What is the best way to book Korean Air first class?

Korean SKYPASS is the only airline loyalty program able to book Korean Air first class. Unlike many other first class products, you cannot book Korean Air first class with a partner program.

What credit cards can help me fly Korean first class?

If you want a co-branded card that earns airline miles directly, U.S. Bank provides co-branded cards that earn Korean SKYPASS miles. You can get really into the weeds with our guide on the best ways to earn lots of Korean Air SKYPASS miles, as well.

What do I get when flying Korean Air first class?

You can expect a nice lie-flat seat with direct aisle access on your long-haul flights from the U.S. The seat is particularly comfortable when set up as a bed. Besides this, you’ll get some fantastic pajamas to keep, a fully-loaded amenity kit, and a marvelous food and beverage program. Lastly, the service in Korean Air first class is friendly and attentive to ensure you have a wonderful flight.

Best Ways To Book Korean Air First Class Using Points [Step-by-Step]

Updated: October 21, 2026, 5:54pm CDT

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Table of Contents

Korean Air First Class — The Basics
How To Fly Korean Air First Class Using Miles
Great Korean Air First Class Redemptions
How To Earn Enough Miles for First Class
When Should You Search for First Class Award Space?
What Makes Korean Air First Class a Great Redemption?
Final Thoughts

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If you’re flying to Asia, and you want to do so in style, there’s no shortage of options. The region is home to many of the world’s premier carriers, including All Nippon Airways (ANA) and Singapore Airlines, among others.

However, don’t overlook Korean Air and its first class product. While you may not experience a journey quite as lavish as you would with some competitors, it’s still a strong offering — especially its new Kosmo Suites 2.0 product — and often is readily bookable with points and miles.

Here’s everything to know about the product and how to book it for yourself on your next trip to Asia.

Korean Air First Class — The Basics

Unlike some airlines that have standardized first class cabins across their fleets, Korean Air’s first class product has a few different layouts you should be aware of before booking.

Hot Tip:

To learn more about the airline, read our definitive guide to all of Korean Air’s nonstop U.S. routes.

While none of them are bad experiences, if you’re flying first class, you want to make sure you have the best experience possible.

Korean Air first class earns its solid reputation for its soft product offerings, rather than its hard product. Still, Korean Air’s most private first class seats, known as Kosmo Suites 2.0, contain sliding doors and larger seat partitions to insulate you from the cabin. It’s also one of the top international first class products in the world.

Korean Air 777 300ER First Class Seat View — Korean Air’s newest first class product is called Kosmo Suite 2.0. Image Credit: Nick Ellis

The 3 aircraft you should consider for your first class trip on Korean Air are the Boeing 747-8, some Boeing 777-300ERs, and the Airbus A380-800. Seats on these aircraft are considerably more private and comfortable.

If you’re flying on the Boeing 777-300ER, be aware that some have the new Kosmo Suites 2.0 while others have open suites (with privacy partitions). All Airbus A380-800 aircraft have open suites in the first class cabin.

Korean Air 777 300ER First Class Open Seats — Some aircraft, including all Airbus A380s, have open first class seats. Image Credit: Nick Ellis

The first class cabin on the Boeing 747-8 is located on the lower deck and features a 1-1 layout with only a single aisle. The Boeing 777-300ER and the Airbus A380-800 both feature a 1-2-1 configuration (on the lower deck of the A380).

If you find yourself on the A380, make sure to check out the bar available to first and business class passengers. Bars in the sky are a rarity, so take advantage of the opportunity to enjoy a cocktail with your fellow flyers.

Korean Air A380 Celestial Bar — When you fly first class on the A380, make sure you visit the Celestial Bar. Image Credit: Korean Air

How To Fly Korean Air First Class Using Miles

Just like booking Singapore Airlines first class, Korean Air requires travelers to use Korean SKYPASS miles to book first class. This means redeeming Delta SkyMiles or Air France/KLM Flying Blue miles won’t be an option for this experience.

Korean Air SKYPASS

Korean Air SKYPASS can be an interesting airline loyalty program to use for award flights. It’s great in some ways, but it can be frustrating in others.

Before we dive into those details, let’s discuss what the award chart looks like:

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From	To	Seasonality	First Class Miles Cost One-Way
South Korea	Japan, China, Northeast Asia	32,500	47,500
	Southeast Asia, Guam	45,000	67,500
	Southwest Asia	57,500	87,500
	Europe, the Middle East, North America, Oceania	80,000	120,000

You’ll notice that Korean Air has off-peak and peak pricing. Avoiding peak pricing when possible is a sure-fire way to get the best deals.

The table below shows which dates are in peak season, so you can avoid them:

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Route	2026-2027 Peak Dates
Korea (Domestic)	January 1, 2026 February 14-19, 2026 February 23-28, 2026 March 1-2, 2026 April 30, 2026 May 1-6, 2025 May 25-26, 2026 July 26-31, 2026 August 1-22, 2026 September 23-28, 2026 October 5-6, 2026 October 8, 2026 October 12, 2026 December 24-25, 2026 December 31, 2026 January 1, 2027 January 4, 2027 February 6-10, 2027 February 25-28, 2027 March 1, 2027 May 5, 2027 May 13-17, 2027 July 25-31, 2027 August 1-19, 2027 September 11-18, 2027 September 20, 2027 October 2-5, 2027 October 9-12, 2027 December 25-28, 2027
International (Departures from the Americas)	February 20-21, 2026 May 14-31, 2026 June 1-27, 2026 July 31, 2026 August 1, 2026 August 7-8, 2026 October 3-4, 2026 December 10-26, 2026 February 12-13, 2027 May 7-8, 2027 May 13-31, 2027 June 1-26, 2027 July 30-31, 2027 August 6-7, 2027 September 17-18, 2027 December 9-25, 2027
International (Excluding the Americas)	January 1-11, 2026 February 13-22, 2026 February 27-28, 2026 March 1-2, 2026 May 1-5, 2026 July 24-31, 2026 August 1-16, 2026 September 23-27, 2026 October 2-5, 2026 October 8-11, 2026 December 12-27, 2026 January 2-11, 2027 February 5-9, 2027 April 30, 2027 May 1-5, 2027 May 13-16, 2027 July 24-31, 2027 August 1-18, 2027 September 10-19, 2027 October 1-4, 2027 October 8-11, 2027

Booking Korean Air first class (in the off-season) from the U.S. to South Korea is only 80,000 Korean SKYPASS miles — a very good redemption rate.

Unfortunately, if you add a flight on other SkyTeam airlines, such as Delta, you’ll have to book a SkyTeam award, which requires round-trip award bookings. In that scenario, you’ll have to pay the rates listed in the chart below:

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Departure	Arrival	First Class Miles Cost (Round-Trip)
North America	North America	45,000
	Central America	75,000
	South America	110,000
	Europe	100,000
	Middle East, Africa	160,000
	Asia 1	180,000
	Asia 2	200,000
	Asia 3	230,000
	Oceania	260,000

As you can see, ideally, you’ll want to book an itinerary operated entirely by Korean Air. Luckily, you should have plenty of opportunities to do so, as Korean Air operates from many U.S. airports.

You can book Korean Air first class by following these simple steps:

Go to Korean Air’s website.
Select Redeem Miles.
Log in with your user ID or SKYPASS number.
Select your origin and destination.
Select your travel dates.
Select First Class.
Select your flights.
Click Continue to enter your information to complete the booking.

Korean Air discontinued award holds several years ago, but they can still be requested and approved on a case-by-case basis by mentioning that you’re “waiting on your points to transfer.”

One of the frustrating aspects of the Korean Air SKYPASS program is that it will only allow you to book award flights for yourself and direct family members. To book an award ticket for a family member, you will be required to submit the SKYPASS Family Registration Application.

Great Korean Air First Class Redemptions

When booking a flight, remember that Korean Air has peak- and off-peak award rates. Make sure to check what season your travel dates fall under so you can get the best deal.

Here are some fantastic Korean Air first class redemptions you can make:

Chicago (ORD) – Seoul (ICN) one-way in Korean Air first class during off-peak dates for 80,000 Korean Air SKYPASS miles + ~$210 in taxes and fees
Los Angeles (LAX) – Seoul (ICN) one-way in Korean Air first class during off-peak dates for 80,000 Korean Air SKYPASS miles + ~$210 in taxes and fees
New York City (JFK) – Seoul (ICN) one-way in Korean Air first class during off-peak dates for 80,000 Korean Air SKYPASS miles + ~$210 in taxes and fees
San Francisco (SFO) – Seoul (ICN) one-way in Korean Air first class during off-peak dates for 80,000 Korean Air SKYPASS miles + ~$210 in taxes and fees
Seoul (ICN) – London (LHR) one-way in Korean Air first class during off-peak dates for 80,000 Korean Air SKYPASS miles + ~$50 in taxes and fees
Seoul (ICN) – Paris (CDG) one-way in Korean Air first class during off-peak dates for 80,000 Korean Air SKYPASS miles + ~$50 in taxes and fees
Seoul (ICN) – Singapore (SIN) one-way in Korean Air first class during off-peak dates for 67,500 Korean Air SKYPASS miles + ~$50 in taxes and fees
Seoul (ICN) – Sydney (SYD) one-way in Korean Air first class during off-peak dates for 80,000 Korean Air SKYPASS miles + ~$92 in taxes and fees

How To Earn Enough Miles for First Class

The best way to amass lots of Korean Air miles is to apply for a co-branded SKYPASS credit card issued by U.S. Bank. There are a few choices available, including a business card and a few personal cards, such as the SKYPASS Select Visa Signature^® Card.

When Should You Search for First Class Award Space?

As with any award booking, begin your search as soon as you know when you want to travel. If you can search and book 361 days from departure, do so.

However, even just days before departure, you can sometimes find 4 first class award seats available for booking.

The great news is that Korean Air is relatively generous with award availability, particularly on West Coast routes like Los Angeles (LAX) or San Francisco (SFO), and even Seattle (SEA)!

What Makes Korean Air First Class a Great Redemption?

While Korean Air’s first class product doesn’t dazzle quite like Emirates first class, for example, it provides a very well-rounded experience. Here are some reasons we think it’s a great product to redeem miles for.

It’s Great for Families

If you’re traveling as a family, it can be tough to find enough premium award space for everyone, especially when it comes to first class on intercontinental flights. One of the best things about Korean Air first class is that it’s common to find enough first class award space for several people on some flights. You can even see how many seats are available when you search for flights to Seoul.

There’s an Inflight Bar on the Airbus A380

Not many airlines can say they have an inflight bar, but Korean Air is one of them. This adds another level of exclusivity and can be quite a useful perk on some of the carrier’s longer flights, such as its nonstop service to New York, which is almost 15 hours long. It’s also a great place to stretch your legs, rather than simply pacing up and down the aisles.

Korean Air A380 landing LAX — Image Credit: Alberto Riva

You Can Expect Fantastic Service

Korean Air flight crews are particularly great — they’re always happy and willing to make your flight as enjoyable as possible. That’s especially true in first class. Don’t forget to ask the crew for assistance with getting your seat fully transformed into a comfortable bed.

Final Thoughts

Korean Air first class has a lot going for it. While the seat and the cabin won’t blow you away the way some other first class products might, you can count on having a very nice experience throughout the entire journey. The next time you want to reach Asia in style, refer back to this page to help with your booking.