South Korea’s mind-blowing Air Premia (Boeing 787-9 | BKK-ICN)

South Korea’s mind-blowing Air Premia (Boeing 787-9 | BKK-ICN)

Welcome to Air Premia, the world’s first hybrid airline, and quite possibly one of the nicest flights you’ll ever experience. Today’s adventure begins in the vibrant city of Bangkok, Thailand. After soaking up the sights and maybe once again losing a few brain cells in the process, we’re off to Korea – the one without the rocket man. Although both Thailand and Korea are in Asia, this continent is .. …very very large which means our flight will take almost 6 hours. The ideal airline for this journey? Air Premia. As a hybrid airline, it offers a unique blend of comfort and affordability, delivering a premium experience without the premium price tag. Founded in 2017 in Seoul, South Korea and commenced service in 2021, Air Premia boasts a modern fleet of 5 Boeing 787s, flying to 9 exciting destinations across Asia, Europe, and North America. One of these destinations is Bangkok Suvarnabhumi International, the larger of the two airports serving Thailand’s capital. While Suvarnabhumi is only about 35 kilometers outside of Bangkok, the city’s infamous traffic can turn that short distance into a two-hour cab ride. If you don’t have too many bags and don’t mind standing for some time, you can also take the Airport Rail Link that connects Bangkok with Suvarnabhumi in about 30 minutes. It’s already night when we finally arrive at the airport, and the excitement is building. Luckily, we’ve still got plenty of time on our hands. BKK is as busy as always. It’s one of the biggest hubs in Southeast Asia, handling about 50 million passengers every year… which is a lot. From here, you can jet off to around 140 destinations across 5 continents with 110 different airlines. And since March 2022, Air Premia has joined the party. As we approach the check-in counter, we notice it’s not open yet. Normally, Air Premia offers the convenience of online check-in, complete with a separate line to speed things up. However, our online check-in wasn’t available because an additional document verification was required. This extra step seems to be a requirement for all non-Koreans, at least on this flight. Check-in is done, agent was very friendly. And then, yeah let’s – let’s go. Now, let’s talk about Air Premia’s unique setup. They offer a two-class hybrid cabin that’s a bit different from other airlines. First, there’s the Premia 42 class, which offers premium comfort at a lower-than average cost. Then, there’s the Economy 35, featuring wide seats and a mind-blowing 35 inches of legroom. However, they don’t have the traditional business or first class, which means no included lounge access. But, if you have a Priority Pass, Bangkok’s got plenty of lounges to choose from. Today, we’re feeling fancy and decide to check out the KLM – Air France Lounge, conveniently located close to our gate. Okay, I know this isn’t a lounge review, but I have to say, this lounge was absolutely incredible! It was managed quite well, the staff were super friendly, and the food was bursting with flavor. Honestly, it was the complete opposite of what the Netherlands and France stand for. Buuut maybe they learned how to adapt to South East Asia, I mean they have been around here for some centuries. By the way, it is also this lounge that you get access to when you fly Korean Air in Business Class. They fly the same route as Air Premia, almost at the same time, together with 8 other airlines, them being: Jin Air, Air Busan, Asiana Airlines, Thai Air Asia, Thai Airways, T’Way Air, EastarJet and Jeju Air. However, Korean Air is the only one that will provide you with access to this particular lounge. After a while of getting the most out of the free food and booze, we decided not to miss our flight and headed to our gate. Bangkok is one of those airports designed by people who hate plane spotters, so getting a clear shot of our ride is about as easy as keeping an Ikea house plant alive But what is parked outside here is a 3 and a half-year old 787 Dreamliner, owned and operated by Air Premia As you can see, the staff were super welcoming, and the cabin looks sleek and modern. The first thing that caught my eye is the incredible 35 inches of legroom – Or 89 centimeters, for those of you who actually use reasonable units of measurement. Just to put it in perspective, that’s a lot. I’m 1m 85cm, about 6’1, and I could easily stretch my legs. This, my friends, is what “premium” means to me, and it’s so refreshing to see an airline actually giving you some damn space. Plus, we’ve got an adjustable headrest, which makes a real difference and renders the ridiculous-looking neck pillow I’ve been lugging around all day completely useless. By the way, the price tag for this flight was not premium at all—just $144 per person for this 5 and a half hour flight. That’s what Air Premia is all about, and I absolutely love it. Also, just to be clear, this video is not sponsored. I have fewer than 3,000 subscribers (feel free to sub!), so don’t think any airline is paying me. But honestly, Air Premia is great. And since an honest opinion also includes the negatives, we’ll get to those once we’ve taken off. One downside of Air Premia was booking with an international credit card. I tried three or four cards and kept getting error messages. I ended up booking on another platform where I couldn’t choose seats. When I tried to book seats on Air Premia’s site, same error message. So, no window seat for us this time. Also, the food was a bit of a letdown, but we’ll dive into that later. There was no dinner service, which allowed me plenty of time to explore the in-flight entertainment. The content is mainly for a Korean audience, with most of the available options in Korean. But yeah, I mean, Air Premia is a Korean airline, and most passengers are Korean, so that’s ok, I guess. I ended up watching a Korean movie with English subtitles, called “the golden holiday” and honestly, it was pretty entertaining. If you’re looking to binge your own shows, however, make sure to have them downloaded on your device. There’s also Wi-Fi, offering one hour of free chat and full-flight internet for USD 39.95. But I decided to skip the internet this time. A bit of digital detox never hurt anyone. I mean, I’ve reached the point where I’m proud if I can get through an entire YouTube video instead of falling into an endless loop of reels. Sad, but true. If you’ve got the same problem, put your phone away and live a little. Trust me on that, it’s worth it. Or at least watch my videos instead of endless AI-generated junk. 🙂 Speaking of unhealthy junk, the duty-free prices were a pleasant surprise—half of what you’d pay on some other airlines. Dreaming of cheap cigarettes and sweet liquor, I drifted off to sleep. The recline was remarkable, and thanks to the great legroom and adjustable headrest, I didn’t wake up until breakfast was being served. It was a nice 50 minutes of sleep. It was a bit nasty that breakfast was served in the middle of the flight, around 2 a.m. Thai time. Naturally, they turned on the cabin lights, and all the seats had to be upright, so there went our sleep. But I suppose there was a reason for this: the entire flight was pretty bumpy, with turbulence forcing the meal service to stop multiple times. They probably had to serve breakfast so early or risk running out of time altogether. But let me tell you, the crew was absolutely stellar. They managed to start and stop the service like pros, making sure everyone was safe, always with a smile and a professional attitude. I’ve heard great things about the Air Premia crew, and I can definitely vouch for that. Now, onto the food. I was a bit disappointed. The presentation was nice and definitely something different, but let’s be real—the taste is what counts. And unfortunately, it was some kind of porridge with no flavor whatsoever. I know that in Thailand, they eat something similar for breakfast, and it’s really popular there, so maybe it is the same in Korea, but it didn’t do it for me. Usually, Korean food is packed with flavor and sometimes quite spicy. I mean, have you heard about those Korean noodles being recalled in Denmark because they were too spicy? Okay, maybe Denmark isn’t exactly the culinary capital of the world, but still, those noodles are seriously spicy. Having lived in Thailand for three years, spiciness is no problem for me. I consider myself a pro, and I’ve mastered the art of eating spicy food without breaking a sweat. Seriously, you can’t tell from my face if something is spicy—I’ve got it down to a science. I was a bit surprised that the meal served tasted like water, but I guess that’s because breakfast is a different story than other meals of the day. It was one of the very few times I didn’t finish my meal because I really, really didn’t like it. But despite the food, I really enjoyed the flight. I mean, for just $140, you can’t complain, right? And when you add amazing service, a comfortable seat, and unparalleled legroom on top of that, it’s a win. So, from this flight, I can confidently recommend Air Premia. South Korea has some fantastic airlines, and I’m excited to try them out in the future. Oh, and did you know North Korea has an airline too? Check out my video on Air Koryo for that adventure! Thanks for joining me today, and I’ll see you next week!

Welcome to my Air Premia Boeing 787 Deramliner review! In this trip report I am trying to find out how it feels to fly on a hybrid airline.

Airline: Air Premia
Class: Economy-35
Aircraft: Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner
Departure: Bankok Suvernabhumi Airport (BKK), Thailand
Destination: Seoul-Incheon Airport (ICN), South Korea

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Airline: Air Premia
Class: Economy-35
Aircraft: Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner
Departure: Bankok Suvernabhumi Airport (BKK), Thailand
Destination: Seoul-Incheon Airport (ICN), South Korea
Welcome to an adventure with Air Premia, the world’s first hybrid airline, and possibly one of the nicest flights you’ll ever experience! Today, we start our journey in Bangkok, Thailand, heading to Korea. Although both are in Asia, this flight spans almost 6 hours due to the continent’s vastness.
Air Premia, founded in 2017 in Seoul, offers a unique blend of comfort and affordability. With a fleet of 5 Boeing 787s, they fly to 9 destinations across Asia, Europe, and North America. Despite a hiccup with international credit card bookings, the overall experience was delightful.
Join me as I explore Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi International, tackle the check-in quirks, and indulge in the KLM – Air France Lounge. Onboard, I’ll show you the impressive 35 inches of legroom in Economy 35 and discuss the highs and lows of in-flight service, including some interesting food observations.
Despite the occasional turbulence, the crew’s professionalism shined through, making the journey enjoyable. And for those curious about North Korea’s Air Koryo, don’t miss my video on that adventure!
Thanks for joining me on this flight with Air Premia. Subscribe for more travel insights and adventures. See you next week!
Inquiries: info@crocodyle-content.ch

About Air Premia (frorm Wikipedia):
Air Premia, Inc. (Korean: 에어프레미아㈜; RR: eeo peuremia jusik hoesa) is a South Korean airline based in Seoul. It describes itself as a “hybrid airline”, providing a higher level of service than low-cost airlines while having lower operating costs than larger, full-service airlines. The airline was founded in 2017 by the former president of Jeju Air, Kim Jong-chul.

If you enjoyed this content, feel free to check out the content of other flight reviewers:
/ @joshcahill
/ @vicariousvoyager
/ @nonstopdan
/ @simply_aviation

Timestamps:
00:00 Intro
00:11 Bangkok & history of Air Premia
01:03 Getting to the Airport
01:55 Ground Experience
03:26 Airport Lounge
04:36 Boarding
06:09 Cabin & Seat
07:14 Take-off
07:30 Downsides of Air Premia
08:00 Inflight Entertainment
08:31 Loo Talk & Duty free
09:06 Breakfast
10:32 Conclusion

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