A Guam Business series providing a birds-eye view of carriers serving Micronesia
By Lara Ozaki
Air Busan
CEO: Taekeun Han
General manager in Guam: Bokyung Moon
Number of employees: 1,049
Awards in 2016:
- Ranked “outstanding” in both aviation safety and passenger service by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport of Korea
- Named “Best LCC” in customer satisfaction by Korea Management Association
Routes and launch dates in Micronesia:
- Guam–Busan: July 2015
Classes: Economy class
Alliance: None
Extra fees: $50 for more than two pieces of baggage or for overweight baggage
In-flight amenities: Meals, beverages, inflight magazine
On-time performance: 97.1% (January – April)
Claim to fame: Air Busan has a wide seat pitch, averaging 32.5 inches, and distinctive hot meals.
Jeju Air
CEO: Kyu Nam Choi
Station manager: Yuseok “Adam” Kim
Number of employees: 1,997
Awards in 2016: Nominated for Asia’s Leading Most Efficient Low-Cost Airline by World Travel Awards
Routes and launch dates in Micronesia:
- Incheon–Guam: Sept. 27, 2012
- Busan–Guam: Jan. 8, 2016
- Incheon–Saipan: Oct. 1, 2014
- Busan–Saipan: Dec. 1, 2016
Classes: One
Alliance: Value Alliance
Extra fees: Check-in baggage, priority baggage, plastic bag cover, pet carriage box, choosing seats, pre-ordered meals, discounted extra seats for sleeping and extra space
In-flight amenities: Everyday Funday Service, Air Café service, duty-free shopping
Claim to fame: Jeju Air is the first and fasted growing low-cost carrier in Korea and a founding member of Value Alliance, the first pan-regional LCC alliance.
Jin Air
CEO: Jung Ho Choi
Station manager: Jin Oh Kim
Routes and launch dates in Micronesia:
- Incheon–Guam: April 20, 2010
- Incheon–Saipan: June 9, 2016
Classes: One-tier
Alliance: None
Extra fees: Airport usage fees, excess baggage fee of $50
In-flight amenities: Light meal, beverage, duty-free sales, Jini Kids Meal, Delight Lounge Service, in-flight entertainment on Jini Play
On-time performance: 95% (March 15 – May 15)
Claim to fame: Jin Air is a low-cost carrier subsidiary of Korean Air and has codeshare agreements with Korean Air and interline agreements with American Airlines, Jetstar Group and Island Air. Jin Air has the largest market share among all LCCs in the most competitive domestic route, Gimpo to Jeju. Jin Air aims to differentiate itself by offering services that cannot be experienced in any other LCC, like the “JINI Plus Seat” that is wider than other economy seats, and in-flight WiFi that features advance content delivery like “Jini Play.”
Korean Air
Chairman and CEO: Yang Ho Cho
Regional manager: Byeong Yoon Choi
Number of employees: Around 20,938
Awards in 2016: TripAdvisor’s 2017 Top 10 World’s Best Airline
Routes in Micronesia: Incheon–Guam
Classes: First, Prestige and Economy
Alliance: SkyTeam
Extra fees: Extra baggage – $100; overweight baggage – $75; oversized baggage – $150
In-flight amenities: In-flight meals, beverage service, duty-free shopping
On-time performance: 99.3% (April)
Claim to fame: Korean Air is the largest airline and flag carrier of South Korea.
T’Way Air Co.
CEO: Hong Geun Jung
Guam office manager: Chang-Yeol Choi
Number of employees: 717
Awards in 2016: Nominated for Asia’s Leading Domestic Airline by World Travel Awards
Routes and launch dates in Micronesia:
- Incheon–Guam: Sept. 24, 2015
- Daegu–Osaka–Guam: Oct. 1, 2015
- Incheon–Saipan: Dec. 23, 2016
Classes: One-tier
Alliance: None
Extra fees: Excess baggage – $20
In-flight amenities: In-flight entertainment, beverage service, duty-free shopping
Claim to fame: T’Way uses an eco-friendly fleet of Boeing 737-800 with 186 or 189 seats to service domestic and international routes in Asia-Pacific. T’Way aims to be “the travel partner of everyone” by providing the safest flights at the most reasonable prices and the best service.
Eastar Jet
President: Dal-Ho Kang
CEO: Jong Gu Choi
Station manager in Saipan: Young Joo “Daniel” Kim
Number of employees: 935
Routes and launch dates in Micronesia:
- Incheon–Saipan: Oct. 24, 2016
Cost tiers/classes: One-tier
Alliance: U-fly Alliance
Extra fees: Depends on fare type: in-flight meals, extra baggage, etc.
In-flight amenities: Duty-free shopping, seasonal gift events, beverage service
Claim to fame: Eastar Jet has a codeshare agreement with T’Way Airlines. E-Credit is a unique payment method available for every Eastar Jet member once real-name authentication has been approved.
