BA to resume flights to ICN
May 3, 2012, 4:36 am
#32
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Very welcome return to ICN. I was on one of the very last flights when the route was pulled 14 years ago.
Not sure if I'll be rushing back, but let's say South Korea is an interesting country
Not sure if I'll be rushing back, but let's say South Korea is an interesting country
May 3, 2012, 6:43 am
#33
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May 3, 2012, 7:01 am
#34
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For starters, I'd imagine that most UK-based travellers would far prefer BA over KE simply for the reason that KE is not in Oneworld, which means that flying KE involves orphan miles in some of the most dreadful FFP programs in existence such as Flying Blue.
Plus, the current KE equipment to/from LHR is not fully flat in J, so that would be an advantage for the BA flight.
Plus, the current KE equipment to/from LHR is not fully flat in J, so that would be an advantage for the BA flight.
And given that there will be Skyteam elites who hold no status in BA, they will probably have the same attitude towards flying with an airline with which they hold no status as you do. I think you are running the risk of taking your own situiation and assuming it applies to everyone. I was very well looked after by Skyteam on the route (80% op-up rate!
) and I also managed to avoid flying KE. I've always been surprised that BA weren't in ICN - it's one of the biggest international freight airports in the world. But KLM's clever use of combi-747s on the route probably kept the route alive at times when the pax numbers were not holding up, and that's something BA doesn't have. Good to see them go back though -South Korea is an overlooked but pretty fascinating country.
May 3, 2012, 7:28 am
#35
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I'm glad, too - I've always had to go via HKG (not the end of the world, extra points for the CX leg to ICN and we have a regional hub in HK so a quick stopover is always useful).
But to be able to do LHR-HKG-ICN-LHR is very useful
May 3, 2012, 7:36 am
#36
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You do know that many non-London based UK flyers are already members of Skyteam, due to the superior coverage regional airports get from AF/KLM? The north of England KLM contingent is really rather big actually (as the recent, fabulous AF Do showed!) - but then KLM fly from five airports in the north of England, as opposed to BA's two.
May 3, 2012, 7:41 am
#37
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May 3, 2012, 7:59 am
#40
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May 3, 2012, 8:04 am
#41
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All I'm doing is pointing out that isn't necessarily the case and that for many people, there is a world outside BA. That world has constricted due to the loss of BD, and the changes to FB, but there is a glimmer of hope in the FB world.
As to the food - there are lots of excellent Korean foods. Kimchi should stay buried however. And ox-tail fat soup is a horror. But I'll eat bulgogi anytime.
May 3, 2012, 8:15 am
#42
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Very likely. But the attitude in the thread was that KE was the only current option and that thus, us UK based flyers would fall over ourselves to fly BA.
All I'm doing is pointing out that isn't necessarily the case and that for many people, there is a world outside BA. That world has constricted due to the loss of BD, and the changes to FB, but there is a glimmer of hope in the FB world.
As to the food - there are lots of excellent Korean foods. Kimchi should stay buried however. And ox-tail fat soup is a horror. But I'll eat bulgogi anytime.
All I'm doing is pointing out that isn't necessarily the case and that for many people, there is a world outside BA. That world has constricted due to the loss of BD, and the changes to FB, but there is a glimmer of hope in the FB world.
As to the food - there are lots of excellent Korean foods. Kimchi should stay buried however. And ox-tail fat soup is a horror. But I'll eat bulgogi anytime.
May 3, 2012, 8:22 am
#43
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May 3, 2012, 8:39 am
#44
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May 3, 2012, 9:05 am
#45
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You do know that many non-London based UK flyers are already members of Skyteam, due to the superior coverage regional airports get from AF/KLM? The north of England KLM contingent is really rather big actually (as the recent, fabulous AF Do showed!) - but then KLM fly from five airports in the north of England, as opposed to BA's two.
And given that there will be Skyteam elites who hold no status in BA, they will probably have the same attitude towards flying with an airline with which they hold no status as you do. I think you are running the risk of taking your own situiation and assuming it applies to everyone. I was very well looked after by Skyteam on the route (80% op-up rate!) and I also managed to avoid flying KE.
I've always been surprised that BA weren't in ICN - it's one of the biggest international freight airports in the world. But KLM's clever use of combi-747s on the route probably kept the route alive at times when the pax numbers were not holding up, and that's something BA doesn't have. Good to see them go back though -South Korea is an overlooked but pretty fascinating country.
And given that there will be Skyteam elites who hold no status in BA, they will probably have the same attitude towards flying with an airline with which they hold no status as you do. I think you are running the risk of taking your own situiation and assuming it applies to everyone. I was very well looked after by Skyteam on the route (80% op-up rate!
) and I also managed to avoid flying KE. I've always been surprised that BA weren't in ICN - it's one of the biggest international freight airports in the world. But KLM's clever use of combi-747s on the route probably kept the route alive at times when the pax numbers were not holding up, and that's something BA doesn't have. Good to see them go back though -South Korea is an overlooked but pretty fascinating country.