How are KE Economy?
Mar 21, 2011, 7:39 am
#2
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: East Coast USA/Asia
Programs: AA Plat /KE mc/OZ Diamond /Marriott gold/ SPG gold
Posts: 221
1) depends on your route. my personal favorite route : IAD- ICN has good inflight entertainment (personal LCD), with good new movie releases.
2) Food is up to you. I have always enjoyed KE food, partially because I am Korean. I can tell you at least that it's much better than DE or AA, which i have used previously to fly to Korea.
3) Seating is a-ok. At least KE didn't pull anything like what DE pulled with whole economy+ stuff. You will find many chatting Korean ladies that can get annoying though
2) Food is up to you. I have always enjoyed KE food, partially because I am Korean. I can tell you at least that it's much better than DE or AA, which i have used previously to fly to Korea.
3) Seating is a-ok. At least KE didn't pull anything like what DE pulled with whole economy+ stuff. You will find many chatting Korean ladies that can get annoying though
Mar 23, 2011, 7:31 pm
#4
Join Date: Mar 2011
Posts: 7
As I can recall, KE offered two options for meals: one was the Korean style and the other was the western/oriental style (ICN-ORD). I quite enjoyed its food. The service was superior, considering we had a 12-month-old baby when we flew last May. That is why we decided to go with KE again the coming May. To me (I am 5'10"), seats were alright. I have been flying between the U.S. and Asia with Continental, Delta, United, Northwest, and Singapore Airlines. I'd say you made a right choice.
Mar 24, 2011, 12:36 am
#5
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: SFO, SJC
Programs: UA Gold, Hilton HHonors Gold, Marriott Gold, SPG Gold
Posts: 197
Yes. ICN-SFO flights have Korean and western food choices but Korean food runs out sometimes because a lot of people may request the bibimbap, or mixing rice with vegetable and some meat. Special Korean spicy sauce adds a lot flavors to this dish. One problem with KE and OZ both are that you may deplane and find yourself smell like garlic and fermented bean sauce.
So, look at the seat map and place yourself closer in line for bibimbap if you want to try that.
So, look at the seat map and place yourself closer in line for bibimbap if you want to try that.
Last edited by newballs; Mar 25, 2011 at 6:32 am
Mar 25, 2011, 6:36 am
#8
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: SFO, SJC
Programs: UA Gold, Hilton HHonors Gold, Marriott Gold, SPG Gold
Posts: 197
I don't really remember how exactly KE serves, but if you want to make sure you are ahead in line, place yourself somewhat closer to the galley area won't be wrong. I think they serve front to back as well as back to front. So the guys in between will probably have lesser choice if one kind of food ran out.
Mar 28, 2011, 10:59 pm
#9
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: bouncing around
Posts: 1,274
I just returned from a ATL-ICN roundtrip in KE's Y cabin and can say that it is much better than UA, MA, CI, and likely many other airlines. Food is the standard choice between Korean or Western meal, adequate and nothing to write home about. Flight attendants are tall gorgeous models, though English may not be their strong point. Seat pitch is as good as UA's Economy Plus (I'm 5'10" male with long thigh), and when reclined the seat bottom slides forward in this new design. Seatback touchscreen AVOD is excellent, with new movies such as Black Swan, True Grit, Harry Potter's last movie part I, etc. Each seat has either a USB port or 3 seats share 2 US-style 110v 3-prong plug (tested and worked on ICN-ATL return trip's 772, hard to find/see and below seat cushion). I'd check KE's site to see if your particular flight on that day of the week has 110v outlet. The only complaint I had is that both of my outbound and return flight were completely full; KE knows how to pack their planes full of bodies!
Mar 29, 2011, 8:28 am
#10
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: SFO, SJC
Programs: UA Gold, Hilton HHonors Gold, Marriott Gold, SPG Gold
Posts: 197
I just returned from a ATL-ICN roundtrip in KE's Y cabin and can say that it is much better than UA, MA, CI, and likely many other airlines. Food is the standard choice between Korean or Western meal, adequate and nothing to write home about. Flight attendants are tall gorgeous models, though English may not be their strong point. Seat pitch is as good as UA's Economy Plus (I'm 5'10" male with long thigh), and when reclined the seat bottom slides forward in this new design. Seatback touchscreen AVOD is excellent, with new movies such as Black Swan, True Grit, Harry Potter's last movie part I, etc. Each seat has either a USB port or 3 seats share 2 US-style 110v 3-prong plug (tested and worked on ICN-ATL return trip's 772, hard to find/see and below seat cushion). I'd check KE's site to see if your particular flight on that day of the week has 110v outlet. The only complaint I had is that both of my outbound and return flight were completely full; KE knows how to pack their planes full of bodies!
Mar 29, 2011, 6:18 pm
#11
Join Date: May 2010
Location: BDL
Programs: DL PM, HHonors Silver
Posts: 440
In my opinion it depends on what your routing is. KE offers personal tv and more comfortable seats on every us-asia flights compared to delta and their 744. Better ife than united never done AA. The drink service and IFE/seat comfort is better on delta 777's. KE does however clean their heads during flight which is a huge plus. The food on KE is slightly better but the bimimap isn't all that great still salty just different
Mar 30, 2011, 12:23 am
#12
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: MEX-LIS
Programs: QR-PLT, AM-Platino, TK-Elite
Posts: 298
Was on KE LAX-ICN and ICN-ATL
I have to say the LAX-ICN seemed better because perhaps the latter route was so packed on Y. Like everyone has commented, they provide good IFE, food and service.
What I liked most is the onboard slippers you get. Really handy.
Have a safe trip. ^
I have to say the LAX-ICN seemed better because perhaps the latter route was so packed on Y. Like everyone has commented, they provide good IFE, food and service.
What I liked most is the onboard slippers you get. Really handy.
Have a safe trip. ^
Mar 30, 2011, 6:28 pm
#13
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2008
Posts: 1,842
Took my first KE trip from SEA to ICN.
Economy was almost full, with only a few open seats.
I was very impressed.
1. IFE was amazing, with tons of movies, short features and even Korean language tutorials. The screen was big too and very clear. So much better than US carriers.
The entertainment system is available on takeoff until plane reaches the gate. Awesome.
2. Food was good too with metal utensils and non-plastic bowls.
Had the Bibimpap. Tasty.
They serve from the front and the back on a 777.
Didn't run out of meal choices.
Hot towels before each meal too.
3. Service was very good with smiley, courteous flight attendants who want to do their jobs, no surly FAs here.
4. Seat had lots of legroom and it slides out a little and reclines back.
Very nice.
Overall, very impressed with KE economy.
I'll likely travel on KE in the future.
3.
Economy was almost full, with only a few open seats.
I was very impressed.
1. IFE was amazing, with tons of movies, short features and even Korean language tutorials. The screen was big too and very clear. So much better than US carriers.
The entertainment system is available on takeoff until plane reaches the gate. Awesome.
2. Food was good too with metal utensils and non-plastic bowls.
Had the Bibimpap. Tasty.
They serve from the front and the back on a 777.
Didn't run out of meal choices.
Hot towels before each meal too.
3. Service was very good with smiley, courteous flight attendants who want to do their jobs, no surly FAs here.
4. Seat had lots of legroom and it slides out a little and reclines back.
Very nice.
Overall, very impressed with KE economy.
I'll likely travel on KE in the future.
3.
Mar 30, 2011, 7:42 pm
#14
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: LGA/JFK
Programs: DL PM, UA Premier, AA Gold, Hertz PC, National Exec Elite, Sixt Plat
Posts: 500
KE economy is fantastic.
I've only taken KE, OZ, and UA to ICN but hands down KE was the best and OZ was a close second. UA, on the other hand, was horrible; the seat was OK (UA 744 ICN-SFO in E+) but the meal service was severely lacking and, of course, no seatback IFE.
KE is phenomenal. Like a poster above, I usually take KE 93/94 IAD-ICN route. It varies from a 772 or 773. Both are fantastic. Here's the lowdown:
Seat: 34 inches of leg room. Everytime I go on a KE flight and then I get on a domestic DL flight, I wonder, what the heck is up with our domestic seats. However, KE's domestic seats (flights within Korea) have very little legroom.
Boarding the plane: Upon boarding, you can pick some newspapers to take; there is usually Korean, English, Chinese, and Japanese selections. At your seat, you get a nice little bottle of Jeju water (think Fiji water but from Jeju Island in Korea). Last year, they started giving amenity kits as well which includes slippers and a toothbrush in a nice little blue pouch. (I think I'm forgetting something).
IFE: Lots of newly released movies on-demand. Touch-screen works well. There are two different types of IFE... I think they call it I and II. I is older but they've been making improvements to the software so much so that now I prefer I to II because of the map features are more interactive than the II system. II is usually on 773s and I is on 772s. There are also power plugs 2 for every 3 seats. If you have a laptop, between that and the seat back AVOD, the flight is pretty nice.
Food: OK, I will have to admit that I am biased since I am also Korean-American. I love KE's in-flight food. There are usually 2 meals from the US to ICN. I always order the Korean one so I will describe those (I think once I ordered the chicken and ended up with a Western meal and looked on with jealousy and envy at those with Korean meals because it looked so much tastier to me). Also, I have never seen kimchi served (probably because non-Koreans generally don't like the smell... well even Koreans don't like too much kimchi smell)
Meal 1 (the larger one): Bibimbap usually comes out as the first meal. There is bibimbap, some type of soup (either seaweed or a fermented bean soup), and pickled cucumbers. I've also had Haagen-Daz ice cream served once in a while (ICN-HKG and back).
Or, there can be a larger Korean dish. It'll usually be a chicken or a beef (Korean style) or a few banchan (side dishes you get at a Korean restaurant) put into a dish, some rice, pickled cucumbers, some fresh sliced carrots and cucumbers that you can dip into a red pepper paste sauce, and tofu with soy sauce-based sauce. Soup is also served.
Meal 2 is usually smaller. It could be Bibimbap or Bibim-gooksu which is the noodle version of bibimbap. It'll also have a small soup and some type of fruit (last time I had a fresh clementine). If it's not either of those, then it'll be a smaller version of the Korean meal I described above.
Snack: They usually come out with snacks. Either pizza in a small box or a triangle kimbap (rice and some type of meat or fish wrapped in lavar in the shape of a triangle; it's actually Japanese) thing. Both are good although I do like the pizza more...
All alcoholic drinks are free and coffee and tea are usually served after the meal.
Lavatory: As a whole, I am really impressed. I once went to use the lavatory and saw a KE flight attendant cleaning the bathroom. She then let me in... once I was finished, she was waiting outside and went right back in to clean the bathroom. It's the little things I notice, i.e. toilet paper is folded into a triangle, all water is wiped, mirror is crystal clear. Also, the flight attendant had a can of air freshener. Hopefully not because of me...
Overall service: All of the flight attendants I've encountered speak fluent English; from what my friends in Korea tell me, candidates must achieve some level of English fluency to become a flight attendant. I rarely speak English to them but I've heard them speak English with other passengers. They sometimes could have a very thick accent. On the whole, they are very professional and I've seen them go out of their way to help out fellow passengers. I once ordered a scotch, which they forgot about, so then I asked another flight attendant. As she brought mine, the other flight attendant I originally asked came and profusely apologized to which I said, nah it's fine, don't worry about it.
I also love these stickers they have that you can stick to your seat that lets the flight attendants know to wake you up for duty free shopping, meals, or to not disturb you. Again, one of the small things that makes me smile.
I always go out of my way to get a KE flight now. OZ is comparable to KE but they still need to work on the smaller stuff.
Hope my post wasn't too long. I can't wait for my next KE flight!
I've only taken KE, OZ, and UA to ICN but hands down KE was the best and OZ was a close second. UA, on the other hand, was horrible; the seat was OK (UA 744 ICN-SFO in E+) but the meal service was severely lacking and, of course, no seatback IFE.
KE is phenomenal. Like a poster above, I usually take KE 93/94 IAD-ICN route. It varies from a 772 or 773. Both are fantastic. Here's the lowdown:
Seat: 34 inches of leg room. Everytime I go on a KE flight and then I get on a domestic DL flight, I wonder, what the heck is up with our domestic seats. However, KE's domestic seats (flights within Korea) have very little legroom.
Boarding the plane: Upon boarding, you can pick some newspapers to take; there is usually Korean, English, Chinese, and Japanese selections. At your seat, you get a nice little bottle of Jeju water (think Fiji water but from Jeju Island in Korea). Last year, they started giving amenity kits as well which includes slippers and a toothbrush in a nice little blue pouch. (I think I'm forgetting something).
IFE: Lots of newly released movies on-demand. Touch-screen works well. There are two different types of IFE... I think they call it I and II. I is older but they've been making improvements to the software so much so that now I prefer I to II because of the map features are more interactive than the II system. II is usually on 773s and I is on 772s. There are also power plugs 2 for every 3 seats. If you have a laptop, between that and the seat back AVOD, the flight is pretty nice.
Food: OK, I will have to admit that I am biased since I am also Korean-American. I love KE's in-flight food. There are usually 2 meals from the US to ICN. I always order the Korean one so I will describe those (I think once I ordered the chicken and ended up with a Western meal and looked on with jealousy and envy at those with Korean meals because it looked so much tastier to me). Also, I have never seen kimchi served (probably because non-Koreans generally don't like the smell... well even Koreans don't like too much kimchi smell)
Meal 1 (the larger one): Bibimbap usually comes out as the first meal. There is bibimbap, some type of soup (either seaweed or a fermented bean soup), and pickled cucumbers. I've also had Haagen-Daz ice cream served once in a while (ICN-HKG and back).
Or, there can be a larger Korean dish. It'll usually be a chicken or a beef (Korean style) or a few banchan (side dishes you get at a Korean restaurant) put into a dish, some rice, pickled cucumbers, some fresh sliced carrots and cucumbers that you can dip into a red pepper paste sauce, and tofu with soy sauce-based sauce. Soup is also served.
Meal 2 is usually smaller. It could be Bibimbap or Bibim-gooksu which is the noodle version of bibimbap. It'll also have a small soup and some type of fruit (last time I had a fresh clementine). If it's not either of those, then it'll be a smaller version of the Korean meal I described above.
Snack: They usually come out with snacks. Either pizza in a small box or a triangle kimbap (rice and some type of meat or fish wrapped in lavar in the shape of a triangle; it's actually Japanese) thing. Both are good although I do like the pizza more...
All alcoholic drinks are free and coffee and tea are usually served after the meal.
Lavatory: As a whole, I am really impressed. I once went to use the lavatory and saw a KE flight attendant cleaning the bathroom. She then let me in... once I was finished, she was waiting outside and went right back in to clean the bathroom. It's the little things I notice, i.e. toilet paper is folded into a triangle, all water is wiped, mirror is crystal clear. Also, the flight attendant had a can of air freshener. Hopefully not because of me...
Overall service: All of the flight attendants I've encountered speak fluent English; from what my friends in Korea tell me, candidates must achieve some level of English fluency to become a flight attendant. I rarely speak English to them but I've heard them speak English with other passengers. They sometimes could have a very thick accent. On the whole, they are very professional and I've seen them go out of their way to help out fellow passengers. I once ordered a scotch, which they forgot about, so then I asked another flight attendant. As she brought mine, the other flight attendant I originally asked came and profusely apologized to which I said, nah it's fine, don't worry about it.
I also love these stickers they have that you can stick to your seat that lets the flight attendants know to wake you up for duty free shopping, meals, or to not disturb you. Again, one of the small things that makes me smile.
I always go out of my way to get a KE flight now. OZ is comparable to KE but they still need to work on the smaller stuff.
Hope my post wasn't too long. I can't wait for my next KE flight!
Apr 1, 2011, 3:38 am
#15
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: SFO, SJC
Programs: UA Gold, Hilton HHonors Gold, Marriott Gold, SPG Gold
Posts: 197
KE economy is fantastic.
I've only taken KE, OZ, and UA to ICN but hands down KE was the best and OZ was a close second. UA, on the other hand, was horrible; the seat was OK (UA 744 ICN-SFO in E+) but the meal service was severely lacking and, of course, no seatback IFE.
KE is phenomenal. Like a poster above, I usually take KE 93/94 IAD-ICN route. It varies from a 772 or 773. Both are fantastic. Here's the lowdown:
Seat: 34 inches of leg room. Everytime I go on a KE flight and then I get on a domestic DL flight, I wonder, what the heck is up with our domestic seats. However, KE's domestic seats (flights within Korea) have very little legroom.
Boarding the plane: Upon boarding, you can pick some newspapers to take; there is usually Korean, English, Chinese, and Japanese selections. At your seat, you get a nice little bottle of Jeju water (think Fiji water but from Jeju Island in Korea). Last year, they started giving amenity kits as well which includes slippers and a toothbrush in a nice little blue pouch. (I think I'm forgetting something).
IFE: Lots of newly released movies on-demand. Touch-screen works well. There are two different types of IFE... I think they call it I and II. I is older but they've been making improvements to the software so much so that now I prefer I to II because of the map features are more interactive than the II system. II is usually on 773s and I is on 772s. There are also power plugs 2 for every 3 seats. If you have a laptop, between that and the seat back AVOD, the flight is pretty nice.
Food: OK, I will have to admit that I am biased since I am also Korean-American. I love KE's in-flight food. There are usually 2 meals from the US to ICN. I always order the Korean one so I will describe those (I think once I ordered the chicken and ended up with a Western meal and looked on with jealousy and envy at those with Korean meals because it looked so much tastier to me). Also, I have never seen kimchi served (probably because non-Koreans generally don't like the smell... well even Koreans don't like too much kimchi smell)
Meal 1 (the larger one): Bibimbap usually comes out as the first meal. There is bibimbap, some type of soup (either seaweed or a fermented bean soup), and pickled cucumbers. I've also had Haagen-Daz ice cream served once in a while (ICN-HKG and back).
Or, there can be a larger Korean dish. It'll usually be a chicken or a beef (Korean style) or a few banchan (side dishes you get at a Korean restaurant) put into a dish, some rice, pickled cucumbers, some fresh sliced carrots and cucumbers that you can dip into a red pepper paste sauce, and tofu with soy sauce-based sauce. Soup is also served.
Meal 2 is usually smaller. It could be Bibimbap or Bibim-gooksu which is the noodle version of bibimbap. It'll also have a small soup and some type of fruit (last time I had a fresh clementine). If it's not either of those, then it'll be a smaller version of the Korean meal I described above.
Snack: They usually come out with snacks. Either pizza in a small box or a triangle kimbap (rice and some type of meat or fish wrapped in lavar in the shape of a triangle; it's actually Japanese) thing. Both are good although I do like the pizza more...
All alcoholic drinks are free and coffee and tea are usually served after the meal.
Lavatory: As a whole, I am really impressed. I once went to use the lavatory and saw a KE flight attendant cleaning the bathroom. She then let me in... once I was finished, she was waiting outside and went right back in to clean the bathroom. It's the little things I notice, i.e. toilet paper is folded into a triangle, all water is wiped, mirror is crystal clear. Also, the flight attendant had a can of air freshener. Hopefully not because of me...
Overall service: All of the flight attendants I've encountered speak fluent English; from what my friends in Korea tell me, candidates must achieve some level of English fluency to become a flight attendant. I rarely speak English to them but I've heard them speak English with other passengers. They sometimes could have a very thick accent. On the whole, they are very professional and I've seen them go out of their way to help out fellow passengers. I once ordered a scotch, which they forgot about, so then I asked another flight attendant. As she brought mine, the other flight attendant I originally asked came and profusely apologized to which I said, nah it's fine, don't worry about it.
I also love these stickers they have that you can stick to your seat that lets the flight attendants know to wake you up for duty free shopping, meals, or to not disturb you. Again, one of the small things that makes me smile.
I always go out of my way to get a KE flight now. OZ is comparable to KE but they still need to work on the smaller stuff.
Hope my post wasn't too long. I can't wait for my next KE flight!
I've only taken KE, OZ, and UA to ICN but hands down KE was the best and OZ was a close second. UA, on the other hand, was horrible; the seat was OK (UA 744 ICN-SFO in E+) but the meal service was severely lacking and, of course, no seatback IFE.
KE is phenomenal. Like a poster above, I usually take KE 93/94 IAD-ICN route. It varies from a 772 or 773. Both are fantastic. Here's the lowdown:
Seat: 34 inches of leg room. Everytime I go on a KE flight and then I get on a domestic DL flight, I wonder, what the heck is up with our domestic seats. However, KE's domestic seats (flights within Korea) have very little legroom.
Boarding the plane: Upon boarding, you can pick some newspapers to take; there is usually Korean, English, Chinese, and Japanese selections. At your seat, you get a nice little bottle of Jeju water (think Fiji water but from Jeju Island in Korea). Last year, they started giving amenity kits as well which includes slippers and a toothbrush in a nice little blue pouch. (I think I'm forgetting something).
IFE: Lots of newly released movies on-demand. Touch-screen works well. There are two different types of IFE... I think they call it I and II. I is older but they've been making improvements to the software so much so that now I prefer I to II because of the map features are more interactive than the II system. II is usually on 773s and I is on 772s. There are also power plugs 2 for every 3 seats. If you have a laptop, between that and the seat back AVOD, the flight is pretty nice.
Food: OK, I will have to admit that I am biased since I am also Korean-American. I love KE's in-flight food. There are usually 2 meals from the US to ICN. I always order the Korean one so I will describe those (I think once I ordered the chicken and ended up with a Western meal and looked on with jealousy and envy at those with Korean meals because it looked so much tastier to me). Also, I have never seen kimchi served (probably because non-Koreans generally don't like the smell... well even Koreans don't like too much kimchi smell)
Meal 1 (the larger one): Bibimbap usually comes out as the first meal. There is bibimbap, some type of soup (either seaweed or a fermented bean soup), and pickled cucumbers. I've also had Haagen-Daz ice cream served once in a while (ICN-HKG and back).
Or, there can be a larger Korean dish. It'll usually be a chicken or a beef (Korean style) or a few banchan (side dishes you get at a Korean restaurant) put into a dish, some rice, pickled cucumbers, some fresh sliced carrots and cucumbers that you can dip into a red pepper paste sauce, and tofu with soy sauce-based sauce. Soup is also served.
Meal 2 is usually smaller. It could be Bibimbap or Bibim-gooksu which is the noodle version of bibimbap. It'll also have a small soup and some type of fruit (last time I had a fresh clementine). If it's not either of those, then it'll be a smaller version of the Korean meal I described above.
Snack: They usually come out with snacks. Either pizza in a small box or a triangle kimbap (rice and some type of meat or fish wrapped in lavar in the shape of a triangle; it's actually Japanese) thing. Both are good although I do like the pizza more...
All alcoholic drinks are free and coffee and tea are usually served after the meal.
Lavatory: As a whole, I am really impressed. I once went to use the lavatory and saw a KE flight attendant cleaning the bathroom. She then let me in... once I was finished, she was waiting outside and went right back in to clean the bathroom. It's the little things I notice, i.e. toilet paper is folded into a triangle, all water is wiped, mirror is crystal clear. Also, the flight attendant had a can of air freshener. Hopefully not because of me...
Overall service: All of the flight attendants I've encountered speak fluent English; from what my friends in Korea tell me, candidates must achieve some level of English fluency to become a flight attendant. I rarely speak English to them but I've heard them speak English with other passengers. They sometimes could have a very thick accent. On the whole, they are very professional and I've seen them go out of their way to help out fellow passengers. I once ordered a scotch, which they forgot about, so then I asked another flight attendant. As she brought mine, the other flight attendant I originally asked came and profusely apologized to which I said, nah it's fine, don't worry about it.
I also love these stickers they have that you can stick to your seat that lets the flight attendants know to wake you up for duty free shopping, meals, or to not disturb you. Again, one of the small things that makes me smile.
I always go out of my way to get a KE flight now. OZ is comparable to KE but they still need to work on the smaller stuff.
Hope my post wasn't too long. I can't wait for my next KE flight!
And I think OZ's bibimbap is less tastier than KE. And OZ has no AVOD on SFO-ICN route.