Korean Air Business Class: A330-300 Ulaanbaatar to Incheon
Flying business class on a three-hour flight is rarely worth the extra cost, but Korean Air offers a true long-haul business class experience on the Ulaanbaatar to Seoul route, so for a few hundred dollars more, I splurged.
Instead of a regional aircraft with recliner seats, Korean Air operates an Airbus A330-300 featuring fully lie-flat Prestige Class seats, a full meal service, and the same excellent Korean hospitality found on longer international flights - except there was no amenity kit.
Flight Overview
Airline: Korean Air
Cabin: Prestige Class (Business Class)
Aircraft: Airbus A330-300
Seat Configuration: 2-2-2 Lie-Flat Seats
Route: Ulaanbaatar (UBN) → Seoul Incheon (ICN)
Flight Time: Approximately 3 hours
Lounge Access: Link Lounge at Chinggis Khaan International Airport
Traveling With: Solo
Check-In & Lounge Experience at Ulaanbaatar Airport
Korean Air Business Class passengers have access to dedicated check-in counters at Chinggis Khaan International Airport, which would make the departure process quick and easy if it was ever crowded.
Another unique feature is that the Link Lounge is located before immigration. I wrote a separate review of the Link Lounge at Chinggis Khaan International Airport if you want a closer look at the food, seating, and experience. Overall, I found the Link Lounge to be functional but underwhelming. It provides a quiet place to wait with snacks and drinks, but it is not a lounge I would arrive hours early to enjoy.
If you specifically want to experience the Chinggis Khaan Lounge inside the secure departure area, you will need to fly MIAT Mongolian Airlines Business Class. I flew MIAT to Ulaanbaatar and I reviewed that experience here. I booked my flights through MIAT and this one was MIAT operated by Korean Air, which I intentionally chose to be able to access their lounge. I was bummed at check-in to find out that I only had access to the Link Lounge, so keep that in mind as you’re booking flights.
First Impressions
Walking onboard the Airbus A330-300, it immediately felt like stepping onto a long-haul international flight rather than a short regional route. One of the first things I noticed was that this aircraft had already received Korean Air's updated interior. You may be familiar with the older turquoise fabric seats found on some Korean Air A330 aircraft, but this cabin featured the newer grey and beige upholstery, giving it a much more modern appearance that I like better.
When selecting my seat, I chose Row 1 because the seat map made it seem like this plane would have the original First Class section and I was right. Since this aircraft previously operated with a First Class cabin, the former First Class area remains separated from the rest of the Prestige Class cabin with partitions behind the seats.
Business Class Seats
The Korean Air Airbus A330-300 features a 2-2-2 Prestige Class configuration with fully lie-flat seats. While this is not Korean Air's newest Prestige Suite product with privacy doors and direct aisle access, the fact that this aircraft offers lie-flat seats on a three-hour flight is a major advantage.
Many airlines use recliner-style business class seats on similar regional routes, so Korean Air's decision to operate a wide-body aircraft with a long-haul cabin makes this route stand out.
The seat was comfortable for relaxing and stretching out during the flight, however, the downside of the configuration is that window passengers do not have direct aisle access.
A thick blanket, pillow, slippers and bottled water were also waiting in my seat upon arrival.
Business Class Amenities
One disappointment on this flight was the lack of an amenity kit. I LOVE an amenity kit, I just do. Since this aircraft featured a full lie-flat Prestige Class cabin, I expected Korean Air to include one - plus I’d read reviews of this route and other people received one. While an amenity kit is certainly not necessary on a three-hour daytime flight, it would have been the cherry on top for me.
Food & Drinks
Lunch was served shortly after takeoff and it was a full business class meal.
I selected the pasta dish for my meal. The sauce and meat had good flavor, and overall the dish was enjoyable, but the pasta itself was overcooked and hard.
The presentation was polished, and the cabin crew provided excellent service throughout the meal. Drinks were offered regularly, and the flight attendants were attentive without making the service feel rushed.
Onboard Entertainment & Extras
The in-flight entertainment system offered a solid selection of movies, television shows, and music. However, my personal screen had an issue throughout the flight and the IFE system would randomly shut off and restart multiple times.
Since this was only a three-hour flight, it was more of an annoyance than a major problem. However, for someone watching a full movie, the repeated interruptions would have been frustrating.
Is Korean Air Business Class Worth It?
You’ll be hard pressed to find anyone that says Korean Air’s business class is not worth it. However, for this route, I booked MIAT business class going to Ulaanbaatar and Korean Air coming home. The cost of doing that selection was only $300 more than economy and included lounge access (there is no Priority Pass lounge in UBN) and higher carry on luggage allowance, which I thought were worth the extra money.
