Service covers 9 long-haul routes

Orders accepted 21 days to 24 hours before departure

Grilled lobster and pasta with bisque sauce served as in-flight meals by Korean Air. [Korean Air]
Grilled lobster and pasta with bisque sauce served as in-flight meals by Korean Air. [Korean Air]

Korean Air announced Monday it is expanding its in-flight meal pre-order service to first-class passengers on long-haul international routes departing overseas.

Starting that day, first-class passengers on those routes can select their preferred meals before boarding. The pre-order system allows passengers to reserve menu items ahead of departure. Korean Air first introduced it in January 2023 for prestige-class seats on select international routes, then extended it to first-class passengers on Korea-departing international flights in October last year. The latest expansion brings the same service to first-class passengers flying out of overseas destinations.

The service covers nine long-haul routes: Los Angeles, New York, Atlanta, Boston, Chicago and Washington in the United States, as well as Paris, London and Frankfurt. Pre-ordered meals will be available on flights departing June 22 and later.

Any first-class passenger on a Korean Air-operated flight on these routes is eligible. Orders can be placed through the Korean Air website or mobile app between 21 days and 24 hours before departure.

Passengers may pre-select both their first and second meals. They begin by choosing a main course — hansik, Western or vegetarian — then select a starter and soup to complement it. A dedicated vegetarian pre-order menu will also be available alongside the standard in-flight offerings.

"By extending our pre-order service, which has proven successful on Korea-departing flights, to overseas-departing routes, we can now offer first-class passengers a more personalized premium dining experience," a Korean Air official said. "We expect this to boost passenger satisfaction while also improving the stability of our in-flight meal operations."


eyre@heraldcorp.com