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Hey everyone, welcome back to Smart With Points. I'm Jack, and today I've got some genuinely exciting news that'll make your future trips to Asia significantly more bearable. We're talking about an airline that's been stuck in the internet dark ages finally seeing the light. Or should I say, seeing the Starlink. Let's dive in.
If you've ever tried to send an email on a Korean Air flight, you'll know the struggle is real. Despite flying on one of the world's most technologically advanced nation's flag carriers, the inflight WiFi experience has been, well, rather lacking. But that's all about to change, and in a big way.
Korean Air has just announced that it, along with Asiana Airlines, Jin Air, Air Busan, and Air Seoul, all part of the Hanjin Group, will be rolling out Starlink high-speed WiFi across their entire fleets. This marks the first time any South Korean airline has adopted SpaceX's satellite internet service, and it's genuinely exciting news for anyone planning trips to Asia.
So let's talk about the timeline. Installation preparation and testing begins later this year, in twenty twenty-five, with the earliest Starlink service expected to launch in the third quarter of twenty twenty-six. Korean Air is targeting complete fleetwide installation by the end of twenty twenty-seven, which is an ambitious but achievable timeline given how quickly other airlines have rolled out the technology.
Now here's what matters for us in the UK. Korean Air and Asiana Airlines will prioritise their long-haul workhorses first, specifically the Boeing seven seven seven dash three hundred E R and Airbus A three fifty dash nine hundred aircraft. This is excellent news for UK travellers, as the daily London Heathrow to Seoul Incheon route, flight K E nine zero eight and K E nine zero seven, operates on the seven seven seven dash three hundred E R, with the stunning Boeing seven four seven dash eight occasionally deployed during summer months.
For the low-cost carriers in the group, Jin Air will start with its Boeing seven three seven dash eight fleet, while Air Busan and Air Seoul will assess their fleets to determine installation priorities.
Now, here's something that genuinely surprised me when researching this. Korean Air only started offering any inflight WiFi in twenty twenty-three. For an airline from South Korea, a country where five G coverage is ubiquitous and internet speeds are legendary, this was frankly embarrassing.
Starlink represents a massive leap forward. Using over eight thousand low Earth orbit satellites positioned at approximately five hundred and fifty kilometres altitude, it offers broadband speeds of up to five hundred megabits per second. That's comparable to, or better than, what many of us have at home. Passengers will be able to stream video, make video calls, play online games, and actually get work done, all at thirty-five thousand feet.
And here's the best part. According to reports, the Starlink WiFi will be free for all passengers across all cabins. This puts Korean Air in good company with other airlines adopting the same approach, including Qatar Airways, British Airways, Emirates, and Virgin Atlantic.
Now, let's talk about how you can actually book Korean Air flights using points. Korean Air is a founding member of SkyTeam, which means UK-based points collectors can book using Air France K L M Flying Blue miles. This is particularly relevant because Flying Blue is a transfer partner for American Express Membership Rewards, so your Amex points can get you onto Korean Air metal.
Flying Blue uses dynamic pricing, so award costs vary based on demand. However, you can often find reasonable redemption rates on Korean Air flights from London to Seoul.
Speaking of that London Seoul route, Korean Air operates daily flights between London Heathrow, from Terminal Four, and Seoul Incheon. Flight K E nine zero eight departs London Heathrow at nineteen thirty-five, arriving in Seoul Incheon at sixteen fifteen the next day. The return flight, K E nine zero seven, departs Seoul Incheon at ten fifty-five, arriving at London Heathrow at seventeen twenty. The flight covers approximately eight thousand, eight hundred and sixty kilometres. You can check the seatmap for this route using our Flight Seatmap tool on the website to choose the best seat.
So here's my take on all of this. I'm genuinely pleased to see Korean Air making this move. Korean Air Prestige Class, that's their business class product, is an underrated offering that provides excellent value when booked with points. The airline's famous Bibimbap is genuinely one of the best meals in the sky. Add proper WiFi to the mix, and Korean Air becomes a much more compelling option.
The only question mark is timing. The third quarter of twenty twenty-six is still several months away, and full fleetwide rollout by the end of twenty twenty-seven means it could be nearly two years before you're guaranteed Starlink on every Korean Air flight. Still, it's good to know that better connectivity is on the horizon. The Starlink domino effect continues, and I'm here for it.
That's all for today's episode. Thanks so much for listening to Smart With Points. If you enjoyed this episode, make sure to subscribe on all major podcast platforms or head over to our website at smartwithpoints dot co dot uk. We've got loads of resources there to help you maximise your points and miles.
And before I let you go, here's a quick word about a tool that'll help you find those perfect award flights. Looking for the best award flights? Use AwardTravelFinder dot com to search availability across Qatar Airways, British Airways, Cathay Pacific and more. Try it for free with our link in the shownotes.
Until next time, keep collecting those points and happy travels!