What happens when you rip Korean Air’s world class business class experience straight out a long haul aircraft and stuff it into a puny little A321neo?
You end up with one heck of a good regional business class product, that’s what.
I’d imagine that it was as challenging for them as it was for a newly married man trying to stuff oversized pillows into tight pillowcases. But they did it.
The Korean Air A321neo has it all: lie flat seats, proactive cabin crews, unlimited drinks, and I assume (based on how eager the cabin crew is to please) unlimited Bibimbap. It certainly wouldn’t hurt to ask.
KE706 Tokyo, Japan (NRT) – Seoul, South Korea (ICN) Sunday, June 7, 2026 Aircraft: A321neo Registration: HL8528 Duration: 2 hours 2 minutes Seat: 8A (Prestige Class / business class)
Korean Air A321neo side view illustration by NorebboStock.comOur route from Tokyo / Haneda to Seoul / Incheon this morning as KE706
My full review of Korean Air A321neo business class (Prestige Class) from NRT to ICN
Look. Not every Korean Air flight can be a majestic (and super spacious) widebody. Smaller narrowbodies such as the A321neo are far more practical and efficient for shorter regional routes such as NRT-ICN whether we like it or not. Don’t knock it until you try it, eh.
Checking in at NRT
This flight to Seoul was scheduled to depart at 9:20 AM. I arrived at approximately 7 AM anxious for was sure to be another great flight in Korean Air Prestige Class.
Welcome to Terminal 1 North at Narita Airport! I’ll spare you all the pics I just took of Terminal 1 South just now (the ones I so ignorantly captured before realizing that there are North and South concourses here).For context, here I am about five minutes before taking the picture you just saw, happily trudging my way towards Terminal 1 South. Public service announcement: Korean Air departs out of T1 North, y’all.
OK, yeah, I had a little trouble finding the Korean air check-in counter. Once there, I discovered the name on my passport didn’t match my reservation (I forgot to include my middle name) so it required a bit of creative problem solving by a Korean Air agent to get it sorted. Other than that, everything was going smashingly well.
Looks like it’s going to be Pier D today. One can only assume that the D stands for “Dis is where you check in for Korean Air.”Yeah, I ain’t reading that. When in doubt (or just lazy), just plow forward and hope for the best.See that pictogram over there on the top right (the one indicating where the lounges are)? That’s gonna be me in about five minutes as soon as I find the Korean Air lounge.
I spent about 30 minutes in the Korean Air Lounge scrounging together whatever I could into something that looked like breakfast. It was more of a snack really, but it didn’t matter since I knew I would be eating well on the airplane.
Gate 26 is where my flight to ICN will be departing from this morning. “This is going to be an A380, right?” – what I assume the woman at the counter is asking the gate agent because, I mean, it’s a fantastic question.The existence of an A321neo parked at our gate meant that the conversation probably wasn’t going all that well. My only hope is that the gate agent remembered to tell her about how awesome Prestige Class is on this aircraft.More people queuing up to find out about the A380 thing. “But it’s OK because the seats lie fully flat!”Just look at how intensely (but perfectly) circled both the departure time and gate number are on my boarding pass. Hearing the cheerful voice of the person who checked me in back at pier D telling me where I needed to go (and what I needed to do) is almost natural when looking at this picture.
The boarding process
They started the boarding process at 8:50 AM. Those needing special assistance (and anyone needing a little extra time) got to go first. Next up was Sky Priority passengers. Hey, that’s me!
Sky Priority. Prestige Class. Zone 1. I am many things this morning, but I am also very ready for my first ever Korean Air narrowbody experience. Let’s do this!Being greeted at the boarding door by an enthusiastic flight attendant (one ready to give me a well-rehearsed “sorry this isn’t an A380 but it’s OK because the seats lie flat!” message) is what I like best about Korean Air.
Korean Air A321neo business class seat and cabin overview
There are 8 business class (Prestige Class) seats on the Korean Air A321neo. It’s a 2-2 layout consisting of rows 7 and 8. I know. That doesn’t make any sense to me either.
Business class / Prestige Class seats 8A and B. See? They were very correct to pontificate the attributes of these lie flat seats. These look so much better than they than the ones you’ll find in business class on the A380 IMHO.lol at everyone who chose a flight on anything other than an A321neo today. These seats (and those blankets and pillows I probably don’t need on a 2 1/2 hour flight but I’ll be happy to use them anyway) are freakin’ legit.
These are fully lie flat seats, very much like the ones you will find in Starlux A321neo business class. They feature large video screens, privacy dividers, and wireless charging pads for your phone.
These seats are angled towards the windows, which could limit legroom if you’re especially tall. Having a non-Chad physique was gonna pay off someday, I just knew it.* looks around to see if anyone noticed what looked like him taking pictures of his crotch just now * Oh hey! The legroom looks pretty decent over on that side as well. And check out those retractable privacy screens!Those of you who have flown Korean Air 777-300ER business class anytime in the last few years should be well rehearsed in how to deal with video screens that seem like a mile away. For those who haven’t, don’t worry. There is a solution for this, which I will reveal shortly.“lol I don’t think so.” – what my old iPhone said when placing it down on this wireless charging pad. The only thing this did was to prevent the battery from depleting any further than it already had (while overheating it in the process). There was no charging in the positive direction.
The only awkward thing about these seats is the fact that the USB power outlets and audio jack are located in a little cubby behind the seat near the shoulder. It requires a bit of a reach. And a twist.
Amenities
There was no amenity kit provided on this flight, which was expected considering that it was only going to be 2 1/2 hours in length. They did provide blankets, pillows, slippers, and noise canceling headphones though. Pre-departure drinks were also available, with a choice of guava juice, water, or champagne.
Guava juice pre-departure drink. Who knew that guavas were native to South Korea? I had no idea.When the noise canceling headphones are a handful, you know you’re in for a pretty good time. When the slippers are a handful… Actually, I have no idea what happens. But I’ll let you know.“God, you’re sexy.” Perhaps I need to learn to hide my pervy thoughts better (especially while manspreading), but just look at that blanket! She thicc.
The departure from NRT
They got us pushed off the gate 2 minutes early at 9:18 AM. This was no doubt a result of what looked to be about a 50% load factor back in economy class. Boarding was quick and easy, and we were on our way with no issues.
“It may not be an A380, but I’ll bet those lie flat seats are nice.” – this NRT ramp worker, who obviously knows what’s up.Question: is it actually a Neo if you can’t see the engine? They’re kinda hard to see even here in the last row of business class unfortunately.
It was a 12 minute taxi out to runway 16R, and we were in the air exactly on time at 9:30 AM. How come we’re always on time when I’m sitting in a really good business class seat? It’s just not fair.
A380 spotted! Even though the business class seats on that aircraft are just as good as the ones here on the A321neo, the fact that it’s headed to Honolulu in a few hours means that it’s the superior aircraft. There’s simply no comparison when the Hawaiian Islands are involved.One last super nerdy airplane picture before continuing on with the review. Pause here for as long as you need to.Now that we’ve taken off and I’m pretty sure that we won’t need to evacuate in a desperate attempt to avoid being doused with jet fuel and then being lit on fire, I think it’s safe to try out the slippers. The verdict? They got nothing on the ‘ol Vans. They comfy!
In flight entertainment
One could argue that Bibimbap qualifies as in flight entertainment, and I agree. Everyone who doesn’t will be happy to know that the selection of movies and TV shows is pretty good. And that video screen? Very nicely sized, though it is a bit far away from the seat.
“We have successfully taken off. The chances of being doused with jet fuel and then being lit on fire are less likely now (but not totally impossible). Please enjoy your flight.” Or maybe it’s asking me to choose a language. I don’t know.FYI, it’s a much simpler user interface than the one you’ll experience in business class on the 747-8. This one is so much more intuitive!
This in flight entertainment system also includes a nice selection of music and kids programming. There’s something for everyone.
One way to avoid having to reach forward to interact with the screen is to pair your device to it. I did not try this, as my old iPhone was having a hard enough time with the wireless charging pad. It was best to leave it be.The other way to interact with that is to use this wired remote control. It’s about the size and weight of an Apple TV remote control. And unlike said Apple TV remote control, this one isn’t annoying.I know that I’ve already shown the noise canceling headphones. But here’s what they look like naked. Because who doesn’t like a little nudity every now and then?The testing was rigorous. The acting? Admittedly overdone. These headphones sounded great (deep bass, crisp highs, strong noise cancellation), but it wasn’t quite as satisfying as this pic may lead you to believe.
The meal service
Bibimbap time, baby! In order to not seem exclusionist, it’s worth noting that there was more than one option on the menu this morning.
The brunch menu for this morning’s flight. They had me at Bibimbap.
Feel free to click on either of the following two pictures to see what both the wine list and drink list (including other alcoholic beverages) was like:
But first, the pre-Bibimbap hot towel service. They were more like hot linens actually. Same difference.
I’ve flown Korean Air enough times over the past few years to say with confidence that the food here in regional business class is the same quality as it is in long haul business class. It’s the same stuff. And it’s quite good.
This is the third Korean Air flight in a row where the flight attendant asked me if I knew how to eat Bibimbap as she handed me the tray. I know I look uncultured (and white boy) AF, but I got this.Two minutes in and I haven’t needed to use the flight attendant call button for help. Look at me go!“Wait a sec. Am I supposed to mix the rice in with all the other stuff? And what about the soup? Was I supposed to pour that in…or is that a separate dish entirely?”*ding!*Nothing like a nice bowl of fresh fruit to calm the anxiety of an embarrassing international incident. They didn’t even bother to give me chopsticks this time lol.
Perhaps my only disappointment about this meal service was the fact that there wasn’t a proper (unhealthy) dessert option. Not that I needed anything to regret more than I already do or anything. But hey. I was on vacation.
Testing out the lie flat seat
There’s so much space between these seats that footwell space isn’t likely to be a problem (even for you really tall mofos). And good news! I think these seats are wider than the business class seats on the 747-8. I definitely had more wiggle room in these.
If only somebody would’ve told me that the seats lie fully flat. Whatever. They were comfortable enough for sleeping here at about 45 degrees of recline.Waiting until the very last second to remove my slippers as my seatmate waits until the very last second to rise from the dead. I can only dream of being so chill.
Privacy is fairly decent thanks to the translucent divider screens between the seats. The window seat is going to be a lot more private because of this obviously.
The descent and arrival into Seoul / Incheon
Well, that went by a little bit more quickly than I would’ve liked. I was just starting to get comfortable when the captain announced the initial descent into Seoul. Dang.
Not the best weather for my much anticipated return to South Korea, but I’ll take what I can get. $20 it says there are at least two plane spotters down there looking up at us, with one telling the other “I’ve heard that the lie flat seats in that bitch are real nice.”Short final for runway 33R, just about to cross over top what looks like a pretty sweet place for a round of golf. “You make this put, and we’ll buy A321neo’s and put life flat seats in ’em” – one Korean Air executive to another making a bet so daring that he thought that it’d be impossible to loseWelcome to Incheon!
We touched down on runway 33R three minutes early at 11:32 AM. From there, it was an 8 minute taxi over to Terminal 2. I think we parked at gate 246. I don’t know. It was all a blur at that point.
Looks like even the jet bridge operator was hoping for an A380. One could sense his disappointment as he begrudgingly brought it down to our level…Waiting a few moments for the jet bridge gave me extra time to say my goodbyes to the slippers. What a fine pair of podiatric thermal regulation devices they were.
Pros and cons
There was nothing about this A321neo business class experience that would prevent me from doing it again. Yeah, A380s and 747s are a lot more fun. I get that. But honestly? The seats and the service are exactly the same.
Pros
The seats lie fully flat! Just thought it was worth mentioning one last time.
The window seats are surprisingly private thanks to the…uh…privacy screens.
Speaking of screens, the ones for watching videos and TV shows are nice and big (just the way she likes it).
Decent quality food (just as good as what they serve in long-haul business class)
Cons
The built-in wireless phone chargers don’t work all that well. All you can hope for is enough juice to maintain the battery level you boarded the plane with.
I’m a screen tapper, but it’s impossible in these seats due to how far away the video screens are. Use of the remote control is required.
The placement of the USB power ports and audio jacks are a bit inconvenient if you’re not so bendy.
Aisle seat passengers don’t have any privacy at all.
Yes, yes, and yes! They all look the same lol. Interestingly enough, my next review (Korean Air 737 MAX 8 business class) is going to be very different from this one…
New livery I see. Is that the a321neo a321lr or a321xlr? can’t wait for more!
Yes, yes, and yes! They all look the same lol. Interestingly enough, my next review (Korean Air 737 MAX 8 business class) is going to be very different from this one…