Summary

  • New 787-10 aircraft to fly Seoul-Bangkok route with upgraded business class.
  • Korean Air plans to expand 787-10 flights due to growing demand in key markets.
  • Economy and business class cabins offer advanced seat features and in-flight entertainment.

Today, Korean Air announced it will send its first Boeing 787-10 on the Seoul – Bangkok route starting Thursday, August 1, 2024. This marks Thailand as the first Southeast Asian country where the airline operates the 787-10 Dreamliner, replacing one of the daily Boeing 777 flights.

New 787-10 off to Bangkok

Korean Air has four daily flights between Seoul Incheon International (ICN) and Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport (BKK), and the 787-10 will initially be used on six of the 28 weekly services. On August 8, 2024, that will increase to 12 weekly 787-10 flights.

Korean Air Boeing 787-10 Prestige Suites 2.0_1

Photo: Korean Air

The aircraft to be used on the service is the first Boeing 787-10 Dreamliner that arrived in South Korea in late July. This aircraft is registered HL8515 with MSN 66878 and entered service on the Seoul – Tokyo Narita (NRT) route on July 25, operating a daily return rotation.

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Korean Air previously advised that the 787-10s would be initially deployed on short-haul routes to stabilize operations, before launching them on long-haul services to the western United States and Europe. The 787-10 is being being deployed due to growing demand on the route, and Korean Air Thailand Country Manager Jong Min Kim said that Thailand is a vital market for the airline, adding:

“Many Korean companies are investing and doing business in Thailand, fuelling demand for business travel. With 13 gateways in North America and 12 in Japan via Seoul Incheon Terminal 2, Korean Air is dedicated to serving Thailand through our extensive global network.”

On Thursday, Korean Air flight KE651, operating with the 787-10 Dreamliner, will depart Seoul Incheon at 18:05 and land around five hours later in Bangkok at 21:45. The return service will leave Suvarnabhumi Airport at 23:30 and land in Seoul at 06:55 the following day.

A very comfortable ride

The 787-10 cabin has 325 seats in a two-class layout, including 36 in business class and 289 in the economy cabin. It is the first aircraft to be fitted with Korean Air’s new business class product, Prestige Suites 2.0, which features lie-flat seats with a generous 46 inches (117cm) of pitch, 21 inches (53cm) of width, and an extended seat length of 78 inches (198cm).

The suites are designed as independent spaces to enhance a sense of openness but also offer privacy. They include expanded personal space next to the armrest featuring a table for cups and small personal items, a personal storage compartment, a wireless phone charger, dual 220V/110V outlets and two high-speed USB-C ports.

Korean Air Boeing 787-10 Prestige Suites 2.0_2

Photo: Korean Air

In the main cabin, the economy class seats are configured in a 3-3-3 layout with vibrant woven patterns of bold colors. They have a pitch of 32 inches (81cm), a width of 17.2 inches and can recline up to 120 degrees with headrests adjustable in multiple directions for added comfort.

Korean Air Boeing 787-10 Economy Class

Photo: Korean Air

Monitors in both cabins support 4K resolution, with business class passengers enjoying 24-inch (60cm) screens with Bluetooth audio support. While the economy class seats have 13-inch (33cm) monitors, Korean Air said they are still two inches (5cm) larger than those on other models, and inflight WiFi service is also available.

fl-prestigesuite-img-04-787-10-pc

Photo: Korean Air

According to Thailand’s tourism ministry, South Koreans were the third largest source of arrivals into Thailand in 2023, with more than 1.65 million arrivals. Between January and April this year, 119,455 visitors from Thailand visited South Korea, accounting for 2.5% of total arrivals in South Korea.

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