Find cheap AIR PREMIA flights

Air Premia is Korea’s first long-haul Hybrid Service Carrier (HSC) that sits between budget and full-service airlines. If you’re looking for loads of legroom in economy or a Wide Premium seat to Seoul that won’t break the bank, you should definitely consider it.

With comfortable seats, a decent baggage allowance and all the essential tech, Air Premia gets the basics right. Here’s what you need to know before you book.

The Air Premia model

Air Premia is Korea’s first long-haul Hybrid Service Carrier (HSC) that sits between full-service airlines and traditional budget carriers. It exclusively flies Boeing 787 Dreamliner widebodies, and offers above-average economy and premium economy seats.

I love it as an inexpensive yet surprisingly luxurious way to get across the Pacific from Newark (for the New York metro area), Los Angeles or San Francisco. If you’re heading elsewhere, you can build your own connection from Seoul’s Incheon International Airport, it can be really handy for an onward journey, too.

Air Premia destinations and frequent flyer club

Air Premia operates as a Hybrid Service Carrier based at Incheon International Airport, offering both direct long-haul flights and connecting itineraries through its interline partnership with Korean Air. Through this partnership, you can book a single ticket from the US to destinations like Tokyo, Osaka, Bangkok, and Singapore via Seoul, with baggage transferred automatically.

If you want to book a connection beyond Air Premia’s partner network (say, traveling from the US to Bangkok) you’ll need to book two separate tickets. That self-connection will be at your own risk, meaning that if you miss the first flight or are delayed so long you miss the connection, the airline is not obligated to rebook or assist you.

If you’re still game (and the savings can be worth it), I’d suggest building in a buffer of at least a day or two in Seoul. It’s a fun city to explore, so a long layover is more of a bonus than a problem.

Air Premia has a frequent flyer program where you earn points based on your paid airfare, Economy Lite earns 70% while Wide Premium earns 100%. With the Korean Air partnership expanding the network, the program has become more useful than before, especially if you’re flying to Asia regularly.

Classes of travel and fares on Air Premia

Air Premia keeps it simple with two cabins: Economy and Wide Premium (recently renamed from Premium Economy). Both are on the Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner, which is a treat to fly on. The big windows and better cabin pressure help you feel a bit more human after a long flight.

In Economy, you can choose between Lite, Standard and Flex fares. Every economy ticket includes a 22-pound (10-kilogram) carry-on bag, which is pretty generous.

Lite fares: The most basic. On Americas routes, you get one checked bag at 50.7 pounds (23 kilograms), while non-Americas routes include one 33-pound (15-kilogram) bag. You’ll pay extra for seat selection and flight changes.

Standard fares: On Americas routes, includes two 50.7-pound (23-kilogram) checked bags, while non-Americas routes get one 50.7-pound bag. Comes with partially free seat selection.

Flex fares: Offers a lower fee for flight changes.

Generally, Lite is fine for most passengers. Standard is good if you need the extra piece of checked baggage and want to choose your seat, while the benefits of Flex don’t really add up to the upcharge in most cases.

In Wide Premium, your choices are Standard or Flex. The Standard ticket gets you checked bags based on your route—two 70.5-pound (32-kilogram) bags on Americas routes or one on other routes—plus two 22-pound (10-kilogram) carry-ons, and priority check-in, boarding, and baggage handling. Seat selection is partially free. The Flex option eliminates the schedule change fee and reduces cancellation fees. I’d stick with the Standard fare here too.

Air Premia economy class seats

Economy on Air Premia (previously known as Premia 35) is one of the best in the sky, with great legroom, in-flight entertainment screens, delicious food and generous baggage allowances.

The legroom is a standout, with seats offering more than 33 inches of pitch, and some configurations providing up to 35 inches—a couple more inches than most other airlines. Every seat has a 12-inch touchscreen, a power outlet, and a USB port, plus a free headset and blanket. With a Standard fare, you get partially free seat selection, though front cabin seats cost extra, as do the extra-legroom exit row seats.

If the flight isn’t full at your time of check-in at the airport, Air Premia will let you purchase the seat next to you for a very minimal fee so that you can spread out in more comfort. Ask at the desk for more details.

Premium economy on Air Premia

Wide Premium on Air Premia (previously known as Premium Economy and before that as Premia 42) is a great pick, and better than quite a bit of the competition. These are the usual premium economy recliners with at least 42 inches of pitch. Think domestic first class within the United States rather than a pod seat that converts to a bed. They make a big difference if you’re looking for more comfort than economy.

Each seat has an adjustable footrest, a 13-inch touchscreen, and power ports. The cabin is laid out in a 2-3-2 configuration. If you want to minimize disturbances, grab an aisle seat in the middle section. You’ll have the best chance of an empty seat next to you.

You also get an amenity kit that varies by route. Flights from Korea include a Huxley-branded kit with sunscreen, hand cream and a toothbrush set, while flights from the U.S. provide an Aromatica-branded kit with hand cream, hair tonic, lip balm and a toothbrush set. Meals are basically similar to economy, but you do have extra drink options, including alcohol.

In-flight food, drinks and duty-free on Air Premia

Air Premia offers free basic meals for every passenger, and you can pick either a Korean or Western menu option comprising a starter and a main course. Water is included free. I always lean towards an airline’s home cuisine, and fortunately Korean food works really well in the air.

If you want more, you can buy snacks and drinks from the onboard menu. I find it to be reasonably priced and I recommend the Korean cider if you get a chance. Duty-free shopping may be available on select routes.

Air Premia in-flight entertainment and Wi-Fi

Entertainment on Air Premia is mostly Korean TV and movies, with subtitles if you don’t speak the language. This is a great opportunity to find your new favorite K-drama.

All of Air Premia’s planes are equipped with Wi-Fi. On certain aircraft, you’ll get a free one-hour chat plan to allow you to use WhatsApp, iMessage and other messaging apps with limited file transfers. For more connectivity, you can purchase plans that range from a full-flight chat option to a 3-hour internet package for browsing, social media, cloud services and audio streaming, or a full-flight internet package that supports video streaming.

Air Premia check-in and airport experience

The airport experience is pretty standard. You can check in online or at the airport desk. Helpfully, Air Premia publishes the details of its check-in locations (terminal plus entry door and desk number, depending on the airport) on its website. This is handy to know, so do make a note.

If you check-in online, there’s a separate bag drop counter that will save you some time. For flights from Incheon to the U.S., mobile boarding passes and kiosk check-in aren’t available, so you’ll need to visit the counter for document verification and boarding pass issuance.

Air Premia doesn’t offer lounges (which is not surprising since it doesn’t have a business class), but most of its airports have lounges that are either affiliated with lounge access programs like Priority Pass or by buying a day pass.