uncleflori

Hi,

I know there are many threads like this one however someone mentioned that OZ-Service is a bit on the down side when taking off from non-ICN airports and not as superb as it used to be. I now have the choice of OZ 747 or LX A340 in First from Germany to Asia. So I would like to make my decision based on the service and as a food and wine enthusiast (of course) also on the menu.

So: Help needed

ORDnHKG

I have done both, and OZ wins hands down. I don't know where you read about OZ service not as good when departing non-ICN airport.

For OZ, you won't see those 30+ years senority "grandmas" like in LX F. There are FA waiting outside the bathroom once you changed into your PJ for OZ. LX: If the FA went on their breaks, more than likely you have to hang it in the closet by yourself. OZ FA clean the bathroom once you came out, and put a new toilet seat paper on it. I had rarely seen LX FA will go into the bathroom.

Food: OZ do well in both asian and western food. LX is only good for western food (especially if you like air dry meat, as they provide that for both dinner and breakfast), asian food is really mediocre. LX is also lack of midflight snack in F, I mean come on, asian flight can't provide noodles ? Not even the instant ones ! All you are going to get is what they serve in C, chocolates, cookies, biscuits, nothing hot, and nothing substanial.

Amenity: I don't like LX only has those tiny little samples of La Prarie in the F amenity kit, given in F, they should provide bigger tubes, even NZ provide the same tubes in their C class ! LX kit is a Bally bag, but I see no difference than any other toiletry bag with no brand name. OZ F has a full Bvlgari amenity kit with fragrance bottle. OZ F bathroom has more amenities than LX F bathroom. OZ F slippers come in a reusable drawstring bag. LX F slippers looks rather cheap, like the UA ones in a plastic bag.

uncleflori

Thank you, ORDnHKG, for your openminded and substantial evaluation. The comment on OZ-food from return-flights was on the following site:

http://www.sqtalk.com/forum/showthre...?t=4211&page=3

I never flew an Asian carrier so I can't compare and have to rely on FT-expertise ^. However on the food side I found Swiss top of the notch and very customer minded. Don't know about the hard product - it will be A340 old First vs. B747 Asiana First.

stargold

If you have already flown LX F a number of times and familiar with it, OZ F is certainly not an airline that would make you regret giving them a try. Various elements of the OZ F experience might not necessarily be better than LX F (the seat, for one) but, as someone who enjoys trying out new airlines and products, I would not consider it a particular downgrade to fly OZ F over LX F.

Although I have no personal experience of bad service on either carrier in F, people do say that LX F can be very occasionally variable. OZ, for sure, has exceptional service - however, I'm not sure how any problems with English proficiency plays out with non-Korean passengers.

I would say that food is much more geared towards the European palate on LX, and if you are catching a night flight ex-ZRH, the pre-flight dining is very good as well. OZ F on my recent NRT-ICN flight had spectacular catering for a 1h30m flight and I'm sure longhauls won't be drastically different.

Here is a very good trip report by KevinCM who flew the exact same route a year or so ago:
http://boardingarea.com/blogs/ghetto...iana-and-thai/
(But bear in mind that OZ F seat on the 777 is different to the 747, and should be considered roughly equal in quality to the LX F seat.)

uncleflori

Dear Stargold,
thank you very much for your opinion and the hint on the great trip report. You're right it is always interesting to try a new airline so I am almost convinced to take OZ. What keep's the handbrake on my decision is the need to connect at ICN vs. direct flight with LX. But hey: a chance to test the short haul C-product of OZ

Kevincm

Regional OZ is pretty good as well. Compared to European carriers. And Regional Thai too.

OZ F is still the "Gold standard". Heck, OZ C is still the yardstick which I measure some carriers against - and they do come up short.

Very short.

My ICN report is also on Flyertalk too: http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/trip-...-thai-f-c.html, but hit the blog instead as it's got everything embedded

uncleflori

Thank's Kevincm.
First thing I checked was your blog. ^ Great TR and very informative. Looking forward to my trip - I will post my impression.

ORDnHKG

Forgot to mention, OZ has big screen TV but compromise with non-noise cancelling Y style headset. LX has good quality noise cancelling headset, but the TV is smallish.

stargold

These days, neither is a particularly big problem. Noise-cancelling (or noise-blocking) headphones/earphones are more and more popular, meaning that a lot of people will already have one they want to use onboard (I certainly do). And with most people having either a laptop, a netbook or a tablet PC, we are no longer dependent on the airline to provide the IFE.

I appreciate that not everyone travels with their own equipment - I'm just saying because so many more people have them these days, it's not such a big problem anymore.

uncleflori

... I saw that on your fotos and keep wondering how an airline investing billions in seats and IFE can stick to simple headsets like that. I will certainly have to rely on the IFE and have only my HTC Sensation as backup solution, so that was a good hint although I will more or less eat (and sleep) my way through the air . But you are right: LX old screen is a bit smaller though it is situated nearer to the seat.

mrwunrfl

I flew OZ F last November, including the 747 both ways LAX-ICN. The headset was not at all like the one in the photo in the Kevin* blog. The headset I got on those flights was nice and cushy and I'm pretty sure they were noise cancelling.

I didn't have any problem with English from the Asiana staff: not at LAX, ICN, on-board, in the F lounge, or with the Japanese staff at KIX and TOY. I had actual discussions with them concerning my use on-board of a CPAP, and about our late arrival into ICN which was solved when they held my connecting flight to KIX, and about my checked bag which missed the connection.

The Japanese manager at TOY spoke English well enough but somehow didn't understand that I had no intention of using the CPAP on the short TOY-ICN flight.

The meals for LAX-ICN were very good, but my pre-ordered meal for ICN-LAX was outstanding, including foie gras, caviar, roasted lobster. It included a cream soup like in the picture but the soup I had included a truffle. The only problem I had on the return flight was that it was much shorter then the westbound flight.

ORDnHKG

Care to post a photo to let us see the improvement ?

mrwunrfl

The best I can do is this:
http://s1131.photobucket.com/albums/...t=IMG_3050.jpg

The black box contains the headset.