11A/11K – a bit different from other seats – due to its location, it has an enlarged table with the magazine pocket located below the table area.




Seat features – new Smartium business class seats – a definitely improvement from the current seat on its 777s. The seats are angled to provide with more privacy, as well as additional storage spaces for small items. I have tried the lie flat position, as most passengers have issues with the width especially at the shoulder. The new seats definitely addressed this issue and my shoulders did not hit the side panels, while lying face up. You don’t need to sleep sideways.

Seat (10A) in upright position


Relax position



Lie flat position





Side storage bin for upper deck passengers


More table space


Literature pocket with headset holder/slippers/bottled waters with personal reading lamp


Personal reading lamp


Headset and USB port


Side panel


Power Port


Seat control & handset console


Small pocket below tray table for safety card but nothing much – maybe menus


Tray table – I really like this design – much better than previous attempts




New forward lavatory







I love this small touch – stylish hooks


Pre-takeoff beverage – OJ or water


Boarding was completed early and door was closed at 1:04pm and we pushed back at 1:06pm. Narita was very quiet at these hours, and we took off from R/W16R at 1:24pm.



Flying time was a short hour and forty-five minutes, but weather en route was quite bad. Our routing took us towards Matusdo and Tokorazawa, as we reached 40,000feet, and then after passing city of Echizen, we descended towards 36,000feet. However the chops were pretty bad, and we descended further to 34,000feet as we crossed the Sea of Japan towards Pohang, Korea, and then towards Incheon.

The flight attendants were very efficient and friendly, and two different F/As introduced themselves to each passenger in the beginning of the flight, and they are graceful and polite. They never collected an empty glass before asking if you want another drink. To give you an example of how observant these F/As are: some of the windows had some light spots, so I began wiping them. Five minutes later, the F/A came with a wet towel and wiped my windows for me, and apologized for the dirty windows. I told her that she had nothing to apologize for, but if this move was not service, I didn’t know what would be. This is award-winning service.

A one-tray meal was served and I was honestly a bit sick of the BiBimBap option, so I decided to go with the Western option. The beef tenderloin was perfectly cooked, and in general, this was a very good meal. In terms of catering, what Asiana needs to work on is variety. Beef is considered a very expensive item in Korea, but I feel that both options featuring beef products are a bit too much. However you really cannot complain about the quality of the meals prepared here in Japan.

Wine List
Champagne Cattier Brut
Albert Bichot Macon-Villages Blanc Chardonnay 2011
d’Arenberg Stump Jump Syrah 2012

Menu
Western


Appetizer
Bocconcini Cheese with Mixed Greens



Main Course
Beef Tenderloin Steak (500kcal)
Seasoned with Ruby Port Wine Sauce
Served with Green Beans and Fried Potato



Dessert
Strawberry Mousse


Coffee and Tea

Korean
Mixing and Harmonizing
A Famous Korean Cuisine “BiBimBap” 620kcal
It is also called ‘Goldongban’. ‘Goldong’ means that several ingredients are gathered equally. Bibimbap is a mixture of cooked white rice, various vegetables, pan-broiled meat, and red pepper paste ‘Gochujang’. At the court, Bibimbap was served on New Year’s Eve based on the belief that the remaining food should be emptied before the end of the year. Moreover, it was easily prepared for farmers in the farming season during break time and is a recommended dish since it is a convenient and substantial meal. As a healthy food with several ingredients in harmony, it was accredited as space food. There are various forms of bibimbap by area.

Dessert
Fresh Fruit

Coffee and Tea
OZ 101
NRT/SEL
B/C
2014C1-20140701

I took a few shots of the wing after lunch!



Never sick of looking at them!

We began our descent at 2:41pm and we landed on R/W34 at 3:09pm.


We taxied to gate 43 and parked there at 3:17pm.




Some farewell shots of HL7625 at ICN – getting ready for evening rotation to HKG






In conclusion, Asiana A380 Special Edition is definitely a promising product. It is not going to be an extravagant plane like the Middle East airlines, but for passengers, it should be a very comfortable plane. Asiana maintains 34” of legroom in economy, which will definitely be appreciated by these transpacific customers. The new Smartium seats in J are much improved compared to its first generation. This new product is definitely better than Korean Air’s current J seats on the A380s. Of course there is always a weak point, which is its entertainment system. The new PTV is huge and offers touchscreen functions but the contents are severely lacking. There is not even one English speaking sitcom available and for Western (and most) travelers, you really need to bring your own entertainment. Other than the poor entertainment system, Asiana A380 is promising and I can consider flying it from ICN to LAX in the future. I hope you enjoy this trip report!

Carfield