Jin Air and Eastar Jet are both South Korean low-cost carriers based in Seoul, flying from Incheon and Gimpo to Jeju, Japan and Southeast Asia. Jin Air is a Korean Air subsidiary, while Eastar Jet was bought by VIG Partners in 2023. Travellers compare them mainly on Seoul–Bangkok, Seoul–Da Nang and Seoul–Phu Quoc, and on domestic flights to Jeju.
Quick verdict
Both are no-frills carriers with no alliance, so price and schedule usually decide. Jin Air is the larger airline, with more aircraft and a few aircraft with business-style seats. It also has the backing of Korean Air. Eastar Jet is smaller and all-economy, but it flies to Hong Kong, which Jin Air has suspended. Check the baggage rules for your fare on either airline, as extras are charged separately.
Choose Jin Air if…
- You want a larger fleet and a network that includes Tokyo Narita, Osaka, Fukuoka and Sapporo.
- You want the option of a business-style or premium seat on selected aircraft such as the 737-900, A321-200 or 777-200ER.
- You want a carrier owned by Korean Air, with a codeshare with Air Busan on domestic routes since January 2026.
Choose Eastar Jet if…
- You are flying Seoul to Hong Kong, a route Jin Air has suspended.
- You want to fly to Chiang Mai, Nha Trang or Almaty, which are on Eastar Jet's list of active destinations.
- You prefer a fleet of only 737-800s and 737 MAX 8s, all in a single-class layout.
At a glance
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Key differences
Network and hubs
Both airlines use Incheon and Gimpo, and both have bases or focus cities on Jeju and Busan routes. Jin Air flies to Japan, Bangkok, Da Nang, Hanoi, Cebu, Phu Quoc, Taiwan, Guam and Mongolia. Its Hong Kong and Macau services are suspended. Eastar Jet also bases aircraft at Cheongju. Its destinations include Tokyo Narita, Taipei, Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Nha Trang, Hong Kong and Almaty. A Xiamen service is listed to start on 28 October 2026.
Fleet and cabins
Jin Air has 31 aircraft in service (August 2026): 737-800s, 737-900s, 737 MAX 8s, three 777-200ERs and one A321-200. Most are all-economy. The 737-900 has 8 business-style seats, the A321-200 has 12, and the 777-200ER has 48 premium seats. Eastar Jet has 20 Boeing 737s (December 2025), 10 737-800s and 10 MAX 8s. All are single-class, with 189 seats on the 737-800. It has said it plans to add 787s from 2027.
Baggage and fares
Both are low-cost carriers, so checked baggage, seat selection and meals are generally priced separately and depend on fare and route. For Eastar Jet, one cabin bag of up to 10 kg (55 x 40 x 20 cm) is listed by Airpaz. Check the airline's conditions of carriage for current rules. For Jin Air, check the fare pages on jinair.com before you book.
Ownership and the 2027 merger
Jin Air, which began flying in 2008, is a Korean Air subsidiary and has been listed on the Korea Exchange since 2017. In August 2026 it signed an agreement to merge with Air Busan and Air Seoul on 17 March 2027, as reported by Yonhap. The combined airline will use the Jin Air brand. Until then the three airlines operate separately, so tickets for dates after the merger may be affected by changes to schedules or booking systems. Eastar Jet is not part of that merger. VIG Partners bought it in January 2023, and it resumed flying in 2023 with three aircraft.
Alliances and loyalty
Neither airline belongs to Star Alliance, oneworld or SkyTeam, so neither offers connecting-flight benefits through a global alliance. Eastar Jet joined the U-FLY Alliance in 2016, a low-cost grouping. Jin Air has a domestic codeshare with Air Busan from January 2026.
Frequently asked questions
Is Jin Air better than Eastar Jet?
Jin Air is the larger carrier, with more aircraft, and it offers business-style seats on a few aircraft. Eastar Jet is a smaller all-economy operator that flies to Hong Kong. For most routes, choose on fare and schedule.
Do Jin Air and Eastar Jet include checked baggage?
It depends on the fare and route on both airlines. As low-cost carriers they generally charge extras separately, so check what your fare includes at booking. Eastar Jet lists a 10 kg cabin bag allowance.
Which airline flies to Hong Kong?
Eastar Jet lists Hong Kong as an active destination. Jin Air's Hong Kong service is suspended.
About Jin Air Read more
Overview
Jin Air is a South Korean low-cost airline. According to Wikipedia, it was founded in January 2008 and began flying in July 2008 with a Gimpo–Jeju service. It is headquartered in Gangseo-gu, Seoul, is a subsidiary of Korean Air and has been listed on the Korea Exchange since December 2017. It does not belong to a global alliance.
In August 2026 Jin Air signed an agreement with Air Busan and Air Seoul to merge into one low-cost carrier on 17 March 2027, as reported by Yonhap. The combined airline will use the Jin Air brand. Until then, the three airlines operate separately.
Network and hubs
Jin Air's hubs are Seoul Gimpo and Seoul Incheon, and it also has focus cities at Busan and Jeju. Domestic routes link Gimpo and Jeju with regional airports such as Busan, Daegu, Gwangju, Yeosu and Ulsan. International routes serve Japan (including Tokyo Narita, Osaka, Fukuoka and Sapporo), Southeast Asia (including Bangkok, Da Nang, Hanoi, Cebu and Phu Quoc), Taiwan, Guam, Mongolia and several cities in China. Its Hong Kong and Macau services are listed as suspended and its Honolulu route as terminated. A domestic codeshare with Air Busan began in January 2026.
Fleet
As of August 2026, Wikipedia lists 31 aircraft in service. They comprise 19 Boeing 737-800s, 3 Boeing 737-900s, 5 Boeing 737 MAX 8s, 3 Boeing 777-200ERs and 1 Airbus A321-200. Orders include 10 A321neos and 3 more 737-900s. ch-aviation reports that the A321-200 is Jin Air's first Airbus jet and was transferred from Asiana Airlines, and it lists 33 aircraft for the carrier.
On board
- Most aircraft are single-class economy; the 737-800s have 183 or 189 seats and the 737 MAX 8 has 189.
- The 737-900 has 8 business-style seats and 180 economy seats. The A321-200 has 12 business-style seats and 162 economy seats.
- The 777-200ER seats 393: 48 premium seats and 345 economy seats.
- Seat pitch, meal service, entertainment and Wi-Fi details were not confirmed in the sources reviewed. Check the airline's website before booking.
Good to know
- Baggage allowances, change fees and lounge access vary by fare and route. They were not confirmed in the sources reviewed, so check the official website.
- Jin Air is a low-cost carrier, so extras are likely to be charged separately; confirm this on the airline's fare pages.
- The planned merger with Air Busan and Air Seoul in March 2027 may change schedules, branding and booking systems.
- No published on-time performance figure was found for this profile.
About Eastar Jet Read more
Overview
Eastar Jet is a South Korean low-cost carrier headquartered in Gangseo-gu, Seoul. According to Wikipedia, it was established in October 2007 and flew its first commercial service, Seoul to Jeju, on 7 January 2009. It joined the U-FLY Alliance in 2016, but it is not a member of Star Alliance, oneworld or SkyTeam.
The airline went through a difficult period in 2020 and 2021. A planned takeover by Jeju Air was abandoned in July 2020, and Sung Jung later became the owner. Sung Jung sold its stake to the private equity firm VIG Partners in January 2023. Eastar Jet resumed operations in 2023 with three aircraft.
Network and hubs
Eastar Jet lists operating bases at Seoul Incheon, Seoul Gimpo, Busan Gimhae, Cheongju and Jeju. It flies domestic routes, including Gimpo to Jeju, and regional international routes. Destinations listed as active on Wikipedia include Tokyo Narita, Taipei, Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Da Nang, Nha Trang, Phu Quoc, Hong Kong, Almaty and several mainland Chinese cities. A Xiamen service is listed as starting on 28 October 2026. Many earlier routes have been marked as terminated, so check the official website for current schedules.
Fleet
As of December 2025, Wikipedia lists an all-Boeing 737 fleet of 20 aircraft in service: 10 Boeing 737-800s and 10 Boeing 737 MAX 8s, with 2 more MAX 8s on order. The airline has said it plans to add Boeing 787 Dreamliners from 2027. The fleet infobox on the same page gives a different figure (17), so treat the size as approximate.
On board
Eastar Jet operates a single-class economy layout, with 189 seats listed on the 737-800. Seat pitch, meal service, Wi-Fi and entertainment details were not found in the sources checked. As a low-cost carrier, extras are generally charged separately, so confirm what a fare includes when booking.
Good to know
- Baggage: allowances depend on fare and route. A third-party source, Airpaz, gives a cabin allowance of 10 kg with maximum dimensions of 55 x 40 x 20 cm, plus a small personal item. Check the airline's conditions of carriage for current rules.
- Fees and changes: change fees depend on the fare conditions.
- Lounges and upgrades: no lounge or upgrade information was found.
- On-time performance: no published figure was found.
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