South Korea's Flag Carrier

Founded in the late 1960s to replace the previous South Korean flag carrier, Korean Air soon emerged as one of the world's most widely recognised airlines. It is based at Incheon airport in Seoul, from where it has been running trans-Pacific and other long-haul routes for nearly 50 years. With a fleet of more than 170 aircraft and a route network covering every continent, Korean Air is considered one of the world's largest airlines. In 2016, the airline achieved a significant milestone after providing its services to over 26 million passengers in a single year. Korean Air is also well-known for its transit programme, which allows passengers with a long stopover in Incheon to take part in guided tours of Seoul and neighbouring areas, all free of charge.

Flying with Korean Air

Seat classes range from the luxurious suites, cabins and individual sleepers in First Class to the four-seat layouts available in Prestige Class, which includes seats, sleepers and suites. Economy Class is divided into Main Cabin and New Economy, which has wider LCD screens and more comfortable seats. This airline also caters to the corporate sector with a range of private jets and commercial helicopters for hire as is described here.

The lowest Economy fares are those marked as Saver fares. Next (and in ascending order) are Value, Promotion, Special, Classic and Flex fares. Different fares apply to Prestige seats too. Discounted tickets are available to students and disabled passengers and their assistants.

The Skypass programme offers benefits to frequent flyers or to travellers who are members of a loyalty programme with Korean Air partner airlines. There are four membership levels available as well as a plan for families. Read more about it here.

Practical Information

Check-In information:

Web check-in can be used by passengers travelling from airports that accept mobile boarding passes; there is also a dedicated Web & Mobile check-in counter at the airport. Alternatively, certain travellers can check-in using the airport Kiosk Express machines. Where these options are not available, counter check-in is the standard procedure. More details can be found here.

Baggage information:

• Checked baggage rules depend on ticket class and itinerary, but no piece of luggage should be over 158 cm (62 inches) in linear dimension or 23 kg (50 lb) in weight. Prestige and Business Class ticket holders get a higher weight allowance of up to 32 kg (70 lb) and Skypass members get a higher baggage allowance based on membership level. Flights to and from North America also have a higher luggage allowance. An online checked baggage calculator is available here.
• Cabin baggage should not weigh more than 12 kg (26 lb) in Economy and 18 kg (40 lb) in Prestige or Business (two pieces of carry-on are allowed for these ticket classes). In terms of dimensions, the limits are 50 x 20 x 40 cm (L x W x H) or a combined linear measurement of no more than 115 cm.
• You can read more on baggage rules here.