One Step Closer to Integration... Starting Today, Korean Air-Asiana Joint Check-in Available

Second after Jin Air in Domestic Flights... Increased Transfer Competitiveness Between Both Airlines

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Yu Je-hoon] Starting today, passengers using connecting flights between Korean Air and Asiana Airlines can conveniently transfer with a single initial check-in process without any additional procedures. This is expected to have a positive effect on attracting transfer demand for both airlines.

Korean Air announced on the 15th that it will begin the Inter-Airline Through Check-In (IATCI) service with Asiana Airlines. The connecting check-in service is conducted based on agreements between airlines for the convenience of transfer passengers. It allows passengers to complete seat assignment, boarding pass issuance, and baggage transfer to the final destination all at once with a single check-in at the first airline.

For example, passengers traveling from Boston, USA, via Incheon International Airport on Korean Air and transferring to Asiana Airlines flights to Almaty, Kazakhstan, previously had to check in separately for the Boston-Incheon and Incheon-Almaty segments at Boston and Incheon airports. However, with the introduction of this service starting today, passengers can complete baggage connection, check-in, seat assignment, and boarding pass issuance for both segments at Boston airport, making the transfer process much simpler.

Korean Air expects that this service introduction will strengthen the transfer competitiveness of both airlines. Representative transfer demand includes routes between regions where Asiana Airlines and Korean Air have relative strengths, such as China, Central Asia, Southeast Asia, and the Americas. According to Korean Air, about 12,000 passengers transferred between the two airlines at Incheon International Airport last year.

Meanwhile, Korean Air currently has connecting check-in service agreements with 49 major airlines worldwide, including Delta Air Lines and Air France. Domestically, it has recently signed agreements with its sister low-cost carriers (LCCs) to provide related services. Asiana Airlines, acquired through a merger and acquisition (M&A), has become the second domestic airline to be included in these agreements.

A Korean Air official stated, "With the implementation of this service, transfer passengers using connecting flights between Korean Air and Asiana Airlines can receive more convenient services," adding, "Both airlines will continue to introduce services that enhance customer convenience following their integration."