Korean Air

REVIEW I recently booked business class on Korean Air from Boston (BOS) to Seoul (ICN), and the airline has taken a clear step backwards compared to their previous product. Korean Air used to offer the Prestige Suite, which was competitive with the best airlines in the world. Unfortunately, on this route, they’ve reverted to an outdated seating… Read more

configuration that feels more like a relic from the 1980s than a modern premium cabin.

The biggest issue is the seat design:

No real privacy — you’re fully exposed with no suite or divider No direct aisle access — you must step over your seatmate Overall outdated layout that simply doesn’t meet current business class expectations On a long-haul flight like Boston to Seoul, these shortcomings become very noticeable. Comfort and privacy matter on a 15+ hour flight, and this product falls well short.

In comparison, airlines like Japan Airlines and Cathay Pacific offer far superior business class experiences, with direct aisle access, significantly more privacy, and a more modern feel.

To be fair, the service from Korean Air is courteous and professional, and the onboard experience is still pleasant from a hospitality standpoint. But in today’s market, the hard product is just as important, and this is where Korean Air is now lagging.

Given these changes, it’s hard to justify their continued 5-star reputation.

Bottom line: On the Boston–Seoul route, Korean Air has taken a noticeable step backwards. Until they reintroduce a modern business class product, there are clearly better options available. JAL and Cathay are now far better.

Would I fly again? Only if there were no better alternatives.

Another wonderful experience flying Korean Air – This is my 2nd trip to Europe with Korean Air. In November flew SYD-CDG with Korean Air 1st leg and code share Air France 2nd leg arriving Saturday afternoon after the terrorist attacks. Both flights had good service and pleasant staff. The free hotel/food included in the 16 hour stopover makes the journey from Australia to France easy. Leave… Read more

Sydney in the morning arrive Incheon late afternoon, by the time you arrive at hotel have dinner and relax a bit it's sleep time, then your back up in the morning and on a flight that arrives mid afternoon with Air France or early evening with Korean Air. Arrive at your Paris accommodation in time to potter around and have dinner and it's night time again and your body clock is adjusted to wake up the next morning and hit the ground running. We returned home in December from Prague with a 6 hour stopover in Incheon. The airport at Incheon is great and we found the rest and relax area and grabbed a few hours sleep in big comfy recliners. Again both legs had great service and nice food. I will definitely fly Korean Air to Europe next time. The service is good and the flight times are great.

Brilliant service and very good facilities – We flew Sydney-Seoul-Frankfurt return with a 2 year old and I have to say KAL staff were so attentive and went out of our way to ensure our already stressful experience was exactly the opposite. They give out awesome activity packs to little ones and the child meals are great. Not overly healthy but there is so much on the tray that even my… Read more

fussy toddler would always eat something. Our meals were also great and were served after the child meal to give us time to sort her out before we ate. The seats are comfy and KAL have among the best leg room in economy out of any airline.

The staff got me to the front of the toilet queue at one point when I had to change a nappy, then set up the change 'table' for me.

The stopover in Seoul was relatively painless and the airport security staff were wonderful in helping us get through as quickly as possible. I would not hesitate to recommend and will be flying with them again in the future. Excellent from start to finish

The staff in the bag drop off area are bunch of racists. They target indian looking people ask to stand separately after dropping bags. They are saying they are scanning bags. If you want to scan bags scan everyones bags. If you want to sterio type with your racist mind set do it descreetly. Dont let your customers stand out separately like bunch of thieves. Never experience this stupid behaviour with any other airlines.

For the life of me I don’t know how Korean was voted best airline for 2025. I couldn’t understand the flight attendants, the seats are hard and narrow and the food is absolutely disgusting. I had one bite of the first meal and didn’t eat again for the rest of the two flights. We flew from Sydney to Inchon, Inchon to Vancouver and return. The… Read more

planes are old and uncomfortable.In flight movies were old, No current new releases and to much Asian junk. Korean air says that economy comfort is their priority, crap. As I said the food is disgusting, good food would make for a better experience. They were even running late so no time to eat at Inchon. We had to run to catch the connecting flight. Never again, I will never fly Korean air. I’d rather fly Southern China Air and I thought they were the worst airline Id ever flown with. Korean Air is just as bad. Or maybe I’ll take my chances with Air India.

wrong website pricing – tried to book a multi segment trip on koreanair.com but due to technical issue, cannot be completed. website price is cheaper by $500 than booking thru their reservations. WHY!!!!!!!

Avoid – English customer service line was a joke, admitted to mishandling my order confirmation and has rejected the initial date that was confirmed for my boarding flight. No intention of upgrading my ticket to another class even when there were plenty of spots. Ended up changing my ticket to 2 days ahead of my travel plan with no compensation and I had… Read more

to pay extra for my hotels and other services. Sent a complaint to their customer service on the 3rd of Jan and no reply at all, avoid if you can.

Plane very old and uncomforable – I had heard really good things about Korean Air so was really shocked; As plane not full looks like they traded down for a really old plane with tiny narrow uncomfortable seats; I paid extra for sear with more leg room and it was not worth it Show details

Shutters down – I flew from Sydney, Australia to Incheon, South Korea last May on a morning flight. The service was fine but they made us put the shutters down for the majority of the trip. It would have been nice to see out the window and not be in the dark all day. It was a day time flight and Seoul is only one hour behind Sydney at that time of year, so going… Read more

from very similar time zones makes no sense to black out the cabin during the day.

The other negative, on the trip home from Seoul to Sydney, around 2.00am they put the lights on and woke everyone up for food! Back to my point about similar timezones, people are normally asleep then!

About to take our 3rd trip with Korean Air – We have flown to Israel/Turkey with Korean in 2015 from Sydney. Had to overnight in Incheon Airport hotel, but airline covers this at a very nice hotel....5 star, and meals...great deal and breaks the trip nicely so you reach the final destination relatively refreshed. Also went to Vancouver/New York in 2016, overnight not necessary as connections… Read more

are good for this one. We chose to spend 2 nights in Seoul on return leg, and we were very happy with all. Overall, great airline, food was good, entertainment more than adequate, and I loved the break in Seoul both times.

Business class – Brisbane to South Korea and New York return. 23hours in the air plus waiting. Seats are lie flat beds so comfort is no problem. Flight attendants are stunningly beautiful, and very polite, though English is not the best, food ok, entertainment no as good as some, would not fly again.

Super Dooper – Just back from the Winter Olympics. Korean Air was great. Flights, timings, food, staff all great. Cant say I like the country as its a mess of a place but at least its not China.

Great Airline – Had the pleasure to fly to Vancouver fro Brisbane with Korean aIrlines, 04.02.18 KE124 KE071 - 14.02.18 KE123 KE072 the Ground staff were fantastic as well as the Flight Crew. The effeciency that the Ground Staff and flight crew checking passengers in and boarding was first class,there was no organised chaos as I have expereinced with other… Read more

airlines.

The flight crew and ground staff were very well mannered and very courteous something that the middle eastern airlines which I have flown both could learn Ethiad and Emirates.

I will be choosing Korean again when I fly to Europe next year and go via Incheon again rather than Abu Dhabi or Dubai as so many people are forced to fly via these two countries.

Painful CC verification process – For some reason they have this credit card verification process when you make an online booking through their website. But since my credit card was changed since I made the booking about 10 months ago, I now need to go through this painful process of getting my new credit card verified, while I have already paid for the tickets anyway. Ridiculous procedure. I will not book with them again.

Great Airline – In June I will be taking my 3rd trip to London from Brisbane on Korean Air. It has become my airline of choice. I travel economy and have found the cabins to be clean with a fairly good amount of leg room. I am vegetarian and find the food good, although I would recommend taking some snacks. The stop over in Incheon on the way to London is great and it means I don't feel like a zombie when I arrive at my destination.

Good international airline – The staff were very polite, the flight pleasant. My other managed the booking and details - it was a Brisbane to London return trip back in 2004. I had a recent experience with a collegue at work having his first international trip which he's understandably excited about. All his questions made me realize I have traveled quite a bit with a… Read more

number of carriers, so decided to do a few reviews on them, which is why I am doing this.

My only personal fault with Korean Air would be the food, but keep in mind I do get a quesy stomach when traveling on long flights so if you're an ok eater, just ignore that one personal preference. My mother was very happy with the food, which is how I know it was just me. They had good airport accommodation too, in Seoul where we stayed overnight to break up the flight. (because I don't sleep well on planes either). It was very clean, and the staff were very polite there too.

Great value airline – It was excellent value, great caring service. Everything went to plan. We arrived on time. Meals were good, plenty of snacks and leg room for 6 ft 5 inch hubby was better than other airlines. We flew economy. We will fly with them again.

Flight Cancelation – Very bad customer service. I had to cancel my ticket and was told it's going to get refunded but when I called again, they told they can't cancel the ticket. No one ever told me so now I lost lot of money cause of them. Very disappointing for full priced carrier.

Unable to change any details of flight or request a refund – I have an upcoming flight for December this year and during booking there was no option to select which meals I required. My travelling partner requires vegan and gluten free which I am now made aware on the ticket is not what I 'selected' even though I did not receive the option. I am unable to change any details of my booking so either my… Read more

travelling companion must starve for the two 13 hour flights or I have to cancel the flight with no refund and re-book it. This is simply unacceptable and I will never book or fly with Air Korea again.

My flight from Korea to Israel 2nd June 2016 – I flew on KE957 from Korea to Israel and I would just like to let you know how wonderful the flight was and to highly commend all the cabin staff - ESPECIALLY KIM BO HYUN AND WARAPORN T. I have flown both Business Class and Economy on many occasions and on various airlines, however I have never ever been treated and looked after so well as I did by these 2 members of your cabin staff. Congratulations on such outstanding service.

"Nothing But The Best" – My partner and I have flown with Korean Air 4 times in the last 5 years, and we can honestly say that they are absolutely fantastic, never any hassle, always smiling staff who can't do enough for you. We fly from Brisbane to Amsterdam and their stopover is wonderful, airport Hyatt (which they own)service second to none, accommodation and food excellent......do yourself a favour and "FLY KOREAN AIR" !!!!!!! :-)

Excellent – I have recently flown four international legs with Korean Air and have found them to be one of the best airlines I have travelled with. The seats have more leg room then most with individual entertainment systems at each seat and the meals are pretty good for airline food (get the Korean choices not the western meals!) They have a generous baggage… Read more

allowances of 2 x 23 kilogram bags per passenger with each additional bag costing $200 as a flat rate.

The ground and flight crew are fantastic! I had one of the easiest and quickest check ins I have ever experienced which was significant as I was departing on an international flight from a busy US airport, any regular traveller knows what a stressful event that can be! The cabin crew are very friendly and willing to be of assistance. Reliable and efficient

Best by a Mile! Can't fault them really – Travelled Brisbane to London return Xmas 2012 with family (including 2 year old) and couldn't have gone any better. Despite some miscommunication, confusion and lack of details at Seoul airport regarding where to go for transfer to stopover hotel (which was rectified straight away), would definitely fly KAL again. Heading back to London next year… Read more

(2015) and hope to book again with KAL without hesitation, this time with 4 year old and 1 year old. Price, stopover, very friendly and helpful staff Slight miscommunication about transfer info at Seoul airport

Keep going down – Despite my previous not good experience with this carrier I still was traveling to Europe from Australia using KAL carrier just only because of nice stay in Seoul overnight. It was May 2014. Unfortunately it happens that even the accommodation get worse. The hotel this time was Ramada Songdo about 20min away from airport rather than 5min previous… Read more

few times I travelled.

This time it is satisfactory but not excellent as it was before. Aircon was not working, no spa, neither swimming pool, dinner and breakfast was with no choice but only one option. Accompanying staff ( I guess they were from KAL service) was trying the best but apparently they were limited with ability to do so.

A mini-bar in the room was empty still with a list of items suppose to be in it and i was asked if we consumed anything from mini-bar during check-out, funny enough.

Aircraft crew service was a little be better than previous time with less ignorance to English speaking and nothing more to say.

And by the way not able to do web check-in 'due to a reservation change'.

un-acceptable service

Great Airline – Have used Korean Air a few times to and from Sydney and Tokyo via Incheon, and every time the service has been impeccable. The staff are friendly , attentive and very well presented. Seats were comfortable and clean. On one flight toward Sydney, a passenger passed away suddenly just after dinner and lights out. The crew handled this situation the… Read more

best they could to try and keep passengers calm, while being respectful of the deceased passenger. It was quite a shock but handled the right way. I have also had on more than 2 occasions complimentary upgrades, which is always a nice surprise. Friendly staff, comfortable, decent meals and entertainment.

Best airline – Flew to Italy 10 times from Melbourne Australia with many different airlines, twice with Korean air, and I got to say that they are the best, very friendly staff and service, with a free over night stay in Seoul Hyatt hotel with all meals included which is very good if travelling with kids as they can rest. inexpensive, over night stopover

One of the best – I travel to Europe 1-2 times per year from Brisbane. Korean Air is the best way to go - fly out in the morning and arrive in Korea late afternoon, within the ticket is; hotel transfer, overnight accommodation, dinner and breakfast included with free transfer back to Incheon airport for my flight to Prague (offer is available to any next day… Read more

flight). I'd take, and will continue to take, two 9.5 hour flights with a free break in between over the two 7 and 14 hour flights across the middle east flying with your choice of combination in Qantas, Lufthansa, Emirates or Singapore - not that there is anything wrong with those airlines. I just feel fresher with no fatigue or jetlag going via Korea then when I used to fly through the Middle East- which is important when it saves you a potential day of recovery. Never arrive tired, polite and generous cabin crew, great worldwide connections, I'm yet to have a bad experience, chances are I will eventually - no airline is faultless. But at the moment I can't think of anything. To be brutally honest reading other reviews on this page, I thnk other reviewers have a cultural or ethnic issue with the airline than a legitamate one. We Australians aren't exactly the most tolerant people.

So pleased with Korean Air, even before the flight! – I had previously flown with Korean and had been very impressed with the everything. I had flown from Minnesota, USA to Siem Reap, Cambodia this January and the flight was great. Then instead of flying back to the U.S., I went to Australia. Since then I had to change my flight with them twice, and now that I have my final flight, I could not be… Read more

happier with this airline. They not only changed the date of my return, but also the origin without a fuss. Yes it cost some money, but they were so helpful and wonderful through the process. I now have my final flight home :) I also just got off the phone with them to choose advance seating. This happened within 6 minutes and cost no extra money! I have never been on an international flight that did not cost money for advanced seating! Thank you Korean Air! I am excited for my flight with you in 3 weeks! reliable and helpful!

Great Airline, Will Use Again – We flew from Brisbane Australia to Los Angeles Via Seoul at the beginning of January 2013. We boarded quickly and were given hot towels and headphones straight after take off. The in flight entertainment was great and had a big variety of what we could watch. The food was served at good intervals so we were never hungry. The meals were your… Read more

typical aeroplane food so it was nothing fancy but it did the job. Our stop over was stress free and apart from a little wait to get through security (that couldn't be helped) we boarded promptly again and landed in LA without issues. The return flight was very similiar. The cabin crew were lovely and happy to help two very jetlagged Aussies with whatever we requested, included copious amounts of juice and AMAZING sweetened nuts between meals. We flew coach and found the chairs to be comfortable and quite roomy. All in all we would definatley use Korean Air again. The food, the cabin crew, great inflight entertainment, clean, comfortable and roomy. The only thing we could really say (and this is nit picking) is it took a little bit long to collect our food trays once we'd finished.