What To Expect When Traveling with Korean Air

I recently went to the Philippines with my friends and after looking at all the costs and options, we decided on Korean Air even though it had a layover in Seoul and costed $200 more than travelling with China Eastern (or any of the China airlines). I was the one who convinced my friends to go with Korean Air even though it didn’t seem like the most obvious choice. I’ve had nothing but fantastic experiences with this airline and knew that if we wanted comfort for those 16 hours of flying, we wanted an airline we can depend on.

I’m blogging about my experiences on Korean Air not because they gave me a free flight (though that would be sweeeeet), but because I want to provide those who are deciding whether or not to go with this airline a better idea of what to expect before booking.

We went with Economy Class (no duh, we’re not ballers) and while the seats are tight, they’re not as compact as some other airlines where your knees touch the front seat. They provide in-flight entertainment, a fold out meal table, an individual drink cup holder (which came in handy), a clothes hanger (for those who are carrying delicate outfits like wedding gowns or suits), and a usb port for charging your phone/tablet/laptop.

If you forgot your headphones, they provide complimentary headphones. Yay! Most airlines make you pay for them.

Now, THIS may be a small unimportant pack for some, but this is the reason why I really wanted to travel with Korean Air.

They you give slippers for the flight and a toothbrush/toothpaste!! I LOVE THAT. It makes flying so much more comfortable when you can take your shoes off and slip into these slippers.

Last but not least, they provide you with a Korean Air blanket, a pillow, and a bottle of water upon arrival.

Their movies are very new with some selected movies still in theatres. However, it’s not extensive so the choices may be less than some other airlines you’ve gone with in the past. If you turn the remote control over, it because a little gaming remote where you can play games on the screen.

Now onto the food!!! Because that is one of the most important factors for choosing an airline. 😀 On Korean Air, you always have a meal where you can choose Bibimbap, a traditional Korean dish comprising of mixed veggies (spinach, bean sprouts, ground beef, mushrooms, and zucchini) with rice. The rice is served separately on the side. In the tray you also get hot seaweed soup (it’s DA BOMB!!), pickled veggie side dish, cut up fruit, and tea/water/juice.

One thing to note, wine and beer are free on these flights!!! I just sold you didn’t I? Yeah, you can get pretty drunk on the plane because it’s unlimited but I would suggest only getting one or two glasses if you want to be responsible. 😛

With the Bibimbap, you also get an individual packet of sesame oil and gochujang (red pepper paste) in a tube which you are supposed to combine with the rice and veggies.

When you mix everything together, it’ll look like this! Not the most appetizing looking but trust me, it’s really good.

On another meal I chose the Chicken with Potatoes. The entree came with some mediocre tomato sauce and mixed veggies. It was meh. The two things I really liked about this though was that the bun (on the right) came steaming hot whereas Air Canada usually serve you cold rock hard buns. As well, the green salad on the top left had a couple pieces of smoked salmon on top! It’s rare to see airlines using fresh and more elegant ingredients like this on Economy Class flights.

Yeah I really enjoyed the smoked salmon. 🙂

For breakfast, I chose the Omelette and it came with a side of hash browns, broccoli, and beans. The whole meal also included a bun, yogurt, and fresh cut pineapple. While this wasn’t the most amazing of meals, at least they gave us yogurt (yay probiotics!). Air Canada never gave anything this cool during their flights.

On our flight coming back, I chose the Korean breakfast instead of the omelette. My meal came with porridge and a side package of furikake (dry Japanese seasoning) which you’re supposed to mix in like I did in the picture. For sides, it had fruit and pickled veggies again. For dessert, it was a sweet glutinous rice cube. I really liked it!

So that pretty much wraps up my Korean Air experience. I hope it gave you a better idea of what there is for food and entertainment on the flight because I don’t know about you, but I care about those things the most when deciding who to go with. 😀

If you have any questions at all, please comment below and I’ll answer! Also, check out my Instagram @eatingwithkirby if you haven’t already and follow me on my foodie/travel adventures!

Happy Eating! 

P.S. If you are still reading till now, thank you! Here’s one last tip: Ask the flight attendant for cup noodles! It’s free on the flight and it’s so yummy!!!