Asia - Best Coach Class to ICN/Seoul... really need your help...

I've just had a death in my family and have to get back to Seoul in a few days. I have enough miles with Amex and various other programs to get an award first or business class RT ticket, but as you can imagine the capacity controls make it nearly impossible find premium award seats with such short notice. It looks like unless I pay several grand for a business class seat (which doesn't make sense for me right now), I will have to fly coach... either with miles or on a paid ticket.

Fortunately/Unforunately, I haven't flown to Asia in coach in well over 10 years, so I don't know which carriers have the best/least painful coach service to Seoul.

Can anyone please recommend who would have the best coach class to Seoul? Legroom, service, power ports (really important - laptop computer), IFE, food are things that are important, and any details you could give would be most helpful.

Thank you in advance for your help. Also, I'm assuming that this is the best forum for this question, but if you can think of any other place I should post, please let me know. I appreciate all your help.

Actually, just before departure is one of the best times to find award availability in all classes, unless it's a true high season (like Golden Week in Japan). I'd suggest if you are stuck buying a last minute refundable fare, you keep checking availability for award travel right up to departure. And if it's non-refundable, pick it on a carrier where you can get an upgrade award and ask right up to departure time.

I don't know who flies to Seoul that partners with Amex. Delta certainly doesn't, and SQ (which goes out of its way to not permit award travel) would require travelling via SIN which would add many, many hours to the trip.

I'd also suggest you contact a consolidator ASAP.

So sorry to hear about the death in your family. I like flying to Asia on Eva Air in their "Deluxe Economy" class. You should run a search in the "Other Asian Airlines" section of FlyerTalk. Eva has individual entertainment systems, but I'm not sure about laptop outlets. Do contact Asian consolidators, check the Sunday newspaper ads in the Travel section of the L.A. Times. Best of luck in finding what you need for your trip.

I'm sorry about your loss.

I found a round trip fare on SQ from LAX to ICN (via SFO with an intra-state connection on UA) for $809. This fare is in B class which earns full miles. No advance purchase is required.

Here's a sample itinerary:

Thu, Oct 7

United Airlines 926
Depart: 11:10am Los Angeles, CA (LAX)
Arrive: 12:28pm San Francisco, CA (SFO)

Singapore Airlines 15
Depart: 2:10pm San Francisco, CA (SFO)
Arrive: 6:45pm Seoul, Korea, Rep. of (ICN)


Mon, Oct 11

Singapore Airlines 16
Depart: 5:30pm Seoul, Korea, Rep. of (ICN)
Arrive: 12:20pm San Francisco, CA (SFO)

United Airlines 280
Depart: 2:30pm San Francisco, CA (SFO)
Arrive: 3:50pm Los Angeles, CA (LAX)

I would buy this ticket from SQ directly to ensure that it's in B class so that you can get full miles in DL (on the international segments) or UA. The B class fare is refundable minus $75 fee and changes are permitted, also for $75.

RichardInSF has a good point: Award availability opens up often at the last minute. I would check back every day up until day of departure and see if you can snag a J or F class seat.

Thanks for everyone's help and kind thoughts. It's really nice to hear, and I appreciate it.

Well, I was surprised and lucky when I tried calling again this morning for seats. Turns out some inventory did get released last night. I'm now flying to ICN on Korean Air FL# 2 via NRT in Business (no First Class on this flight - got a seat on the upper deck) and returning on Korean Air FL# 11 in First a week or so later. Cost me 140K Amex points, but I'm very pleased that it worked out... not pleased for the reason to take the trip, but glad it worked out.

The Delta agent on the phone told me that since I'm paying (via miles) for a First RT, I should call back every day to see if one of the other daily flights releases any F seats and they would book me on it... I'll try, but that would just be icing at this point. Does anyone have any info on the Korean Air business vs. first service? I'll also post to the relevant other board.

Thanks again for your help... I really appreciate it, this is an AWESOME community.

The Delta agent on the phone told me that since I'm paying (via miles) for a First RT, I should call back every day to see if one of the other daily flights releases any F seats and they would book me on it... I'll try, but that would just be icing at this point. Does anyone have any info on the Korean Air business vs. first service? I'll also post to the relevant other board.


There's been some talk in the DL forum that KE does not honor FC award seat confirmed reservations.

My understanding is that most KE 744 do have FC seats, but that pending the installation of new lie-flat first and business seats starting late this year, the FC cabin (if available) is sold as 'Business Plus' for a small premium over the regular C fare on non-premium routes (LAX-NRT-ICN would be one). This nets the vastly superior existing F seat with C service. This also applies to some 772 and 332 long-hauls.

IIRC posts on the DL forum indicated that KE did not make any of those Business Plus seats available for DL award redemption (even for F awards) during this period.




In the past, KE 744 upper deck business seats were assigned to paying passengers first, with award/upgraded pax on the inferior main deck. Also in the past, F seats on 3 class aircraft marketed as 2 class were given to elites (a good relation with the KE station manager also did the trick).

I just read through the posts on the DL forum regarding the "phantom F class" on the 'sold as 2 class, but has 3 classes of seats' KE flights.

Right now, I am on the upper deck of a 744 from LAX-NRT-ICN, which I'm assuming is a more desirable place to sit than the lower deck? I phoned KE and they say that the F cabin of this 'sold as 2 class' flight is already sold out... I wouldn't be surprised that this is reserved for the elite pax or their "Business Plus" pax. I did use/pay for F RT, but since KE only offers Biz on this flight, I'm expecting no joy on the front "phantom F" cabin. I guess being on the upper deck and not having to stare at the curtain will help... although I'm not about to complain, given the circumstances of my trip...

On the return, I'm on a ICN-LAX non-stop, and when calling KE, they confirmed that I am in actual First Class... this route is sold as a 3 class flight, and that I am in a Sleeper seat... good/great thing for me.

It sounds like if you are redeeming an award on a 2 class (regardless of how many actual seat classes are on the a/c, or whether or not you paid for a F using miles) flight, you're gonna get stuck in the traditional business class cabin... but if there is actually 3 class service sold on that plane, you will get the F cabin that you paid for.

All a little confusing and somewhat "not cool" on KE's part if you are paying for the full F ticket (with cash or miles) you should get the best seat/class/service on the plane, but in this particular situation for me, I'm just glad I got the tix/awards and am making the trip in time for my family so I'm really not going to complain... For me, this clearly emphasizes the fact that there are more important things than which business class seat I get or if I get upgraded or not...