Flying Korean Air: A Tale of Two Flights

I’m writing this blog as I ride Korean Air (Boeing 777) — supposedly one of their smaller planes — from Incheon, South Korea (ICN) to Las Vegas, Nevada (LAS) on a direct flight departing November 6, 2025, at 9 p.m. KST.

Did you know?
Korean Air recently went through a full rebrand, adopting a more minimal aesthetic for their logo and overall design. Some people hate it, others love it. Personally, I didn’t like it at first — I’ve always had a soft spot for the retro look — but I’ll admit, the new sleek design is growing on me.

Side note: Korean Air is famous for their excellent service, their beautiful flight attendants, and their surprisingly good in-flight meals — especially their bibimbap. I mean, even the hit K-drama Bon Appétit, Your Majesty (폭군의 셰프) — aka the 2025 Dae Jang Geum — featured the iconic Korean Air bibimbap (with their signature gochujang paste) and even created a viral remake version: the “Butter Gochujang Bibimbap.”

Also, fun fact — Korean Air recently merged with Asiana Airlines! To be honest, I always felt Asiana had slightly better vibes when it came to customer service and interior design, but they did have some… issues with their aircraft safety. So the merger kinda makes sense.

Check here: Asiana Airlines and Korean Air Mileage Integration Guide

Now, about the food and flight experience…

When I first flew to Korea, I paid an extra $150 per person for the “extra legroom” seats in the emergency row — and let me tell you, it was not worth it. The round-trip ticket from Las Vegas to Incheon was $1,997 per person (including that $150 upgrade), even though we were traveling off-season — October 7 to November 6, 2025.

The outbound flight (Las Vegas → Incheon) was terrible. It was a larger plane, a Boeing 747, but it was old. No Wi-Fi. We paid extra for what ended up being a worse experience. The bathroom was right in front of our seats, so people constantly stood there, stretching and waiting in line. Rest was impossible. Stretching our legs? Forget it.

And to top it off — they ran out of their famous bibimbap! The remaining option, beef stew, honestly tasted awful. No offense, but it was barely edible. I was genuinely disappointed that they didn’t have their one iconic Korean dish. The experience left a bad taste — literally and figuratively.

But on the way back… redemption!

Now, as my mom and I fly back to Las Vegas, I have to give Korean Air some credit. We’re technically on a smaller plane (Boeing 777), but this one is newer — clean design, modern interior, great service, and yes, the flight attendants are still stunning (definitely eye candy, even if I’m not lesbian, lol).

Despite the late 9 p.m. departure, everyone boarded on time, and we took off right on schedule. The return flight is shorter too — about 10 hours compared to the 13+ hour flight to Korea.

And the food? Incredible.

I usually don’t eat much on planes — I have digestion issues and tend to just nibble on fruit. But this time, the meal options were actually hard to choose from. I went with the Korean-style pork and octopus with steamed rice, served with pickled cucumber radish, hot seaweed soup, and a small pastry cake for dessert.

Everything was delicious — the pork wasn’t gamey, the octopus wasn’t chewy, and the flavors were perfectly balanced. I’m a sucker for sesame oil and perilla leaves (깻잎), so it was basically heaven for me. I’d give this meal a solid 9 out of 10 — just one point off because I don’t believe in perfect scores.

Honestly, I’ve never seen another airline offer three genuinely appetizing meal choices to the point I couldn’t decide. Korean Air definitely redeemed itself on this flight.

Small but thoughtful touches

One thing that really sets Korean Air apart is their attention to detail. Unlike many other airlines that make you purchase everything separately, Korean Air still provides the basics — for free. You get a toothbrush and toothpaste set, disposable slippers, a cozy blanket, and a decent pillow. It’s the little things that make a long-haul flight actually feel bearable (and even a bit luxurious).

In-Flight Wi-Fi – English instructions: How to use

기내 와이파이 – 한국어: 이용 방법

Stay tuned…

Next up, I’ll be writing about my flight experiences within Korea — from Jeju Island back to the mainland — flying with Jin Air and Jeju Air. Spoiler alert: both were a hot mess (late boarding, late landing… the whole thing).
I’ll link that post here once it’s live — so stay tuned for my full review and comparison of Korea’s budget airlines versus the big players like Korean Air.