Business Class to Disappointment: Passenger’s Experience on Korean Air Flight

Recently, a passenger who flew business class on Korean Air claimed he was treated differently from other passengers, sparking a debate in online communities.

According to a post on the online community Diesel Mania, a man in his 30s purchased a business class seat worth 2.3 million won for a comfortable journey on Korean Air flight KE652 to Seoul on the 6th.

Despite purchasing a business class ticket, he claims to have received significantly inferior service compared to a customer who was a boy band member on the same flight.

It was reported that several celebrities, including two famous boy band members, were on the flight the man boarded.

He stated there were issues with Korean Air’s service from boarding. Typically, business class passengers receive greetings from officers and staff upon boarding, but that day, such service was concentrated only on famous passengers, leaving them without any greeting service.

Additionally, when the man ordered a drink, the attendant ignored him and, without a word, rudely opened his private cabin door and left the drink.

Additionally, he shared, “I ordered a cocktail because it was so delicious and reordered. When I complimented the flight attendant, saying, “You made this with the perfect ratio; it’s very delicious,” the actual response was a dismissive so what, just saying, “Ah, yes,” which upset me.”

He later complained to the purser but has yet to receive an apology or action from Korean Air.

This incident has brought to light previous controversies surrounding Korean Air’s in-flight services. Last September, a broken glass shard was found in a coffee served onboard a Korean Air flight.

A passenger spit out a foreign object after feeling something odd while drinking an iced coffee as a dessert after his meal.

Upon feeling the foreign sensation, the passenger immediately spat out the substance. What came out of his mouth appeared to be a sharp glass fragment, more than 0.5cm in length and 0.1cm in thickness.

At that time, this passenger did not seek compensation or medical expenses but believed that with the increase in international travelers, the airline needed to enhance its safety awareness. He reported the incident to the media and demanded that preventive measures be taken. However, Korean Air rejected his request for public disclosure and only offered medical expenses and a discount voucher worth $90, which drew criticism.

Meanwhile, Korean Air, which is celebrating its 55th anniversary this year, had Chairman Cho Won Tae of Hanjin Group emphasize in his New Year’s message last January that “All employees should do their utmost to ensure Korean Air becomes the world’s safest airline and provides the best service through customer-centric management.”

However, with the immediate emergence of service issues, all eyes and ears are on how Korean Air will resolve these matters.

In response to this controversy, Korean Air stated, “A claim was filed on April 7, and we are currently investigating the circumstances.”