Korean Air Baggage and Carry-on

What is Korean Air policy on carry-on allowance?

When traveling on a Korean Air flight, depending on your cabin, the carry-on allowance is limited by number and weight as follows:

• First / Prestige Class: 2 standard hand baggage items, not exceeding a total of 18 kg (40 lbs) maximum.
• Economy Class: 1 standard hand baggage item + 1 additional personal item, not exceeding a total of 12 kg (25 lbs) maximum.

A  standard  hand  baggage  item  must comply with the following  maximum dimensions  (L x W x H, including pockets, wheels, and handles): 55 x 40 x 20 cm (21 x 15 x 7 in), not exceeding a total length of 115 cm (45 in).

What is Korean Air policy on checked baggage allowance?

Each passenger traveling on a Korean Air flight is entitled to a free checked baggage allowance that corresponds to carriage, in the hold and at no extra charge, of a quantity of baggage limited by number, weight, and dimensions. When traveling on domestic flights, the free baggage allowance is limited by total weight only (regardless of the number of baggage items).

The maximum size (sum of the dimensions) of each piece cannot be more than 158 cm (62 in).

Does Korean Air provide baggage transfer on connecting flights?

Baggage transfer is provided for transfers from an international flight to another international flight (e.g. Incheon-Tokyo-Los Angeles) or to a domestic flight in Europe (e.g. Incheon-Frankfurt-Hamburg). Your baggage is usually automatically transferred to your next flight regardless of the air service company. In those cases, you won’t need to claim your baggage at the transfer airport.

There are special circumstances when:

• Coming to Korea and transferring to a Korean domestic flight: you will need to claim your baggage and check it again, except when you have a connecting itinerary to Busan with Korean Air Transit Exclusive Domestic Flight (your baggage would be automatically connected to the final destination, Busan).
• Connecting to domestic flights in the U.S. and Canada (e.g. Incheon-LA-Phoenix) and most countries (e.g., Australia, China, Japan, India, Russia): when you come to one of those countries from another country and proceed to transfer to a domestic flight, you will have to claim your baggage at the first stopover.

Carry-on

Your one piece of accessory allowed may be a personal item such as a briefcase, a laptop computer, or a handbag. Valuable and fragile items (keys, jewelry, important documents, camera, laptop computers, etc.), as well as necessities (medicine), are best transported in the cabin. All items carried as cabin luggage must fit into the overhead bin or under the seat in front of you.

As with most airlines and airports, it is not allowed to have any sharp and pointed objects, blunt instruments and/or kitchen knives in your carry-on baggage.

The cabin baggage allowance may vary depending on your itinerary. In case of flights departing from overseas, the number, size, and weight of carry-on baggage pieces may be limited according to security regulations of the local airport (e.g., in case of flights departing from India, passengers are allowed to have a laptop computer and a carry-on item only, regardless of seating class). On flights departing the United States and/or connecting to a U.S. domestic flight, due to strengthened security procedures and measures, all passengers (regardless of seating class) are limited to one piece of carry-on baggage and one additional item (permitted).

Musical instruments

Korean Air allows passengers to carry on board a musical instrument free of charge (having the maximum dimension of 115 cm /45 in, such as a violin). If you have a larger instrument (such as a cello, geomungo, double bass, etc.), it is required for you to purchase an additional separate seat for the instrument.

Excess Baggage Fees

When you need to travel with more baggage than your free baggage allowance, excess baggage fees apply. The fee charged depends on the destination and the nature of the excess (additional, overweight, or oversized):

The overweight charge, excess baggage charge, and oversized charge are cumulative per piece.

Sports Equipment

If your overall baggage count, including sports equipment, exceeds the free allowance, an extra piece fee will apply. Any item over 23 kg (50 lbs) will be charged an overweight fee. Any item over 158 cm (62 in) will be charged an oversize fee. Maximum weight and dimensions per sports bag, regardless of fee, are 32 kg (70 lbs) and total linear size of 292 cm (115 in).

No oversize fee applies to golf, ski, snowboard and scuba equipment, bicycles, surfboards (exception, on domestic flights, if the surfboard is over 158 cm, an oversize fee will apply), and fishing equipment.

For golf, ski, and snowboard equipment, fee waivers apply for Korean Air flights only if the total weight of one sports bag and one checked bag is:

• 23 kg (50 lbs) or less – the sports bag is regarded as one piece of baggage.
• 23-32 kg (50-70 lbs) – an overweight fee applies.
• Over 32 kg – no waiver, standard baggage policies apply.

Baggage Service

When your baggage is not delivered upon arrival, you will need to notify a representative of Korean Air immediately upon arrival (when you notice it’s missing). The agent will ask you to provide your contact information as well as a detailed description of your baggage, with this information the agent will prepare a PIR (Property Irregularity Report). If you‘ve failed to complete the report upon arrival, please complete the PIR and contact the Korean Air airport office near you.

If you have completed the Property Irregularity Report, you should have a Reference Number. You can input this number in the Korean Air webpage and personally review your delayed baggage file. Korean Air uses World Tracer, a worldwide computerized baggage tracing system. In the event that your baggage is not located within 72 hours, it is required to file a claim (completing a Property claim Form) or to call the nearest airport office.

However, Korean Air will not be liable for any damage:

• Resultant from the inherent defect, quality or vice of the baggage (including instances where the baggage is excessively heavy or overstuffed).
• Generated by the delay in the carriage of baggage (where Korean Air has taken all reasonable measures to prevent the damage or where such measures were impossible).
• Such as cuts, scratches, dents, nicks, stains, dirt or loss of external locks, straps, name tags and other external features attached to the baggage resulting from normal baggage handling procedure.
• To film (resulting from exposure to X-ray security screening devices) and musical instruments.
• To sports equipment not contained in a cardboard or hard-sided case.

When you lose a personal item in the aircraft cabin, there is a Lost & Found at the arrival point of your flight. To claim the lost property, you are required to present some photo identification. Passports, identification, money and any other valuable items will be handed to the local law enforcement offices or customs. In this case, you will need to contact them.

More information here >>