Quadra Smartium (Business Lie Flat) and Routes (consolidated)
 

Any chance that I will see the new seats in Business on SYD-ICN in May 11'?

MODERATOR NOTE

http://www.instablogsimages.com/imag...t_qrg4u_48.jpg
Asiana Quadra Smartum seat

http://news.tom.com/uimg/2010/7/22/w...5939_47809.jpg

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_P8wZ_9wdkG...afbafdbafb.jpg

• full flat bed type seat (180 degrees)
• foldable arm rest and movable head rest
• movable dining table
• separate cocktail tables located next to each seat
• storage place for shoes and personal storage place
• PC power outlets

http://us.flyasiana.com/Global/uploa...103_oz_eng.jpg
Schedule of flights with Quadra Smartium

OZ hasn't announced what flights will get the new seats after March 2011 so there is a chance but I suspect that they will deploy those aircraft 7 days to LAX and possibly also on the LHR and CDG routes before they get to SYD towards the end of the year. Personally, I'd love to see them on the SYD route for my flight at the end of June but I'm not holding my breath.

SYD is mainly a leisure route so I wouldn't expect the new seats anytime soon.

I agree, whereas I've done Quadra Smartium on ICN-SFO and the front cabin was filled with revenue pax who will personally or have their employers pay a premium for OZ service/catering with flat seats.

SYD is likely more award or discount C seats, hence less reason to put the latest and greatest C product on the route.

What about new seats on the ORD-ICN route?
 

I've got award tkts for ORD-ICN-SYD RT in C in Sep. Not expecting new seats on the SYD route but what about ORD flights? I've heard mention of the JFK-ICN route being the next to get the Quadra. Any good estimates when ORD could seen an upgrade?

Asiana will have total 4 aircrafts with quadra stuff, and at this rate, in my speculation, they possibly go daily SFO and daily LAX this summer.

ORD has lately gotten the oldest planes in the 772 fleet, the 772's w/o AVOD, so I'm thinking it will probably be the last NA/EU flight to get Quadra Smartiums seats.

I agree. SFO and LAX will get them first, then I'd guess LHR, ORD, CDG, then SYD.

OZ also has 2 772's still on order, so those will probably be delivered with the new seats as well.

But OZ doesn't have a plan to get new 777 this year, although we need to wait until OZ publishes annual plan in a few weeks.

Thanks everyone for the (sad) data about the ORD-ICN flights. I guess I should have done more FT research before booking my award tkts. I got all excited when I ran across some OZ marketing that said "all 777 upgraded by May 2011" --- count me as gullible. Fortunately as US Chairman Preferred I can make changes to an award itin w/o penalty. ORD is still a more convenient international departure from PIT than LAX or SFO, which require an additional transcon flight. Seeing as this is a LONG trip to begin with, I may just put up with angled-flat and looping AV and enjoy the good food and service. :)

I forget where I saw it, but I saw an OZ fleet list that had 11 772's andin the orders it said 2 772's in addition to the 30 A350's.

That's correct. But those 2 772s won't come this year. Possibly next year or later. In 2011, OZ will get 1 333, 2 321s, and a 747F. So beside SFO and LAX, there might be no more quadra route this year.

I was hoping I will get something from ICN-FRA in end Mar or early April this year but I guess it will be a no :(

Correct, as ICN-FRA is one of the 3 long haul routes with F. I'm not sure what the timeframe for adding Quadra Smartium is on 3-cabin routes.

March or April 2013 will be a much more realistic date...

that's 5 years after emirates had their first "Quadra Smartium" :o

SEA-ICN
 

Are there any plans for the A330 to be upgraded by Jun of 2010?

While OZ hasn't officially announced the routes where the OZ Quadra Smartium seats will be post-27 March, it appears that LAX is keeping its current rotations and possibly increasing to daily based on the seat map I got for OZ204 in June. As expected, SYD still has the old seat map.

No mention of NRT here... I flew the new C on this leg last week; totally wonderful. Totally.

I did not want to get off! :p

Cheers,

AG. :-:

How are you able to see the seat map? I'm booked on the 12.20am flight this June from LAX and can't see seatmap anywhere.

Through the seat selection tool on the OZ website.

Thanks. Not a very user-friendly website--I thought the seat assignment feature was limited to on-line checkin, but I see now you can do seat assignment without checkin.

The seatmap shows the old business class configuration for OZ 203 on June 9

Thats an understatement.

Looks like it isn't possible if you booked a *A award on OZ using another airline's miles (US in this case). You need an OZ e-ticket number or OZ membership.

I am travelling on an Aeroplan award. All you need to do is sign up for the OZ program to get a membership number and ring OZ to get the OZ Reloc. The OZ number doesn't have to be linked to the ticket.

I have an award booked on UA and OZ using US miles. You do need to sign up for a free membership at the OZ website but you don't need the e-ticket number...

You'll need the OZ PNR which a US phone rep will be able to provide to you.

However, as mentioned above, the seat selection tool is not very user-friendly and you have to go pretend as if you're doing a web check-in to arrive at the seat maps.

Once you've chosen your seats, you'll be able to print a "Boarding Pass Exchange Coupon" which presumably can be presented at the counter on day of departure...or the actual Boarding Pass will actually print out after you do the T-48 check-in.

*A Flyer, does this mean that you're booked on OZ204 on a day that's not currently served by the new J class? If so, what day of the week is it? Is it still showing the new layout on the seatmap?

I'm looking at a Saturday flight (shortly after midnight Friday night) in October, which isn't currently a new config day, but am trying to figure out the likelihood of it being so by October.

Does anyone know of any way to look at OZ seatmaps for future flights other than accessing a confirmed booking on the OZ website?

Thanks!
AZ

Unfortunately, it looks like I am booked on a day which currently gets the service which means I have no evidence that LAX is going daily with the new seats. The plus is that we know they aren't reducing the frequencies to LAX.

Dimensions
 

I believe this has been asked, but I didn't see much of a reply - does anyone have accurate dimensions of these new seats? I'm flying them in March LAX-ICN and in April ICN-LAX.

They should put these seats in throughout the fleet. The wedgie-flat seats are really behind the times.

Which LAX-ICN-LAX flights have the new seats? I just redeemed a C award for my folk on OZ. Just curious because the dates are pretty set and we are unlikely to change into the new seats.

LAX

From the Asiana Website

http://us.flyasiana.com/Global/US/en...rchWrd=&page=1

sdcarver

Do we know if the total # of C seats decline as a result of the conversion?

I'm personally wondering about the 3 class birds to/from JFK (and my Nov trip of course). Since it has 2 mini-C cabins (2 rows each), I wonder how many they get in - can they go 2 rows of 2-2-2?

Yes; 35 in a 2 class 777 drops to 28.
And so you're right 2 times 2 cabins of 2-2-2 is it.

Thanks. Is it safe to assume the schedule will be extended beyond March? Maybe there will be more flights with the new seats by May!

LAX

Not so sure. I'm flying SYD-ICN 19th March, then ICN-LAX 29th March (after the schedule on their website ends), and it looks like ICN-LAX will be on the old planes (dagnabbit >.<). I rang up to check, and the girl checked for me, and told me there's one on the 27th and 31st. So if they start ramping it up (which I assume they would do), it mightn't be until after the Easter break in May or something...

There's a schedule on their website, but if you call Asiana they can confirm whether you (your folks) are in the Quadra Smartium seats or the old ones.

I'm on Asiana 203 LAX-ICN at 12:30a on a Tuesday, which is the Quadra and so is Asiana 204 ICN-LAX at 8:20p on a Monday. (Barring any plane switches)

Asiana's website might be one of the worst I've ever seen - you would think that for a new product like the Quadra they'd have a more interactive link to promote it.

Any reason why they can't give seat assignments before check-in?
 

I am on an ICN-LAX flight in March that should have the new seats (and if not, I will be quite irate). However, I can't get advance seat assignments on-line or at the OZ ICN service desk.

I wouldn't be happy if I wasn't in the new seats (presuming they're as good as the pictures).

I'm flying on a *A award seat and I was able to get advance seat assignments, but I wasn't able to do it online, I had to call the Asiana customer service number. If a seat is issued by a *A airline other than Asiana, you can't reserve a seat online even if you have the Asiana PNR. I'm continuing on Singapore Air, and was able to do almost everything online with the Singapore PNR. Asiana is technologically backwards.

I just redeemed an award through CO on OZ. You can select seats online, but you have to sign up for Asiana's frequent flyer program first. Then you can then use your OZ PNR and frequent flyer number to log-in. I was able to select seats without any problem. It looks like there's no way to do it online without signing up for their program though.

They should be able to get 16 into the existing cabin area. And on the 2-class, 35 seats go to 24, not 28. They could put 24 seats on the 3-class if they removed 4 rows of economy and 20 if they removed 2 rows of economy.

Such a crying shame Asiana doesn't have a flatbed in business on ICN-NYC, given that Korean, ANA (via NRT), and Unitinental (via NRT or SFO, at least in 2120 when they finish the 777 reconfiguration) all do.