Korean Air, which has completed the corporate merger process with Asiana Airlines, will begin selling pre-assigned seats or front-row seats for a fee on domestic routes. Previously, this service was offered for free on domestic routes, while it was paid on international flights. Asiana Airlines is already operating this service on a paid basis.
According to the airline industry on the 12th, Korean Air will switch to a paid service for pre-assigned seats, including extra legroom and preferred front seats, starting with flights departing on the 13th. The extra legroom seats, which are located by the emergency exit or at the front of the aircraft, offering more space than regular seats, will cost 15,000 won, while the preferred front seats, which are close to the entrance and have shorter boarding and disembarking times, will cost 10,000 won to pre-assign. Asiana Airlines is also charging extra fees for customers wishing to pre-assign extra legroom and front seats.
Korean Air plans to offer the benefit of priority handling for checked baggage, which was previously provided to customers in the Morning Calm tier and above, for those who pre-assign paid seats. While no additional benefits will be offered for paid seats on international flights, the benefits for domestic paid seats have been strengthened.
There are complaints among existing Morning Calm customers regarding the enhancement of benefits. The Morning Calm tier requires accumulating over 50,000 miles and earning 80 points from flights with Korean Air for an upgrade. This tier, which is valid for two years, requires accumulating 30,000 miles or earning 40 points within two years after the upgrade to maintain the status.
A Korean Air official noted, "The paid service for pre-assigning certain domestic seats is intended to provide purchasing opportunities for passengers who prefer front seats or seats with more leg space." They added, "We decided to offer priority baggage retrieval service to enhance the satisfaction of passengers who purchase paid seats."