Time to leave Korea and time to review a new airline -
Korean Air.
As the tour to the North Korean border/demilitarized zone was not operating all days of the week I had no choice but to book it the same day as I was due to leave Korea.
I double-checked the timetable of the tour with the tour company and also the transportation options to Incheon airport, and on a smooth day there should not be any problems or stress whatsoever, however quite a lot could also go wrong, everything from increased tension and extra military checks at the border to traffic jams in Seoul.
Fortunately everything worked out extremely well. After a very interesting visit to DMZ I picked up my luggage at the hotel and headed for the airport bus stop a few minutes walk away where the limousine bus arrived almost immediately.
Traffic was quite busy on the roads around Seoul, but not more than usual, after a 70 minute ride I finally arrived at Incheon airport. Arrival at 4.45 pm meant plenty of time before my 6.30 pm departure.
Pics
View from the highway as we are heading for Incheon airport, located on an island
Approaching ICN where a Korean Air plane is just about to land
Check-in at Seoul Incheon airport
Incheon is a lovely airport to use, the terminal is spacious, airy and spotlessly clean.
There is also some excellent shopping available and although the terminal is quite massive everything is clearly signposted and it’s easy to navigate inside the terminal.
Korean Air uses check-in island C for its premium check-in.
As I arrived all check-in agents were busy but there was no one else waiting so after 30 seconds I was waived over to the empty first class check-in desk.
A young Korean woman greeted me at the desk. I handed over my booking confirmation to her and after looking through it for half a minute or so I got the (by now usual) “where are you actually going”-look from the slightly confused girl.
Anyway, we sorted that part out and she proceeded to check me in and my bag was tagged accordingly. She also attached a blue Prestige class priority tag to my suitcase (where it actually just said “Prestige”).
Prestige Class is what Korean Air has named its business class by the way.
I already had a pre-booked seat 07H for the flight, a window seat on the first row of business class, so she just checked I was happy with that seat.
Finally I got directions to the lounge and a bit more surprisingly also a discount voucher for the duty free onboard the plane.
Unfortunately there is no fast track security in Seoul but the regular security check was fairly quick anyway. Very friendly and courteous staff working there, which is not the case at all airports.
I had by mistake forgotten a bottle of water in my bag which they discovered. As it wasn’t exactly the first time I went through an airport security control I should have remembered to throw it away, but no big deal.
Pics
Korean Air Prestige Class check-in
Inside the very airy and modern departure hall
Many shops in the departure hall
Korean Air Prestige Class lounge, Seoul/Incheon
I made my way to the Korean Air Prestige Class lounge, the KE business class lounge, located almost directly on the left after security on the fourth floor, one floor above the main departure level.
I did not really know what to expect of the lounge, but it turned out to be quite a positive surprise.
The lounge was airy, modern and well maintained. It had an excellent selection of food and drinks, and a superb view of the apron. What more can you ask for really?
There was also plenty of staff inside the lounge, there must have been something like 8-10 lounge attendants keeping the self-service buffet and the lounge tidy and clearing tables.
As mentioned the selection of food was very good. Among the hot food options they had for example lasagne, soup and crispy chicken with sweet and sour sauce.
There were also some very tasty sandwiches, sushi, vegetables and a nice selection of muffins and cakes.
There was also a good selection of beer and soft drinks for self-service. The selection of wine and spirits was adequate, OK although not extremely extensive.
I made myself a rather decent lounge dinner and had a seat by the window to enjoy the action on the apron. They also had several power sockets for laptop users which worked very well.
There was free wifi available throughout the lounge which you could access by entering your family name, flight number and seat number on the index page.
Pics
The entrance to the KE Prestige Class lounge
Inside the lounge
Lots of seating with a great apron view
Very airy and spacious lounge
The self-service buffet area
Sandwiches, sushi and hot food (in the background)
Lovely cakes and desserts
Beer and soft drinks
Nice lounge dinner: Chicken sandwich, lasagne, chicken in sweet and sour sauce, and a glass of red wine
Coffee and dessert
Superb view from the lounge! Lots of Korean air widebodies!
A walk around the terminal
I spent around 45 minutes inside the lounge and then had a look around the transit hall.
There is a large number of shops and restaurants available making Incheon a pleasant airport for departures and transits.
The headphones I had brought from home to use with my laptop and MP3-player broke during my visit in Seoul so I headed for one of the electronics shops to buy new ones.
Pics
Excellent shopping in the transit hall
The airy transit hall seen from the lounge
The departure board, busy evening at Incheon airport
Boarding
The flight to Nadi was due to depart from gate 26, right in the middle of the transit hall just a short walk from the lounge.
Boarding started at 6 pm sharp with priority boarding for first class, business class and top-tier status passengers using the exit to the right of the podium.
The boarding process itself was quite interesting. A few seconds before the boarding was about to start the gate staff stopped working and quietly stood at attention behind the counter.
Then a bell sounded and all staff bowed at the same time in front of all passengers, and then the boarding announcement was made. Very elegant I have to say!
Two passenger bridges were in use and I turned left and entered the aircraft through door 1L.
A female FA greeted me at the door and directed me to the right aisle, once at the seat another FA immediately approached me and offered to take my jacket.
I had pre-booked seat 07H for this flight which was a window seat on the first. Because of the seat being a bulkhead seat I had to place all hand luggage in the overhead bins during take-off and landing.
The aircraft operating the overnight flight to Nadi, Fiji was an Airbus A330-200.
Business class had three rows with a 2-2-2 configuration which means 18 seats in total, only six seats were occupied on this flight.
Sitting on the first row of business class I could also sneak into the first class cabin when then curtain wasn’t closed/fully closed.
First class was just one row, also with a 2-2-2 configuration. The seats were slightly wider, had far more legroom, and also reclined more, but otherwise I could not notice any major differences between the business class and first class seats.
After most passengers had boarded pre-departure drinks were offered in the cabin, a standard selection of champagne, orange juice or water. And no, I am not going to make you disappointed this time either.
Peanuts were also offered with the drink.
Pics
The Korean Air Airbus A330 at the gate
The gate area, soon time for boarding
The passenger bridges, as a business class passenger I naturally turn left
The business class cabin onboard
Sneaking into the first class cabin
Welcome onboard Korean Air
A glass of champagne before departure
Seoul/Incheon-Nadi, flight KE 137 operated by Korean Air
Departure: 18:30
Arrival: 07:40
Aircraft: Airbus A330-200
Class: Prestige Class (Business Class)
Seat: 07H
The doors were closed at 6.20 pm, 10 minutes before scheduled departure time, which also meant they managed to get all passengers onboard the Airbus A330 in just 20 minutes.
A few more aircrafts were in line for take-off and we were finally airborne at 6.45 pm taking off from runway 33L.
Quite a nice view right after take-off from Incheon, there are lots of small quite nice islands in the area. Our routing would take us across South Korea, over the Sea of Japan and southern Japan, passing over the city of Osaka, then a right turn and several hours over the Pacific Ocean before reaching Fiji and the South Pacific.
Pics
Pushback with the huge terminal building in the background, lots of KE metal
Beautiful view seconds after take-off from Incheon
Left turn heading for Japan and the South Pacific
Crossing the Korean peninsula
The menu
After the seatbelt sign had been switched off hot towels were offered to all passengers and the menus were distributed, a green rather elegant looking menu.
Tonight’s options were as follow:
Pics
The Prestige Class menu
Quote:
Menu Seoul-Nadi
Dinner
Pre-Drink Starter
Skewered baby mozzarella and cherry tomato with basil pesto
Appetizer
Smoked salmon and red onion pickle served with lemon dressing
Soup
Pumpkin cream soup
(offered with western main course)
Main Course
Korean "bibimbap" offered with minced beef and seasonal vegetables,
accompanied by sesame oil and Korean hot pepper paste
Chicken leg teriyaki served with steamed rice and mixed vegetables
Chinese style fried cod fillet and hot bean sauce served with
bell pepper fried rice and garlic pak choy
Cheese Tray
Comte, Chaumes, Saint-Andre
Dessert
Häagen-Dazs ice cream or cheese cake
Bread selection
Rye roll, Crusty farm roll, Tomato bread
Coffee / Tea / Green Tea / Ginseng Tea
Refreshment
Ramen with Side Dishes
Fresh Cookie
Breakfast
Yoghurt Selection
Main Course
Korean style porridge served with savoury Korean side dishes
Lyonnaise omelette with piperade, potato and herb tomato
Seasonal Fresh Fruit
Bread Selection
Pumpkin bread, Croissant, Pastry
Selection of jam and butter
Coffee / Tea / Green Tea / Ginseng Tea
Wine List
Champagne
Laurent-Perrier
White Wines
Sauvignon Blanc, Kendall-Jackson, 2006
Australia Chardonnay, Rosemount, 2006
Red Wines
Merlot, Robert Mondavi, Private Selection, 2006
Tyrrell‘s Rufus Stone Heathcote Shiraz, 2005
Cocktails & Aperitifs
Kir / Kir Royale / Campari
Tio Pepe Dry Sherry / Dry Vermouth
Founders Reserve Porto, Sandeman
Martini / Tom Collins / Whisky Sour
Bloody Mary / Screwdriver / Gin & Tonic
Chivas Regal 18 Years Rare Old
Johnnie Walker Gold
Glenfiddich 15 Years Malt Whisky
Jack Daniel‘s / Level Vodka
Beefeater Gin / Bacardi Rum
Brandy & Liqueurs
Cointreau / Crème de Menthe
Crème de Cassis / Bailey‘s Irish Cream
Remy Martin Cognac X.O.
Selected Beers of the World
|
The meal service
More drinks were offered and I had another glass of the rather tasty champagne they had onboard. They also offered what they called a pre-drink starter, a mozzarella and tomato skewer, nothing special.
Tablecloths were laid on the tables and the meal trays were brought out.
The appetizer was salmon and as main course I chose the Korean Air signature dish, Bibimbap, which I had read was supposed to be quite good.
What makes this dish a bit different is that you prepare it yourself, mixing the ingredients on the place with the rice you get in a bowl. You then add sesame oil and pepper paste (half the tube will give you a mild taste, a full tube will give you a hot taste). You also get side dishes and some soup.
If you are unsure how Bibimbap should be mixed there is a separate page in the menu describing all the steps.
I found Bibimbap to be very tasty, but also very filling. However I skipped the side dishes on the tray, some kind of pickles and mushrooms, not my thing!
The only negative aspect about Bibimbap is that I have heard it is served on all flights as one of the three main course options, and I can imagine frequent travellers on KE would prefer to see some other Korean dishes from time to time.
Regarding the selection of wines they had two reds and two whites available that were served rather elegantly from a specially designed basket.
I tried one of the reds and it was quite tasty. Very nicely the FA always let me taste the wines first before filling the glass.
Cheese and crackers were offered from a trolley and I had a slice of each one and some grapes.
Afterwards dessert, coffee and tea were offered. The dessert was a choice between ice cream and cheesecake. The cheesecake was quite good.
Overall the food onboard was OK, but not spectacular, although I did like the Bibimbap, I always enjoy trying local cuisine when travelling.
The drink selection was very good though, nice red wines and champagne and everything served elegantly by the crew.
Pics
Another glass of champagne and pre-drink starter
Appetizer
Main course
Instructions how to make Bibimbap
And here is Bibimbap à la jacob_m
Cheese and crackers
Coffee and dessert
Peanuts and a glass of Chivas Regal
The seat, the inflight entertainment system, and other amenities
One word about the seat: terrible!
A seat like the one onboard should simply not be offered in business class to a paying passenger on a 10-hour longhaul flight, at least not in these days.
The seat was OK to sit in during the meal service, reasonably comfortable, but the recline was very limited making it very hard to get any kind of decent sleep during the night, I simply could not find a good position to sleep in. Finally I figured out how to make optimal use of the footrest, making things slightly better.
Most airlines abolished these type of seats many years ago, and I hope Korean Air will do the same.
To complement the review with some numbers the seat pitch was 47” and the seat width 20”.
To be honest I knew what to expect when I booked the flight, I also know Korean Air is currently installing new proper lie-flat seats in business class.
Unfortunately ICN-NAN is only operated by aircrafts with the old seats onboard, and all other KE routes that could have been of interest when creating the itinerary also had the old seats.
Well I still wanted to give Korean Air a try, but it was not my most comfortable night onboard an airplane and if I would have to take an overnight flight again KE perhaps wouldn’t be my first choice.
Just like the seat the inflight entertainment system was also an old version dating back to around year 76 B.C.
About 10 movies and two channels with news reports were available to watch on the miniature screen hidden in the armrest. Both the picture and the sound were of very questionable quality meaning IFE was not a feature I made any use of during the flight, except to look at the flight map.
Still it should be mentioned the aircrafts with the new seats also have a much better inflight entertainment system with larger screens and AVOD.
No amenity kits were handed out during the flight, but before the lights were dimmed in the cabin an FA passed through the cabin with a basket containing for example toothpaste and toothbrush, a water spray and eye masks.
In the morning after the breakfast service a second run was made with the basket in the cabin, at that time also offering shaving kits.
Pics
The seat control
Switches for the inflight entertainment system
This is about as much as the seat can be reclined
Amenities from a basket and landing card for Fiji
View of the business class cabin
Another photo of the cabin, my seat is the window seat on the first row
Breakfast service
Breakfast orders were taken already in the evening before going to bed which meant the length of the breakfast service was slightly reduced in the morning.
There was a Korean breakfast option with porridge and a continental option with omelette. I decided to give the Korean porridge a try, not the kind of food I am used to eat in the morning, but it was quite good and very filling.
An excellent selection of fruit juices was also offered as well as fresh fruit, coffee and tea.
Pics
Only a bit over an hour left to go
A glass of guava
Korean breakfast
Fresh fruit
The crew and the service onboard
I have slightly mixed feelings about the crew and the inflight service, I guess there were both highlights and lowlights.
Although the flight attendants were friendly and courteous and provided reasonably attentive service sometimes they just felt rather cold and slightly disinterested in what they were doing. I missed some smiles and some of the warmth and charm you can experience on other Asian carriers.
As always when mentioning “cold” the next question should be if the flight attendants were just not motivated, or if it is a cultural thing.
In many countries when experiencing “cold service” it is often because the attendants deliberately keep a certain distance, which is to show respect and not intrude too much on the passenger‘s privacy.
I have too little experience of Korean Air to know what the norm is, but I know Korea is a rather formal country.
On the other hand there were a few really nice moments during the flight.
I woke up in the middle of the night and made a quick visit to the lavatory. As I returned to my seat two minutes later my bottle of water had been replaced with a new one and two minutes later a young female FA came to my seat with some warm cookies on a plate telling me she took the liberty to prepare those for me as she thought I needed those.
Very nice indeed and the cookies were yummy!
That is for sure something I don’t experience on every flight I take.
During the meal service there was also some turbulence and one of the FAs accidently spilled water on my sweatshirt and the adjacent seat, a fair amount of water.
She apologised profoundly and went to great length to try to get my sweatshirt dry, of course since it was only regular water she spilled there were no traces left of the small accident by the time we landed, but still a nice gesture.
A beautiful morning approach into Nadi
We started our descent around 7 am local time. As with all arrivals at South Pacific airports (at least smaller ones) the descent is quite straight forward, you basically start descending and continue to do so until you are on the ground.
No speed restrictions or holding patterns to worry about.
The approach into Nadi was absolutely lovely, it was early morning and the sun was rising in the horizon as we descended providing some fascinating scenery outside the window.
Around 15 minutes before landing the first few smaller islands of Fiji appeared outside the window followed by two larger ones.
Soon we approached Viti Levu which is the main island of Fiji where Nadi airport is located, a left turn was made to align with runway 02 while I got to see the rather fascinating landscape of the island through the window.
We finally touched down at 7.20 am, 20 minutes ahead of timetable, and made the short taxi to the international terminal which is one of the larger ones in the South Pacific with proper passenger bridges.
The ground staff had some problems positioning the passenger bridge to the our aircraft, but after a few tries they finally succeeded, the doors were opened and tropical air entered the cabin.
Pics
Approaching Fiji as you can see on the flight map
First sight of Fiji
First sight of Viti Levu, the main island of Fiji. A fantastic morning view!
Interesting landscape
Seconds before touchdown
Just landed at Nadi international airport passing the terminal building
A Pacific Sun ATR-42 is waiting to take-off after we have vacated the runway
Our Korean Air A330 at the gate in Nadi
Conclusion
To sum up in short:
*Check-in: 30 seconds wait, friendly and efficient service
*Lounge: Very nice, excellent food, great view
*Seat: Old, very limited recline, a bit hard to sleep in
*Inflight entertainment: No AVOD, bad picture and sound, few choices
*Food: OK, although not spectacular
*Drinks: Pretty good
*Crew and inflight service: Mixed experiences, some highlights and some lowlights
*Punctuality: Pushback 10 mins before scheduled departure, landing 20 mins ahead of timetable
*Priority service: Priority boarding/separate exit at the gate, priority tag worked well
In other words a rather mixed bag. Would I fly Korean Air again? Probably yes, if I get a flight with proper lie-flat seats and AVOD onboard.
Although as a regular Star Alliance flyer it’s probably not going to happen very soon for that reason.