s of its own.
It’s not fair to blame AI’s management for a bad product, and we’ll see more from AI in terms of lounge refurbishments and new longhaul products as time goes by. But it won’t challenge EK/EY/QR or SQ/NH/KE in the near future, that’s for sure.
I do get your point and wouldn't exactly call that a failure either. But rather this was overhyped or The Impossible Dream.
AI was simply terrible before the rebranding. And then Tata came to the management & ownership and announced a major overhauling in almost every aspects of the airline. It was simply going from a starving neighbourhood to the Downtown Dubai.
Now, although the airline is trying to solve its problems by...
I do get your point and wouldn't exactly call that a failure either. But rather this was overhyped or The Impossible Dream.
AI was simply terrible before the rebranding. And then Tata came to the management & ownership and announced a major overhauling in almost every aspects of the airline. It was simply going from a starving neighbourhood to the Downtown Dubai.
Now, although the airline is trying to solve its problems by throwing a lot of money into, the problem stills remains. Their planes are poorly maintained and often suffers from diversions and inoperable seats. The soft product is still not commendable (plastic containers in F meals). The service is inconsistent and so on. The seats are outdated and broken on many jets, and only very few has modern seats. It's mainly due to the global supply chain issues but the airline didn't really bother to invest into a new product or even maintain properly either.
It may be too early to judge as to what the AI rebranding is but it does seem to me that this isn't going as the airline has thought.
Exactly right. Tata can throw all the money it wants at rebranding AI, but all of those problems you listed are still there at AI.
I don't think your perception of Air India's transformation post-Tata is remotely accurate. The financials are magnitudes better given the acquisition was in 2022 with the rebranding in 2023 - transformation does not happen overnight. Some numbers for context (helped by the COVID recovery) from '22-'24:
- Revenue: ~$2.4B -> $3.8B -> $4.7B
- Net Loss: -$1.2B -> -$1.4B -> -$0.5B
- Load Factor: 74% -> 82% -> 85%
- Fleet Size:...
I don't think your perception of Air India's transformation post-Tata is remotely accurate. The financials are magnitudes better given the acquisition was in 2022 with the rebranding in 2023 - transformation does not happen overnight. Some numbers for context (helped by the COVID recovery) from '22-'24:
- Revenue: ~$2.4B -> $3.8B -> $4.7B
- Net Loss: -$1.2B -> -$1.4B -> -$0.5B
- Load Factor: 74% -> 82% -> 85%
- Fleet Size: 165 -> 127 -> 137
The narrowbody refurbishment started in September 2024 with the first planned to return to the fleet in January which has been delayed - by the end of the year, 27 of the A320neos will be refreshed followed by 40 of the Boeing widebodies.
They have 6 old Delta planes and 6 old Etihad planes with a suite business product and 6 new A350's with their new flagship product (with more A350s coming). I would say their improved operating ratios and efficiencies suggest that more is working than is failed, albeit they're not a premium brand today (and I doubt they will be in 2-3 years) but the trajectory is absolutely very positive - definitely cannot call the rebranding a failure unless you had massive immediate expectations.
There are many LCCs with great financials, that doesn't make them a premium or high quality experience.
The huge issue w/ Air India is culture. For better or worse, airlines are heavily staffed and influence by their country of origin. Air France is boosted by France's gourmet culture and serves better food as a result. Japanese airlines are more efficient and focus on customer satisfaction due to their country's emphasis on precision and the like.
...There are many LCCs with great financials, that doesn't make them a premium or high quality experience.
The huge issue w/ Air India is culture. For better or worse, airlines are heavily staffed and influence by their country of origin. Air France is boosted by France's gourmet culture and serves better food as a result. Japanese airlines are more efficient and focus on customer satisfaction due to their country's emphasis on precision and the like.
Air India will continue to face problems becoming a premium brand. It has already shown significant signs of wear and tear on it's brand new A350s, which does not bode well for the long-term.
Sure, but Air India isn't trying to become the most premium experience and if that would be an idiotic goal for them - simply losing less Indian connecting traffic to Middle Eastern carriers and retaking the #1 position in the domestic market vs Indigo while positioning themselves for growth in the large and growing Indian market is more than plenty.
Anecdotally I'm sure there are mixed stories of the new A350's, but having flown on...
Sure, but Air India isn't trying to become the most premium experience and if that would be an idiotic goal for them - simply losing less Indian connecting traffic to Middle Eastern carriers and retaking the #1 position in the domestic market vs Indigo while positioning themselves for growth in the large and growing Indian market is more than plenty.
Anecdotally I'm sure there are mixed stories of the new A350's, but having flown on one recently I did not notice any issues. The carrier and product was fine - nothing great but passable. Looking at most of their recent incidents which continue to be a problem, almost all are the older planes which still have yet to be refurbished so too early to make a call.
If anyone is expecting Air India to compete in premium products like Qatar, Cathay, Singapore, or Etihad, they will be disappointed. India is still a $2.8k per capita country - the bulk of the market will be LCC. Every upstart that has tried to compete upmarket in South Asia has gone bankrupt. Now, is Air India capturing a higher average fare, operate far more efficiently with better overall maintenance than it did as a government-owned airline with more domestic market share than pre-acquisition? We have statistical evidence that all of those are happening.
They have plenty of real estate to work with literally and figuratively with the expansion of ICNs terminal 2.
The Executive Traveller article doesn't have the renderings. It just says that the author has been shown concept drawings by Korean Air.
@ Bruce -- Whoops, guessing they weren't supposed to post that then, because it has been deleted. Thanks for the heads up.
Glad you got a peek and can vouch for them. Couldn’t agree more this is long overdue and I’m excited to see if KE can start to be competitive. I’m biased due to my frequent trips to Korea but also love a comeback story.
I hope they get rid of the skyteamness
Yes, you are vindicated. Korean culture is not like other countries but Korean competes in a strong pool of carriers.
Don’t underestimate Delta’s influence in helping KE build its network and product
Finalizing the merger is the start of lots of positive change at Korean
Yes yes, it's always Delta.
Clearly US-based airlines know everything there is about providing a premium experience to passengers. Asian and ME airlines should take notes.
I agree with Tim on this. Not that delta outshines other Asian and ME carriers, but given deltas extreme focus on ICN in Asia they would have significant influence. Go from D1 in LAX to your layover in ICN en route to Manila and, uh, yeah, it’s a massive disappointment.
I would argue that Delta does actually have a leg up on the lounge/ground game compared to many East Asian carriers.
Several of their top tier SkyClubs (like LAX) are equal if not better than many of the business class lounges in ICN, TPE, SIN, and TYO. Their Delta One lounges are also a cut above and rival top business class lounges in Asia like CX's in HKG. The JFK and LAX check-in experience for...
I would argue that Delta does actually have a leg up on the lounge/ground game compared to many East Asian carriers.
Several of their top tier SkyClubs (like LAX) are equal if not better than many of the business class lounges in ICN, TPE, SIN, and TYO. Their Delta One lounges are also a cut above and rival top business class lounges in Asia like CX's in HKG. The JFK and LAX check-in experience for Delta One is pretty seamless. Of course they do not match the F lounges, but that's fair because Delta doesn't offer a longhaul F product.
The revamp of KE's ICN lounges will be a much needed boost.
By that logic you could argue that JAL and ANA are great airlines because of AA and UA respectively which, no.
AA and UA haven't invested in KE.
or JL or NH.
Only AA has invested in a Chinese carrier.
Do I detect a hint of sarcasm in your comment?
as much as some want to believe otherwise, the world does not revolve around Atlanta.
Given how bad the KE product is, I am inclined to believe Delta actually is involved