OZ J class review ICN - BKK A380
Jul 7, 2019, 3:12 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2015
Posts: 699
OZ J class review ICN - BKK A380
Just sharing my experience of Asiana as a first timer:
Asiana
Seoul – Bangkok
A380
Depart 19:30 Arrive 23:10
Flight duration 5hr10min
We arrived at Seoul Incheon Airport around two and a half hours before our flight for our first experience with Asiana. As a ‘five star’ Skytrax airline I was looking forward to trying out their product especially as this intra-asia flight was on their A380 flagship aircraft. Most of their intra-asia flights are operated by A330’s which offer a very dated angle flat product or an A321 with recliner seats.
We found our way to the Asiana Premium Check in area which was for First and Business Class customers. We were checked in by a very friendly agent with flawless English who advised us of the lounge locations as well as issuing us with Fast Track immigration cards for BKK Airport (always a godsend).
We were through immigration and security relatively quickly and made our way to the Asiana lounge – the first of three Asiana lounges we would visit that evening. For me, this was the biggest disappointment with the Asiana experience. The first lounge we went to was awful in almost every way. The aesthetic (a rectangular room with rows of seats), the fact that it was packed (lounge staff were walking around trying to find spare seats for customers) and food/drink (think very limited food like pot noodles and crisps, sodas out of a machine and paper cups). It was just a weird set up. There was a self service bar area with a few spirits but the only mixer available was ginger ale (unless you fancied pepsi or sprite out of the soda dispenser). There were no bar snacks like nuts. The first lounge was so crowded and unpleasant we decided to check out the other Asiana Lounge a few gates walk away. We entered the other lounge (which also had a First Class section) and scanned our boarding passes for automatic entry. We entered the lounge and in all honesty I though we had entered the same lounge we just left from a different entry point. It was identical in crowds, layout, food and drink. So far we had experienced the joys of the Asiana East and Asiana Central lounges the only two listed on the Star Alliance Lounge Finder or shown to us on the map at check in. My partner was over the lounges and said he’d go for a wander around the shops. When he came back he said he had passed a third Asiana lounge further down the terminal. I was doubtful of this as being the avgeek I’d researched the Asiana lounges and had only seen two on offer but had nothing to lose by staying where we were so tagged along. After a bit of a walk we found a third Asiana lounge, Asiana Lounge West. Not so different to the others except that it only had a handful of customers. Heaven! Unfortunately we only had about twenty minutes to relax in our new discovery and my partner spent his 20min in one of the massage chairs. We set off for the gate about forty five minutes before departure.
Boarding:
Boarding started literally as we arrived at the gate with priority boarding enforced and well signposted. We boarded directly on to the upper deck. Business Class on Asiana’s A380’s is in two cabins either side of the boarding door of the upper deck with a smaller cabin to the left and a larger cabin to the right. Altogether it is a large business class with staggered fully flat seats. Behind is an upper deck economy cabin. At our seats were a pair of slippers, blanket and pillow. At the very front of the cabin is a small lounge area and a large TV which shows the moving map and flight information. The lounge area seemed a bit of a waste of space although I noticed during the relatively short five hour flight it was used so I guess it would definitely be used on a longer flight. There were also two bathrooms at the very front, one huge, one normal airplane size.
The seat:
As expected on their flagship aircraft normally flying longhaul routes Asiana has equipped the A380 with fully flat beds in a 1-2-1 staggered configuration. Window seats alternate with odd row numbers being closer to the window and even row numbers closer to the aisle. The ones closer to the window are more private although I noticed the legwell in the seats closer to the aisle was slightly bigger. Any fully flat seat with direct aisle access gets my thumbs up but ones that have ‘cubby hole’ footwells are not my favourite. The seats had a multi plug power outlet and USB charging points.
Pre take off service:
One of the crew came through to offer a glass of juice, water or champage. This was followed by immigration documentation for Thailand. The Chief Purser came through Business Class giving a little ‘hello’ and ‘have a nice flight’ with half a bow but I don’t think she actually stopped whilst working through the cabin as she did this. There was a welcome onboard by the cabin crew in Korean, English and Thai. We pushed back on time and were soon airborne.
Post take off:
Menus were given out after take off followed by hot towels. The crew then came through to take the drink and meal order at which point they quickly retrieved the menus.
There was a Korean and Western option:
Western – Appetiser: ‘Tomato Farci’ Tomato stuffed with chicken salad served with baby leaves. Side salad. Mains: Grilled beef tenderloin steak served with mushroom cream sauce, cauliflower, sweet pumpkin and roasted potato. Grilled halibut served with chimichurri sauce, roast potato, sundried tomato and paprika. Cheese course: tete de Moine, gruyere, blue. Dessert: icecream.
Korean – Appetiser: ‘Oliseon’ Korean style cucumber roll stuffed with mushroom and beef. Main: ‘’Nutritious Korean cuisine Ssambap’ which is essentially Bulgogi beef wrapped in various green leafs with rice, vegetables and sauce. Dessert: Fresh fruit and rice cake.
I opted for the Korean, my partner for the western beef option.
Tablecloths were laid and trays were delivered with our starter choice and drinks. I had some white wine which was nicely chilled although the glasses were very small. The crew however were proactive in top ups. The food was delicious and i’m not sure who’s meal was better. I never order steak on a plane as it’s nearly always dry and overcooked however I tried some of my partners steak and was amazed at how perfectly it was cooked and pink in the middle.
A fruit and cheese trolley came down the aisle after the mains were cleared although anyone who had opted for the Korean option were not given a choice and automatically given fruit. Then came a dessert, tea and coffee trolley which I didn’t partake in although the presentation was very nice with silverware etc. Latte, espresso etc are also available.
Our trays were cleared and the lights dimmed. There was no further cabin presence from the crew. It would have been nice to have been given a small bottle of water.
I pressed my call bell about an hour later to request coffee and it was tended to quickly.
Around an hour before landing in BKK the lights were switched on and juice and water were served along with hot towels.
Service:
I’d heard and read amazing things about Asiana cabin crew so went in with high expectations. Most seemed to speak relatively good English and they were polite and hard working. Saying that there was no real interaction, no introductions, no use of names. To me they more or less just seemed to go through the motions. I have nothing negative to say about them but they didn’t blow my mind either.
Summary: overall I enjoyed my flight with Asiana although they definitely have areas for improvement especially their lounges which are just really poor for a ‘five star’ airlines hub. The food onboard was delicious and really enjoyable and their A380 is a great aircraft to fly. The service provided by the crew was fine if not memorable. I’ve read Asiana has been having some financial difficulties, maybe this has hit morale a little. I would definitely fly them again if the price was right and I was on one of their aircraft with the full flat bed product. But personally I have preferred my flights on their five star Asian competitors such as JAL and Singapore and even their four star alliance partner Thai.
Asiana
Seoul – Bangkok
A380
Depart 19:30 Arrive 23:10
Flight duration 5hr10min
We arrived at Seoul Incheon Airport around two and a half hours before our flight for our first experience with Asiana. As a ‘five star’ Skytrax airline I was looking forward to trying out their product especially as this intra-asia flight was on their A380 flagship aircraft. Most of their intra-asia flights are operated by A330’s which offer a very dated angle flat product or an A321 with recliner seats.
We found our way to the Asiana Premium Check in area which was for First and Business Class customers. We were checked in by a very friendly agent with flawless English who advised us of the lounge locations as well as issuing us with Fast Track immigration cards for BKK Airport (always a godsend).
We were through immigration and security relatively quickly and made our way to the Asiana lounge – the first of three Asiana lounges we would visit that evening. For me, this was the biggest disappointment with the Asiana experience. The first lounge we went to was awful in almost every way. The aesthetic (a rectangular room with rows of seats), the fact that it was packed (lounge staff were walking around trying to find spare seats for customers) and food/drink (think very limited food like pot noodles and crisps, sodas out of a machine and paper cups). It was just a weird set up. There was a self service bar area with a few spirits but the only mixer available was ginger ale (unless you fancied pepsi or sprite out of the soda dispenser). There were no bar snacks like nuts. The first lounge was so crowded and unpleasant we decided to check out the other Asiana Lounge a few gates walk away. We entered the other lounge (which also had a First Class section) and scanned our boarding passes for automatic entry. We entered the lounge and in all honesty I though we had entered the same lounge we just left from a different entry point. It was identical in crowds, layout, food and drink. So far we had experienced the joys of the Asiana East and Asiana Central lounges the only two listed on the Star Alliance Lounge Finder or shown to us on the map at check in. My partner was over the lounges and said he’d go for a wander around the shops. When he came back he said he had passed a third Asiana lounge further down the terminal. I was doubtful of this as being the avgeek I’d researched the Asiana lounges and had only seen two on offer but had nothing to lose by staying where we were so tagged along. After a bit of a walk we found a third Asiana lounge, Asiana Lounge West. Not so different to the others except that it only had a handful of customers. Heaven! Unfortunately we only had about twenty minutes to relax in our new discovery and my partner spent his 20min in one of the massage chairs. We set off for the gate about forty five minutes before departure.
Boarding:
Boarding started literally as we arrived at the gate with priority boarding enforced and well signposted. We boarded directly on to the upper deck. Business Class on Asiana’s A380’s is in two cabins either side of the boarding door of the upper deck with a smaller cabin to the left and a larger cabin to the right. Altogether it is a large business class with staggered fully flat seats. Behind is an upper deck economy cabin. At our seats were a pair of slippers, blanket and pillow. At the very front of the cabin is a small lounge area and a large TV which shows the moving map and flight information. The lounge area seemed a bit of a waste of space although I noticed during the relatively short five hour flight it was used so I guess it would definitely be used on a longer flight. There were also two bathrooms at the very front, one huge, one normal airplane size.
The seat:
As expected on their flagship aircraft normally flying longhaul routes Asiana has equipped the A380 with fully flat beds in a 1-2-1 staggered configuration. Window seats alternate with odd row numbers being closer to the window and even row numbers closer to the aisle. The ones closer to the window are more private although I noticed the legwell in the seats closer to the aisle was slightly bigger. Any fully flat seat with direct aisle access gets my thumbs up but ones that have ‘cubby hole’ footwells are not my favourite. The seats had a multi plug power outlet and USB charging points.
Pre take off service:
One of the crew came through to offer a glass of juice, water or champage. This was followed by immigration documentation for Thailand. The Chief Purser came through Business Class giving a little ‘hello’ and ‘have a nice flight’ with half a bow but I don’t think she actually stopped whilst working through the cabin as she did this. There was a welcome onboard by the cabin crew in Korean, English and Thai. We pushed back on time and were soon airborne.
Post take off:
Menus were given out after take off followed by hot towels. The crew then came through to take the drink and meal order at which point they quickly retrieved the menus.
There was a Korean and Western option:
Western – Appetiser: ‘Tomato Farci’ Tomato stuffed with chicken salad served with baby leaves. Side salad. Mains: Grilled beef tenderloin steak served with mushroom cream sauce, cauliflower, sweet pumpkin and roasted potato. Grilled halibut served with chimichurri sauce, roast potato, sundried tomato and paprika. Cheese course: tete de Moine, gruyere, blue. Dessert: icecream.
Korean – Appetiser: ‘Oliseon’ Korean style cucumber roll stuffed with mushroom and beef. Main: ‘’Nutritious Korean cuisine Ssambap’ which is essentially Bulgogi beef wrapped in various green leafs with rice, vegetables and sauce. Dessert: Fresh fruit and rice cake.
I opted for the Korean, my partner for the western beef option.
Tablecloths were laid and trays were delivered with our starter choice and drinks. I had some white wine which was nicely chilled although the glasses were very small. The crew however were proactive in top ups. The food was delicious and i’m not sure who’s meal was better. I never order steak on a plane as it’s nearly always dry and overcooked however I tried some of my partners steak and was amazed at how perfectly it was cooked and pink in the middle.
A fruit and cheese trolley came down the aisle after the mains were cleared although anyone who had opted for the Korean option were not given a choice and automatically given fruit. Then came a dessert, tea and coffee trolley which I didn’t partake in although the presentation was very nice with silverware etc. Latte, espresso etc are also available.
Our trays were cleared and the lights dimmed. There was no further cabin presence from the crew. It would have been nice to have been given a small bottle of water.
I pressed my call bell about an hour later to request coffee and it was tended to quickly.
Around an hour before landing in BKK the lights were switched on and juice and water were served along with hot towels.
Service:
I’d heard and read amazing things about Asiana cabin crew so went in with high expectations. Most seemed to speak relatively good English and they were polite and hard working. Saying that there was no real interaction, no introductions, no use of names. To me they more or less just seemed to go through the motions. I have nothing negative to say about them but they didn’t blow my mind either.
Summary: overall I enjoyed my flight with Asiana although they definitely have areas for improvement especially their lounges which are just really poor for a ‘five star’ airlines hub. The food onboard was delicious and really enjoyable and their A380 is a great aircraft to fly. The service provided by the crew was fine if not memorable. I’ve read Asiana has been having some financial difficulties, maybe this has hit morale a little. I would definitely fly them again if the price was right and I was on one of their aircraft with the full flat bed product. But personally I have preferred my flights on their five star Asian competitors such as JAL and Singapore and even their four star alliance partner Thai.
Last edited by 108912; Sep 12, 2019 at 9:01 am
Jul 8, 2019, 5:53 am
#2
Join Date: Jan 2017
Location: PHX, ICN
Programs: OZ Diamond Plus, Marriott Gold
Posts: 502
I've yet to fly OZ business (my wife has), but we have access to the lounges with Priority Pass when we fly Asiana. We had read that the contract lounges have vastly superior food to the OZ J lounge and that's undeniably true. Flying trans-Pacific again tomorrow, and eating at Matina then relaxing in OZ's lounge.
Jul 8, 2019, 6:02 pm
#3
Join Date: Jan 2017
Programs: UA MP 1K
Posts: 119
I've yet to fly OZ business (my wife has), but we have access to the lounges with Priority Pass when we fly Asiana. We had read that the contract lounges have vastly superior food to the OZ J lounge and that's undeniably true. Flying trans-Pacific again tomorrow, and eating at Matina then relaxing in OZ's lounge.
Can we assume that is partly the problem for the overcrowding?
Jul 8, 2019, 6:34 pm
#4
Join Date: Jan 2017
Programs: ALL Gold, MPC Silver
Posts: 175
Aug 6, 2019, 5:37 pm
#6
Join Date: Jul 2000
Location: New York, UA Plt 2MM Marriott Lifetime PLT
Posts: 591
https://flyasiana.com/C/US/EN/contents/a380-800