Travellers flying between South Korea and the US will be able to take advantage of a new non-stop route between Boston and Seoul starting April 12 next year when Korean Air launches a new service that notably will include the option of booking first class seating.
Korean Air’s three-class Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner aircraft will fly the new route, which is being launched in collaboration with the Korean carrier’s joint-venture partner Delta Air Lines.
These notably come with six of the carrier’s fully flat first class sleeper suites at the front of the aircraft, which offer a pitch of 75 inches (190cm) and a width of 21 inches (53cm).
What’s particularly significant about these seats is that although they are laid out 2-2-2, the rows are slightly offset leaving a gap through which window-seat passengers can access the aisles without having to climb over their neighbour.
This feature is similarly available with the aircraft’s 18 business class Prestige Suites, which are also laid out in a 2-2-2 configuration though with a bit less space between the rows.
That being said, the seat products in both first and business class are rather similar. Business class seats also recline to a fully flat 75-inch-long bed with 21 inches of width, and passengers in both classes get Davi-branded amenity kits.
First class does come with a few other benefits, however, such as farm-to-flight meals that are made using ingredients from Korean Air’s own farm on Jeju Island, along with pyjamas by Gianfranco Ferre. Travellers in first class also get exclusive access to the airline’s First Class Lounge at Incheon Airport.
In the economy class cabin, meanwhile, Korean Air has 245 of its new economy seats laid out nine across, which have a pitch of between 33 and 34 inches (84-86cm) and a width of 17.2 inches (44cm).
The flights will operate five times per week on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays with the following schedule:
| Flight No. | From | To | Departs | Arrives | Days |
| KE089 | Seoul (ICN) | Boston (BOS) | 0930 | 1030 | Tue, Wed, Fri, Sat, Sun |
| KE090 | Boston (BOS) | Seoul (ICN) | 1330 | 1650+1 | Tue, Wed, Fri, Sat, Sun |
“As a major gateway for high tech industries, Boston is the most popular unserved point from Korea with rapidly growing demand to Asia,” said John Jackson, Korean Air’s managing vice president. “The city, with its numerous universities and colleges, is a growing New England hub attracting companies in fast-growing industries like IT, bio-technology, healthcare, finance and pharmaceuticals.”
The new route comes as Korean Air and Delta Air Lines are ramping up their services between South Korea and the US following the launch of their joint-venture partnership back in April.
“By combining the schedules of Korean Air and Delta, our customers are able to enjoy unparalleled travel options,” Jackson added. “Our joint venture is undeniably the strongest transpacific partnership and provides both of our airlines with a solid competitive edge.”
Earlier this year, Delta announced plans to launch a new non-stop service between Minneapolis/St Paul and Seoul in 2019. Its newest aircraft, the Airbus A350-900 (which also features its newest seat products) now also flies both its Detroit and Atlanta flights to the South Korean capital.
The two airlines also relocated to Incheon Airport’s new Terminal 2 back in February, alongside fellow Skyteam members Air France and KLM.
