Four carriers currently serve the Sydney to Seoul route: Asiana, Jetstar, Korean Air, and the stupidly named t’way. The Korean Air flight is the earliest service to depart from Sydney to Seoul, with a scheduled departure at 07h55 in the morning. The schedule for this rotation is rather tight, making it susceptible to delay. The aircraft supposedly reaches Sydney at 06h25, which gives the aircraft a block time of only ninety minutes.

Routing

> ZRH LH Y FRA A319

> FRA AF C CDG E195

> CDG AF C SIN B77W

> SIN SQ C CNS A359

> CNS ZL Y ISA SF34

> ISA QF Y TSV DH8D

> TSV QF Y CNS DH8D

> CNS QF C DRW E190

> DRW QF C SYD B738

> SYD KE C ICN B781

> ICN KL C AMS B789

> AMS KL C FRA E175

> FRA EN Y BSL E190

Getting from Darling Harbour to Sydney Airport

I order a taxi with the concierge at the Sofitel Darling Harbour for a pick up at the hotel at 05h30 in the morning. That should bring me to the airport by 06h00. Just after I wake up, I receive a notification from Korean Air that the inbound is running 25 minutes late, and therefore, the departure of my flight has been moved back by thirty minutes from 07h55 to 08h30. The taxi to the airport costs AUD87, although I’m not fully sure there wouldn’t have been a shorter way to go.

Korean Air Business Class Check-In

I check in online in the Korean Air app, which isn’t very intuitive. I manage to check in, but I have no boarding passes in my Wallet. It takes me about five minutes to locate where the boarding passes are in the app and how to download them, but I manage. When eventually I find them, it looks like I have the pass for the Sydney to Incheon leg and for the Incheon to Amsterdam leg, but not for the Amsterdam to Frankfurt leg. I suspect the last flight may not be open for check-in yet.

Once I reach the airport, I head straight for security, which is why I honestly don’t know where Korean Air checks in at Sydney Airport. There is a separate entrance to security for First and Business Class passengers. Fortunately, it’s still early and the airport is calm, so the process is fairly quick. Sadly, though, the jar of green plum jam I received as a gift when I checked in at the Kooinda Lodge is confiscated and has to be chucked away because it’s too big.

There’s another hold up at the e-gates for emigration because the system can’t assign me to a departure from Sydney. Eventually, the officer handling my case and I figure it out together: I’ve been checked in on the KLM flight number and not that of the operating carrier, Korean Air.

The SkyTeam Lounge Sydney

At Sydney Airport there is a dedicated SkyTeam Lounge, which is hardly surprising given that the alliance has quite a presence here, with flights by Garuda, China Airlines, China Eastern, China Southern, Xiamen Airways, Delta Airlines, and Vietnam Airlines. The lounge is nice and there are plenty of food options at the buffet. They even have a noodle bar which, however, only opens at 08h00. There’s also a coffee bar where you can have a coffee made to order by one of the baristas. More importantly, the views from the lounge are absolutely brilliant, to the point that they keep distracting me from breakfast! The only drawback, of course, is that the lounge tends to get rather full in the mornings.

Korean Air Business Class Boarding

Boarding for the flight has been moved from 07h20 to 07h45 to accommodate the updated departure time of our flight. We’re boarding from gate 59, which means that I’ll be able to get some decent photos of my ride to Incheon before we board. When boarding eventually starts at 07h55, it’s all a bit chaotic and seems unnecessarily complicated. Only one airbridge is attached to the aircraft, and that is to the L2 door.

Korean Air Business Class Cabin & Seat

The Business Class cabin on Korean Air’s Boeing B 787-10 is located between the L1 and L2 doors and is made up of 36 seats on nine rows in a 1+2+1 configuration. The first row is numbered as 7. There is no First Class cabin on these aircraft. On the single row of seats, those on rows 8, 9, 10, 12, and 15 are true window seats, whereas those on the other rows are on the aisle. In theory, that shouldn’t really make a difference anyway, because the seats are equipped with doors. However, it is important to note that currently (August 2026) passengers are not permitted to use the sliding door at their seats and they have to remain in the open position throughout the flight. The airline hasn’t received certification yet for the doors. For passengers travelling in one of the seats in the middle row of two, there is a divider that can be raised. Which is good, because my impression is that on rows 7, 9, 11, 14 and 17 passengers sit rather close to each other at the shoulder. Other than that, storage in the seat is fairly limited. However, in the lying position the seat is rather comfortable, although it’s not that easy to get in and out of.

As a side note, there is one toilet by the forward galley which is dedicated to the Business Class cabin. There is another toilet at the back, near the R2 door. However, that is shared with Economy Class passengers.

Korean Air Business Class Amenities

When I reach my seat during boarding, there’s a pillow, a thin mattress and a thick blanket already at my seat. However, being a day flight, it’s not as though I’m planning to sleep much. In addition, there’s also the earphones for the inflight entertainment, the vanity kit, and the menu. In the side of the seat there’s also a bottle of still water and a pair of comfortable and rather fluffy slippers.

Korean Air Business Class Service & Crew

There are five cabin crew working the Business Class cabin. In comparison to the crews I experienced last year, when I flew to Australia with Japan Airlines, I would say the Korean Air crews speak much better English and seem a little more relaxed in their interactions with the few westerners on board. The service on the ground starts with the crew passing through the cabin with a tray of welcome drinks. There is a choice of orange juice, still water, and guava (I think). With that, they serve small packets of nibbles.

Eventually, by the time we push back it’s 08h55 and we’re running an hour late. The flight time to Seoul is ten hours and ten minutes, meaning that we’ll likely be arriving in South Korea with a delay of about thirty minutes. Among the many interesting and gorgeous things I see as we taxi out are two British Airways Boeing B 787-9s, which I’m not quite sure is normal.

Korean Air Business Class Meal – First Service

The meal service begins right after take off. Two things strike me about the menu for the main meal. The first is that there isn’t a single vegetarian dish, which is quite unusual. I think on most carriers they normally have one non-meat option for the mains. The other thing that strikes me is that the menu seems appropriate for a lunchtime service, but not necessarily for a breakfast service starting way before noon.

The crew come to take orders before departure, and of course I decide to have the fabulous bibimbap. The western options are seared tenderloin or salmon cooked en papillote. Ahead of the meal, the crew hand out unscented hot towels made of some papery material. Next, they dress the table for the meal service.

Amuse Bouche

For the amuse bouche they serve pulled duck with grilled pineapple. I’m not much of a fan of duck or pineapple at the best of time. Pass. To drink I have a sparkling water with just a hint of apple juice.

First Course – Bresaola with Pickled Beetroot and Carrot

There is no choice for the main course and it is the same for both the Korean and Western option. The only difference being that if, like me, you’re having the Korean main course, they will not serve you bread with the first course. According to the menu there’s also a corn soup that is served with the starter. However, that too is only for passengers who’ve ordered the Western option.

Main Course – Korean Bibimbap

The plate with the first course is quickly removed, and then, finally, the bibimbap is served. It’s quite an elaborate meal that is served with kimchi, wakame, and pickles, spicy gochujang sauce, sesame oil, sticky rice, dried seaweed, and a clear broth with bonito flakes. I just love a good bibimbap, so it’s nice to have this opportunity to have one again.

Cheese

The entire tray is removed once I’m done with the main course, and then the cheese is brought out. The menu just says Cheese, without stating the kinds of cheese they are. In any case, it’s a nice plate and is served with grapes, crackers, and fig bread.

Dessert

And then, to conclude the meal, it’s the dessert, which again is not specified in the menu. It consists of a plate with three small pastries and a tub of mango sorbet. With the dessert I have a cup of coffee with milk. From start to finish, the service takes about two hours to complete.

Korean Air Business Class Meal – Inflight Snacks

About five hours into the flight I start to feel hungry again. After all, I hardly had anything besides the bibimbap. And so, I order the ramen noodles off the snack menu, which are served with more pickles and kimchi. This is a lovely meal that’s slightly more than just a snack, I’d say. For those with a faint disposition, it is probably best to also mention that the soup is VERY spicy. I have a Coke Zero to drink, and then the flight attendant kindly also brings me a plate with three cookies for dessert.

Korean Air Business Class Meal – Second Service

The second, or in my case the third, service begins about two hours out of Incheon. Again, there are three options for the main course, all three of which are with meat. The Korean option is Bulgogi. However, this time I go with the tandoori chicken. The meal consists of a small salad to start, which is served with a sesame oil based vinaigrette that is just excellent. The crew serve a variety of different rolls with the salad. The main course, is rather nice. The chicken is tender and flaky and the tandoori sauce, while nowhere near as good as the one I make, obviously, is not bad either. It is served with rice and broccolini. There’s also a small ramekin of cucumber raita. And for dessert they serve a plate of fruit.

Arrival in Seoul Incheon

Our routing takes us from Australia to the Japanese coast. From there we turn in a westerly direction towards Korea and Seoul. The crew make a last pass through the cabin to secure it for landing and to personally bid their passengers farewell, which is a nice gesture. The approach into Incheon is pretty cool. They’re running parallel approaches. Slight ahead of us I can see an A 350 lowering its gear in preparation for touch down. Unfortunately, it’s backlit (and my eyes really are getting steadily worse…) so I can’t identify the airline. Once we’re down, we taxi for quite a bit. I spot the KLM B 787-9 that will be carrying me to Amsterdam parked on a remote stand.

SkyTeam Transfer in Seoul Incheon

The flight terminates at Terminal 2. This will be my first experience travelling through the new airport. So far, I’ve only ever used Terminal 1. What strikes me initially is just how much the new terminal resembles the old one. It looks oddly familiar, and I have to keep reminding myself that it has not right to because I’ve never been here. The terminal is enormous, but at least the signs for transfer are clearly marked out and the process is swift.

Conclusion – Korean Air Business Class

Hm, I’m a bit confused and I think also a bit lost for what to say. There are some really good things about this experience with Korean Air on this flight from Sydney to Seoul… but there are also a few negative things. The crew are friendly and efficient, and they mean well. However, despite their very good English, they are hampered by language and cultural issues. For example, during the flight I ask for a sherry and a sparkling water. However, what I end up with is a sherry with water – literally, a sherry topped up with water. And it tastes pretty vile. I also find that despite their best attempts, the crew just lack personality.

And then there’s the food. As previously mentioned, I just love bibimbap, and I was looking forward to having it on this flight, as it’s a dish Korean has been serving for decades now. However, I question whether really every single savoury dish on the menu has to be with meat? I mean, surely if Korean wants to be an international airline, they have to acknowledge that not everybody eats meat, and having to order a special meal is always a it risky.

It’s the same with the seat and the cabin – both of which are attractive. The doors that are currently inoperable are a minor detail. If you’re sitting on a window seat, it’s already quite private as is. However, in the bed position the seat is tight. Frankly, while I’m lounging in my seat reading, Edgar Allan Poe’s The Premature Burial comes to mind, in which a man with taphophobia finds himself buried alive. It ain’t pretty… In the sum of all things, Korean Air is not bad, but they’re not exceptional either.