Korean Air and Asiana Airlines began offering free Starlink-based in-flight Wi-Fi on every seat on Sept. 15. But only 4 Korean Air aircraft and 10 Asiana aircraft have been retrofitted so far, so even on a New York–Incheon flight, whether you get Wi-Fi depends on which aircraft is assigned that day. Here is how to connect, what speeds to expect, where it does not work and how to check before you board.
Korean Air and Asiana Airlines began offering free in-flight Wi-Fi on every seat on Sept. 15, using SpaceX's low-Earth-orbit satellite internet service Starlink. They are the first major airlines in East Asia to do so. But quite a few passengers flying Korean Air out of New York since the 15th say they have not seen free Wi-Fi. The reason is simple: Only a handful of aircraft have been fitted with the equipment so far.
Korean Air starts with 4 aircraft, Asiana with 10
Korean Air launched the service on four aircraft that have completed retrofitting: three Airbus A350-900s and one Boeing 777-300ER. The Korean Air newsroom also described the launch as starting "with some flights." These aircraft are being deployed first on medium- and long-haul routes to the Americas, Europe and Southeast Asia, and on some shorter routes as well. In other words, Starlink has not been installed for a specific route; it is available only on flights to which these four aircraft are assigned on a given day. Asiana Airlines started with 10 aircraft, nine A350-900s and one A330-300, giving it broader coverage than Korean Air. Korean Air plans to extend the service to most of its operating fleet by the end of 2027, picking up speed after the integrated airline launches in December. On aircraft not yet retrofitted, the existing paid in-flight Wi-Fi remains in place.
Why New York flights rarely get it
Korean Air's New York JFK–Incheon flights are mainly operated with the Boeing 747-8i, Airbus A380 and Boeing 777-300ER. Of these, only one 777-300ER has Starlink, and the A350 is not the main aircraft type on the New York route. That means the same flight, KE082, may have Wi-Fi one day and not the next. Asiana, by contrast, retrofitted its nine A350-900s first, and since that is the main aircraft type on its New York route, passengers flying between New York and Incheon are far more likely to actually use Starlink on Asiana at this point.
Those who have tried it say it's "faster than home"
A Money Today reporter tested the service on an Asiana A350-900 flying from Frankfurt to Incheon on the 15th and recorded download speeds of 55 Mbps and 171.7 Mbps in two measurements. Both are well above the 15 Mbps Netflix recommends for 4K streaming. YouTube and OTT video, mobile games and laptop work all ran without interruption, and KakaoTalk worked without problems. However, the connection dropped over Chinese, Indian and Pakistani airspace, where satellite communications are not approved, and the reporter could not use it for about 4 hours of the 11-hour flight. New York–Incheon flights take a polar route, so they are largely free of this problem. Korean Air said in its newsroom that during an Aug. 21 test flight carrying 260 employees, the connection slowed at times when several people connected at the same time.
Connecting takes your name, seat number and one ad
Switch your phone or laptop to airplane mode and connect to the in-flight Wi-Fi. On Korean Air, go to the "Korean Air Wi-Fi" portal (wifi.koreanair.com), enter the name and seat number on your boarding pass and watch an ad to connect. On Asiana, you can also get online right after watching an ad. No sign-up is required. In user reviews of Asiana, the ad was a 60-second spot, including videos promoting Hyundai Card and Guam tourism. There is no fare difference by cabin class and no limit on the number of devices. Both airlines block internet-based voice and video calls and live social media broadcasts as a matter of policy. Earphones are required.
How to check before you fly
Check the aircraft type on your booking screen and in the flight information on the day of departure. Korean Air flights on an A350-900 or 777-300ER, or Asiana flights on an A350-900, have a chance of offering it. However, the booking screen does not show whether the aircraft is one of the four equipped, so the only sure way is to check the in-flight Wi-Fi network name after boarding. Aircraft swaps that change the day's aircraft type are also common. If you have urgent work to do, it is safer not to plan on free Wi-Fi, and as more aircraft are retrofitted after the December integration, the chances of getting it on New York routes will rise.