Korean Air compensation: which flights qualify
Korean Air is South Korea's flag carrier, headquartered in Seoul with its main hub at Incheon International Airport. In Europe it flies to Seoul from London Heathrow, Paris, Frankfurt, Amsterdam, Madrid, Lisbon, Rome, Milan, Vienna, Prague, Budapest and Zurich. We have handled more than 50 Korean Air claims so far: over half for delays and more than 4 in 10 for cancellations.
Because Korean Air is a non-EU airline, Regulation (EC) 261/2004 only applies to its flights departing from an airport in the EU, Iceland, Norway or Switzerland. Flights from Seoul back to Europe are not covered by EU rules.
Leaving Europe
Paris–Seoul, Frankfurt–Seoul, Amsterdam–Seoul: a 3-hour arrival delay, late cancellation or denied boarding triggers compensation.
CoveredLeaving Seoul
Seoul–Paris or Seoul–Frankfurt operated by Korean Air falls outside the EU regulation, even though it lands in Europe.
Not coveredLeaving London
Heathrow–Seoul is covered by the UK version of the rules (UK261), worth £520 per passenger on this distance.
UK rulesNo compensation
When Korean Air proves extraordinary circumstances, such as a typhoon over Seoul or a closed airspace on the route.
Extraordinary circumstancesDid your flight start in Europe? Check in two minutes whether Korean Air owes you compensation.
How much Korean Air pays: €600 per passenger
Every Korean Air flight from continental Europe to Seoul is longer than 8,000 km, so the top amount applies whatever you paid and whichever cabin you sat in.
| Korean Air flight | Distance | Compensation |
|---|---|---|
| Paris–Seoul, Frankfurt–Seoul, Amsterdam–Seoul | Over 8,500 km | €600 |
| Vienna–Seoul, Prague–Seoul, Budapest–Seoul | Over 8,100 km | €600 |
| Madrid–Seoul, Lisbon–Seoul | Nearly 10,000 km or more | €600 |
| London Heathrow–Seoul | UK261 | £520 |
| Seoul–Paris, Seoul–Frankfurt (return) | Departs outside the EU | Not covered |
Compensation is per passenger: a family of four on a Paris–Seoul flight that arrived five hours late can claim €2,400. Children with their own seat are owed the same as adults. With us you keep €417 from each €600.
Korean Air flight delayed: what to do
Delays account for more than half of the Korean Air claims we handle. What counts is when the doors open at your destination, not when the wheels touch down. While you wait:
- Keep your boarding pass, either from the Korean Air app or the paper one issued at check-in.
- Photograph the departure board showing the revised time.
- Ask ground staff for the reason and note it down with the time.
- Hold on to receipts for food and transport if no vouchers are offered.
- Do not swap your claim for SKYPASS miles or vouchers before checking what you are owed in cash.
Meals and hotels while you wait
On flights leaving Europe, Korean Air must provide food and drink and, if departure slips to the next day, a hotel with transfers.
| Distance | Care after |
|---|---|
| Up to 1,500 km | 2 hours |
| 1,500 to 3,500 km | 3 hours |
| Over 3,500 km (every Europe–Seoul flight) | 4 hours |
| Delay of 5 hours or more | You can give up the flight and get your fare back |
Missed connection at Incheon
Incheon is a popular transfer point for Japan and South-East Asia. If you were on a single booking that began in Europe and a late first flight made you miss the onward one, the delay is measured at your final destination: 3 hours or more means €600. More on Korean Air delay compensation.
Korean Air flight cancelled: refund and compensation
Cancellations make up over 4 in 10 of our Korean Air cases. You have two separate rights:
Always owed: choose between your money back and another flight to your final destination.
Added on top when the flight left Europe and you were told less than 14 days in advance.
| Notice of cancellation | Compensation |
|---|---|
| 14 days or more | No, only refund or rerouting |
| 7 to 13 days | Yes, unless the alternative leaves no more than 2 hours early and arrives less than 4 hours late |
| Under 7 days | Yes, unless the alternative leaves no more than 1 hour early and arrives less than 2 hours late |
Schedule changes. A major retiming announced shortly before departure can count as a cancellation. See Korean Air cancellation compensation.
Korean Air overbooking
If Korean Air refused to board you on a flight from Europe even though you had a valid ticket and arrived on time, €600 is due immediately, along with a later flight or a refund. Read our guide to Korean Air denied boarding.
Korean Air strikes
If Korean Air's own pilots or cabin crew strike, compensation is normally due on covered flights: the EU Court of Justice treats a strike by an airline's employees as part of its normal operations (case C-28/20). A strike by European air traffic controllers or airport staff is outside the airline's control, so compensation is not payable.
Korean Air refused your claim? The usual answers
Checks and repairs on the aircraft before take-off are part of routine maintenance.
Court of Justice of the EU, case C-549/07A late inbound leg is not enough: Korean Air has to show which extraordinary event caused it.
Korean Air staff: usually payable. Air traffic control or airport workers: not payable.
Court of Justice of the EU, case C-28/20A fair answer when the flight was Seoul–Europe and operated by Korean Air: the EU regulation does not apply.
Codeshare flights and Asiana Airlines
Korean Air is a SkyTeam member and sells seats on flights operated by partners such as Air France and KLM. What matters is who flies the aircraft: if your Korean Air ticket was for a flight operated by Air France or KLM, both European airlines, flights from Seoul into Europe are covered too, and the claim goes to the operating airline. Since December 2024 Korean Air has also controlled Asiana Airlines, which remains a Korean carrier, so the same rules apply to Asiana flights.
How to claim from Korean Air: on your own or with us
You can contact Korean Air customer service through koreanair.com, quoting your ticket number, flight and passenger names.
Free, but you have to argue European rules with an airline based in Korea. If it refuses, contact the national enforcement body of the country where the flight departed (the CAA for Heathrow), or go to court.
Enter your flight in two minutes and we take care of the claim, formal demand and court action. You pay only if you win: 25% + VAT, which leaves you €417 from €600. Legal costs are ours, even if we lose.
If Korean Air has already turned you down
Send us the reply: we check where the flight departed from and who operated it, then restart with a formal demand if the refusal is unfounded.
Documents to have ready
- E-ticket and boarding passesFor every leg, including any connection.
- PassportFor each passenger, children included.
- Korean Air messagesEmails, texts and receipts for expenses.
Time limits
The regulation sets no deadline; national law where the claim is brought decides, as the EU Court of Justice confirmed (case C-139/11). Flew to Seoul a few years ago? Enter the date and we will tell you if you are still in time.
How long Korean Air takes to pay
If Korean Air accepts the claim, payment usually arrives within a few weeks. If it refuses and a formal demand or court case is needed, allow a few months. We transfer your share as soon as the money arrives.
Lost or damaged baggage on Korean Air
Baggage is covered by the Montreal Convention. If your case does not arrive or is damaged, file a Property Irregularity Report at the baggage desk and write to Korean Air within 7 days for damage or within 21 days of delivery for a delayed bag.
Korean Air contact details and flight status
- Head office
- Korean Air Lines Co., Ltd., Gangseo-gu, Seoul, South Korea
- Hub
- Seoul Incheon International Airport
- Claims
- Online customer service at koreanair.com
- Flight status
- Korean Air app or official website
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