Asiana Club - Award thru UAL, bus class -questions..

Will I be able to bring checked luggage without a fee? Does Asiana have beds in business class (dream on, right?)? How is the food? We have never flown on Asiana at all so this will all be new for us. Any info or advice very welcome. Thanks in advance. SFO to BKK.

I have only US-ICN experience so I cannot say anything about ICN-BKK but... Asiana does not have any baggage fee for 1st & 2nd checked bags within regulation (50 lbs or less, size, etc.) yet. Oh, make it 70 lbs if you're flying business class (and I guess a *G to boot). Intra-asia flights have much smaller baggage allowances but since you are on a US-Asia itinerary, there will be no problem on your ICN-BKK and BKK-ICN legs, don't worry about it.

As for bed in business class, I'm not sure if you can call it a bed but at least SFO-ICN leg (777) should have a lie-flat seat, though not completely horizontal. Seatguru says 168-degree and my personal experience confirms it -- almost a bed.

Many flyers praise OZ food, especially in business and first class. I'd suggest you try Korean foods if you feel adventurous. Everybody I've heard who tried it loved it. (If anybody tried it and did not, you can keep silent. :D) In business class, SFO-ICN will have Bibimbap and ICN-SFO will have Ssambap. Both are excellent. There are optional night-snacks you can request too. I had a shrimp wonton soup which was fabulous. Don't feel shy but be careful not to overeat. ;)

FT has a very handy search feature. Using it will bring up many threads about food, the new business class and other things.

Many flyers praise OZ food, especially in business and first class. I'd suggest you try Korean foods if you feel adventurous. Everybody I've heard who tried it loved it. (If anybody tried it and did not, you can keep silent. :D) In business class, SFO-ICN will have Bibimbap and ICN-SFO will have Ssambap. Both are excellent. There are optional night-snacks you can request too. I had a shrimp wonton soup which was fabulous. Don't feel shy but be careful not to overeat. ;)

There is a distinct difference between F and C class on OZ. Food in C class is serve all in one tray, and food in F is served from a cart.

UA still has 3 course meal in C.

There is a distinct difference between F and C class on OZ. Food in C class is serve all in one tray, and food in F is served from a cart.

UA still has 3 course meal in C.

However I'd take a great meal served on one tray over a subpar to inedible 3 course meal. Presentation is important but it's secondary to taste/flavor.

I have not been unhappy with UA's C class international meals, nor PS meals. And now, on my UA return, we will have the new C class beds. Not too shabby!

However I'd take a great meal served on one tray over a subpar to inedible 3 course meal. Presentation is important but it's secondary to taste/flavor.

I wouldn't say one tray meal in OZ C class is great at all, it is good, but not great, it is nothing compare to F. I just never like the idea everything in one tray, by the time you finished your soup or salad, your entree already turned from hot to just warm.

Through my 10+ years of flying UA especially trans pacific, I have never had an inedible meal in UA C, however, I did have once had steak on OZ F hard as rubber.

I wouldn't say one tray meal in OZ C class is great at all, it is good, but not great, it is nothing compare to F. I just never like the idea everything in one tray, by the time you finished your soup or salad, your entree already turned from hot to just warm.

Through my 10+ years of flying UA especially trans pacific, I have never had an inedible meal in UA C, however, I did have once had steak on OZ F hard as rubber.

I guess it depends on what you like. I don't like my food to be piping hot when I eat it (soup is different however-but entree definitely warm). Preferrably at the "warm" stage. Besides, if it's a meat dish, it should rest anyway, so it shouldn't be piping hot. If economy class meals are any reflection, UA meals were inedible (bottoms burned, WAY too salty, potatoes overcooked, that kind of thing-don't even get me started on pasta-pasta should NEVER be catered as any decent pasta place will cook pasta about 6 minutes before service and no longer than that-if it sits in a warm cart with other hot foods it just turns into glue). Asiana meals were far superior, even the ones catered from the US.

Asiana meals were far superior, even the ones catered from the US.

Agree, especially the Korean selection. But even the Western choices are decent.

Meals are kinda dependent on your preference. Most Americans douse their food with enough salt (each meal!) to preserve a large cat which really isn't helping our health. If you can't imagine that, just sit in any fast food restaurant (McDonalds, Burger King, JITB, etc...) and watch how many patrons dump more salt into their fries already heavily salted in the kitchen.

Anyway, my experience with UA food has been OK at best. Most of the time, I'd take Applebees/Chillies over UA C food. The few times I've been on OZ (both C and Y), I'd say C is ok but doesn't feel like it's a whole lot better than Y. Still, the food is tasty.

Agreed. My approach to food/salt: salt is only there to enhance the natural flavors of the food. Salt is not a flavor. Salt always plays second chair to the natural flavors of the ingredients that it accompanies.

I have never felt the need to even open the salt packet in the airline meals. In UA flights, I even felt there was too much salt already. The same story in many restaurants in the US.

So, to steer the course of discussion back to OZ C meals, I didn't think anything about the OZ C meal being served in a single tray. Maybe it's my Korean upbringing, but I actually feel rather uncomfortable with multi-course meals. You know, everything is supposed to be placed on a big table on a single setting in a Korean meal to be enjoyed at your leisure, in whatever sequence you want, even for the Royal Court back when Korea was a kingdom. See this (http://cfs13.blog.daum.net/image/23/blog/2008/06/19/17/29/485a18a230055) and this (http://ojsfile.ohmynews.com/STD_IMG_FILE/2007/1108/IE000828668_STD.jpg) for examples.

OK, you can call me a rustic Korean. :D

Here's a more germane question. Does OZ serve Oy-Kimchi (kimchi sliced pickles)? If so, yum!

You can't really compare a Korean meal with a western-style meal though. there are Korean places that serve multiple-course meals, and I'm sure there are French restaurants that serve all the courses except for dessert in a single setting too. But in a korean meal there are like a dozen side dishes that accompany a single entrée, which is usually shared. Not to mention in Korean cuisine the concept of an entrée is incredibly fuzzy or nonexistent, as you may very well have 3-5 different "entrées" shared between everyone at the table. Meaning, you really don't really know what dish is the star of the show. It's like, say, thanksgiving dinner, served family style, if you had 3 different types of bird: one gigantic turkey ("entrée #1"), a couple ducks ("entrée #2"), and 3 chickens ("entrée #3"), and then a bunch of side dishes and some kind of starch (rolls, usually).

I just think that food is best enjoyed when they're served in the setting that is native to that food-just like you shouldn't serve a salad and a bowl of pasta in a single setting, you shouldn't be serving Korean food in multiple courses. It's not meant to be served in multiple courses. In other words, don't serve me a bento in multiple courses (which, in a normal Japanese hole in the wall place, would come in a single box with different compartments) and on the other hand don't serve me a steak-frites, a salade niçoise, a cheese and pâté platter, and a chocolate mousse in the same setting (which, in a normal French café, would come in multiple courses). And no, I don't want a Hawaiian plate lunch in multiple different plates either...it's meant to be all on the same plate. ;)

Here's a more germane question. Does OZ serve Oy-Kimchi (kimchi sliced pickles)? If so, yum!

I think you are talking about Kimchi-style cucumber pickles like this (http://kr.agrotrade.net/company/m/mkimchi/img/oimg_GC00005466_CA00005473.jpg). In that case, I don't think so. At least I have never seen one in my admittedly limited experiences. Maybe in F, or maybe in a Royal Court style meal -- do they still serve it? Or did they at all? I'm hazy about it but seem to remember reading something like that somewhere. If I am mistaken, my apology...

Oh, and stupidhead, great argument!

We plan to ask for the Korean meal so I can report in afterward. Since the award is through United, I am not sure how to request a special meal so I am sure of getting Korean food. I will try calling Asiana to see if they can accomodate. Our first time ever on that airline.

My husband flew China Air only once and they even took his photo and gave it to him in business class. Should have done it earlier in the flight as he looked drugged with exhaustion. ;)

I would assume you could request a meal in the same manner as you request seats: call them.

You don't need to put a special meal request for a Korean meal on Asiana. You will be given a choice of Korean vs Western on the lunch/dinner meal (similar to "beef or pasta?" that you hear often on UA Y) and I don't think they will force you on an unpopular choice just because they run out of choice, especially on the business class. If you contact Asiana beforehand about the meal choice though, I doubt they will just ignore you. ^

For your reference, they will give you a nice menu booklet (a pity I don't have a proper picture for it, but hope this (http://pds9.egloos.com/pds/200808/03/19/b0044219_48949bdc61c1a.jpg) will give you a glimpse) before the first meal that includes everything they offer for the whole flight (lunch/dinner/snack/breakfast/wine/beer/drink/whatever), so that you can plan your meals ahead. Just be careful and make sure you are looking at pages for the proper flight since the menu booket will have meals from both inbound and outbound in it (i.e. ICN-SFO & SFO-ICN. Look for the applicable route on the top of the menu pages.)

Meals are kinda dependent on your preference. Most Americans douse their food with enough salt (each meal!) to preserve a large cat which really isn't helping our health. If you can't imagine that, just sit in any fast food restaurant (McDonalds, Burger King, JITB, etc...) and watch how many patrons dump more salt into their fries already heavily salted in the kitchen.

Anyway, my experience with UA food has been OK at best. Most of the time, I'd take Applebees/Chillies over UA C food. The few times I've been on OZ (both C and Y), I'd say C is ok but doesn't feel like it's a whole lot better than Y. Still, the food is tasty.

Funny. The biggest complaint I have about most food is that it is not properly seasoned, generally because there isn't enough salt. This is something they pump into you during FRENCH culinary school, so it isn't just an American thing. I don't know if it is because you normally eat at Applebees or whatever, but most things just aren't properly seasoned throughout, especially if you are eating a lot of whole foods prepared from scratch. If you're feasting on lots of processed foods, than maybe you are eating stuff that already has a ton of salt in it already. I don't eat any of that stuff so I wouldn't know.

Finally, I think they've now rescinded all that talk about salt being bad for your health. Short-term, yes it does raise your blood pressure and so maybe if you're at super high risk for a heart attack you might watch it, but there are no studies that I've seen that show any long-term health effects.

UA food is OK. It seems to have gone downhill lately for domestic and I really wish they'd put a decent cheese on the cheese plate. I'm looking forward to our flight on Asiana, however. I was just going to ask if there were any special meal requests that were worth doing...