pilluelo

Trip Route: PHL-JFK-LAX-ICN-PVG
Total Distance: 9074 miles
Total Flying Time: 22:49 hours
Total Traveling Time: 30:40 hours (departuare at PHL: 02/02/13 1:50pm EST - arrival at PVG: 02/04/13 9:30 CST)
Costs: 120,000 Delta SkyMiles + $97.90 taxes (per person)
Keywords: Philadelphia, New York, Los Angeles, Seoul, Shanghai, Korean, Delta, BusinessElite, Prestige Class


Preparation
Shortly after deciding to spend the Chinese New Year (Spring Festival) with Ms. P in Shanghai, we began planning the logistics for an award trip using our DL miles back last September. While it was quite easy to get two PHL-JFK-PVG award seats in J during this peak travel season on MU, we quickly discarded this option after reading some reviews on FlyerTalk on MU's J product on this route.
On the other hand (as it has been pointed out in numerous threads), despite me checking every day, it was virtually impossible to get two award seats (at least in Low category) on the DL181 DTW-PVG flight, although - at the time of booking the BE cabin was literally empty (with 2 out 45 seats occupied). Even one day before departure, the BE cabin was only less than 1/3 full (13 out of 45 seats occupied), so I guess DL's revenue protection prefers to fly half-empty than giving away seats for 120,000 miles. (340,000 miles per ticket simly seemed too much, but I digress...)
So the next logical option was KE: Being flexible on the travel dates, I did some research on KE's blackout days back in October 2012 and eventually found some travel dates on which two J seats were available for low 120,000 miles and less than $100 in taxes por person. As a nice bonus, KE apparently charges much less for YQ than SkyTeam's Chinese carriers (MU, CZ, CI) which I also checked (MU was $400 in taxes per person!).
I initially only booked the international segments (LAX-ICN-PVG and PVG-ICN-NRT-LAX) of our trip, assuming it would be easy to add the domestic legs (PHL-LAX and LAX-PHL) later on - how wrong I was! Again it took multiple calls and several hours on the phone to get the positioning flights to LAX added and keeping the same mileage, so two months prior to the trip, our routing was PHL-MSP-LAX-ICN-PVG and PVG-ICN-NRT-LAX-DTW-PHL. A couple of weeks (and multiple calls) later, I was actually able to replace the two Korean flights by a direct Delta flight into the US, which simplified our inbound routing quite a bit - it was now PVG-ICN-DTW-PHL.
Finally, the day of departure came! I tried to do a SDC to fly in BusinessElite JFK-LAX, but was told by the agent that SDC doesn't apply to international tickets (although I had done it several times in the past without problems). Ironically, a few minutes later I received a text message from DL that our original PHL-MSP was delayed, which then allowed us to change the outbound routing to PHL-JFK-LAX-ICN-PVG. Still quite long, but probably the best you can do if you want to stick with SkyTeam carriers and avoid MU at all costs. So let's get started!

Next Part: Flight 1 - DL3886 (PHL-JFK)

pilluelo

Date: Feburary 2, 2013
Flight: DL3886 (operated by Pinnacle Airlines)
Route: PHL-JFK
Aircraft: Canadair Regional Jet CRJ-200
Cabin: Economy Class
Seats: 8A/B (Exit Row)
Flying Time (Scheduled / Actual): 1:08 / 1:00 hours
Distance (Planned / Actual): 89 / 146 miles
Departure Time (Scheduled / Actual): 1:50pm / 1:44pm EST
Arrival Time (Scheduled / Actual): 2:58pm / 2:46pm EST
Details: http://zh.flightaware.com/live/fligh...850Z/KPHL/KJFK


We checked in at DL's new SkyPriority counter in Terminal E, and - to my surprise - were handed the boarding passes for all four segments. Apparently, the security line was pretty light on a Saturday afternoon, so we found ourselves less than 10 minutes later in the DL SkyClub for a quick Gin & Tonic.
30 minutes prior to departure, we walked to our gate D8 where boarding was just about to start. Boarding of this small plane was quick, although everyone seemed to have Medallion/SkyPriority status (or the GA just didn't enforce it).
We were sitting in the exit row, which has slightly more space, but I guess it doesn't really matter for a one-hour flight anyway.
The FA seemed quite new but very enthusiastic about his job - can't recall I ever got this type of service from Pinnacle Airlines (drink and snack on a one-hour flight?!). An hour later we touched the ground in JFK and pulled forward to Terminal 2.


Next Part: Flight 2 - DL127 (JFK-LAX)

pilluelo

Date: Feburary 2, 2013
Flight: DL127
Route: JFK-LAX
Aircraft: Boeing 757-200
Cabin: BusinessElite
Seats: 2A/B
Flying Time (Scheduled / Actual): 6:12 / 5:45 hours
Distance (Planned / Actual): 2,564 / 2,545 miles
Departure Time (Scheduled / Actual): 5:05pm / 5:38pm EST
Arrival Time (Scheduled / Actual): 8:17pm / 8:23pm EST
Details: http://zh.flightaware.com/live/fligh...205Z/KJFK/KLAX


Since we had a three-hour layover in JFK, we decided to go to the lounge (SkyClub in Termainl 2) to watch some TV and have a few drinks. Unlike the times I've been to this club, it was actually pretty quiet in the front part of the club. There's a hidden section behind the toilets and showers which nobody seems to notice, however, the Wi-Fi doesn't work in that part anymore.
Anyway, at 4pm we decided to leave the club, which actually turned out to be a good idea since we discovered our flight was not leaving from Gate 22 (right downstairs from the Club), but B22, apparently a remote gate in the new Terminal 4 which was a 10 minutes bus ride away. Wonder who came up with this...


When we arrived at our gate, most people had already boarded and the BE cabin was completely full. What followed was a very smooth, six-hour coast-to-coast flight. Legroom was very good on this 752, I actually remember the times when DL would operate their international business class product with these aircrafts.
I had found service on DL's transcon BE product to be a hit-or-miss lately (with sometimes slow/unattentive service... like a few months ago, when I was actually served "frozen" cheese) but this time the crew went out of their way to ensure we had a good experience.
Food on DL's transcon BE is probably among the best served by any US carrier domestically (if they serve it right, and this was definitely the case this time). In case you're not familiar with the offering, I've included some pictures below so you can shape your own opinion. Here's the menu:

PRIMO
ANTIPASTO MISTO:
Roasted yellow peppers, grilled zucchini
Lemon-thyme crusted goat cheese
Crostini with sun-dried tomato and white bean spread
Lucca-style olives, garlic and lemon mix with mixed greens
and parmesan dip with salad

SECONDO (choose one):
PAN-SEARED FILET OF BEEF with pesto, broccolini and delfina potatoes
POLENTA LASAGNA topped with beleme cheese, grated parmesan and breadcrumbs
GRILLED SALMON with salsa verde, butternut squash and vegetable medley

DOLCE
SELECTION OF OLD WORLD FINE CHEESES:
prima donna, cambozola and robiola offered with fresh fruit

GELATO
pistacchio

WINES
ROBERT MONDAVI WINERY FUME BLANC (Napa Valley, California 2009)
ROBERT MONDAVI WINERY MERLOT (Napa Valley, California 2007)
VEUVE DU VERNAY BRUT NV (France)

Although both of us were pretty full after the appetizer, we decided to try the salmon, which was a bit overcooked but not bad at all. I decided to stick with the champagne for the appetizer and the Fume Blanc, both of which were pretty good. Although my IFE was broken and beyond repair (even several reboots didn't help), I was able to nap away after dinner and woke up just 30 minutes before landing in LAX.


Next Part: Flight 3 - KE62 (LAX-ICN)

pilluelo

Date: Feburary 2, 2013
Flight: KE62
Route: LAX-ICN
Aircraft: Boeing 777-300ER
Cabin: Prestige (Business) Class
Seats: 14A/B
Flying Time (Scheduled / Actual): 13:23 / 14:09 hours
Distance (Planned / Actual): 6,344 / 6,284 miles
Departure Time (Scheduled / Actual): 11:30pm / 11:30pm PST
Arrival Time (Scheduled / Actual): 5:53am / 6:39am KST (+2 days)
Details: http://zh.flightaware.com/live/fligh...730Z/KLAX/RKSI


Having not traveled internationally from LAX for a couple of years, this airport didn't bring back the best memories. And indeed, when we arrived to Terminal 5, we saw ourselves confronted with a walk to the Tom Bradley International Terminal (TBIT). This meant leaving the terminal building, a short walk in the dark to TBIT and re-clearing security again. Although it was nice to catch some fresh air, seamless transfers are something else - at least had our luggage been checked through.
Since we still had two hours to kill, and didn't really feel like eating or shopping (given it was already 1am back in Philly), we decided to spend the remaining time until the flight in the lounge. Although SkyTeam's website lists two lounges within the TBIT, only the KAL lounge was open (I'm not even sure the LAXSUL still exists?).
While Ms. P decided to relax a bit with a glass of Beringer Merlot, I went for a quick shower. The shower room was not as nice as the one in LH's SEN lounges, but better equipped than DL's SkyClubs in my opinion. After a refreshing shower, we went to our gate where boarding was about to start.


The whole boarding process of our 773 went by zones and very smooth (especially for an aircraft of that size), thanks to the fact that they used several doors. It was first time that I see another SkyTeam carrier implement DL's "SkyPriority" lanes. We were greeted and accompanied to our very spacious seats 14A/B. Within a few moments, we were treated to a pre-departure drink (campari orange) and some peanuts to nibble on.
Shortly after an on-time takeoff, amenity kits and menus were distributed and drink orders were taken. In addition, flight attendants asked whether we wanted to be waken up for breakfast and placed corresponding stickers on our seats. Despite some minor challenges to communicate in English, I found our FAs to be extremely attentive and service-oriented - just like on most other Asian airlines I've flown before (KE, OZ, CA).
By the time dinner orders were taken, my stormach already felt the need for some late-night meal. In fact, KE serves "supper" on their late-night flights to ICN, which is basically a trimmed-down version of the regular dinner without appetizer and dessert. Since the flight came directly from Sao Paolo to Los Angeles before continuing to Seoul, the menus actually revealed that their lunch was actually much more extensive, but on the other side, what do you expect at 1am (or 4am on the East Coast)... Here's what they served:

SUPPER
Soup (offered with Western main course):
Carrot cream soup

Main Course (choose one):
Korean Bibimbap offered with minced beef and seasonal vegetables, accompanied by sesame oil and Gochujiang (Korean hot pepper paste)
Roasted cod filet with basil tomato sauce served with angel hair pasta and vegetables
Udon noodle soup with prawns and vegetables served with side dishes

Bread selection (not offered):
Garlic baguette, rosemary olive roll, soft bap roll

Coffee / Tea / Green Tea / Ginseng Tea

-

REFRESHMENT
Ramen with Side Dishes
Fresh Cookie

-

BREAKFAST
Yoghurt Selection

Main Course (choose one)
Korean style porridge served with side dishes
Chive omelette with creamy mushroom ragout served with cherry tomato, asparagus and canadian bacon

Seasonal Fresh fruit

Bread Selection:
Croissant, muffin, pound cake
Selection of jam and butter

Continental Breakfast:
Yoghurt selection
Seasonal fresh fruit
Bread selection

Coffee / Tea / Green Tea / Ginseng Tea


I asked for both, the ramen (which was listed as mid-flight snack) and the all-time KE/OZ classic: Bibimbap! Both were excellent (with the ramen actually being the spiciest dish I've had on an airplance since MX's demise).
Unfortunately, no bread was available, but I guess the big portion of noodles and rice satisfied my carb needs that night. I was particularly fond of the ample drink and cocktail selection and couldn't resist but try both Tom Collins and Whiskey Sour. An interesting alternative to DL's notorious margarita mix or the much-missed Mile High Mojito... My only gripe here - as pointed out many times on FT - is that the drink glasses are tiny!! I would say, probably half the size of DL's glasses and not more 150ml / 5 oz. (I didn't follow some FT's advice and request my drinks to be served in the water glasses, though.)
The flat-bed ("Prestige Sleeper Seat") was excellent and seemed identical to LA's BusinessFirst seat and allowed to to doze away while enjoying an epiosode of "The New Sherlock Holmes" on the IFE. With 15", the screen was so big that I could watch it even without glasses.
Due to the turbulences over the Pacific, I woke up a few times and used the opportunity to go to the restroom. There were four of them in between the front and rear section of Business class, and all of which I visited were kept (unusually) clean throughout the flight. It was a nice touch that they were stocked with dental kits, razors and moisturizing lotion.
After six hours or so of light sleep, an armada of FAs turned on all lights and we were woken up to breakfast service. I was a bit surprised that this happened still more than three hours before landing in Seoul, roughly at 2:30am local time?? The breakfast was pretty good - I went for the Western choice (omelette), while Ms. P enjoyed some Korean porridge. When the FA realized that I enjoyed the freshly-baked croissants, she brought me two more - nice touch. Only the timing of the breakfast service seemed a bit unfortunate - still two hours prior to landing they turned off all lights again.
We landed about 30 minutes early in Seoul, but as it had heavily snowed in the night, were not allowed to taxi to our gate. No information was provided by the cabin crew about the situation for 30 minutes or so. Then finally, the captain would periodically update us stating "it will be just 5-10 more minutes." This repeated itself 4 or 5 times, so eventually passengers unfastened their seatbelts, went to the bathrooms or got their belongings from the overhead bins. With FAs trying to make the passengers stay in their seats, things became a bit chaotic, which could probably have been avoided with better communication. At 6:30am, approximately 40 minutes late, we finally pulled up to our gate.

pilluelo

After all, I really did enjoy this 14-hours KE flight, especially the hard product is among the best options when flying SkyTeam. There are a couple of minor details (poor communication/PAs only in Korean, clumsy timing of breakfast seervice) which should be quite easy to fix. I already look forward to my next KE flight, but will try to fly JFK-ICN or ATL-ICN to avoid the night flight.

Next Part: Flight 4 - KE893 (ICN-PVG)

pilluelo

Date: Feburary 4, 2013
Flight: KE893
Route: ICN-PVG
Aircraft: Airbus A330-300
Cabin: Prestige (Business) Class
Seats: 8A/B
Flying Time (Scheduled / Actual): 1:51 / 1:55 hours
Distance (Planned / Actual): 525 / 576 miles
Departure Time (Scheduled / Actual): 8:40am / 9:22am KST
Arrival Time (Scheduled / Actual): 9:31am / 10:17am CST
Details: http://zh.flightaware.com/live/fligh...340Z/RKSI/ZSPD


After our arrival in Seoul, we didn't have to go through immigrations, just re-clear security which was a breeze. We went to the Prestige Lounge on 4th floor, which offered a very nice breakfast selection of hot and cold items, including fresh fruit, yoghurt and pastry, but also ramen or porridge if you fancy something more local. I also took a quick shower which was very refreshing after traveling already for 24 hours. A nice plus of this lounge are the complimentary lockers to stow your carry-on bags while you're enjoying the amenities. Probably one of the nicer SkyTeam lounges I have been to.
We eventually walked to gate 6, where boarding for our final segment to Shanghai was just about to start. Again, the boarding process was conducted in a very orderly fashion with two jetways connecting to our A330.


Load was pretty low on this morning flight with F (6 seats) being completely empty and only 5 out of 22 seats occupiedin J. This may explain why service was even more attentive and personal than on the prevoius long-haul flight: After we had been accompanied to our seats 8A/B (surprisngly for a 2-hour flight: again the lie-flat Prestige Sleeper seats!), the purser introduced herself and thanked us for our business. Again, we were served pre-departure drinks and snacks. Take-off was delayed by 40 minutes (due to the weather), but the FAs took good care of us, making sure we wouldn't miss anything.
After take-off, menus were passed out which featured the same drink selection as on our long-haul flight and even a full meal!

LIGHT MEAL
Salad (offered with Korean main course):
Mixed organic green salad with sliced tuna served with balsamic dressing

Main Course (choose one):
Chinese style mapo tofu served with steamed rice and side dishes
Beef sirloin "Bulgogi" with mushroom served with steamed rice and vegetables

Seasonal Fresh Fruit

Bread Selection
Rye roll, herb roll

Coffee / Tea / Green Tea / Ginseng Tea

Although again timing for lunch was not typical, at this point my stormach clock was so messed up, that I went for the full-blown Korean dish. It maybe doesn't look too appealing but was very tasty, with just the right amount of spice! FAs kept refilling our wine glasses constantly and the the 2 hours flying time from Seoul to Shanghai went by very fast (almost too fast). We landed with a 40-minutes delay in Shanghai Pudong at 10:15am local time and breezed through (empty) immigrations. Baggage delivery took slightly longer, but at least both our two suitcases arrived intact after this 30-hours trip.
It's been a long time I've received such a great service on a short flight, let alone a full meal and a flat-bed seat with a huge selection of IFE. Probably the comparison with DL's domestic product is unfair (which is why they offer BE service even on short inner-Asian hops, such as ICN-NRT), but I would definitely recommend connecting in ICN and flying KE for all travel within Asia as well.


That's it - thanks for staying with me until here! Hope you enjoyed reading my first Trip Report as much as I did writing it up. Any feedback and comments are welcome!

pilluelo

Reserved for future comments

amolkold

I flew the exact same JFK-LAX flight in the exact same seat just a couple days before you. Same dinner options, although my salmon was missing the salsa verde.

Delta is moving to T4 and has started moving transcons to T4. The problem with this is that many connector flights (incl RJs) currently arrive at the RJ corral in T2. That'll soon move to T4 as well.

Delta currently is housed in T2, T3, and T4 at JFK, and only T2-T3 are connected by walkway. T3 will close later this year. Oddly enough, DL127 just earlier that week left from T2, so it's not like specific flights get one terminal over the other ...

Great report on KE J, being LAX-based, they are a great use of Skymiles.

rts123

Nice report, especially since I've been looking at a similar routing to use some of my miles, and good pics.
KE business class looks good and I'd really like to try it on the A380, but no matter the plane I find something about their seat fabric and color to be a bit of a turn off. It looks a bit cheap and institutional/hospital-like to me.

LH738

Excellent report.

goodeats21

Very nice report. I really like the inclusion of all your flight data....cool.

Looks like a very good TPAC option.

halfcape

Thanks for sharing your tr. Good photos and I liked your commentary.

N830MH

Wow! What a fabulous TR!!! I'm glad you had a great flight and enjoy your trip. Hope you had a great vacation. See you when you come back home.

PDXNRTLHR

Thanks for the great trip report. I'm looking forward to my business class Europe-Asia-US flights next week on KE and DL! You've got me wanting to write my own TR.

mr27

Great TR ^. The food on in DL BE looks good.