Information on Jin Air Flights

Established in 2008, Jin Air is a low-cost carrier based in Seoul, South Korea, and owned by the parent company of Korean Air. Jin operates the most domestic routes of any Korean airline and also flies to international destinations in East and Southeast Asia. It’s a good option for anyone who lives in South Korea and for travelers planning a multi-country trip through Asia on a budget.

As with a number of other low-cost carriers, Jin Air seeks to stand out amid more established carriers as a fun airline. You can’t miss its electric lime, plum and light blue color scheme, and while its name was partially inspired by the Korean word for “truth,” it also just means jeans, as in blue jeans, which cabin crew members wear as part of their uniforms.

This complete airline guide and my expert tips will help you make the most of your time on Jin Air.

Domestic flights

Jin Air has dual hubs at the two Seoul area airports. For domestic flights, it uses Gimpo International Airport (GMP), on the city’s west side. Including Gimpo, Jin Air connects 12 Korean destinations – Busan, Gwangju and Jeju among them.

Seoul to Jeju is Korea’s most popular domestic route, and for flights between the two, Jin Air fares can be considerably less than those of major carriers like Korean Air and Asiana. They’re roughly the same as fellow budget airline Jeju Air, though. As the flight time on this route is barely more than an hour, I find it easy to forgo the conveniences of the larger outfits for low fares on Jin.

The Jeju airport serves as something of a secondary hub for Jin Air. Jin flies to numerous destinations from both Gimpo and Jeju, and almost always requires you to stop at one of these two hubs if headed elsewhere. For example, if you want to fly from Muan on the west coast to Ulsan on the east coast, you’ll have to connect through Jeju.

This is not just a budget airline issue here – other Korean carriers do the same. Korea isn’t that big, though, and if you’re just traveling around the mainland, it generally makes more sense to take a bus or use the country’s excellent high-speed rail instead.

International flights

Incheon International Airport (ICN), in the city of Incheon just west of Seoul, is the hub for international flights on Jin Air. The airline operates out of Terminal 2. Getting there requires a slightly longer train ride from Seoul or a free shuttle bus from Terminal 1, but I prefer flying out of Terminal 2 anyway, as it’s newer and has some terrific art installations. The extra commute is worth it.

Jin flies to 9 destinations in Japan, 6 in China, and 13 across Southeast Asia, plus Taipei and Guam. You can also fly Jin Air to several of these destinations from Busan and to a single international destination each from Daegu, Cheongju, Jeju and Muan. Interestingly, the international flights out of the latter three operate only out of those cities and not out of Incheon or Busan.

Jin Air economy fares

If you’re considering a low-cost carrier like Jin Air, these fares are probably what you’re after. Super Low tickets are not always available, but when they are they can be an incredible bargain – sometimes little more than pocket change on domestic routes, before taxes and fees. Even on international routes, they can be just the price of a nice dinner.

Flex tickets tend to be anywhere from 2 to 4 times the price of Super Low fares (they’re still cheap) while Jini tickets are comparable to a standard fare on Korean Air.

Despite the difference in prices between Super Low, Flex and Jini fares, there’s little to differentiate them in terms of what you actually get. Seats for all three have a pitch of 29 to 31 inches, depending on the plane, and all 3 give you free checked baggage and a free carry-on bag.

The weight limits are also the same: 15 kilograms (33 pounds) for checked bags and 10 kilogams (22 pounds) for carry-ons on both domestic and international flights. The one exception is for flights to and from Guam, where the checked baggage limit goes up to 23 kilograms (50.7 pounds).

Change and cancellation fees on domestic flights vary by just a few dollars depending on whether you book Super Low, Flex or Jini. The only thing that really sets the 3 apart is their accompanying change and cancellation fees for international flights (and loyalty points, but more on that later). The difference isn’t enough to justify springing for a Jini fare in my opinion.

If you can’t snag a Super Low or Flex ticket, you might as well just fly with a larger carrier and receive a bit more comfort and amenities for around the same price.

Jin Air premium fares

As a budget carrier whose focus is getting passengers from Point A to Point B cheaply, Jin Air doesn’t offer premium fares on all of its flights.

Jinibiz tickets are available only on domestic flights between Jeju and major Korean cities, like Seoul, Busan and Daegu. There are no Jinibiz tickets on international flights. Jiniplus tickets are only available on some of the longest international routes with Jin Air, such as Incheon to Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia. Many of Jin Air’s flights are economy class only.

By purchasing a Jinibiz or Jiniplus ticket you’ll have considerably more legroom, access to a separate check-in counter and priority baggage handling. You’ll have the same carry-on baggage weight limit as economy ticket holders but more flexibility when it comes to checked baggage.

On domestic flights, Jinibiz passengers can check 30 kilograms (66 pounds) of luggage, double what economy passengers are permitted. On international flights, Jiniplus passengers can check up to 20 kilograms (44 pounds). Change and cancellation fees are the same as those of Jini economy fares.

Jin Air loyalty program

The Jin Air loyalty program is called Nabi Points, after the Korean word for butterfly, the airline’s logo. It’s a straightforward system that functions much like that of your local coffee shop: Buy 10 tickets, get the next one free, more or less.

Once you’ve created an account with Jin Air, you’ll earn points when you purchase tickets through the airline website or app. All domestic flights are worth 10 points, and international flights are worth 10 to 40, but the amount you earn depends on the fare you purchase.

Jini and Jiniplus tickets earn the standard rate, while Jinibiz earns you a bonus of 150% on domestic flights. Flex tickets earn the standard rate on international flights but just 80% on domestic fares, while Super Low tickets earn 80% on international trips and nothing at all on domestic ones.

Nabi Points can’t be redeemed for seat upgrades, lounge access or even international flights – only domestic flights. To use your points, redeem them for a coupon on the Jin Air website, and then use that to reserve a Bonus Flight Ticket. One-way domestic tickets cost 100 points for flights on Monday through Thursday and 150 points for flights on Friday through Sunday. A round-trip fare is simply double.

You’ll still have to pay taxes and fees, and Bonus Flight Tickets are subject to blackout dates. These are rather extensive, covering not just Korean holidays but also breaks in the Korean school year, adding up to more than two months of the calendar.

Special offers and partnerships

Jin Air has partnerships with a number of travel-related companies to provide members and passengers with perks and discounts on hotel bookings, car rentals and ticket purchases. It should be noted, however, that the websites of some of these partners are only available in Korean.

One deal that I particularly appreciate is the 10% discount that Jin Air offers on portable Wi-Fi rental with Wi-Fi Dosirak. If you don’t have international roaming service, these portable hotspots are great travel companions and can conveniently be picked up and dropped off at several South Korean airports.

After flying with Jin Air, you can also use your boarding pass to get perks and discounts at a number of businesses in Korea, Japan, Macau and Guam, including hotels, restaurants, museums and theaters. Redemption methods and rates vary by business but are explained on the Partnerships page of the Jin Air website.