Korean Air will enhance lounge services and proactively manage congestion ahead of Asiana Airlines' transfer to Incheon International Airport Terminal 2 (T2).
On the 7th, Korean Air said it will expand and revamp its lounges so customers can use them more comfortably, while strengthening management capabilities by using IT and big data.
A representative service is the "lounge reservation service" that Korean Air has operated since last year. The service was created to reduce congestion at company-operated lounges and to allow customers to use the lounge without waiting on site.
Customers can make a reservation by selecting the departure airport, date, time, and voucher through the Korean Air website or application (app). On the day of departure, presenting the boarding pass at the lounge entrance allows entry without additional verification.
A service that lets customers check lounge congestion levels is also in operation so they can use a less crowded lounge. Based on data collected from the AutoGate installed at the lounge entrance, congestion information is displayed in four stages: smooth, normal, congested, and very congested.
Korean Air also introduced an on-site reservation system using mobile phone numbers when the lounge is at capacity. It allows customers to receive a notification and enter in turn without standing in line.
In addition, by forecasting lounge entry demand using big data, the company is preventing congestion and providing a comfortable lounge experience through thorough food and beverage (F&B) management.
Korean Air is also accelerating the expansion of T2 lounges at Incheon International Airport. The plan is to quickly complete the expansion for a stable integration with Asiana Airlines and to enhance customer benefits.
In Aug. last year, the company unveiled the renovated Miler Club and the Prestige east-side (right) lounge in the duty-free area of T2 at Incheon International Airport, and created a new Prestige Garden Lounge in the newly established east and west wingtip areas following the airport's phase 4 expansion project.
This year, the company will continue lounge renovations at Incheon International Airport. Starting in the first half of the year, it will sequentially open the Prestige east-side (left) lounge, the first-class lounge, and the Prestige west-side lounge to customers.
Once all renovations are complete, the total area of Korean Air lounges operated at T2 in Incheon International Airport will expand from 5,105㎡ to 12,270㎡, nearly 2.5 times larger. The number of lounge seats will increase from 898 to 1,566.
A Korean Air official said, "Korean Air has been carrying out a large-scale renewal and expansion project for lounge facilities at Incheon International Airport since 2023 to launch a successfully integrated airline," adding, "We will make every effort to present the best lounge facilities that both enhance customer convenience and embody the new vision of the integrated airline."