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Why is it so much more expensive to fly Korean Air?

June 24, 2015

(Yonhap)

By James Goo

A Korean American woman in her fifties living in Granada Hills, Calif., recently experienced a shock upon looking up airplane tickets to Nepal for a missionary trip on CheapTickets.com — Korean Air roundtrip tickets from Los Angeles to Incheon, South Korea, then to Kathmandu, were listed at $4,500.

Lee said Middle East-based airlines with one layover, in comparison, cost about half that of those with Korean Air.

“I couldn’t believe the price difference between Korean airlines and other foreign airlines,” Lee said.

She eventually purchased her ticket to Kathmandu through a Korean travel agency, which found her a roundtrip (departing on June 28 and returning on July 8) via China Airlines for $1,450 (June 28 departure, July 8.

As of press time, the cheapest roundtrip flight to South Korea from July 28 to July 8 would cost $1,187 with China Eastern Airlines, according to CheapTickets.com. With Korean Air, tickets would cost $4,405.

Asiana Airlines, another major South Korean airline, had its cheapest option listed at $1,783.

Still, many Koreans and Korean Americans choose Korean airlines for their service, food quality and the ease of communicating with flight attendants.

A Korean Air source pointed to alternative airlines such as Thai Airways being owned by the government to explain its lower prices.

“Because [Korean Air] is a private airline, it’s difficult to compete,” the source said.

“Year-round, tickets to South Korea are about $300 to $400 cheaper with Thai Airways than with Korean airlines,” a Korean travel agency source said. “It’s surprising that there are Koreans who still use Korean airlines to visit Korea.”