Seoul – Korean Air and Delta Air Lines are expanding Seamless Baggage Transfer from Incheon International Airport (ICN) to Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA) and Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), further enhancing the travel experience for customers flying from Korea to the United States by saving up to 20 minutes when connecting in the U.S.
Seamless Baggage Transfer, powered by International Remote Baggage Screening (IRBS) technology, allows checked baggage to be screened prior to arrival in the U.S., eliminating the need for customers to collect and recheck bags during connections. With this expansion, Seamless Baggage Transfer is now available across five major U.S. gateways, Atlanta, Minneapolis-St. Paul, Detroit, Seattle and Los Angeles, extending faster, more efficient connections to more customers traveling through or from Incheon. This includes Korean Air and Delta customers connecting through Incheon from across Asia to these five U.S. cities.
Using advanced X-ray screening technology, baggage is screened at Incheon and securely reviewed by U.S. Customs and Border Protection before the flight lands. Customers can proceed directly to their connecting gate, similar to a domestic transfer, while their bags are automatically transferred to their final destination, saving up to 20 minutes.
Since its introduction on Incheon–Atlanta flights in August 2025, Seamless Baggage Transfer has proven to significantly elevate passenger convenience. Notably, it has cut customs interactions at U.S. airports by over 65 percent. In situations when an unexpected late arrival would have caused customers to miss their connections under the previous baggage recheck process, it has enabled a vast majority of customers to successfully catch their onward flights.
“Our joint venture with Delta continues to strengthen connections between Korea and the United States,” said Kwangho Ko, Senior Vice President at Korean Air. “Together, we are building a more connected global network through Incheon, giving customers greater convenience, more choices and a consistently elevated level of service throughout their journey.”
“Seamless Baggage Transfer simplifies the connection experience for customers traveling to the United States,” said Jeff Moomaw, Vice President – Asia Pacific at Delta Air Lines. “By expanding this service to Seattle and Los Angeles, we enable customers to move through U.S. airports more efficiently and have more time to relax between flights.”
The expansion of Seamless Baggage Transfer reflects broader efforts by Korean Air and Delta to enhance the end-to-end customer journey, including continued network growth, premium onboard experiences and operational innovations designed to improve travel at every step. The partners continue to explore opportunities to extend this capability to additional markets in the future.
Table: Korean Air and Delta Routes with Seamless Baggage Transfer
| Route | Flight Number | Frequency | Launch Date |
| ICN-LAX (Los Angeles) | KE011, KE017 | 2x Daily | June 23, 2026 |
| KE8015 | 3x a Week(Mon, Wed, Fri) | June 24, 2026 – June 29, 2026 | |
| ICN-SEA (Seattle) | KE041, DL196 | 2x Daily (total) | June 23, 2026 |
| ICN-MSP (Minneapolis) | DL170 | Daily | April 15, 2026 |
| ICN-DTW (Detroit) | DL158 | Daily | April 15, 2026 |
| ICN-ATL (Atlanta) | KE033, KE035DL026, DL188 | 4x Daily (total) | August 13, 2025 |