Hyundai Card invests in Starlink rollout and system buildout
Card company to take active role in Wi-Fi-based marketing
Hyundai Card said Monday it will join Korean Air's service innovation drive as a strategic partner, supporting the airline's rollout of high-speed in-flight Wi-Fi.
Korean Air adopted Starlink, a low-earth-orbit satellite communications service, to power the new offering. Hyundai Card plans to invest in the Starlink adoption and system buildout, and will take an active role in Wi-Fi-based marketing campaigns going forward, deepening its collaboration with the airline.
The two companies are building on a partnership that has now spanned seven years. They launched the "Korean Air Card" in 2020 — the first private-label credit card (PLCC) dedicated to a domestic airline — and followed it in 2024 with the "Korean Air Card Edition2," a product with enhanced benefits for Korean Air customers. The Edition2 card awards 30,000 miles once a year when cardholders meet an annual spending threshold. In 2022, the pair also introduced a "mileage emergency accrual" service that lets members who need miles earn them in advance, making it easier to redeem rewards.
The two companies also collaborate across data-science marketing and branding. Since 2025, they have run more than 100 marketing campaigns using Hyundai Card's AI-powered hyper-personalization marketing solution. In 2021, Hyundai Card produced a limited-edition luggage tag made from a retired Korean Air aircraft, and in 2025 the two signed a memorandum of understanding under which Korean Air handles the exclusive transport of artworks exhibited at Hyundai Card Storage, the card company's exhibition and cultural space, further strengthening their collaboration.
"On the strength of our wide-ranging partnership, Hyundai Card has decided to lend its support so that Korean Air can deliver its high-speed in-flight Wi-Fi service on a stable footing," a Hyundai Card official said. "Hyundai Card and Korean Air will continue to develop a diverse range of benefits to provide customers with an ever-higher level of experience."
Meanwhile, the Starlink-based in-flight Wi-Fi Korean Air has adopted uses low-earth-orbit (LEO) constellation satellites to offer passengers a broad range of digital experiences. Travelers on Korean Air flights can now conveniently use high-bandwidth services such as online gaming, streaming video and cloud applications. The airline plans to roll out the service on wide-body aircraft first, then expand it gradually across its fleet.
won@heraldcorp.com
