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Korean Air's A380 Has...Get This...a Luxury Onboard Lounge

Ho-ly crap. Have you seen what Korean Air has done with their very first Airbus A380? The superjumbo not only has the world's first flying mini duty-free shop (which already caused us to go bonkers), but there's also a full-fledged in-flight lounge. Yep, sofas and TV and boozy drinks and all.

Check out the A380 plan above, courtesy of Seatplans.com, to see the massive area they've dedicated to this chill space. Here is a photo, and here is another, of the actual thing. As you've probably already guessed, it'll only be open to those flying in Business and First Class, but the price of those seats also secures you early access to the duty-free shop and onboard bar. We're officially naming it a lifetime must-do-at-least-once experience. >

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Japan Airlines, Korean Air, Delta and More Make This Week's New Route Options

Sometimes it’s hard to stay on top of all the new route announcements that come our way, so we’ve complied a little bit of a rundown below. As long as you can afford the fares, this should definitely help add to your passport stamp collection.

· Korean Air:
We’ve been eager to hear what Korean Air was planning with their first Airbus A380, and it now looks like they’ve finally figured it out. They’ll start by flying the plane between Seoul-Incheon and Tokyo-Narita—a short route—because they want to give everyone a chance to hop aboard the super jumbo jet. Korean Air is planning to send the plane up in the sky for the first time on June 17. For those elsewhere around the globe—don’t worry—the carrier will be getting a few more planes by the end of the year and is planning to send them to Europe and North America.

· JetBlue:
Pack the sunblock and the beach balls, as it’s time for JetBlue to bring back their seasonal service to Martha’s Vineyard. Everyday of the week—at least through Labor Day—JetBlue will be flying from New York-JFK to the island destination thanks to their Embraer 190 jets. That means no propellers to get to Martha’s Vineyard, and of course, they’ll be plenty of free TV—even for the short flight. To welcome the flights back, JetBlue is offering one-way fares of just $69, but you do need to book by June 15 and travel by the middle of July.

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Mini Duty-Free Shops Onboard Korean Air A380s is the Best Idea Ever

Have you ever gone shopping in South Korea? It's an experience, to say the least. And when you combine one of the country's favorite pastimes with discounts on luxury items as you find in Duty-Free, pardon our French but shit gets real. Real awesome. And soon you'll be able to indulge in duty-free shopping over South Korea—and indeed most of the rest of the world—as Korean Air is installing the world's first in-flight duty-free shops onboard their Airbus A380s.

Korea is crazy for duty-free; indeed there are entire malls in Seoul where you need to have an international trip planned in order to make a purchase, which you then can't pick up until you're safely inside the airport and headed out of the country with the goods. And these malls and special duty-free store levels are gorgeous places where big brands create their own mini luxury environments, so why not translate this success to something that fits on a plane?

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Korean Air's A380 Will Be the Most Spacious Big Bird in the Skies

We knew that Korean Air’s first A380 was getting its final touches, and it now looks like the airline has been chatting with Airbus about exactly where they want all the seats to be installed. Maybe if we’re lucky they’ll even pay for massaging seats as long as they’re still working on figuring out all the different options and features.

While many airlines using the new super jumbos are busy jamming as many seats into the plane as possible, it looks like Korean Air is going to take a different approach. They’re planning to devote all the upstairs real estate on the double-decker plane to business class—or Prestige Class as they call it. Here, big spenders will enjoy fully lie-flat seats as well as a roomy 74 increase of seat pitch. There will even be some sort of partition thing between the seats so you don’t have to watch your neighbor’s choice of in-flight movie.

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Korean Air Will Hold on to That Bulky Winter Coat While You're in the Tropics

It's okay; we'll admit it. We just can't get enough of quirky airline amenities. All-You-Can-Eat Crayfish onboard? Sure. In-flight concierges to walk you through a guidebook's tips? Oh yes, please. So it shouldn't be a surprise that we're pretty intrigued by Korean Air's latest news that they'll be stowing your coat for you...at the airport.

We totally get it; it's an awesome (if kind of superfluous) extra. For passengers who are departing to destination in warmer climes, like say Hawaii or Bali or wherever it's warm enough to get away with less than a heavy jacket, Korean Air will relieve you of your bulky coat and store it for free at Seoul's Incheon International Airport. When you return to Korea, pick it up, put it on and appreciate the extra space for souvenirs that whole deal just afforded you.

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Korean Air Will Be The First To Fly The A380 From Asia To The USA

Double-decker planes have been heading back and forth over the Atlantic for quite some time, but there hasn’t been an option to take the Airbus A380 the other way around the world. Thankfully Korean Air is planning to change that, as the airline’s first A380 is set to hit the skies early next year. Best of all, they’re planning to use it for some new nonstop transpacific routes from the United States.

The airline has four planes on order in total, but the first one should be getting into their hot little hands this upcoming May. It sounds like they’re still finalizing all the goodies when it comes to the seating options, but Korean Air is promising that their big birds will be the roomiest when compared to the competition. Right now they’re planning between 400 and 450 seats on the planes. We’re just hoping that all their promises of extra space will be continued into the economy cabin, rather than just for those big spenders that are sitting up front.

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The Top Five New Airline Commercials

If you've caught any of the new fall TV, you may have spotted some of the newest airline commercials out there. There's Virgin Atlantic's mini James Bond flick,

Southwest Airlines' humorous "Bag Cops" and the very naughty Air New Zealand bit above. Overall, we think there's quite a bit of creativity coming out this season, and so while we're all waiting for the anticipated Manchester United for Turkish Airlines ad to debut, let's take a look at these Top Five New Airline Commercials.

5. Air New Zealand (see ad above)
It's funny and it features a lovely shot of the in-flight entertainment system, but we're also slightly weirded out by this frisky muppet.

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Be a Buddhist Monk for a Day on a New Korean Air Templestay

Amidst the high rises and shiny modern department department stores in the middle of modern-day Seoul, South Korea, sit a few quiet vestiges of the past. These are the traditional temples, dotted around the city and the rest of the country, whose short-term "Templestay" programs allow South Koreans to both explore their cultural heritage and escape from their hectic routines.

Our Korean friends have done them and we were totally jealous, but now—thanks to Korean Air working out a deal—foreigners will be welcome to enjoy these brief Buddhist lifestyle-focused breaks as well. Korean Air is offering 24-hour templestays, which envelop you in the life of a Buddhist monk, complete with a ritual ‘Dado’ tea ceremony, ‘Chameson’ meditation, 'Yebul' ceremonial chant, "Baru Gongyang’ silent communal meal and a tour of the Temple.

Find out more on how to sleep with the monks here, and we'll see you at the temple!

Related Stories:
· Templestays [Hanjin Travel]
· Korean Air Launches Templestays Programme for Foreigners [AsiaTravelTips]
· South Korea Travel [Jaunted]

[Photo: Jaunted]

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All Aboard Korean Air's British Museum Plane!

How much do we love crazy airplane livery? So much! Remember when Southwest Airlines painted a plane like Shamu? Yea, those were good times.

Well we're happy to report that the trend of funky livery is coming back, slowly but surely, and the newest entry is a Korean Air 747-400 decorated with images of artifacts from London's British Museum. The partnership comes from Korean Air's desire to up their cultural involvement, so they've sponsored the Museum's new slew of multimedia guides and will keep the love alive through 2014. And, for the first time, Koreans will have the option of learning about the British Museum in their language, since Korean was added to the options.

Now for the free stuff, after the jump.

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With Korean Air, Flight Attendants Fly Fashionably

Looks like a few of you must have noticed how pretty the flight attendant uniforms were for Korean Air because all of you guessed correctly which airline these stylish flight attendants worked for.

The uniforms were introduced in 2005 and let's just say they were badly needed. Korean Air keeps an entire Uniform Fashion History on their website and the ones worn from 1991-2004 were well, so very early 90s with a few leftovers from the late 80s.

But today's uniforms, envisioned by Italian designer Gianfranco Ferre, feature a choice of either skirt or pants in consideration with the FA's "active cabin duties." Here's how Korean Air describes their stylistic goal:

During the development of this attire, the largest emphasis was placed on attaining harmony between modern global fashion appeal with a foundation of Korea's traditional and inherent beauty. While elegant and refined, the uniform is also comfortable, distinguished by its ergonomic design and the use of practical and supple fabrics.

We mostly just love the pretty blue color that they use, which was actually incorporated into the uniforms of 1973. Now, where can we buy these outfits for ourselves?

Related Stories:
· Can you guess the stylish flight attendants [Jaunted]
· Uniform Changes [Korean Air]

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Korea Welcomes the Jeans-Wearing Genies of Jin Air

Flying around South Korea is about to get cheaper and a whole lot cooler, after the weekend's announcement that Jin Air will be the promised budget offshoot of Korean Air. Flights start on July 17, and major routes will include flights from Seoul to the southwest city of Busan, and on to the holiday capital of Jeju Island.

The powers that be were going to call the new airline Air Korea but they must've had a marketing consultant in, because they have a ton of good reasons for going with Jin Air instead. One: Jin can mean "truth" and "sincerity"--nice qualities for an airline. Two: Jin also means jeans, and that's what the flight staff will be wearing, plus T-shirt. Very hip.

And three: By extension, the airline's already calling the crew jini because it makes them sound like magical genies who can do everything.

Related Stories:
· Korean Air's Budget Arm Named Jin Air [Korea Times]
· Korean Air Gets Busy [Jaunted]
· South Korea Travel Guide [Jaunted]

[Photo: Korea Times]

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Korean Air Gets Busy

If you're a major airline in Asia right now, launching your own low cost version is really the in thing. Singapore Airlines has Tiger Airways, Asiana Airlines has just announced it's going to do the same thing, and any time soon, Korean Air is going to launch its budget version called Air Korea.

But Korean Air isn't satisfied with simply launching an LCC. The carrier's really, really busy right now. Apart from ordering an extra three A380s, on top of the five they'd already ordered, Korean Air has been busy creating a partnership with the Louvre museum in Paris.

Several aircraft flying the South Korea to Paris route will be decorated with the Mona Lisa, and in turn, the Louvre is launching a Korean language guide service. All of this while some of their flight attendants go on exchange. Now that's gettin' busy.

Related Stories:
· Korean Air to Buy 3 More A380s [Reuters]
· Korean Air Spreads Culture [Korea Times]
· Flight Attendants Go On Exchange [Jaunted]

[Photo: Ian Muttoo]