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| Newly introduced 'Premium' seat of Korean Air |
For most travelers, the idea of sitting in business or prestige class is more fantasy than reality. Unless you’re a corporate executive, a government board member, or have enough financial cushion to avoid economy class entirely, chances are you’ll spend your flying life wedged into an economy seat—whether it’s for business trips or vacations.
Business class comes with all sorts of perks: proper cutlery instead of tiny plastic spoons, real ceramic dishes instead of disposable trays, and an expanded menu of beverages (including alcohol). You can check in more luggage, stretch out with wider seats, and recline further. But for most passengers, that’s an occasional dream, not a standard travel experience.
The Arrival of Korean Air’s “Premium” Seat Class
In August 2025, Korean Air announced a new seating tier: the “Premium” seat. It’s essentially a premium economy product, offering about 1.5 times more space than a regular economy seat. Seat pitch is set at 39–41 inches (around 1 meter), which is even more generous than the premium economy seats of major overseas airlines. Seat width expands to 19.5 inches (about 50 cm), and every seat includes a leg and footrest. The recline angle goes up to 130 degrees—comparable to prestige class seats on smaller aircraft.
Pricing will vary by route and season, but the airline says it will average around 110% of a standard economy fare (before discounts). That means there will be a clear price gap between discounted economy seats and the new premium ones. Korean Air says the service will match the larger space, with upgraded amenities and perks.
The Premium Experience
The launch comes with a full cabin refresh for the Boeing 777-300ER fleet. Korean Air plans to invest around 300 billion KRW to upgrade all 11 aircraft in this category.
The new premium cabin will have 40 seats arranged in a 2-4-2 layout. The seats feature ergonomic headrests with “privacy wings” to block side glances, upgraded in-flight entertainment with 15.6-inch 4K screens, and higher-quality dining service—think Armani/Casa tableware, a prestige-class menu with appetizers, mains, and desserts, plus wine, spirits, coffee, and tea.
Premium passengers will also get faster check-in via the Morning Calm counter, priority baggage handling, and boarding under Sky Priority rules.
The Part They Don’t Advertise: Where the Space Comes From
What the glossy press releases and major newspapers won’t tell you is this: that extra space for premium seats had to come from somewhere.
Korean Air is rearranging its economy cabins from a 3-3-3 configuration to a denser 3-4-3 layout. As a result, the width of a regular economy seat will shrink from 18.1 inches (about 46 cm) to 17 inches (about 43 cm). The seat pitch will remain at 33–34 inches, but with narrower seats and an extra seat in each row, the aisles will feel more cramped.
For passengers with broad shoulders—or even just Western-sized hips—this could mean an uncomfortable squeeze. Walking down the aisle will be trickier, often requiring you to twist your body sideways, and brushing against cabin crew will become inevitable.
One critic compared it to a chicken coop:
“Even a flightless bird needs room to flap its wings. Now it’s like a farmer cramming in one more egg-laying hen, forcing the rest to tuck in their wings even tighter.”
Passenger Reactions and Service Changes
Public reaction has been swift and skeptical. Comments range from:
“So basically, if you don’t have money, you fly uncomfortably?”
“Guess I’ll be hugging my seatmate the whole flight.”
“Premium seats don’t change the fact that economy is becoming worse.”
This comes after Korean Air already ended its free instant noodle service for economy passengers on long-haul flights in August last year. Business and first-class passengers still get it—partly because their larger tables reduce the risk of spilling hot soup on their neighbors.
Some suggest that if economy class is getting more cramped, Korean Air should at least lower fares or limit the denser seating to short-haul routes.
Korean Air’s Disappointing Response
The airline’s official stance? They point out that the 3-4-3 layout is already a “global standard” used by many carriers, and while it’s true that economy seats are getting narrower, the new “slim seat” design will supposedly maintain passenger comfort.
The Elbow War Factor
Anyone who’s flown economy knows that space isn’t the only issue—elbow battles are real. In June 2021, two male passengers on a United Airlines flight got into a full-blown fight over an armrest. What began with some shoving escalated to verbal abuse and then a physical brawl. The pilot ended up turning the plane around just 15 minutes after takeoff, and both men were arrested.
Given Korean Air’s history with high-profile onboard incidents—remember the “nut rage” flight?—the fear now is of a future “elbow rage” return flight if personal space keeps shrinking.
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