A new joint venture is unfolding between Korean Air and Delta Airlines is unfolding, and Boston has a major role in it.
A new nonstop air- service between Boston and Seoul will be launched on April 12, 2019 in cooperation with joint venture partner, Delta Air Lines.
The new Boston flight, along with new Minneapolis/St. Paul-Seoul service that Delta is launching in 2019, are the first additions to the joint venture’s Seoul-Incheon network since the two carriers launched their partnership in May.
“By combining the schedules of Korean Air and Delta, our customers are able to enjoy unparalleled travel options,” said John Jackson, Korean Air’s managing vice president. “Our joint venture is undeniably the strongest transpacific partnership and provides both of our airlines with a solid competitive edge.”
Customers can access 290 destinations on Delta in the Americas and 80 destinations in Asia on Korean Air. This past January, Korean and Delta co-located in the industry-leading Incheon Terminal 2, making connections between Asia and America some of the industry’s quickest.
“As a major gateway for high tech industries, Boston is the most popular unserved point from Korea with rapidly growing demand to Asia,” Korean Air’s Jackson said. “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.”
Korean Air and Delta are investing in Boston, and this new flight to Seoul adds a key link that the JV partners offer Boston-area customers. Beyond Seoul, travelers can access nearly all of Asia on Korean Air with a unique customer experience at Incheon’s Terminal 2 featuring efficient and seamless connections and four elegant Korean Air lounges, plus other lounges dedicated to transfer passengers in all cabins with complementary showers and sleep areas.
The Boston-Seoul service will be operated on Korean Air’s new 787-9 Dreamliner aircraft featuring six First Class sleeper suites, 18 Prestige business class sleeper suites, and 245 seats in economy class.
First Class features farm-to-flight meals with food grown at the airline’s own farm on Jeju Island, a 23-inch high-resolution monitor, luxurious duvet and bedding, in-flight comfort clothing by Gianfranco Ferre, and DAVI-branded amenity kits with five different luxury cosmetic products. First class customers also can enjoy the exclusive benefits of a dedicated check-in lounge and First Class lounge at Incheon Airport.
Korean Air’s Prestige Suites offer private 21-inch wide flatbed seats spaced 75 inches apart with direct aisle access. Onboard, Prestige customers enjoy Korean Air’s award-wining food and wine program and a premium DAVI amenity kit.
Meanwhile, Korean Air’s economy class is among the industry’s most comfortable, with 33-34 inches between seats, a 10.6-inch high-resolution personal monitor and a variety of meal options.
With the launch of Boston and Minneapolis/St. Paul, Korean Air and Delta will offer up to 29 flights a day between 14 gateways in the U.S. and Asia. From Korea alone, the joint venture partners will offer over 115 weekly flights to 13 U.S. destinations, an increase of over 10% from summer 2018. By combining both airlines’ schedules, customers have matchless travel options while enjoying improved reciprocal frequent flier benefits.
Schedule details for this new service are below, with reservations opening later this summer.
Korean Air’s new nonstop service between Boston and Seoul:
|
Flight |
Departs |
Arrives |
Dates |
|
KE 90 |
Boston 1:30 p.m. |
Seoul 4:50 p.m. (next day) |
Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays Starts April 12, 2019 |
|
KE 89 |
Seoul 9:30 a.m. |
Boston 10:30 a.m. |
Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays Starts April 12, 2019 |
Delta’s continued investment in Boston will reach 112 peak day departures in summer 2018, an increase of 19 departures compared with summer 2017 and 29 departures over summer 2016. Delta and its partners will serve 52 total destinations from Boston, including 18 international destinations. Today’s announcement of Seoul service on Korean Air brings non-stop coverage of each major international travel region. Delta is committed to enhancing the customer experience in Boston, and offers more first class seats than any other carrier with first class on every flight as of June. Delta Sky Club operates two locations in Terminal A, providing customers with several healthy and fresh food choices and a number of complimentary drink options including local Samuel Adams craft beer and Starbucks coffee. Delta offers full flat-bed seats in Delta One on all flights to Europe, select flights to Los Angeles and on all flights to Boston’s No. 1 domestic destination, San Francisco.
About the Korean Air and Delta Joint Venture
With 27 peak-day flights between the U.S. and Asia, the joint venture between Delta and Korean Air offers customers world-class travel benefits across one of the most comprehensive route networks in the trans-Pacific market. The partners recently expanded codeshare flying and earlier this year received government approval for a trans-Pacific joint venture that will enhance connectivity between the U.S. and Asia giving customers more choice for seamless travel. Both airlines also have improved their loyalty programs’ reciprocal benefits, including the ability to earn more miles on both programs and redeem them on the expanded network.
