Korean Air Debuts 787-10 on Seoul–Vancouver Route

Korean Air has officially introduced its new Boeing 787-10 Dreamliner on the Seoul Incheon–Vancouver route.

This makes Vancouver the first North American destination to regularly feature the airline’s latest and largest widebody aircraft.

Korean Air Debuts Its 787-10S Dreamliner on Vancouver Route

On October 1, 2024, Korean Air began flying its new Boeing 787-10 Dreamliner on the Seoul Incheon (ICN) to Vancouver (YVR) route, the first North American destination to regularly feature the airline’s new Dreamliner.

The SkyTeam alliance member currently operates 10 weekly flights between Seoul and Vancouver, with the Boeing 787-10 now serving seven of those. On October 27, 2024, the airline will increase its number of weekly flights on the Seoul Incheon (ICN)–Vancouver (YVR) route to 11.

The (soon to be) 11 flights between Seoul Incheon (ICN) and Vancouver (YVR) have the following flight times:

• KE071 Seoul Incheon (ICN) to Vancouver (YVR), departing at 6:50pm and arriving at 12:40pm
• KE072 Vancouver (YVR) to Seoul Incheon (ICN), departing at 2:30pm and arriving at 5:50pm the following day

Effective December 1, 2024, Korean Air will expand the Seoul–Vancouver route to a twice-daily service.

According to Korean Air Country Manager, Daechul Jung, the introduction of the Boeing 787-10 to Vancouver is in direct response to increasing passenger demand, particularly from business travelers.

Jung says, “Canada is a growing market for Korean Air. Many Korean businesses are investing and conducting business in Canada, driving demand for premium business travel.”

Looking ahead, Korean Air plans to fly its 787-10s to other key North American cities, including Honolulu and Seattle, as part of its commitment to providing an enhanced passenger experience and meeting growing travel demands.

The new Boeing 787-10 boasts a spacious and modern cabin design, accommodating 289 economy passengers and 36 travelers in the luxurious new Prestige Class 2.0 (business class) Suites.

The Prestige Suites 2.0 offer a world-class experience featuring fully lie-flat seats in a 1-2-1 configuration for easy aisle access. Featuring traditional Korean patterns, including jogakbo patchwork to showcase Korea’s cultural beauty, the interior has been designed to create a warm and elegant atmosphere.

One of the standout features of the new business class product is its innovative design, which prioritizes passengers’ privacy. Each seat functions as its own independent space, which provides a sense of openness while maintaining a level of privacy.

Each suite is equipped with a 24-inch personal 4K monitor, wireless charging pads, and 60W ultrafast USB-C charging ports.

How to Book Korean Air Business Class with Points

If you’re looking to book Korean Air business class with points, we suggest the three best options are with Korean Air SKYPASS, Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan, and Air France KLM Flying Blue. However, it’s worth noting that award availability is quite low through programs that are easy to access through credit cards.

With Korean Air SKYPASS, a one-way flight from Vancouver to Seoul in business class costs 62,500 miles during off-peak season or 92,500 miles during peak season.

Unfortunately, Korean Air SKYPASS and Marriott Bonvoy terminated their relationship in June 2024, which means that it’s very difficult to come by SKYPASS miles via credit cards and transferable points currencies in North America.

As an alternative, if you have access to Alaska miles, you could book a one-way flight between Vancouver and Seoul starting at 37,500 miles in economy or 75,000 miles in business class, plus a very modest amount of taxes and fees. Award availability in economy is quite good, but business class is relatively rare to come by.

It’s also theoretically possible to book Korean Air flights using Flying Blue miles, which are much easier to come by in Canada and the United States thanks to co-branded credit cards and numerous transfer partners, such as American Express Membership Rewards, American Express US Membership Rewards, Chase Ultimate Rewards, and Marriott Bonvoy.

However, award availability through Flying Blue is quite scarce in both economy and business class, but it’s certainly worth keeping an eye on to see if this changes in the future.

Conclusion

Korean Air has debuted its 787-10 Dreamliner on the Seoul Incheon (ICN) to Vancouver (YVR) route, making Vancouver the first North American destination to regularly feature the airline’s new Dreamliner.

The Boeing 787-10 boasts the airline’s newest business class product, Prestige Suites 2.0., giving travellers flying out of Vancouver access to a world-class passenger experience with the aircraft’s state-of-the-art amenities.

Looking ahead, Korean Air plans to fly its 787-10s to other key North American cities, including Honolulu and Seattle, as part of its commitment to providing an enhanced passenger experience and meeting growing travel demands.