"Airport lounges are no longer ancillary facilities like in the past but are considered the starting point of a journey. That's why we aimed to make the lounge itself a destination. Because it is the first space where customers directly experience Korean Air Lines, we designed it based on Korean identity."
On the 15th at Terminal 2 (T2) of Incheon International Airport, David Paisey, vice president of in-flight catering and lounge at Korean Air Lines, introduced the newly revamped lounge and said this. He also said lounges around the world would be designed based on this place.
The Prestige West Lounge, set up at T2 in Incheon Airport with an area of 2,615㎡ (420 seats), evoked a hanok. Wooden pillars and beams (梁) were erected in the center of the lounge, and lattice-patterned wood was used as flooring to give the feel of a pavilion (亭子) with a jangmaru. Korean Air Lines said it made the lounge like the jungjeong (中庭) of a hanok.
In addition, Korean Air Lines placed large white porcelain pieces and artworks using mother-of-pearl throughout the lounge and divided spaces with opaque glass that gives the feel of hanji windows. It also added Korean elements by creating a separate Korean food corner with bibimbap, kimbap, tteokbokki, fritters, and banquet noodles. The lounge will welcome passengers starting at 4 a.m. on the 16th.
Korean Air Lines said it reflected many customer opinions in creating the lounge. At the Prestige East Lounge, which reopened after a facelift, it created a "ramen library" stocked with instant ramen cookers and various types of packet ramen, and it also provided various play facilities and spaces for families.
Paisey said, "We created an arcade space so children can have fun without running around the lounge, and we are also running a hands-on program in a cooking studio to make chocolate," adding, "We reflected customers' voices as much as possible in creating the lounge to raise satisfaction."
With the refurbishment of the Prestige West Lounge and the first-class lounge, Korean Air Lines has completed three years and six months of T2 lounge construction. It invested a total of 110 billion won to establish seven lounges: first-class, Miler Club, Prestige East, Prestige West, Prestige Garden East, and Prestige Garden West.
Korean Air Lines' lounge overhaul was carried out not only to improve customer satisfaction but also to prepare for increased customer demand following integration with Asiana Airlines. To resolve the shortage of lounge space allocated at Incheon Airport, Korean Air Lines even built the Incheon Operations Center (IOC), a separate work space near the airport, and converted office areas into lounges.
As a result, the total lounge area expanded from 5,105㎡ to 12,270㎡, and the number of seats increased from 898 to 1,566. Paisey said, "We ensured there would be no issues at all for customers using Prestige (business) class, Morning Calm tier customers, and those who want to use the lounge with miles."