Korean Air has today unveiled its first major rebranding in decades, including a new livery. That’s not the end of the news, though, as the airline has also revealed plans to introduce a new first class, which will even have an expanded footprint.
In this post:
New Korean Air first class suites coming in 2028
Executive Traveller reports on some comments made by David Pacey, Korean Air’s EVP of Inflight Service and Lounges. Most interesting is that Korean Air plans to introduce a new first class product as of 2028. While Korean Air currently offers first class, it’s only available on a very limited number of aircraft, and its footprint has been shrinking over the years.
Several years back, Korean Air reduced the size of its first class fleet, but the airline now seems to be reversing that trend. The airline reportedly plans to introduce this new first class on select Airbus A350s, Boeing 777s, and Boeing 787s, as the airline has a massive number of planes on order. We’ll have to be patient to learn the exact details as to how big this product’s footprint will be.
What’s interesting is that Korean Air sees potential to expand first class beyond the markets in which it’s offered now, as currently it’s primarily only sold on select flights to North America and Europe. The airline sees merit to once again selling first class on routes within Asia, to the South Pacific, etc.
There are no details yet as to what we should expect from Korean Air’s first class, other than that the SkyTeam airline is partnering with design firm PriestmanGoode on this. I can’t help but be curious if Korean Air will actually introduce an impressive first class, or if the airline will go more the route of having a “business class plus” type product, that’s marketed as first class.
Korean Air’s new business class product, the Prestige Suite 2.0, is the the Collins Aerospace Horizon seat. I could see Korean Air simply taking advantage of the extra space at the bulkhead to create a watered down first class, like what you’ll find on Starlux Airlines’ A350s. But I hope I’m wrong, and that the airline actually goes for something impressive.
Korean Air realizes it needs to improve in first class
Recently I reviewed Korean Air first class, and was pretty critical of the experience being offered, in terms of both the hard and soft product. The competition has evolved, and it seems like Korean Air hasn’t.
Some readers pointed out that Korean Air is primarily targeting Korean travelers, where the airline doesn’t have to be as competitive (due to lack of competition), and where different cultural normals dictate a different approach to service (reactive vs. proactive).
So that’s why I think it’s interesting to note what Executive Traveller quotes a Korean Air executive as saying:
“The chairman’s mandate to us is we need to elevate everything that we do. We know we’re behind and that’s something we need to work on.”
Specifically, the mission is “to go from being a Korean flagship carrier to an international carrier based in Korea,” as the carrier’s passenger demographics have shifted over the years. Historically, Korean Air first class passengers were overwhelmingly Korean males in their 40s, while now it’s almost a 50/50 split of Koreans and non-Koreans, males an females, and there are also younger passengers.
Obviously this is music to my ears, so I look forward to seeing how Korean Air evolves.
Bottom line
Korean Air reportedly has plans to introduce a new first class in 2028, and it’ll have a significantly expanded footprint, available on select A350s, 777s, and 787s. I’m pleasantly surprised to see that Korean Air is committed to keeping first class in the long run, since I wondered if the airline might ditch this, and focus on business class.
I’m particularly happy to see that Korean Air also realizes that it’s not currently very competitive, and that there’s big room for improvement, especially when it comes to the perception of international travelers. I’m curious to see how this all plays out, though we’ll have to be patient…
What do you make of Korean Air’s first class plans?
It used to matter when there was a way to book award flights. But now who cares? I enjoyed J with my family back when they were transfer partners with Chase
While I think there is still room to improve, it probably is fair Ben to note that there are variations of first class, and the better variation is fairly competitive (imo). The same soft product concerns are equally valid.
The weaker version is definitely outdated - but those also make up both first class photos in the piece.
And that's the rub. The hard product is subjectively easy to master. There are only a few seat mfrs out there and you have lots of examples of other in-service seats to choose from off-the-shelf or to modify. That should be the easiest choice to make. But if we're differentiating soft product, KE routinely fails on every flight I've been on. I've flow F on SQ, QF, KE, CX, NH, and JL. KE suffered on...
And that's the rub. The hard product is subjectively easy to master. There are only a few seat mfrs out there and you have lots of examples of other in-service seats to choose from off-the-shelf or to modify. That should be the easiest choice to make. But if we're differentiating soft product, KE routinely fails on every flight I've been on. I've flow F on SQ, QF, KE, CX, NH, and JL. KE suffered on hard *and* soft product on every mid-haul intra-Asia or TPAC flight I was on when compared to literally every other Asia/Pacific region carrier. They have an uphill battle to fight when it comes to improving their offering on-board, and them being light on details on soft product - the harder nut to crack - means this announcement is pretty useless. It's the "we have a concept of a plan" of improvement announcements.
Ben was extremely critical of KE's old F hard product recently while he didn't do the same for JL's old F in another recent post, but they're both extremely similar products. He's just really harsh on KE's hard product for some reason.
It does make sense to be honest - I've never felt Korean Air was very concerned with convincing people outside of South Korea to fly with them. And I guess it was enough for the domestic market the standard, but relatively to carriers from other countries it looks poor.
I would've thought the East Asian market would be more competitive considering that Japan, Taiwan, Korea, and to some extent Hong Kong all compete for connecting traffic. Fares are very competitive on the opposite carriers, for example SEL originating JAL fares, or TYO originating KE fares, all undercut their own nonstops.
But I suppose it boils down to cultural differences and language barriers.
It’s clear that the West far prefers the Japanese and Taiwanese airlines’ service (plus CX and SQ) to the Koreans, with the Mainland Chinese nowhere in sight. That’s the cultural perception that KE is out to change now, and I bet the KE leadership has been internally going through what it hasn’t been getting right. Ben’s effusive reviews of Starlux, SQ, JAL, EVA, etc. and not-so-complimentary reviews of KE have no doubt played a part in that.
I think it is partly due to geography. At least from a European standpoint. Why do a 12 hour flight to ICN and then a 10 hour flight to SYD, when I can catch a 12 hour flight to SIN and then a 7 hour flight to SYD. I don’t know anyone who prefers to connect in ICN.
Connections are primarily intra-Asia. Years ago from the end of the Cold War until the mid-late 2000s and 77Ws taking over, Korean Air and Seoul was the alternative to JAL and Northwest in Narita for connections to Asia. ANA was a much smaller airline then and with CI in Taipei, you had another tech stop in Anchorage.
Now you're spoiled for choice with endless options!
Typical Skyteam behavior to launch a revolutionary, exciting, top notch first class, only for it to be a business class seat with bigger footwell and a door.
Let’s hear you say that for Air France, which is SkyTeam’s best airline hands down. It’s perhaps the best Western airline out there, and way above KE and SkyTeam’s other Asian airlines like GA.
The biggest peeve for me is their refusal to update their A330/777 seating. Whereas other Asian carriers now all have 1-2-1 reverse herringbone or staggered seats, KE still uses outdated minipod-style seats on some longhaul(including their "flagship" A380). On ANA J, even if you don't fly on the 77W with "the Room", the older staggered 77W/787 seat is still perfectly serviceable. Same for JL/BR/CI/SQ/CX on 7+h flights. But on KE, if you happen to fly...
The biggest peeve for me is their refusal to update their A330/777 seating. Whereas other Asian carriers now all have 1-2-1 reverse herringbone or staggered seats, KE still uses outdated minipod-style seats on some longhaul(including their "flagship" A380). On ANA J, even if you don't fly on the 77W with "the Room", the older staggered 77W/787 seat is still perfectly serviceable. Same for JL/BR/CI/SQ/CX on 7+h flights. But on KE, if you happen to fly anything but the new Prestige suites 2.0 or Apex, you find yourself with 2-3-2/2-2-2 J seats with minimal privacy, a far cry from the rest of the Asian carriers. Their lounges, both at ICN and outstations(LAX/JFK), have also seemed pretty lacklustre. All in all it seems KE just has been so focused on the OZ merger that it reduced investment in pax-ex, instead trying to rely on its halo status from 10 years ago(Skytrax, anyone?) and its admittedly excellent staff. I do hope this changes after the merger, but I wouldn't get too hopeful. FWIW, KE's hard product is still better than Asiana's very aging seats(except maybe for the A350).
Well, the 77Ws are scheduled to get a refit with the Prestige Suites 2.0. I'm not exactly sure what their plans are for the A330s, but since both KE and OZ have plenty of young A330s, they could easily have a unified product and since both use PW engines, it makes things easier from a maintenance standpoint.
The 772ERs are retired at KE and they could easily retire the 773As if they really wanted...
Well, the 77Ws are scheduled to get a refit with the Prestige Suites 2.0. I'm not exactly sure what their plans are for the A330s, but since both KE and OZ have plenty of young A330s, they could easily have a unified product and since both use PW engines, it makes things easier from a maintenance standpoint.
The 772ERs are retired at KE and they could easily retire the 773As if they really wanted to.
As far as the lounges are concerned, they have plenty of real estate to work with both figuratively and literally with the expansion of terminal 2. They're also scheduled to open their own lounge at JFKs new terminal 1 with the ability to board directly from the lounge!
KAL's first batch B77Ws are supposed to get new Prestige Suites 2 soon but will lose first class and get premium economy instead. Rumour says it will have a C40W48Y252 or similar. While it's good that their B772s are now WFU it's quite puzzling that B773s are still there.
KAL A333s are mostly old - only last six planes are less than 15 years old (delivered btwn. 2014 and 2015). Asiana's ones are slightly...
KAL's first batch B77Ws are supposed to get new Prestige Suites 2 soon but will lose first class and get premium economy instead. Rumour says it will have a C40W48Y252 or similar. While it's good that their B772s are now WFU it's quite puzzling that B773s are still there.
KAL A333s are mostly old - only last six planes are less than 15 years old (delivered btwn. 2014 and 2015). Asiana's ones are slightly newer but the airline plans to return them to the lessors in upcoming years.
Asiana's long-haul seats may be dated, but is at least consistent - all A350s, A380s and 777s have 1-2-1 STELIA Solstys seats, and only A330s (usually flying within Asia) have angled seats.
It's not really puzzling as they use the 773As to high capacity, low yield destinations such as Manila, Cebu, and Ho Chi Minh.
While you can replace 1 773 with 2 A330s, unfortunately Manila is slot-restricted and cargo capacity is also a factor. Once the A35Ks start coming in, I would imagine the 77Ws doing more regional flights.
The 772s were pretty much redundant with the introduction of the 787 and A350. The 773As...
It's not really puzzling as they use the 773As to high capacity, low yield destinations such as Manila, Cebu, and Ho Chi Minh.
While you can replace 1 773 with 2 A330s, unfortunately Manila is slot-restricted and cargo capacity is also a factor. Once the A35Ks start coming in, I would imagine the 77Ws doing more regional flights.
The 772s were pretty much redundant with the introduction of the 787 and A350. The 773As fill a niche market with no direct replacement hence CX and NH holding on to theirs until the last minute.
A330 of Asiana fly to SIN, a big Nono when every other full service get you direct aisle
Korean Air still think they are premium airlines and charge premium price while serving bibimbap and instant ramen noodles in Business Class.
I don't knock those options, as that's their country's fan favorite food. Koreans are one of the top, if not the top consumer of instant ramen.
But they should definitely have more options beyond bibimbap and ramen. Perhaps some other Korean dishes (galbi, noodles, etc.) + banchan to elevate the experience.
Korean Air still think they are premium airlines and charge premium price while serving bibimbap and instant ramen noodles.
Ben, I wrote this before, but I'm asking again to hear from you.
I've read your old(10+ years ago) reviews of Korean Air and they were mostly positive, which is very different from your recent reviews.
I think their first class hard product is still ok. The suites on 747-8i and retrofitted 77W are large and private(with doors), and the old ones on A380 are pretty much the same as JAL 777 first class....
Ben, I wrote this before, but I'm asking again to hear from you.
I've read your old(10+ years ago) reviews of Korean Air and they were mostly positive, which is very different from your recent reviews.
I think their first class hard product is still ok. The suites on 747-8i and retrofitted 77W are large and private(with doors), and the old ones on A380 are pretty much the same as JAL 777 first class. It would be the soft product rather than the hard product that Korean Air lags behind.
Have the service of them deteriorate? Did they use to be proactive but chang to be reactive at some point?
Or the competitors have changed?
I know they've cut cost in a lot of their soft product(meal service, inflight bar in A380, etc.), but I guess the service of the FAs and staffs would be mostly the same. Have they really changed?
@ S_LEE -- That's an excellent question. I think the short answer is that it's a little bit of everything. On balance, the competition has gotten much better, while I'd argue that Korean Air has gotten just a little worse, and hasn't evolved.
I feel like the soft product on Korean Air isn't as good as in the past, from the rubber amenity kit, to food not being quite as good as it was before,...
@ S_LEE -- That's an excellent question. I think the short answer is that it's a little bit of everything. On balance, the competition has gotten much better, while I'd argue that Korean Air has gotten just a little worse, and hasn't evolved.
I feel like the soft product on Korean Air isn't as good as in the past, from the rubber amenity kit, to food not being quite as good as it was before, to service just not being quite as friendly (which is perhaps true at many airlines, following the pandemic). While other airlines have invested in Wi-Fi, that's still an area where Korean Air lags, for its fleet with first class. The alcohol on Korean Air isn't very impressive either.
So it's hard to point my finger at any one thing, but from start to finish, the experience is just quite underwhelming.
Thanks for the answer, Lucky!
The details of their soft product upgrade plan have just been released. I think it'll be worth an article.
https://youtu.be/kB2j-EOKKYU?si=Dwum838mHlcuwDwP
https://youtu.be/3LNugR4I1_k?si=gWo9C2kWG5BdXvsN
They're finally offering mattress in business class! And the food options are expanding as well. I hope the FAs service changes, too.
As for wi-fi, they're installing it on their existing 787s and 777s, but there's no plan to do it on 747s, A380s and A330s...
Thanks for the answer, Lucky!
The details of their soft product upgrade plan have just been released. I think it'll be worth an article.
https://youtu.be/kB2j-EOKKYU?si=Dwum838mHlcuwDwP
https://youtu.be/3LNugR4I1_k?si=gWo9C2kWG5BdXvsN
They're finally offering mattress in business class! And the food options are expanding as well. I hope the FAs service changes, too.
As for wi-fi, they're installing it on their existing 787s and 777s, but there's no plan to do it on 747s, A380s and A330s since they'll retire in a few years. I know it's disappointing because their 7474s and A380s are put on their signature routes such as LAX and JFK..
There was an international incident about how some nuts were served that was the direct cause of the decline.
Hopefully they'll also serve some other options than just a beef rice bowl.
If you can have a multi-course menu in a restaurant in Koreatown in LA or New York, I'm sure it wouldn't be too difficult to replicate something onboard. They could easily partner with some restaurants and chefs.
Whatever people’s opinion on the livery, it’s nice to see a Northeast Asian airline other than Cathay Pacific invest in its branding and identity. It’s always been as though CX has been the only airline from Northeast Asia which paid any attention at all to advertising and branding. So I’m glad to see KE take this aspect of its corporate identity seriously, especially when it isn’t as universally positively received as BR, JX, NH or...
Whatever people’s opinion on the livery, it’s nice to see a Northeast Asian airline other than Cathay Pacific invest in its branding and identity. It’s always been as though CX has been the only airline from Northeast Asia which paid any attention at all to advertising and branding. So I’m glad to see KE take this aspect of its corporate identity seriously, especially when it isn’t as universally positively received as BR, JX, NH or JL. It’s a long uphill journey, much like AI — though AI has an ever bigger disadvantage of a terrible reputation — but it’s great to see KE starting to work on its corporate image.
CX and Hong Kong, IMO, would be more East than Northeast. The same could be said with BR and JX. While Hong Kong is politically part of China, which is a Northeast Asian country, Hong Kong is geographically more East than Northeast.
I split East Asian airlines into Northeast (CX, BR, JX, CI, NH, JL, KE, OZ) — not counting Mainland Chinese carriers like CA, CZ, MU and HU — and Southeast (SQ. TG, MH, GA, VN, PR) in order to group together different kinds of airlines.
CX (along with MH) is in a league of its own when it comes to branding and English usage, with SQ and GA close behind, TG and JX a bit...
I split East Asian airlines into Northeast (CX, BR, JX, CI, NH, JL, KE, OZ) — not counting Mainland Chinese carriers like CA, CZ, MU and HU — and Southeast (SQ. TG, MH, GA, VN, PR) in order to group together different kinds of airlines.
CX (along with MH) is in a league of its own when it comes to branding and English usage, with SQ and GA close behind, TG and JX a bit worse, and NH, JL and BR nowhere in sight. It seems KE is finally headed towards CX and SQ’s league.