777Jubilee

This trip was my first time to experience Asiana Airlines Business class from Sydney (SYD) to Seoul (ICN). Given the relatively light coverage of Asiana on this route in these pages I hope this report is useful to others.

Apologies for the poor quality pictures - all were taken using my Sony Xperia Z1 (and as discretely as possible which does not always lead to the best photographs).

Qantas Business Class 717 Canberra to Sydney

Qantas Airlines QF1510 Canberra (CBR) – Sydney (SYD)
16 April 2015
Depart: 6:30 AM / 6:27 AM (scheduled / actual)
Arrive: 7.20 AM / 7.15 AM (scheduled / actual)
Duration: 45 minutes
Aircraft: Boeing 717-2BL
Registration Number: VH-YQU
Load: 8/12 in business
Seat: 1F

It is not often I am up so early, even to catch a flight. When traveling on my own dime I either schedule later flight times or, if an early connection is required, spend a night at an airport hotel at the connection point, mostly Sydney. However, today it was a work trip, which meant an early flight to connect through Sydney to Seoul.

I had not visited the Canberra terminal before sunup before, and have to say the airport group have done a good job in making the approach road quite attractive.


Canberra Airport illuminated in the early morning

Check-in was not very busy and the Qantas staff soon had me checked to Sydney and my luggage checked through to Seoul. One of the frustrating things about traveling on two different alliances, even on a single ticket, is that you still have to queue at the check-in counter in Sydney whilst in transit to obtain the international segment boarding pass. Never mind, at least my bag was checked through.


Canberra airport check-in counters


Canberra airport terminal - through to security check

Qantas have three lounges at Canberra airport – the Qantas Club, Business Class, and the Chairman’s Lounge. Unfortunately I did not have time this morning to use the lounge.


When I arrived at the gate boarding was almost completed and I was quickly on board and seated.

This was my first time flying the 717 in business class and I was impressed. The seats were comfortable and there was sufficient space for the 45-minute trip.


Qantas domestic business class seat on the 717

Newspapers were available on the air-bridge leading to the aircraft but not available on board should you miss picking up a copy prior to boarding.

On this aircraft Qantas uses iPads located at every seat to stream in-flight entertainment. I did not use the system so can’t comment on content or quality.

Despite the short duration of the flight, Qantas serves a hot breakfast. Only one option provided – fried eggs and bacon on toast. Despite being prepared earlier and warmed up on board the food was not bad.


Breakfast

Transit through Sydney Airport

I hate Sydney airport, particularly the international terminal. It is old and run-down. Qantas provides a transfer service between the domestic and international terminal for passengers so long either the domestic or international segment are flown with Qantas, a code-share or an alliance partner. The transfer point is located at Gate 15 and consists of a bus that comes every so often and is generally uncomfortably full. Still it is much easier than getting a taxi and checked luggage is automatically transfered.

Given I was flying to Seoul on Asiana airlines I had to check in again in Sydney to obtain a boarding pass. The Asiana check-in counters were located on the opposite end of the terminal to the arrival point for the transfer bus. Check-in was fast and I soon had my boarding pass.

Sydney airport security and immigration can be a nightmare with long queues. Asiana business class provides Express service however I missed the Express entry point. Although peak period and horrendous queues I was extremely fortunate when staff opened a row of new immigration counters and I was one of the first through.

Asiana uses the Air New Zealand lounge in Sydney, along with most other Star Alliance airlines. This seems to be open to all frequent flyer elite, first, and business class passengers. Unfortunately the lounge was undergoing refurbishment and a temporary lounge had been opened on the ground floor. It was cave like with no windows, was small, and was packed to the brim. After a few minutes I left for the relative quiet of the boarding gate.


Temporary Air NZ Lounge, Sydney Airport

Asiana Business Class 777-200ER Sydney to Seoul

Asiana Airlines OZ602
Sydney (SYD) – Seoul (ICN)
16 April 2015
Depart: 9:30 AM / 9:53 AM (scheduled /actual)
Arrive: 7:00 PM / 6:35 AM (scheduled / actual)
Duration: 10 hours 21 minutes (actual: 9 hours 41 minutes)
Aircraft: Boeing 777-28E
Registration Number: HL7500
Load: 23/28 in business
Seat: 2D

The boarding gate was actually quite empty when I arrived. The plane was already sitting at the gate and the crew were just boarding.


OZ602 at the gate

Unfortunately Asiana flies their oldest hard product to Sydney. This means that in business class you get a 2-3-2 configuration and sloping lie flat seats. For the day flight to Seoul this was fine, but I am not looking forward to the overnight return.

The flight was reasonably full, however in my row the middle seat was left empty, which allowed me to spread out a little. Without the spare seat next to me to place items the seat would have felt very cramped due to insufficient storage space.




Cabin/Seat shots

Waiting on the seat was an amenity kit, headphones, slippers, pillow and a blanket.

As I usually fly Singapore airlines it was a really nice change to receive an inflight amenity kit from Asiana. However, on reflection SQ provide everything available in the Asiana amenity kit either in their toilets or separately, so no great advantage.

Asiana provides a L’Occitane amenity kit which consists of L’Occitane body lotion, comb, socks, tooth brush and paste, tissues and ear-plugs.






Amenity kit and slippers

The highlight of the trip was the food. Asiana serves 3 meals on the Sydney to Seoul flight – a lunch soon after departure, a mid-flight refreshment, and a snack prior to landing (the “snack” being quite substantial). The food served during the mid-flight refreshment was available at any time throughout the flight and consisted on BLT sandwiches, ramen noodles, chips and other snacks.

Lunch provided a choice of 3 western meals and 1 Korean option.







The feature I appreciated most was the helpful calorie count that was placed next to each option. This feature managed to scare me away from the Korean option (which I normally enjoy) and instead I chose the fish. The fish was a great choice and was perfectly cooked.




Canape


Salad


Soup


Main


Cheese


Desert

I skipped the meal service mid-flight but when my choice of “snack” was not available prior to landing I had a BLT sandwich instead.


Snack Menu


Appetizer


BLT

In contrast to the superb food service, the entertainment system was a major let down. Only about nine or ten movies were offered and were played on a loop. There were 6 English movies and 3 or 4 Korean options. No “on demand” entertainment available. For an almost 10-hour flight having such a limited choice and playing movies on a loop is just very poor. There were also some TV series options which I did not bother with. Interestingly the Cabin Manager apologised to every passenger for the "old" entertainment system before the system was switched on.

To end, a tip for duty-free purchases. If you purchase duty free on board but elect to pick the duty fee up on your next flight, you will receive a 10% discount (5% for electronic items).

Overall I enjoyed the flight and experiencing what was for me a new product. For a day flight the hard product was fine but the entertainment was severely limited. If Asiana was significantly cheaper than other options (Korean Airlines or Singapore are options traveling the same route, albeit with a stopover in the case of SQ) then perhaps I would purchase again. The real test will be the overnight return segment in a few days.

peachtea

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Mwenenzi

peachtea & 777Jubilee Welcome CBR'ers to FT

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matthandy

I can't see any photos either.

777Jubilee

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Fraser Suites Apartment, Insadong

On this trip I was fortunate enough to stay in the Fraser Suites - an all apartment hotel. On arrival I was allocated an "upgrade" to a 2-bedroom apartment which was largely wasted on me, but still appreciated. The hotel is located in the centre of the CBD near Insadong Street which is a centre for tourists and locals alike and features Korean food and culture. It is also walking distance to several subway lines and convenient to other parts of the city.




Streets around the Hotel

The apartment was relatively modern and very comfortable. The main bedroom was a good size and had a King size bed. The second room was smaller with a single bed. TVs in the Lounge and bedroom had a good selection of local and international channels, including BBC and BBC Entertainment which I love.


Apartment Entry


Apartment Dining


Apartment Kitchen and laundry


Apartment Lounge


Apartment bathroom


Apartment Main Bed

I found the fully equipped kitchen very handy as I ended up preparing breakfast each morning. On my first morning after have wandered into the dining room and started breakfast I was informed by staff that breakfast was not included in my room rate (contrary to the information given to me by my booking agent). So I ended up paying USD16 for the first morning's breakfast. I didn't bother to return - breakfast was extremely limited with some breads, poached eggs (luke-warm and waiting on the buffet), scrambled eggs, hash browns, cereal, and some Korean porridge.

However the other hotel facilities were excellent. A very good gym (with resident personal trainer at additional cost), heated swimming pool, sauna, steam room, and hot and cold plunge pools were all available.


Swimming Pool






Gym

I would not hesitate to recommend Fraser Suites to anyone traveling to Seoul and wanting to stay in Insadong (just don't bother with the breakfast).

iluvcruising2

Interesting.

Pictures are rather small, which is a pity, because they look pretty good.

seat38a

We were on one of those non refurbished 777 same seat as your flight in J to BKK last year on OZ. It was a big disappointment especially after just getting off of their A380 with their new J product. On our way back from SIN, we were on their A330 which had the newer angle lie flat seats for their regional flights. 1000% better than the older angle flat on their 777.

P1020609 by seat38a, on Flickr

The problem with the seats below, other than the fact they are really really out of date is that you slide down while sleeping in the fully flat mode and have to keep getting up up get back up to the correct position.

P1010214 by seat38a, on Flickr

777Jubilee

Asiana Business Class 777-200ER Seoul to Sydney

Asiana Airlines OZ601
Seoul (ICN) – Sydney (SYD)
24 April 2015
Depart: 8:30 PM / 8:45 PM (scheduled /actual)
Arrive: 7:40 AM / 7:44 AM (scheduled / actual)
Duration: 10 hours 10 minutes (actual: 9 hours 59 minutes)
Aircraft: Boeing 777-28E
Registration Number: HL7500
Load: 26/28 in business
Seat: 4H

I arrived at Incheon International Airport quite early to avoid the large protests that were expected in downtown Seoul. Asiana has a dedicated row of check-in counters for Business Class. These were almost deserted when I arrived so check-in was extremely fast. I was provided with an Express Card for Australian customs and immigration and the check-in agent apologised that there was no Express system in Korea.


Check-in counters

I then joined the queue for security and immigration. The queue was not too bad and I was through in about 15 minutes.

With nothing to do I headed for the Lounge. On previous visits to Korea I had always flown on SQ and used the Asiana Business Class Lounge in the satellite terminal – a windowless lounge, which I do not particularly like. On this occasion I was directed to the main Asiana business lounge just past the immigration counters.

At the reception desk my boarding pass was scanned and I booked a shower room (there was a queue). I then entered a very nicely decorated lounge – it even had a grand piano sitting unused in the centre of the floor.











The lounge provided a variety of seating options including private cubicles and Relaxation Rooms.





There were also windows with great views of the apron and both runways – I sat and watched simultaneous takeoffs which kept me entertained for the hour until my shower was ready.





The shower facilities were very good. Dove branded shampoo, conditioner and body wash were provided and a range of after shower body lotions, aftershaves and other amenities were also available.







With memories of the high quality and generous quantity of on board dining option I did not want anything to heavy to eat. Just as well as the dining options were extremely limited. A salad bar, breads, an instant noodle station and snacks were set out. Later tuna finger sandwiches were added. If I was not expecting a decent meal on board the dining options would have left me disappointed.











My overall impression of the Lounge was that it was a reasonable space to relax have a shower, use the good free wifi, and prepare for a flight. I would not recommend the lounge for anyone wanting something to eat – better to find a restaurant in the terminal and pay for a meal.

I left with plenty of time to find the gate. It turned out that a gate change had occurred and I had not been told by the lounge reception staff, who gave me directions to the wrong gate. I ended up having to walk rather fast to the opposite end of the terminal and was one of the last on board.

The flight featured the exact same aircraft as I had flown to Seoul from Sydney. I won’t cover all the same detail again – just the dining and a few bits that I missed previously.

After the welcome drink had been served – choice of water, orange juice or champagne – the cabin director introduced herself to every passenger. As part of the introduction an apology for the “old seat and entertainment system” was given along with the assurance that Asiana would soon replace the hard product on the Sydney route. The welcome was then repeated by the cabin crew in charge of the business class cabin.

Shortly after takeoff dinner was served. My choice of the chicken had run out so I ended up having the tenderloin – which turned out to be perfectly cooked (medium) and delicious.


Western Menu


Korean Menu



Appetizer - Delicious


Soup


Main


Desert


White wine menu


Red wine menu

Once again refreshments were available at any time – BLT sandwiches, ramen noodles, chips and other snacks. However there was no mid-flight service given the time of the flight.

Two hours prior to landing breakfast was served. Once again the only option available when my order was taken was the seafood crepes. These turned out to be very good.


Menu


Seafood crepes

As feared, the lie-flat seats were extremely uncomfortable to sleep on. Not only was the seat not flat but the angle meant I kept slipping down the seat. I didn’t end up sleeping at all. For an overnight flight I strongly recommend flying an alternative airline on this route – both Korean Airlines and Singapore Airlines offer great hard products.

Overall – the inflight service provided on both Asiana flight segments was excellent. For a day flight the cabin is comfortable but avoid if at all possible for night flights. The entertainment system is old and needs to be updated – for a 10 hour flight movies on a loop no longer cuts it. As always the decision to fly comes down to price. For me the Asiana product is not the equivalent to the products offered by competitors and would need to be considerable cheaper before I would consider flying this airline in future.

Annalisa12

Thanks for posting. As a Sydneysider it was interesting to see the temp NZ lounge. It looked very crummy.

Angled seats sure are a nightmare.

injian

Thanks for the TR.

worldtraveller73

I find that the advantages with Asiana are:

Generally good on board catering.
Solid wines - even Ice Wine in Business Class
Great service.

The minuses are:

Lack of substantial food in the lounges, despite a nice main lounge in ICN
Really lackluster IFE
Some outdated hard product

Still, I find them a pretty solid choice to and from Asia (from North America).

I would also agree that coming off a A380 full flat product into the older product is a let down.

777Jubilee

Hi Annalisa12, yes the temp lounge in Sydney airport is not great, especially compared to the previous very good Air NZ Lounge. Let's hope the renovations are completed quickly.


I agree with your summary worldtraveller73. The hard-product is the critical element for me. On the Sydney route it is the oldest hard product in the fleet and therefore something to avoid unless significantly cheaper. On other routes I know Asiana have newer hard products that compare favourably with the competition.

ok2uselane

I flew this route in 2012. It looks like nothing has changed. I agree with your post completely. I, too, failed to get much sleep (two hours tops, IIRC). Very disappointed in OZ, for not upgrading this route by now. It was as overdue then, just as now!

Madone59

Nice TR, thanks for sharing ^

mad_atta

I thought the business class seats on the A330 were essentially the same as the ones on the old 772? According to seatguru the 772 has 4" more pitch but I thought that was the only difference?