Korean Air infant and child policy: lap infants, bassinets and kids flying alone
A guide to Korean Air's policies for flying with babies and children. See rules for lap infant fares, baggage, strollers, car seats, and kids flying alone.
Korean Air’s policies for families are notable for a few things. Lap infants fly free on domestic routes, and on international flights, their free baggage allowance includes one bag, one foldable stroller, and one car seat or bassinet. The airline also allows the fee for kids flying alone to be paid with miles.
| Topic | What Korean Air says |
|---|---|
| Who counts as a lap infant | Infants under 24 months old must be held on the lap of an accompanying guardian, who must fasten their own seatbelt first.Source |
| Lap infant, domestic flights | For infants under 24 months on the boarding date, travel on domestic flights is free of charge.Source |
| Lap infant, international flights | For infants under 24 months on the boarding date, the fare for international flights is 10% of the normal adult fare.Source |
| Baby in its own seat | To purchase a separate seat for an infant, you must select 'Child' during the booking process.Source |
| Lap infant limits | When one adult travels with two infants, one of the infants is required to have a child fare ticket and occupy their own seat.Source |
| Turning 2 during the trip | If an infant reaches 24 months of age or older during the trip, they are reclassified as a child and a separate seat must be purchased for them at the child fare.Source |
| Youngest age to fly | Infants must be a minimum of 7 days old to fly. The guardian traveling with the infant must be at least 18 years old.Source |
| Bassinet | To request a bassinet, passengers must complete advance seat selection for a bassinet seat. In Economy, this must be done no later than 48 hours before departure. In Prestige Class, it can be requested up to 24 hours before departure.Source |
| Stroller | Strollers with combined dimensions exceeding 115 cm can be used up to the boarding gate, but they must be checked at the gate.Source |
| Checking a car seat | One car seat or bassinet is included in the free baggage allowance for an infant on both domestic and international flights.Source |
| Infant baggage | On international flights, an infant's free baggage allowance includes one bag, one foldable stroller, and one car seat or bassinet.Source |
| Family seating | On flights to or from Canada booked directly with Korean Air, children under 14 can be seated near their guardian for no extra charge.Source |
| Service required for | The unaccompanied minor service is mandatory for children aged 5 to 11 who are traveling internationally without a guardian.Source |
| Service optional for | The unaccompanied minor service is optional for children aged 12 to 16.Source |
| Service fee | The unaccompanied minor service charge can be paid with miles. The fee is 15,000 miles for children aged 5 to 11, and 20,000 miles for those aged 12 to 16.Source |
| Flights allowed | The Unaccompanied Minor service is only available for same-day connections between two Korean Air flights at the same airport within 6 hours and is not offered for connections to other airlines.Source |
Lap infants and infant fares
On Korean Air, children under 24 months old can travel as lap infants. For domestic flights, there is no charge for a lap infant. For international flights, the fare is 10% of the normal adult fare. An adult can travel with only one lap infant; if you are traveling with two infants, one must have their own seat purchased at a child fare.
If your child will turn 2 during your trip, you must purchase a separate seat for them at the child fare. To book a seat for an infant, you should select ‘Child’ during the booking process.
“If boarding with an infant under 24 months old, the accompanying guardian must first fasten their own seat belt and then hold the infant on their lap, outside their seat belt.”
Official wording, koreanair.com, checked Oct 21, 2026
“Fare for infants (under 24 months of age on the boarding date)
Domestic flights
Free of charge”Official wording, koreanair.com, checked Oct 21, 2026
“Fare for infants (under 24 months of age on the boarding date)
International flights
10% of normal adult fare”Official wording, koreanair.com, checked Oct 21, 2026
“If an infant will occupy a seat, please select 'Child' and proceed with the booking.”
Official wording, koreanair.com, checked Oct 21, 2026
“When one adult is traveling with two infants, one of the infants must be issued a child fare ticket and occupy a separate seat.”
Official wording, koreanair.com, checked Oct 21, 2026
“If an infant turns 24 months of age or older during the trip, they will be reclassified as a child and you must purchase a separate seat at the child fare.”
Official wording, koreanair.com, checked Oct 21, 2026
Newborns and proof of age
Korean Air requires infants to be at least 7 days old to fly. The airline also specifies that the guardian traveling with the infant must be at least 18 years old as of the boarding date. This ensures both the baby and the accompanying adult meet the minimum requirements for travel.
The information we reviewed does not mention what kind of proof of age is required for an infant, so it is a good idea to carry a copy of your child’s birth certificate and confirm documentation requirements with the airline.
“Infants must be at least 7 days old to board, and the accompanying guardian must be at least 18 years of age as of the boarding date.”
Official wording, koreanair.com, checked Oct 21, 2026
Bassinets
You can request a bassinet for your infant on Korean Air flights. To do so, you must complete an advance seat selection for a designated bassinet seat. The deadline for this request is no later than 48 hours before departure for Economy Class and up to 24 hours before departure for Prestige Class.
The information provided by the airline does not specify any weight or height limits for bassinet use. We suggest you ask about any restrictions and confirm your request with Korean Air when you book.
Full details, with the airline’s own wording: Korean Air bassinet: what the airline says.
“To request a bassinet for your infant, you must complete advance seat selection and be assigned a bassinet seat in Economy no later than 48 hours before departure. Prestige Class passengers may request bassinets at any time after booking confirmation, up to 24 hours before departure.”
Official wording, koreanair.com, checked Oct 21, 2026
Strollers and car seats
You may bring a stroller with combined dimensions exceeding 115 cm to the boarding gate, where it must be checked. The airline also permits the use of safety harnesses on board if they are certified by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
Full details, with the airline’s own wording: Korean Air car seat and stroller policy.
“Strollers exceeding a total of 115 cm in combined dimensions may be used up to the boarding gate but must be checked at the gate.”
Official wording, koreanair.com, checked Oct 21, 2026
Baby baggage
The baggage allowance for infants varies by route. On domestic flights, the allowance includes one foldable stroller plus one car seat or bassinet. For international travel, the free allowance is more generous, including one bag, one foldable stroller, and one car seat or bassinet. Always check the specific rules for your ticket to avoid surprises at the airport.
“**International** – 1 baggage + 1 foldable stroller + 1 car seat (or bassinet)”
Official wording, koreanair.com, checked Oct 21, 2026
Sitting together
Korean Air offers a specific family seating policy for certain routes. On flights to or from Canada that are booked directly with the airline, children under the age of 14 can be assigned a seat near their guardian at no additional charge. The airline’s page did not specify seating policies for families on other international or domestic routes, so it is best to confirm your options when booking your flight.
“When you book flights to or from Canada directly with Korean Air, children under the age of 14 can be assigned a seat near their guardian at no additional charge.”
Official wording, koreanair.com, checked Oct 21, 2026
Kids flying alone
Korean Air offers an unaccompanied minor service for children traveling alone. The unaccompanied minor service is mandatory for children aged 5 to 11 who are traveling internationally without a guardian. For children aged 12 to 16, the service is optional. The service fee can be paid with miles: 15,000 miles for ages 5 to 11, and 20,000 miles for ages 12 to 16.
This service is only available for same-day connections between two Korean Air flights within 6 hours at the same airport. At departure, a guardian must complete paperwork at the ‘Passengers Requiring Special Assistance’ counter.
Full details, with the airline’s own wording: Korean Air unaccompanied minor policy: ages, fee and rules.
“The unaccompanied minor service must be requested for children ages 5 to 11 who are traveling internationally without a guardian.”
Official wording, koreanair.com, checked Oct 21, 2026
Related pages
More on Korean Air:
- Korean Air unaccompanied minor policy: ages, fee and rules
- Korean Air car seat and stroller policy
- Korean Air bassinet: what the airline says
Same topic, other airlines: