Korean Air

Fly Korean!
Flew to Tokyo on Korean Airlines. What a pleasant experience!
TIP for Hawaii folk traveling to Japan. Visit the HIS site (
) to check fares. They offer discounted wholesale rates for Japan flights. I saved about $ 120 compared to booking directly on KAL or priceline.
What is not to like about KAL? I have no complaints on the flight or how I was taken care of!
— For airplane food, it was pretty good! Their bibimbap definitely hit the spot! On the flight back home, I was craving for another serving!
— Airplane was comfy in coach — felt less cramp than Hawaiian Airlines. Reality or not. That was my perception!
— Pretty Korean stewardesses strut the aisles in their cute uniforms. Married but I can still look, right? LoL
— Stewardesses were über polite — must be their asian culture. American stewardesses don’t hide their grumpiness! Sometimes, you can tell USA flight attendants don’t genuinely care about your satisfaction. Helloooo! You get paid to care!
— All services on the entertainment console are free! Free movies, free games, etc. All Free!
Free… FREEEEEEEE upgrade to exit row seating (hawaiian charges $ 75? Well, some outrageous fee!)
Once you fly Korean, you won’t go back to Hawaiian Airlines!

I flew Korean Air to China a few weeks ago & returned this past weekend. I was a little nervous since I don’t speak any Korean other than hello & thank you, but their flight attendant service is very good (although their English is barely passable). Check in wasn’t too bad although the line appeared long, it moved quickly.
During the long flight from Honolulu to Incheon we were fed twice where our choice was either an Asian entrée or western/​American style food. The food (beef, rice & veggies) was pretty good, for airplane food. I forgot our second meal but I remember that it was decent. Each passenger has a screen on the back of the seat in front of you, where you have a choice of movies (American or Asian), music, video games including Tetris so I watched 3 movies on my way to Incheon where we changed planes to Beijing. On the way to Beijing, we were fed again, which was nice. I was happy to receive any meals, since U.S. airlines have pretty much stopped serving free food in economy class except Hawaiian Air.
On my return to Honolulu, we were fed again (choice of Korean vs. American food). We had a long layover of 3 hours in Incheon airport so we had plenty of time to find another meal. We all ended up having croissant sandwiches :-). They have a Dunkin’ Donuts, Jamba Juice and several croissant places and many stores to occupy your free time. Towards the end of our flight to Honolulu, the attendants give you a hot, steamed towel to refresh your face after a long flight.
Overall, very good service, easy check in (they allow more than 1 free check in bag, I think up to 4 but only checked in 1 bag going to China & checked in 2 bags on our return since we bought lots of stuff). The flight cost is very reasonable vs. any other carrier. My round trip flight from Honolulu to China in late October was less than $ 875.00.
I would definitely fly them again.

Just got back from a trip to Thailand using Korean Air from Honolulu. I was a bit skeptical about using this airline but I must say I was impressed. The line was pretty long for check in but it moved reasonably well and admittedly we were a bit late getting to the airport. Security was a breeze I’m not sure if that’s a good thing or bad thing. No taking liquids out of your bag or taking your shoes off and I was even able to keep my belt on. Depending on how you look at TSA and their security check process you’ll either be pleased with the speedy screening or a bit alarmed by the relaxed screening.
This was my first international flight so I can only compare this to cross country domestic flights. We had coach seats which seemed a bit larger than standard coach seats on domestic flights. All seats had usb ports, electrical outlets, and a video screen with preloaded movies, tv shows, music video games among other things. The entertainment is completely free and headphones are provided for the flight. We were also given a bottle of water, slippers, and a small toothbrush and toothpaste. Shortly after takeoff the flight attendants came around with honey roasted peanuts, water and some juice options. A short time later the first of two meals were served. These are hot meals not little sandwich’s or snacks and they were included in the flight. Wine, beer, soda, and juice were also all available at no charge on the flight. Coffee and tea were offered shortly after each meal. The food was pretty good there were asian as well as western dishes to choose from typically at least three choices were offered. Not sure if all of this is standard when flying overseas but it was pretty awesome to get just about the same level of service in coach as I’m used to in domestic first class.
Overall I have become a fan and will always consider Korean Air for future trips to asia.

Amazing service, starting with fast and friendly check in at HNL. No annoying baggage fees. Went through security without removing my shoes… so nice! At the gate, boarding started right on time. It looked like a full flight but everyone waited for their row to be called and it all went so smoothly. We were welcomed on board by an all female cabin crew. Those ladies worked hard and never stopped smiling all the way to Narita. Their service was so perfectly choreographed. You’d never see such a performance on a US carrier. The flight time passes quickly and easily. I got to enjoy the same stellar service on later flights to ICN and back to HNL. This is what service used to be like on the US carriers, sadly, no more. Good job, Korean Air!

Asian-​airliners know how to do it. I flew my first time to Korea via the beautiful Korean Air. The staff were all so accommodating and beautiful! Also, the seats were comfy with high class individual consoles. When I sat and boarded I was handed a travel packet with toothbrush/​paste, wipes and also travel slippers to wear around the plane! I felt like a princess. The food was also great as we were served Bim Bim Bap for lunch! Can’t wait to fly with them again. ;)

There must be something about Asian airlines, but all the stewardesses dress alike (hair the same, etc)! Korean is great because they give you meals and wine, and movies that you can stop and start anytime you like. The service is good, but can be a little rough around the edges. They make everyone move their seat to the upright position to eat. If you’re resting and don’t want to eat, either make sure that you have your seat up in advance or be prepared to be woken up to move your seat. They are really strict about the seat belt sign. If it’s on, you have better be in your seat. They will make you turn around and sit down if they catch you up (even if you really have to go to the bathroom!). They give you headphones, but they don’t fit well, so I would suggest bringing your own. The stewardesses speak English, so no worries there. If flying through Korea, it’s a great airport – lots to do if you have a long layover. And if it’s a really long layover, then leaving the airport to explore is super easy as well! :)

my wife and I use this Airline when we travel to South East Asia and they are Great ! customer service is outstanding, we had a 11 hour layover in Incheon and requested a hotel room and they came thru in flying colors, beds are super comfortable and rooms are clean, they even gave us meal coupons at the hotels restaurant ! definitely a five star !

Just flew on the for a business trip to Bali. China Airlines had messed up our reservations and we needed to leave that morning and we went over to Korean Air for help. Their ground staff is AWESOME! They had three Korean Air staff members helping us; we were ticketed and checked-​in in less than 15 minutes! Thank you Honolulu Staff!
Our flights all went smoothly with exceptional service, decent meals, individual seat monitors for entertainment and always on time. Airfare was also very economical and fair.
Thank you Koraen Air!

Worst airline customer service I have ever received. A stewardess named «Choi» was nasty towards me throughout the entire flight. She offered coffee, and I asked for tea, and she said in a hostile tone, «Just a minute.» She also intentionally skipped my row when serving drinks.
If you can’t speak Korean, the flight attendants won’t understand a lot of things you say. I asked for help on the forms for going into Korea, and the flight attendant didn’t say anything and just walked away.

If only I had listened to my mom growing up and eaten more of my broccoli, I just might have.
Yes, broccoli for good skin for sure but maybe just maybe, I could have reached the Korean Air’s stewardess’ required height of five six. If you can get beyond their blindingly immaculate radiant complexions (K-​drama fans, you know what I’m talking about), you will next take note that these flying porcelain dolls don’t need to tip toe to adjust your bags in the overhead compartment. So unfair, I know.
During my grandmother’s era, KAL was something to be avoided but this was prior to its Cinderella transformation into Korean Air, a world class international flight carrier, largest in South Korea. It’s all in the details, they not only offer the coolest children’s care packs with reusable drawstring bag, blanket, stuffed animal and drawing pad but lotion, moisturizer, mouth wash are a given in the restrooms.
With standout service by beautiful attendants who go the extra mile for you — whether it’s calming your teething 18-​month old, finding you extra blankets, searching restroom trash cans for a misplaced wedding band — somehow maintaing a smile with their intricate blue hair sticks intact, no doubt we will be flying Korean Air time and again, Okay, so we have a thing for those irresistible mini toothpaste-​sized gochujang.

I used to fly JAL. But after the recent price spike of JAL (it may cost you over $ 3000 for a round trip ticket to Tokyo by JAL), I changed back to KAL that I flew for over dozen times in the ‘90s.
The service is fantastic. Every flight offers VOD with choices of tens of current Hollywood movies. For lunch and dinner, they always serve Bibimbap. For breakfast, they always serve Juk (Congee). During movie time, the flight attendants even quietly walked by to offer you fruits like banana and orange!
In the connecting flights between Seoul and other cities, they even offer you Haagen Daz Ice Cream after every meal.
My only complaint is their frequent flyer program is not as good as JAL. Anyway, they give you a free ticket to fly around the world after you fly 140,000 miles with them.

Are you going to Korea? Are you going to Asia? If you answered yes to either of those questions and you are looking for a reasonably priced airline that offers comfortable service and decent food, Korean Air is a good choice. Especially if you are flying from Honolulu!
Checking in at Honolulu International Airport is a breeze with a very quick and efficient system and a great staff that moves the line quickly while making sure you are set to go on your travels! The gates vary depending on the airport, but it was a very short walk for me.
In-​flight service is good and you have to eat their Bi-​Bim-​Bap. Skip the other entrée selections. It is your typical economy class food. The service is hit or miss with either very accommodating or very eh… get out of my way. The seats are comfortable with a reasonable amount of legroom in coach. The 747’s have a bit more room than their 777’s in my book, so plane does make a difference. The entertainment program is good with a number of first run movies and other international selections.
Definitely worth checking out and the prices are generally good!

Korean Air is what the American airlines probably used to be more than 40 years ago.
There are no extra fees for anything… customers aren’t nickled and dimed. One only pays for the airplane ticket. Ear phones, snacks, sodas, and movies are all free. The alcohol is free too, but I’m not sure if there is a limit. My wife and I had 8 beers between us at no charge before we stopped voluntarily.
Flight attendants are incredibly friendly and helpful.
And for the male guests who appreciate eye candy, Korean Air hires only attractive, young, slender women as flight attendants. Only the fear of my wife head slapping me prevented me from ogling ;-D