Review of Korean Air flight from Seoul to New York in Economy

Greetings Flight-Report Community. Thanks for stopping by and having a look at this report. This series covers a recent trip to the Philippines, with this flight being the fourth Korean Air flight and final flight for this journey. Please refer back to Part 1 for introduction. At the time of the flight, Korean Air was still deploying their Boeing 747-8I on the Seoul Incheon - New York JFK route. As of October 27, 2024, the equipment for KE085 has changed from a B747-8I to an A380, and changed again on March 30, 2025 from an A380 to a B777-300ER. At the time of writing this report, they still fly A380's on their daytime Seoul Incheon - New York JFK flights (KE081), however they no longer fly the B747-8I to JFK, as the B747-8I exclusively serves their double-daily LAX operation, in addition to HKG.

This trip report will cover a recent flight from Seoul Incheon - New York JFK. As a reminder, this is the routing for this trip:

We just arrived on another flight from Manila - Seoul Incheon at Gate 234. We have at least two hours before we board our next flight to New York JFK, so I decided to spend the time I have at the airport. But we had to escort to security at Gate 231 first, before we emerge to the departures portion of the terminal. During security, I didn't know that Incheon Airport Terminal 2 had two security checkpoints for connecting passengers (Gate 231 and Gate 268 security checkpoints). Unlike our previous visit at Incheon, the security ran much faster and thankfully, we reached Departures before 18:00 local time.

A Delta Air Lines A350-900 (N504DN) parked at Gate 246, which is preparing for a flight to Atlanta, GA. What's interesting was that we actually had connecting passengers on our KE622 flight that actually connected on DL026 (operated by this A350-900 shown above) to Atlanta, GA. As Korean Air and Asiana Airlines are in the stages of integration after the completion of the deal back in December 2024 when the United States approved the deal, I would personally like to see Delta Air Lines launch flights between Seoul Incheon and New York JFK, as it would allow competition on the ICN-JFK route to be maintained once Asiana ceases operations following their merger with Korean Air.

A Korean Air B777-300ER (HL7202) parked at Gate 247, which arrived from Washington IAD and is preparing for a flight to Hanoi. As of March 30, 2025, Korean Air is deploying these aircraft (particularly the 277-Seater variant with newer cabins) to New York JFK. I personally wish to fly on this aircraft type between Seoul Incheon and New York JFK someday, especially when I never got the pleasure to fly on the Boeing 777-300ER and considering that I never flew the Boeing 777-300ER before, as I only had the pleasure to fly on the Boeing 777-300 (Base Model; non-ER version) on all my flights I took that were operated by a Boeing 777 Series aircraft.

Security was rather quick and only took less than 20 minutes to complete. I would like to see this implemented throughout Incheon Airport, even during peak travel periods when many people flood security, as it would enable for more connection time to be saved, unlike on our previous A380/737 connection when most of our connecting time was wasted due to long security lines at the Gate 268 Security Checkpoint, which the time could have been very useful if the lines weren't long. This time, we used the Gate 231 Security Checkpoint, which to my surprise didn't have any screens listing Departing Flights as the one surrounding Gate 268 did have those screens installed and I didn't know the airport had two security checkpoints for connecting passengers plus one at the Gate 250 area for passengers who are starting their journey at Incheon International Airport.

I actually explored Incheon Airport quite a bit, but I didn't get the opportunity to explore the airport as much as I would have liked due to the very short connecting time I had at ICN. To reduce flight delays and give ample time to connecting passengers who are arriving much later in the day, I would personally like for Korean Air to adjust the Departure Times for KE085 from 19:30 to a much later departure time (around 21:00, 21:15, 21:30) just like the flights to Las Vegas (KE005) & Honolulu (KE053) which depart around those times and as of March 30, 2025, KE has actually shifted the departure for its second daily LAX flight (KE011) from 19:40 to 20:25, which is beneficial for passengers travelling on these flights and I personally wish they can do the same with their second daily flight (KE085) to New York JFK.

Despite changes having been made to the Shower Rooms at ICN in recent years, I was surprised to see every shower room at the Gate 231 Lounge Section to be occupied, although some shower rooms were being deep cleaned by airport staff. I wish Incheon Airport were to have kept this Free for all connecting passengers after the COVID-19 pandemic considering all the benefits and praises that the Free Shower Service brought to connecting passengers since Terminal 2's opening back in January 2018.

A Korean Air A321-neo (HL8505) parked at Gate 242, which arrived from Fukuoka, Japan and is preparing for a flight to Manila, Philippines which is exactly where I came from. As of July 29, 2024 twenty days after I took their Boeing 737-900ER service on the same exact route and flight this aircraft was preparing for a flight to on July 9, 2024, Korean Air has been deploying the A321-neo to Manila. I personally wish to fly on this aircraft type between Seoul Incheon and Manila or even their Manila - Seoul Incheon service someday, especially when I never got the pleasure to fly on a brand-new / new aircraft and considering that I never flew the A321-neo before, as I only had the pleasure to fly on the Airbus A321-200ceo on all my flights I took that were operated by a Airbus A321 aircraft. Despite a couple aircraft changes on Korean Air KE625 back in December 2024 when they flew their Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner aircraft on December 2, 2024 and Airbus A330-300 aircraft on December 6, 2024, everything has been consistent since then and it seems like the A321-neo may serve the KE625 service permanently.

A group of Korean Air planes, in addition to a Delta plane parked between Gates 246 and 241. These aircraft include a Delta A350-900 parked at Gate 246, two Korean Air B737-900ER's parked at Gates 243 and 245, a Korean Air A321-neo parked at Gate 242, & a Korean Air B787-9 Dreamliner aircraft parked at Gate 241. I was just by Gate 247 when I took this photo.

This is our aircraft today. At the time of writing, this aircraft is 8.9 years of age and is registered HL7637. At the time of taking this flight, this was the youngest and newest aircraft I ever flew since this plane was delivered to Korean Air back in June 2016. For reference, this aircraft has the Manufacturer Serial Number 40909 and Line Number 1529. The aircraft next to us parked at Gate 232 preparing for a flight to Honolulu, HI slated to depart at 21:05 was registered HL7631. A month after taking this flight, the aircraft parked next to our Boeing 747-8I, HL7631 has been sold to Sierra Nevada Corporation (SNC) to serve as the next Survivable Airbourne Operations Center (SAOC) under the United States Air Force. Under SNC, HL7631 currently has the registration N747EF, which is a United States based aircraft registration. However, HL7637 will remain in the Korean Air fleet beyond September 2025 when the deal is expected to be finalized upon HL7636 being sold to SNC as HL7637 has actually been reupholstered back in late-2024 to feature Korean Air's new Seat Covers / Seat Colors with Black seating in the First & Prestige Class cabin and warm reds, indigos, and taupe seating in Economy Class, while still retaining the Blue & Brown sections but only apply to the newly reupholstered leather headrests rather than the entire seat covers themselves.

Boarding commenced at 18:50 (6:50PM) local time. Sadly, I didn't get the chance to explore Incheon International Airport enough, however I would personally like to explore more of the airport if I were to have a longer layover next time. I was also upset that the boarding process was rather chaotic and inefficient, as passengers flooded the Gate 231 Jet Bridge waiting on a long like just to board the aircraft. I just wish Korean Air can implement a new Boarding System where Boarding can take less time (10 minutes less than current) and passengers can walk on the Jet Bridge at their assigned gates straight to the Aircraft without having to ensure any lines at the Jet Bridge regardless of Boarding Group and the time of year you travel even during Peak Travel Season, which I would like to see the next time I fly Korean Air.

Here is the staircase leading to the Upper Deck of the B747-8I. Sadly, I didn't get the chance to visit and explore the Upper Deck for a bit, which was my ultimate goal when flying on the Boeing 747. I apologize for the blurriness as boarding was chaotic and inefficient.

Welcome aboard the Boeing 747-8I. Similar to when I flew the A380 between New York JFK and Seoul, I sat in Seat 58A in the Economy Class cabin, I also sat in Seat 58A, this time on a 747 rather than an A380. We were provided a pillow, blanket, and amenities, however I was not given a bottle of water for this flight. I was surprised to see Korean Air install a new UI (User Interface) on the IFE Screen, as I heard that they installed these on their 277-Seater Boeing 777-300ER's but I didn't know that KE would install this on the 747-8 as of June 2024. I was expecting their Beyond Entertainment system that was used for years, considering that at the time KE was planning on retiring the entire 747-8 passenger fleet by 2031.

Here is our view outside. We were parked at Gate 231, which was next to the Phase 4 section of Incheon Airport Terminal 2. Upon pushback, I actually noticed one of the gate numbers for the new portion of the terminal, that being Gate 225. I didn't know Gate 225 would be next to Gate 231, as I was expecting a Gate 228 to take that role. Actually, Gate 228 is actually used as a remote stand rather than a jet bridge gate at the Incheon International Airport. After the AI Safety Video was played featuring Virtual Humans, we pushed back from Gate 231. Our departure was on-time so it was still relatively bright when we departed Incheon which led to our early arrival at New York JFK.

Here is a glimpse of the other Boeing 747-8 that will be taking a flight to Honolulu, HI as KE053 parked at Gate 232. That aircraft was registered HL7631 and has been sold to SNC for the US Air Force as of September 2024, meaning that aircraft is no longer flying with Korean Air. Upon taxiing to the runway, I actually saw our Boeing 777-300 that took us from Manila to Seoul parked at Gate 234 (the same gate we used going to Manila unexpectedly) that was preparing for a flight to Bangkok, Thailand on KE659, as well as the A321-neo parked at Gate 242 preparing for a flight to Manila, Philippines on KE625.

Featured above is a Korean Air A380 that arrived from New York JFK at Gate 266. I thought this was the aircraft that was heading for Los Angeles, CA as KE011 until not noticing that that A380 was being parked overnight, as KE011 actually departed at Gate 268. This aircraft featured above is HL7628, but the aircraft that was heading for LAX is HL7627.

We took off from Incheon Airport in the sunset at around 20:12 local time with a nice view of Seoul during sunset.

Despite this view, I was able to get a nice glimpse of Seoul tonight.

Unfortunately however, we experienced heavy turbulence so it actually seemed pretty scary. The strong turbulence only lasted a few seconds, as it stopped when the cabin crew told all passengers to fasten their seatbelts. Thankfully, the crew were very professional and no passengers were hurt. I was expecting this to be similar to the turbulence experienced on Singapore Airlines SQ321 when the flight had to divert to BKK due to extreme turbulence. After that, the cabin crew began the first meal service.

I actually wanted the Western/Italian option, however the cabin crew ran out of the Western/Italian option, so I had to get the Chinese option instead. I was actually surprised to see Korean Air now offering Crackers & Cheese as part of their meal service, as they never offered Crackers & Cheese in their meal service over the years, especially when I took them back in 2017. Unfortunately, I couldn't finish everything as my stomach was bloating due to the turbulence, meaning that I felt really full and didn't want to eat anymore. I wish I could have had more, however the meal wasn't too great.

Since I couldn't get a footage of the cabin mid-flight since I was literally sleeping most of the flight, let me share with you what actually happened mid-flight. There was some turbulence mid-flight, so no snack service actually took place as both passengers and cabin crew weren't able to get up at all, which for me was unfortunate, as I got really hungry mid-flight. Also, I was quite nervous as I was expecting more strong turbulence during the remainder of the flight, which thankfully wasn't the case. After hours of sleep, the cabin crew turned on the lights for the second and final meal service, since there were no mid-flight snacks at all during the flight, not even in the galley or by cabin crew request due to turbulence. The truth is that I actually flew during a time when turbulence was a wide known thing, I meant by inflight incidents occurring as a result of turbulence.

For the second meal, I actually opted for the Korean Option, which was the Rice Porridge with Vegetables over the Western Option. I actually wanted to try this option for a change to see how it actually compares with the Western Option. The food was okay, better than the first one, however I find the amount of food given to be lacking, as I still wasn't full after meal service. So far, despite the food being better, I think this was a better meal service than the first one provided earlier.

As we approached New York JFK, I was surprised to see the sun still up and I was also surprised to see it was still bright outside upon our approach to New York JFK, as usually other KE085 flights to JFK would approach to JFK when it is completely dark at the destination airport. For us, it wasn't completely dark until we arrived at the Gate.

Over the distance is JFK Airport. I was surprised to see that we didn't land on Runway 04L, as that runway offers spectacular views of the Manhattan Skyline, even upon touchdown at the airport. I would personally like to have our aircraft land there on our future flights going home to New York, especially at night when completely dark. We actually ended up landing at Runway 22R, which didn't offer much views except for a Delta A321, which we encountered upon landing into New York.

While I couldn't get the full landing approach due to my camera being really hot, I was also surprised that we'd park at Gate 8 rather than Gate 5 at JFK Airport, which Gate 5 is usually the gate that Korean Air uses at JFK Airport. Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic (or even during it) and back when Air France used to operate A380's, Korean Air would usually use Gate 8 rather than Gate 5, as Air France usually used Gate 5 for its A380 operations. Upon taxi, KE actually played some New York music, rather than other Korean songs that I encountered when our other KE flights would touch down at their destination airports. Upon our arrival into Gate 8, we parked next to a TAP Air Portugal A330neo (registered CS-TUF - MSN 1900) and despite me not being able to get a photo of the aircraft, the view was actually very clear for me to see it. Upon disembarkation, I was actually the last passenger to leave the aircraft, as when most passengers left the aircraft, I was still onboard the aircraft waiting to leave since I had to speak with the cabin crew regarding something. While I would like to take a flight with KE again, notably their A380 (again), A321-neo, and B777-300ER, KE definitely has some room for improvement. While they have rebranded recently and featured a new CI (CI standing for Corporate Identity) and livery and improved significantly, I still think that Korean Air still has plenty of room for improvement, especially when it comes to its meals and IFE content. The IFE content was rather limited, as there weren't many films to choose from. While the IFE content was rather limited, I still think that KE can improve by expanding its content towards more foreign films, as well as its Language Selections, which I think they should add Spanish, French, and Italian as additional Language options in addition to the English, Korean, Chinese, and Japanese that they currently offer as Language Options for the IFE, in order for the airline to attract more paying customers who speak Spanish, French, and Italian to fly with KE, similar to what is offered over at Emirates who caters to many different backgrounds.