seat38a

Part 1 Asiana Airlines OZ 201 A380 J Class LAX - ICN
Part 2 Asiana Airlines OZ 741 Boeing 777 J Class ICN - BKK
Part 3 Thai Air Asia A320 Y Class DMK - PEN
Part 4 Air Asia A320 Y Class PEN - SIN
Part 5 Asiana Airlines OZ 752 J Class A330 - 300 SIN - ICN
Part 6 Asiana Airlines OZ 202 A380 J Class ICN - LAX

Part 1 LAX -> ICN

After waiting and planning for little over a year, the time had finally arrived for our big Asia trip to Bangkok, Penang, Singapore, and Korea. My mom had been counting down the days for almost 3 months now just itching for her long planned vacation to arrive. There would be three of us for this trip. Myself, my dad and my mom.

The deal was that I would pay for the J class tickets and my parents would pay for the hotel and the Air Asia flights. After a year of researching, booking and planning, the time had finally arrived to start off the trip. As we do for most of our trips, we parked our car at the Van Nuys Fly Away terminal and took the bus to the airport. We originally planned to get to the airport and checkin three hours before departure so we could leisurely explore the new Tom Bradley International Terminal and the new Star Alliance Lounge but between us leaving the house later than planned and the massive traffic on the 405 freeway, we arrived at the airport later than originally planed.

Checkin was quick and easy. We used the business class line and there was only one person ahead of us. Security went fairly quickly as well. The TSA agent that was heading our documents looked like he really need some coffee and some sleep.

P1000928 by seat38a, on Flickr

P1000930 by seat38a, on Flickr

Once we were through security, we headed directly to the Star Alliance Lounge. We had about a hour to spend in the lounge before boarding time.
P1000937 by seat38a, on Flickr

P1000941 by seat38a, on Flickr

Breakfast items at main food buffet area.
P1000938 by seat38a, on Flickr

My breakfast washed down with a glass of champagne.
P1000939 by seat38a, on Flickr

On the far corner, there is also a noodle soup bar area, which seemed to be very popular among the people in the lounge today. The noodle bar was never empty so I was not able to take a picture. Here is the self serve soda, liquor and wine area.
P1000965 by seat38a, on Flickr

Mojito was the bars specialty drink. I ordered two. One for myself and one for my dad.
P1000972 by seat38a, on Flickr

Around 15 min before boarding time, the Asiana Airlines agent in the lounge made an announcement that boarding would commence soon and she also walked around the lounge with a sign letting people know that the flight would be boarding. She also mentioned that there was no rush and we could take our time. Just as we were about to leave, the breakfast items were being cleared out and replaced with lunch items. We did a quick sample taste of some of the lunch items before heading to our gate.
P1000975 by seat38a, on Flickr
P1000977 by seat38a, on Flickr

Our A380 that will be taking us to ICN today.
P1000978 by seat38a, on Flickr

KE A380 at the gate next to ours.
P1000980 by seat38a, on Flickr

While waiting to board, I looked around the terminal and snapped some pictures. The new Tom Bradley Terminal is definitely in the same league as ICN, BKK, or SIN. A complete opposite of the shameful thing they used to call an international terminal.
P1000997 by seat38a, on Flickr
P1000984 by seat38a, on Flickr

Our flight today is also codeshare flight for Singapore Airlines, United Airlines, and Copa Airlines.
P1000998 by seat38a, on Flickr
P1000996 by seat38a, on Flickr
P1000995 by seat38a, on Flickr

Escalator to second level boarding gate.
P1000999 by seat38a, on Flickr

P1010006 by seat38a, on Flickr

Flight attendant greeting and helping passengers board.
P1010008 by seat38a, on Flickr
P1010009 by seat38a, on Flickr

My seat. I swapped seats with my parents and took the window seat.
P1010013 by seat38a, on Flickr

Touchscreen entertainment system and pillow and blankets.
P1010011 by seat38a, on Flickr

P1010030 by seat38a, on Flickr

Touchscreen remote and seat recline controls.
P1010033 by seat38a, on Flickr

Business Class View
P1010031 by seat38a, on Flickr

Pre departure drink.
P1010035 by seat38a, on Flickr

Amenity kits were also passed out while at the gate.
P1010036 by seat38a, on Flickr
P1010037 by seat38a, on Flickr

Amenity kit content
P1010095 by seat38a, on Flickr

Bottled water were also passed out as well
P1010038 by seat38a, on Flickr

Menu's were also passed out on the ground.
P1010047 by seat38a, on Flickr

Pushback from gate.
P1010043 by seat38a, on Flickr

Lots of legroom!
P1010056 by seat38a, on Flickr

We're cleared for takeoff!
P1010058 by seat38a, on Flickr

Once airborne and at 10,000 ft, flight attendants immediately jumped into action. Curtains were drawn for the galley and also the divider between business class and coach. Soon, flight attendants came around taking lunch orders. I chose the western option for lunch while, my mom went with the Korean and my dad western as well.

Hot towel to start lunch.
P1010098 by seat38a, on Flickr

After the lunch and drink order, another flight attendant came around placing table cloths on the tray tables.
P1010103 by seat38a, on Flickr

Then, trolley with lunch settings were brought out and the flight attendants placed each plate and dishes on the table cloth including the glasswares for the beverage that was ordered with lunch. NO preset trays.
Asiana Airlines Business Class A380 by seat38a, on Flickr

I ordered champagne to go with my steak today.
Asiana Airlines A380 Business Class by seat38a, on Flickr

Bread Basket.
P1010114 by seat38a, on Flickr

I chose the garlic bread.
P1010115 by seat38a, on Flickr

All metal cutlery.
P1010117 by seat38a, on Flickr

Canape to start
Asiana Business Class Lunch Canape by seat38a, on Flickr

Appetizer
P1010122 by seat38a, on Flickr

Soup course.
Asiana Airlines Business Class Soup Course by seat38a, on Flickr

My main course.
Asiana Business Class Steak by seat38a, on Flickr

Steak is perfectly cooked and tasted great!
Asiana Airlines Fillet Steak by seat38a, on Flickr

My mom's Korean option
Asiana Business Class Lunch Ssambap by seat38a, on Flickr

Cheese and port wine
Asiana Airlines Business Class Cheese Course by seat38a, on Flickr
Untitled by seat38a, on Flickr

Dessert and coffee.
Asiana Business Class Lunch Dessert by seat38a, on Flickr

P1010140 by seat38a, on Flickr

After I finished and everything was cleared away, a final hot towel service to end the lunch service. At this point, its been 2.5 hours since we left LAX.
P1010142 by seat38a, on Flickr

I was starting to get tired so I reclined my seat to flat mode and took a nap while listening to music on the entertainment system. Other than country, the selections were extensive.

At around 5PM LAX time, I got up and could not sleep anymore. I decided to go checkout the lounge area at the front of the upper deck. My mom joined me up at the lounge and couple min later, my dad showed up. He must have woken up and asked the FA where we were, since one of the FA's escorted him to the lounge area.
P1010143 by seat38a, on Flickr

P1010146 by seat38a, on Flickr

Stairs down to first class
P1010148 by seat38a, on Flickr

After about 20 min of hanging around the lounge, we decided to head back to our seats and order snacks. My mom decided to go with the ramen noodles, my dad a fruit plate and I chose the sandwich and chips.
P1010151 by seat38a, on Flickr

The turkey and cheese were first heated and then the veggies added. NOT just plopped on a plate after unwrapping.
Asiana Airlines Business Class Snack by seat38a, on Flickr

Once we were finished with our snacks, it was about the half way point on our flight. FA's came through the cabin and asked any passengers that were awake if they would like to order snacks. Snacks can be ordered anytime but it seems to be policy to go through the cabin around the half way point and take orders from awake passengers. Also, about an hour after snack order, FA's came through the cabin taking pre arrival meal orders. I chose the chicken option and the FA informed me that it would be served 2 hours prior to arrival.

I could not sleep anymore at this point since I was not tired, so I browsed through the wine / cocktail menu and ordered a screwdriver. It was delivered with a small dish of nut and snack mix.

Asiana Business Class A380 LAX - ICN by seat38a, on Flickr

P1010155 by seat38a, on Flickr

None of the drinks helped me fall asleep. So I browsed through the entertainment system watching movies, short subjects and listening to music. Before I knew it, it was already time for the pre arrival meal service. Lights came on slowly and in stages and an announcement was made.

Hot towels service to start the second meal.

P1010162 by seat38a, on Flickr

Orange juice from pre filled tray.
P1010163 by seat38a, on Flickr

Again table cloths were placed on my tray table.
P1010166 by seat38a, on Flickr

P1010167 by seat38a, on Flickr

Bread basket came around and this time I chose a seeded roll.
P1010169 by seat38a, on Flickr

Shrimp appetizer
P1010173 by seat38a, on Flickr

Chicken main course. Really good!
P1010175 by seat38a, on Flickr

Fruit tart for dessert.
P1010178 by seat38a, on Flickr

Another coffee and tea service
P1010180 by seat38a, on Flickr

Once my tray table was cleared, service ended with a final hot towel service. At this point, I started to get ready for landing.

Spoilers are up.
P1010184 by seat38a, on Flickr

Approaching ICN
P1010188 by seat38a, on Flickr

Taxiing to the terminal
P1010190 by seat38a, on Flickr

KE half of the main terminal
P1010199 by seat38a, on Flickr

OZ half of the main terminal
P1010203 by seat38a, on Flickr

We arrived on time. My mom was worried a bit since our connecting flight time is only an hour but the timing was perfect. In conclusion, the flight was flawless. One thing that stood out about the A380 was how QUIET it was. Even when powering up for takeoff, the noise difference was couple decibels. The meal was perfect and the FA's were courteous and ready to please with a smile. Also, the FA's were also proactive when walking through the cabin such as turning on reading lights for passengers that were reading, shutting them off if they were sleeping. While I was watching a movie, one of the FA's also stopped by to ask if I wanted anything to drink. When the call buttons were pressed, in less than a second, they are down the aisle walking to your seat with a smile.

steveman518

Very nice! Good to see that the J service is just as good on the larger 380 J cabin as it is on the smaller 777 J cabin.

Mrtrash757

looks really nice! i like asian's cabins compared to Koreans!

seat38a

I have not been on Korean Air's J product but we specifically chose Asiana because of their J product offers aisles access at each seat. No need to climb over anyone to get out.

Here is a better cabin view shot of business class.
P1010031 by seat38a, on Flickr

Madone59

Thanks for sharing. Great photos! ^

BHDATC

That is J service? Looks better than BA F!!!

seat38a

Yes it is J class. It puts most First class to shame especially United from what I have seen via trip reports over the years.

FatnLoud

About on a par with a good BA F crew. It's also amazingly consistently good service!

OZ is now my preferred carrier when going east.

seat38a

There is a First Class cabin on the lower level. So if J class service is this fancy, god only knows for First Class.

grandgourmand

I flew OZ once in J in those seats (the lie flat is a different story I imagine). The service and catering are top notch. But I much prefer the seat style on CX or BR. The OZ seat was a bit tight for me (I'm 6'5"). Other than that, I wouldn't hesitate to fly them again. Great airline.

Nice trip report!

somedude3210

Excellent report so far and I'm looking forward to seeing the remaining parts.

seat38a

Part 1 Asiana Airlines OZ 201 A380 J Class LAX - ICN
Part 2 Asiana Airlines OZ 741 Boeing 777 J Class ICN - BKK
Part 3 Thai Air Asia A320 Y Class DMK - PEN
Part 4 Air Asia A320 Y Class PEN - SIN
Part 5 Asiana Airlines OZ 752 J Class A330 - 300 SIN - ICN
Part 6 Asiana Airlines OZ 202 A380 J Class ICN - LAX

Part 2 ICN -> BKK
Once off our flight from LAX, my parents and I headed straight for the transfer security check. Even though we had lounge invites, there was no time to visit. Security was quick and efficient but one of the security agents (NOT our line) was very TSAish in his attitude towards a passenger trying to get through security. In his defense though the lady was asked plenty of times for her passport and boarding pass but was focused on other things.

Once we got through, we headed straight for our gate. It was a decent walk since our flight departed from the far end of the main terminal wing. Once we arrived at the gate, I decided to snap couple pictures of our plane.
P1010209 by seat38a, on Flickr

P1010206 by seat38a, on Flickr

P1010207 by seat38a, on Flickr

Just as I finished snapping the last picture, they announced boarding for business class passengers. My mom did not want to board so quickly after our last flight, but I insisted so that I could take pictures before it got packed.

Typical ICN boarding bridge layout.
P1010210 by seat38a, on Flickr

P1010211 by seat38a, on Flickr

Once we boarded, it was evident that this plane needed a massive refurbishment. These seats may have been state of the art at one point, but they were showing their age.

Angle lie flat seats.
P1010214 by seat38a, on Flickr

Boeing 777 J class cabin 4 rows 7 across.
P1010215 by seat38a, on Flickr

My video monitor. It kept shutting off so I asked a flight attendant for help. It seemed for some reason, my system kept switching to audio mode all by it self randomly. Also, the system was NOT on demand nor touch screen. The flight attendant told us that our plane was 1 or 2 left in the fleet that has not been refurbished yet and profusely apologized.
P1010217 by seat38a, on Flickr

Pre departure drinks. I had champagne and my dad orange juice.
P1010219 by seat38a, on Flickr

Thai immigration cards were distributed.
P1010221 by seat38a, on Flickr

Hot towels before departure
P1010222 by seat38a, on Flickr

Pillows and blankets different from the ones on A380
P1010234 by seat38a, on Flickr

Headsets and slippers were already in the seat pockets in front of us.
P1010235 by seat38a, on Flickr

Seat control and remote for entertainment system.
P1010237 by seat38a, on Flickr

Menu's were distributed once airborne.
P1010238 by seat38a, on Flickr

Orders for dinner were shortly taken afterwards. I chose the western option again and this time, both my parents chose the Korean option. The Korean option was the same as the one from LAX with variation in appetizer etc.
P1010240 by seat38a, on Flickr

Table cloths were placed on my tray table. My tray table was very wobbly and had seen better days. The flight attendant tried to raise it higher for me but would not work. She seemed very embarrassed and apologized. I felt bad for the FA, having to constantly apologize to passengers over things that she has no control over.
P1010244 by seat38a, on Flickr

My dad's appetizer.
P1010246 by seat38a, on Flickr

Unlike the flight earlier from LAX where everything was set on the tray table directly, everything came on a preset tray, with the appetizer already on it.
P1010247 by seat38a, on Flickr

My salmon appetizer.
P1010249 by seat38a, on Flickr

Salad
P1010250 by seat38a, on Flickr

Cutlery minus the soup spoon since there is no soup course on this flight.
P1010251 by seat38a, on Flickr

My water glass and red wine.
P1010253 by seat38a, on Flickr

Bread basket came around.
P1010254 by seat38a, on Flickr

My dad's main course.
P1010255 by seat38a, on Flickr

My main course. On this leg of the trip, the main is served in those casserole style square dishes. It was ok, nothing special. It was heated unevenly.
P1010262 by seat38a, on Flickr

I got a tube of Korean hot pepper paste to spice up the main a bit.
P1010263 by seat38a, on Flickr

The Korean meal comes with a fruit course. My dad's fruit plate. I had to constantly elbow my dad to wake him up for each course. He kept falling asleep in between courses.
P1010266 by seat38a, on Flickr

My cheese course with 20 year old port wine. Unlike the LAX flight where all the bread, crackers and veggies were all delivered on the plate already, the FA offered the bread, crackers and veggies from the trolley and placed them on the plate.
P1010267 by seat38a, on Flickr

Ice cream for dessert with the western meal. I have read many complaints from people that ice cream on airplanes are rock solid, but this one was perfect! The FA's must have kept that out of the dry ice for a while before serving them.
P1010271 by seat38a, on Flickr

My dad's Korean dessert.
P1010273 by seat38a, on Flickr

Coffee and tea to end the dinner service.
P1010274 by seat38a, on Flickr

Dinner service ended with another round of hot towels. On this flight, no amenity kits were distributed. I asked the FA for eyeshades and she delivered 2 one for me and one for my dad along with ear plugs. My dad and I both reclined our seats into bed mode and quickly fell asleep. Unfortunately these seats felt extremely awkward and uncomfortable to sleep in. I had to keep getting up because I kept sliding down. My mom said that both my dad and I were passed out for a bit and our shirts were halfway up our torso from sliding down the seats. Also, even when I tried to play with the individual options such as raising and lowering the leg rest, it just was not very comfortable. Before arrival into BKK, a final hot towel and beverage service was done by the FA's.

In conclusion, the flight attendants again were amazing. The aircraft needed some loving attention. The entertainment system is from another era. When we landed, my mom mentioned that her meal was unevenly cooked as well and that she did not eat all of it. Not only the interiors and seat but it seems the ovens on this plane needs some attention as well. The older lighting on this aircraft was kind of harsh compared to the soft and gradual lights on the A380. While the aircraft was old and needed refurbishing, at no point did I feel it was dirty. The aircraft seemed to have been maintained well and cleaned regularly. Finally, one last thing was the noise level in this plane was LOUD when compared to the whisper of the A380 that we were on earlier. While on the A380, I was able to converse in normal to whisper, on the 777, I had to shout. Even though we had been in business class all the way from LAX, 18 - 19 hours on a plane still takes a toll on the body.

seat38a

Part 2 is here http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/trip-...-bkk-pics.html

UTex09

Nice pictures. Interesting that you mention the noise of the 777 v the 380. I have had the same problem ever since I flew upper deck on the 380. Everything is just so noisy now, I'm just spoiled :P

Madone59

Of my OZ flight ICN-HKT was half that good I'd be trying to fly OZ again. Shame the old 767 is still on some routes.

I may need to try OZ again. Thanks for the TR ^