Korean Air Prestige Class on the 777-300ER: ICN-LHR Review

The author was a guest of Korean Air. All opinions are the author’s own, and Korean Air had no input in any part of this review.

Korean Air has been busy the last few years. The airline has introduced new branding and liveries, a new long-haul business class suite and premium economy, and refreshed lounges at its Seoul Incheon hub — and that’s all while integrating Asiana Airlines, which is scheduled to be completed in December 2026.

In October, I flew Korean Air’s Prestige class (business class) from Seoul Incheon to London Heathrow on a Boeing 777-300ER. The 14 1/2-hour daytime flight is just a little longer than Korean’s comparable flight from Seoul to New York JFK.

The experience surprised me — from creative departure lounges to an impressive culinary program to hours of restful sleep. Let me take you through the entire journey, including how to book Korean Air business class with miles, which lounges to visit, and why seat choice matters.

Booking Korean Air Prestige Class

Korean Air SKYPASS miles can be redeemed for Prestige class awards for one-way flights between the U.S. and Korea at a fixed rate of 62,500 miles in off-peak season and 92,500 miles in peak season. The program has no U.S. transfer partners, and, aside from flying, SKYPASS miles can be earned with a co-branded credit card issued by U.S. Bank, such as the SKYPASS Select Visa Signature^® Card.

You can also lean on SkyTeam alliance partners such as Delta SkyMiles or Air France-KLM Flying Blue to book award seats, albeit at a higher cost and with dynamic, not fixed, prices.

Departing Incheon International Airport (ICN)

A departure time of 10:55 a.m., similar to that of Korean’s U.S.-bound flights, helped me get a full night’s sleep before heading to the airport.

I spent most of my morning walking the length of Terminal 2 a few times over to get my steps in ahead of the long flight. I was delighted to find an outdoor garden at the end of Terminal 2 West with a replica of Seungjaejeong Pavilion.

Half the fun of business class travel, for me at least, is the lounge access, and the Incheon airport delivers in that regard. Prestige class passengers have access to 5 Prestige Lounges at ICN – West, Garden West, East Right, East Left, and Garden East. The Garden locations are farthest from the terminal core, and the East and West lounges are closest to security.

Prestige Lounge West

After entering the Prestige Lounge West, I was immediately struck by the expansive design. I didn’t feel cramped or like I was fighting crowds for the last freshly baked croissant. There were countless seating areas and multiple seat styles. I particularly liked how accommodating many of the seats were for solo, working travelers, with privacy dividers and small tables for device usage.

The dining program was excellent, with a bakery section; hot Western and Korean items (breakfast standards and savory items such as spicy pork bulgogi and vegetable ragout); fresh fruits and salads; and snacks. A staffed bar offered hard and soft beverages.

The bibimbap station, featured in each Prestige Lounge I visited, allowed passengers to assemble their own bibimbap bowls with rice, meat, fresh and pickled vegetables, sesame oil, and gochujang (red chili) paste.

Prestige Lounge East Right

The Prestige Lounge East Right is also worth a stop if time allows, particularly for families. You can choose from over 80 varieties of instant noodles in the Ramyun Library, try your luck at the arcade, or sign up for a complimentary class (offered several times daily) to design your own chocolate bar souvenir.

Boarding

The aircraft for the flight to London featured the redesigned livery that began rolling out in 2025: sparkly blue with “Korean” in a modern font and a simplified Taegeuk tail logo. Boarding was on time and efficient, with Prestige and first class passengers boarding via a dedicated jet bridge.

On Board Korean Air’s Boeing 777-300ER

Korean Air flies 3 cabin configurations on the 777-300ER. The variant I flew has 277 seats and also features first class, which is a small 8-seat cabin with 2 rows in a 1-2-1 configuration. Prestige class is behind it and divided into 2 cabins, in a 2-2-2 configuration that still gives every seat direct aisle access. The first cabin has just 1 row at the back of the first class cabin, while the second cabin has 6 rows.

Hot Tip:

The cabin configuration and seat style can vary greatly among the 3 variants in Korean Air’s 777-300ER fleet. Compare your seat map at booking with the maps here, then click “Prestige Class” to get an idea of what to expect.

I was seated in row 14, the last row in the cabin directly ahead of economy (this version of the 777 doesn’t have premium economy). I didn’t have any light or noise from the galley or lavatories to contend with, so this was an ideal row for peace and quiet.

Upon arriving at my seat, 14J, I realized that the outward seats were staggered, with a narrow walkway to the window seat, meaning I wouldn’t have to disturb my neighbor to reach the aisle. These seats don’t have a sliding door like the Prestige Suite 2.0, so the window seat offers the most privacy in the cabin. There was also a privacy partition that could be raised to separate the seats.

Hot Tip:

Parties of 2 may prefer the side-by-side middle seats. The staggered window seats are ideal for solo travelers.

I was excited to explore the seat, which has a 75-inch pitch and is 21 inches wide. Across from the seat was a padded footrest below the inflight entertainment (IFE) screen.

The seat was set with a blanket, a mattress pad, a pillow, an amenity kit, noise-canceling corded headphones, and a bottle of water. The Graff amenity kit included an eye mask, earplugs, a dental kit, eau de toilette, lip balm, and hand cream. Slippers were found in a compartment to the left of the seat.

The seat can adjust to a midrange reclined mode or recline 180 degrees flat to make a 73-inch bed. When fully reclined, the footrest and seat connect to extend the length. I found the seat incredibly comfortable for sleeping and had no issues with seams or side-sleeping.

The seat had several areas to explore. Above the footrest was a laptop-sized stowage bin. Controls to the left of the seat adjusted the seat recline, privacy partition, and lighting, and there was also a universal power outlet. An oversized tray table swung out from the left side of the seat and could be adjusted from a standard parallel position to a perpendicular one, allowing you to get out of the seat if need be. The overhead storage bin was large — no issues fighting for space.

The 18-inch monitor could be controlled by a 3.7-inch touchscreen remote control. A literature pocket next to the screen showed the most wear in the seat area, from smudges to a chipped finish. The headphone jack and USB-A input were in a compartment with slippers to the left of the seat.

I wasn’t overwhelmed with the IFE content selection and watched a couple of movies before letting K-pop music run in the background.

Unfortunately, Wi-Fi was unavailable on this flight for technical reasons, though it would have been available for $10.95 for 2 hours or $20.95 for the full flight. Messaging rates were $5.95 for the full flight.

I was disappointed not to take advantage of working hours on a day flight, which may be why I was able to catch up on so much sleep. Free Starlink is rolling out fleetwide by the end of 2027.

Hot Tip:

See what to expect in Korean Air economy class on a long-haul flight in my detailed review.

Food and Beverages

Before departure, I received a glass of bubbly and water, along with a bag of pretzel mix.

I perused the Prestige class food and beverages menu and made my selections with the flight attendant. Prestige class passengers can also prebook a meal from 3 additional options via Korean Air’s website or app from 21 days up to 24 hours before departure.

First Meal Service

The first meal was served around 11 a.m. Korea time. The amuse-bouche was a piquant mix of caponata, chickpeas, and feta. This was followed by tender, seared scallops with asparagus salad and a creamy pea soup with bacon bits. I am not typically a fan of pea soup, but this one was excellent.

The grilled beef tenderloin with red wine sauce, broccolini, mushrooms, and fondant potatoes was cooked to a perfect medium. Other main options were octopus rice, grilled Spanish mackerel with bean paste sauce, and olive-oil-poached salmon with zucchini.

The entree was followed by a cheese plate with crackers, grapes, and nuts, and the meal finished with a cup of Häagen-Dazs and a trio of small desserts. The dessert course was the least inspiring of the service, and instead of ending on a high note with something creative and delicious, they were boring and lacked flavor.

Second Meal Service

The second meal was served around 9 p.m. Korea time and started with an arugula salad.

I chose the seared John Dory with green curry and basmati rice for my main. The curry featured delicate fish, crisp asparagus, eggplant, peppers, and zucchini, all bathed in a zippy, creamy sauce. Other main options were spicy beef bulgogi with stir-fried glass noodles and eggplant lasagna with Bolognese sauce. There was no dessert course, and this service ended with a ho-hum trio of fruit slices.

Lavatory

There were 2 types of lavatories in Prestige class. The accessible one was one of the most spacious I’ve seen on a plane. Both this lavatory and the standard-sized one had a small tray of amenities, including lotion, air freshener spray, and shaving kits.

Service

Unlike the economy flight I arrived on, where flight attendants were very proactive and visible throughout, I didn’t see much of the Prestige crew except during meal service and cleanup. I did not feel overly doted on or tended to, and aside from drink refills, I’m not sure I needed any more attention.

The seat next to me was empty, and I had the partition down for most of the flight. I noticed that the flight attendants preferred to offer service through the partition space rather than navigate the small walkway to my seat.

Final Thoughts

My Prestige class experience with Korean Air started with its impressive new Prestige Lounges at its Incheon hub.

Though I didn’t get to experience the newest Prestige Suite 2.0, my experience on board the 777-300ER was comfortable and spacious, particularly in a private window seat. Starlink Wi-Fi within a year will make this long-haul day flight even better.

Aside from an underwhelming dessert course, the dining program was excellent, and I walked off my flight more than satiated and eager for my next flight with Korean Air.