Korean Air upgrades lounges at Incheon Airport ahead of merger

Korean Air said Thursday it has completed upgrading its First Class Lounge and Prestige West Lounge at Incheon Airport Terminal 2, leveling up comfort services in line with its merger with Asiana Airlines.

According to Korean Air, the revamp features a noticeable expansion of both space and seating capacity while offering unmatched experiences with better food, beverage and amenities. Korean Air invested 110 billion won ($74.9 million) over the past three and a half years to finish the renewal project at the airport.

The First Class Lounge, located on the fourth floor across from Gate 250, will officially begin operating at 6 a.m. Friday. Its floor space, 921 square meters, is more than double the previous lounge's size. As the First Class Lounge features an open hall and 11 private suites, passengers will be escorted to separate rooms upon entry for what the airline calls a “home away from home” experience.

Korean Air noted that the design elements in the First Class Lounge were inspired by traditional Korean aesthetics, underscoring that the culinary offering will include dedicated staff serving curated, customized meals alongside premium wine, whisky and craft beer.

The Prestige West Lounge, located on the fourth floor across from Gates 248 and 249, opened doors at 4 a.m. Thursday. As Korean Air emphasized the need to improve passenger density in this area, the Prestige West Lounge covers 2,615 square meters of floor space with about 420 seats. It is now the biggest single lounge at Incheon Airport and is equipped to handle increased passenger volumes once Korean Air completes its merger with Asiana Airlines.

The lounge provides a buffet, live cooking stations, a staffed bar, a dedicated work area and shower booths with chefs from Grand Hyatt Incheon preparing dishes on-site while rotating menus quarterly to reflect seasonal ingredients.

With the two lounges upgraded, Korean Air’s five lounges at the Incheon International Airport Terminal 2 now have 1,566 seats, a big jump from the previous figure of 898.

Korean Air said it plans to continue revamping lounges at major airports both at home and abroad, such as Gimpo International Airport and John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York, in phases to keep upgrading customer services.