A little over a month ago we learned that Korean Air would be dropping first class from many of its routes.

While Korean Air’s first class lags in quality behind many other Asian carriers, I’ve especially liked that I could fly to Asia in first class and connect onward in first class as well because much of their intra-Asia route network offered a first class cabin.

However they’re not removing first class seats from their planes. In fact the seats themselves on many aircraft are virtually identical in first class and business class, but first class is in its own mini-cabin. On their Boeing 777-300 aircraft first class is six-abreast while business class is seven-across.

Clearly booking row one, which lacks a middle of middle seat, is superior. And Korean Air lets you do that if you’re booked in business class on the aircraft.

Here’s a Boeing 777-300 flying Bangkok – Seoul in a week:

Here’s an Airbus A330 flying Bali – Seoul in a week, you’ll note that the major difference is that row 1 is its own mini-cabin, but the layout is similar.

Loyalty Lobby who points out that business class passengers can reserve the former first class seats notes that first class seats have ottomans lack business class seats lack. Korean’s Boeing 777-300ER aircraft (“77W”) still have first class service.