Advertiser Disclosure

Many of the credit card offers that appear on this site are from credit card companies from which we receive financial compensation. This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site (including, for example, the order in which they appear). However, the credit card information that we publish has been written and evaluated by experts who know these products inside out. We only recommend products we either use ourselves or endorse. This site does not include all credit card companies or all available credit card offers that are on the market. See our advertising policy here where we list advertisers that we work with, and how we make money. You can also review our credit card rating methodology.

Korean Air Will Launch a Premium Economy Cabin This Year

Alberto Riva's image
Alberto Riva
Alberto Riva's image

Alberto Riva

Editor & Content Contributor

102 Published Articles 27 Edited Articles

Countries Visited: 41U.S. States Visited: 33

Alberto is an editorial expert with a passion for points and miles. Based in Brooklyn, he also enjoys skiing, mountaineering, and flying.
Edited by: Nick Ellis
Nick Ellis's image

Nick Ellis

Senior Editor & Content Contributor

217 Published Articles 962 Edited Articles

Countries Visited: 35U.S. States Visited: 25

Nick’s passion for points began as a hobby and became a career. He worked for over 5 years at The Points Guy and has contributed to Business Insider and CNN. He has 14 credit cards and continues to le...
Jump to Section

We may be compensated when you click on product links, such as credit cards, from one or more of our advertising partners. Terms apply to the offers below. See our Advertising Policy for more about our partners, how we make money, and our rating methodology. Opinions and recommendations are ours alone.

Korean Air has become the latest major airline to announce a dedicated premium economy cabin. South Korea’s flag carrier will soon begin installing premium economy on some of its long-haul aircraft, which serve the U.S.

Let’s see what’s new with Delta’s closest Asian partner.

Advertisement

What We Know About Korean’s New Premium Economy

Korean Air will begin installing a premium economy cabin on some of its Boeing 777-300ERs in mid-2025. At the same time, it will remove first class from those planes, and replace it with more business class seats, likely its recently introduced Prestige Suites 2.0, which come with sliding doors.

Jason Yoo, Korean Air’s chief operating officer, was quoted by Aviation Week as saying that the retrofits will take around a year.

The introduction of premium economy matters to U.S. flyers because Korean, a close partner of Delta Air Lines in the SkyTeam alliance, sends its 777-300ERs to a number of its gateways in North America. According to flight tracker sites, the airplanes serve Korean’s routes between Seoul (ICN) and Boston (BOS), Chicago (ORD), Las Vegas (LAS), San Francisco (SFO), and Washington, D.C. (IAD), in addition to Toronto (YYZ) in Canada.

Like other global carriers that initially resisted the premium economy trend but ultimately changed course in the face of customer demand — for example, Emirates, whose premium economy just began flying — Korean Air is doing this because passengers clearly want it.

“The marketing team sees a good demand for premium economy. We noticed that premium seats are filled up first before economy,” Yoo said.

Yoo didn’t specify the size of the premium economy section but did say that it would have a significant number of seats.

The new cabin will also be installed on Boeing 777-9s and Airbus A350s. Korean has begun receiving its first A350s this year, but without premium economy. As for the 777-9s, Boeing hasn’t delivered any to customers yet, and the plane is years late on its delivery schedule. The first are slated to enter service next year with Lufthansa.

According to fleet-tracking sites, Korean Air has 25 Boeing 777-300ERs. The 14 that won’t be refurbished are likely to be retired instead, as newer 777 models and A350s enter the fleet.

Hot Tip:

Most U.S.-based flyers on Korean Air will find it convenient to earn Delta SkyMiles on those flights rather than opting for Korean’s own SKYPASS loyalty program.

A New First Class Is Coming, Too

Korean is also rolling out a new first class product, which will installed on some of the new twin-aisle aircraft joining the fleet: Airbus A350s, Boeing 777-9s, and Boeing 787s.

Korean Air New First Class Suites
A rendering of the new Korean Air first class. Image Credit: Korean Air

Korean’s current first class product, while certainly a step up from business class, is largely uncompetitive with the latest offerings from Asian, European, and Middle Eastern rivals, though it is the only true first class product flying between North America and South Korea.

Another big change coming for Korean Air passengers is a new lounge at JFK, which will replace its current, wholly underwhelming space. The 16,000-square-foot Korean Air lounge at the New Terminal One is scheduled to open in 2026 when the new terminal enters service.  

Advertisement

Final Thoughts

Premium economy is popular with flyers as a compromise between coach and lie-flat business. Its seats and legroom are comparable to those of domestic first class in the U.S.

Korean Air is just the latest among major international carriers to announce a premium economy cabin, and we should be able to fly it to and from North America in the second half of the year.

Alberto Riva's image

About Alberto Riva

Alberto joined UP in 2024 after serving as the international editor in chief of Forbes Advisor. His passion for points and miles began when he moved to the U.S. from Italy in 2000, leading him to become the first managing editor of The Points Guy in 2017. He previously worked at Vice News, Bloomberg, and CNN.

Originally from Milan, Alberto has lived in Rome and Atlanta and now resides in Brooklyn, New York. He speaks Italian, French, and Spanish, has traveled to every continent except Antarctica, and enjoys skiing, mountaineering, and flying—often with his wife, Regan, and always in a window seat.

INSIDERS ONLY: UP PULSE

Deluxe Travel Provided by UP Pulse

Get the latest travel tips, crucial news, flight & hotel deal alerts...

Plus — expert strategies to maximize your points & miles by joining our (free) newsletter.

We respect your privacy. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA. Google's privacy policy  and terms of service  apply.

Deluxe Travel Provided by UP Pulse
DMCA.com Protection Status