Korean Air Will Debut a New First Class

Korean Air will introduce a new first-class cabin on some of its long-haul aircraft and expand the number of flights featuring the cabin. It’s also introducing upgrades to its existing first class, with improved service and amenities.

In addition to these significant developments, the South Korean flag carrier has introduced a new livery and updated its logo.

Let’s see what’s changing with Delta Air Lines’ closest partner in Asia.

What We Know About Korean Air’s New First Class

The airline revealed its strategy at an event in South Korea. David Pacey, Korean Air’s Chief of In-flight Service and Lounges, told Executive Traveller that the new first class cabin will be installed on some of the new twin-aisle aircraft joining the fleet: Airbus A350s, Boeing 777-9s, and Boeing 787s.

Korean Air also plans to fly its new first class to more routes than those where it’s featured today.

Currently, Korean’s first class can be found on Airbus A380s, Boeing 747-8s and Boeing 777-300ERs serving North America and Paris, London, and Frankfurt. In the future, it will also be found on flights from South Korea to destinations in Asia and Australia.

Pacey said that PriestmanGoode, the firm that designed the airline’s Prestige Suites 2.0 business class with sliding doors, was designing the new first-class suites.

Prestige Suites 2.0 is, in many ways, a superior seat to Korean’s present first class; it currently operates on the Boeing 787-10, which serves Asian destinations as well as Seattle (SEA), Honolulu (HNL), and Vancouver (YVR).

First Class To Receive an Upgrade

The airline didn’t say when its newest first class will enter service, but in the meantime, it’s making improvements to its existing one.

Korean Air will debut improved dining, bedding, and pajamas on March 12 on flights between Seoul’s Incheon Airport (ICN) and New York (JFK), Paris (CDG), and London (LHR). By June, they will be available on all long-haul flights featuring first class cabins.

The SkyTeam carrier made no mention of refitting the new seats on its legacy first-class aircraft, which include the Boeing 747-8, Airbus A380, and some Boeing Boeing 777-300ERs. However, we do know that the 777-300ER will lose the first-class cabin and have the new Prestige Suites 2.0 business class installed.

There’s a New Livery, Too

Korean Air also unveiled a new livery for its aircraft, with a new logo on the tail. The first airplane to feature it is a Boeing 787-10. The fuselage retains the light blue that distinguishes Korean Air today, but the logo gets simplified and loses its colors, which recall the South Korean flag.

The carrier’s name on the side of the planes gets much bigger and loses “Air.”

Smaller touches include moving the national flag from the top of the tail fin to the fuselage and losing the grey cheatline that runs along the whole side.

While we can expect to see this new livery on all of the dozens of new jets that Korean has on order, the airline didn’t give a schedule for the repainting of its current fleet.

Final Thoughts

True first class on long-haul flights, a class above even business, is found only on some top global carriers. Among them is Korean Air, which has just revealed a new first class cabin.

While we don’t yet know when this new product will begin flying, we can imagine that it will be a major improvement over the current and slightly dated Korean Air first class. We will bring you more details as soon as we know more about Korean’s future first class.