Korean Air announced on the 5th that it will introduce a new seat class called "premium seat" and plans to deploy the first aircraft on medium-haul routes starting in mid-September. Following a complete renewal, the front-to-back spacing of the economy seats remains the same, but the seat width is slightly reduced by about 1 inch (approximately 2.5 cm).
The premium seat is positioned as an intermediate class between Korean Air's prestige seat and economy seat. A Korean Air official noted, "Depending on the route and travel period, there may be differences, but generally, it offers wider seats and upgraded services for about 110% of the regular economy fare." Korean Air invested approximately 300 billion won to install premium seats on 11 Boeing 777-300ER aircraft.
Korean Air has arranged a total of 40 premium seats in a 2-4-2 configuration. The front-to-back spacing is 39 to 41 inches (about 1m), providing more room than the spacing of premium economy seats operated by major international airlines. The seat width is 19.5 inches (about 50 cm), and all seats are equipped with footrests. The seatbacks can recline up to 130 degrees, similar to the prestige seats of smaller aircraft.
The premium seat's cushions are equipped with various features. The seat headrest features an ergonomic design that gently wraps around and supports the head, and "privacy wings" are mounted on either side to provide relative freedom from interference with neighboring passengers.
Korean Air has also upgraded its in-flight entertainment system. The monitor size in the premium seat is 15.6 inches, larger than the current monitor in the 777-300ER prestige seat. It also supports 4K high-definition quality. Passengers can experience premium-grade in-flight meals, served as a full course with main dishes, appetizers, and desserts from the prestige seat menu, and tableware like cutlery and dishes made by Armani and Casa will be used. Beverages, including alcoholic drinks, tea, and coffee, will also be served as options available in the prestige seats.
Premium seat passengers also receive differentiated services at check-in and baggage drop compared to economy class. They can use the morning calm counters at each airport, and their baggage will be prioritized just like that of prestige seat passengers. The boarding order is also applied based on the superior member (Sky Priority) standards, allowing for quicker boarding.
Korean Air took the opportunity of introducing the premium seat to fully renovate the entire cabin of the Boeing 777-300ER aircraft. All seats have been replaced with those used in Korean Air's latest aircraft, and the in-flight entertainment system has been significantly upgraded. The prestige seats are arranged in a 1-2-1 configuration with Korean Air's latest upper-class configuration, the "prestige suite 2.0," while the economy class features the "new economy" in a 3-4-3 configuration. In-flight Wi-Fi will also be available in all seats.
The spacing of the economy class new economy seats is the same as before at 33 to 34 inches. However, the seat width has narrowed from the previous approximately 18 inches to 17.1 inches. In response, Korean Air stated, "There is no difference from the economy seats operated by global airlines on long-haul routes." For instance, the width of United Airlines' economy seats on the San Francisco-Frankfurt, London, Beijing, and Hong Kong routes is 17.05 inches, and American Airlines' economy seat width on the Dallas-London, New York-London, and New Delhi routes is 17.1 inches.
A Korean Air official noted, "The modification of this Boeing 777-300ER aircraft has been a major company-wide project that has been in progress since 2018," adding, "Since it has finally been introduced after delays caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, we will do our best to provide the best service."