KE A380 First Class experience
 

I will be flying KE in F for the first time in a couple months. It will be LAX-ICN-NRT and KIX-ICN-LAX. Any special perks or experience that is not to be missed? Thanks in advance for your input.

If same in T2 as was in T1, escort from check-in to lounge? (Semi-)Fast Track security?

Is that for all F passengers? Previously, I recall escort service from lounge to gate was only for paid (cash, not award) F. Are all paid and award F passengers eligible for check-in to lounge?

Ya, u can also request for escort when u land and they will take u through security to the F lounge.

Some F routes to USA have a special Korean cuisine meal that has to be preordered.
Cant remember which ones though.

In the previous F lounge, they have a service where they can make a metal luggage tag with your name on it.
There is a silver and a gold version.
Dont know if they still have it in the new F lounge.

Not sure: I've never made a F award flight (outbound) with KE.

Thanks for the tips.

Hopefully they still have the luggage tags available.

Are the escorts in ICN from gate to F lounge available even for award passengers?

Yes available for award pax.

How do I make the request? Prior to the date of departure? In-flight?

I flew TPE-ICN-LAX last month on their A380 F. They offer check in luggage wrapping to protect it from scratches and the elements, though it's sort of a pain to unwrap it at the carousel so you can use the wheels.

Terminal 2 at ICN is gorgeous- I spent more time outside the First Class lounge exploring and listening to live music performances.

On the flight itself, ask for PJs one size larger than you normally would because it's very short. If you opt for the traditional korean cuisine course I recommend swapping the appetizer out for foie on their western menu and subbing the main course with bibimbap..

u can ask at check in or call them up before your flight.

Anyone has recent samples of the F menu? Any special pre-ordered items available?

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I think it depends which departure. I just did SFO-ICN in F on the late night departure and we did not even get menus, FA just gave me a choice between Korean, chicken, or fish. The meal was three courses, fruit in lieu of dessert, and completely unmemorable. Worst crew I've ever had on a Korean airline (KE or OZ). On the positive side, the Kosmo 2.0 is a fantastic hard product, much more comfortable than OZ's F suite IMO.

Mrs W and I took KE121 ICN-SYD on 10 Feb in a 380.

The new F lounge in T2 was, I have to say, a disappointment. Whilst the food selection was better than the old T1 offering, that was not the reason for flying F. The lounge design, with its single seat cubicles, seemed to amplify every sound from adjoining cubicles (we had one of the few 2-seater variants).

As to the flight itself, we had seats in the open Cosmo suites. These are fine for travelling alone, but for two, who retain the habit of talking, they were less than convivial. The small 'step' - part eventually of the bed when made up - helped a lot, but the movable barrier, even when fully lowered, felt like a barricade. The fixed reading lamp was a further hindrance.

The food was adequate, just, with the breakfast surpassing the main meal of dinner.

We found that row 3 was noisy and the crew seemed to be opening and closing the storage cupboards immediately behind us all night long, and I have to say that was annoying.

The crew, as has always been my experience with KE First (and business), was excellent.

Next time we plan to use J as the difference in value did not match the difference in cost.

(As it happens, the morning after my return I made a short business hop ICN-MNL and the Prestige lounge was more comfortable, and quieter than the F lounge).

I will be on ICN-DXB next week - a 777 - and the seat arrangements in F are, bed step excepted, the same as in J, so it will be J for me on that trip.

is it fair to say that KE is only serving caviar in F on 748i flights (based on what I have seen) and other types get foie gras (or nothing)?

Completely agree. There was a loud group of three Americans who literally cleared the entire lounge. You could not escape them anywhere in the relatively small space. Was also not impressed with finishes or food or service (which was literally non-existent once you got past the front counter).

It was just two months ago when I flew F on KE's A380 and they served caviar.

I was on KE018 (A388) from LAX to ICN on January 2nd and was served caviar in F .

Thanks for all the input and the pictures. Does KE has something similar to SQ's "Book the cook"? Items that I need to order prior to my flight?

No "Book The Cook" like service, only Special Meal (halal, kosher, vegeterian, etc.).

It appears that they're still serving caviar to/from LAX.

Maybe from LAX (I dunno) but recently served foie gras to LAX on KE17 in F.

Is pajamas given in F? If yes, how's the quality? Anyone has a picture of it?

They passed out pajamas on my flight a few months ago. They were gray color if I recall, but I don't have any photos of them. I'm not really certain how to judge the quality. They were comfortable enough for the flight. But the material seems to stretch beyond what it should easily. At the end of the flight the arms were drooping significantly more than at the start of the flight. For a one-time use they were fine, but I'm not sure how well they'd hold up if you wanted to use them repeatedly after the flight. I didn't see anything else that would indicate they were inferior other than the material permanently stretching more than it should.

Thanks JoeDaejeon for your report.

Does anyone know if they still make the metal luggage tag at the new F lounge?

They do, and it's gold color.

Trip Report
 

I just completed my very first flights in international long haul in F with KE. Our family of 4 flew LAX-ICN (KE 12 on A380)-NRT (KE 703 on 748) and KIX-ICN (KE 724 on 773)-LAX (KE 11 on A380). They were award tickets redeemed with Chase UR points. I had flown a lot in long haul J so I was looking forward to this F experience. However, the overall experience was underwhelming...

Check-in/Lounge at LAX
There was a dedicated check-in line for F. It was fast and efficient. I asked about being escorted to the F lounge during our transit in ICN and was told it was not available. We arrived at the LAX KE F lounge and were very disappointed, especially comparing to the *A lounge which we visited frequently. The lounge had minimal food and drink offerings. There were a few chairs at a "terrace" overlooking the concourse and a few more chairs in a glass enclosed room. Space was very tight and the decor was bland. There were a few "suites" available, though one has to reserve it 24 hrs in advance.

Boarding at LAX
It was total chaos. There was no separate line for F customers. We had to line up along with the J and Sky Priority passengers. Since it was an A380 the line was very, very long. Fortunately when a staff was checking our passports she realized we were in F and led us to the front of the line.

In-cabin seat/service/amenity/meal LAX-ICN
The seat was certainly spacious and comfortable. There were many different compartments for storage. Since there was only one other passenger in F the service was rather personal; it almost felt like we were in a private jet. The crew tried hard and paid lots of attention to us, especially my 5 year old daughter. I love water with lots of ice; it was offered without asking throughout the flight. Pajamas were given and very comfortable. Caviar was served but no cheese course since it was a “night flight”. Food and drinks were otherwise just OK; I had better meals in BR J, SQJ, and NH J. My biggest complaint is the bathroom. It was really small and tight. I ended up using the upstairs one to change my clothes or to help my little one to go potty since it was much more spacious. There were a few bars in various areas of the plane and one of them was staffed with a bartender. The drink menu was very limited though.

F lounge in ICN
Even though it had opened for just a few months there was already stains on the seats. There was only one men's toilet, one women's toilet, and one shower room available. I saw people lining up to use the women’s bathrooms. That just does not seem right if you are flying F. Food was very good, especially the dishes that we ordered off a menu. Luggage tags were offered only on our ICN-LAX flight. The lounge was also far from the departure gates.

ICN-NRT; KIX-ICN
We were fortunate they were flying 748 and 773 for those flights respectively. We got to try out the new F suites. The space was about the same as the F suites in A380 but felt much more private because of the doors. Service was good but otherwise unremarkable on those short flights.

F ground service in ICN
We took a transit tour before our ICN-LAX segment. After the tour we had a chance to visit the premium check-in area at ICN. It was nicely set up with a First Class "check-in lounge". We saw other F passengers being escorted by a ground staff member from the check in lounge all the way to the F lounge. However, maybe because our flights did not originate in ICN, this service was not offered to us. I feel they should have been more proactive and offered us the same service since we were also F customers.

In-cabin seat/service/amenity/meal ICN-LAX
This was really the most disappointing segment. Again there was only one other passenger in the F cabin besides our family so I expected at least the same level of service as our LAX-ICN flight. How naïve I was! After boarding no pre-departure drinks (not even water) was offered until we asked. My daughter and I were offered nuts but not to my wife. (At least the nuts were properly served in a dish.;)) Neither caviar nor foie gras was available. During meal service they served me a heavy red wine before a light white wine. At the end of the meal they forgot the glass of Sauternes that I had pre-ordered. No bottled water was offered; I had to ask for iced water throughout the flight. No smiles or greetings as I was taking a walk around the plane.

So sad to read this as I am doing this exact flight on Monday, and hoped to read a glowing report since I also have high hopes for flying F.

Oh well, I'll just have to hope for the best. Was the cabin hot during the flight?

Flying JFK-ICN next week. First time flying F, going to ICN, NRT, and then PPT for our honeymoon. We're taking the 12:50AM flight. So excited!

The KE F class pajamas are very nice!
Soft, comfy and quite stylish too.
Much nicer than the ones from SQ/JL

I wear it at home sometimes.

Please report back when you return - we are also taking the 12:50AM flight for our honeymoon later this year (when it is back to the 748) and i'm interested to hear about the soft product on the late night departure. There aren't many specific reviews of F on that flight (that I can find), and what is reported is pretty inconsistent.

It was absolutely wonderful!

We were in 1J and 2J but all of F was empty so was just us :). We slept in one and ate in another. We were served dinner right after take off (so obviously late, around 2AM or so). We both had bimimbap, was delicious. Had lots of champagne and fell asleep a couple hours in. We both slept for about 6 hours, and had ramen when we woke up. Couple hours after that had breakfast, and then landed an hour later! Was too short, despite being like 13 hours!)

Flight attendants were awesome. We had our own F bathroom, which had lots of amenities (and they cleaned it every time we used it). We had a small personal bar just for us up front with a couple snacks. The big celestial bar was in the back of the plane near J, an FA escorted us back there and they had drinks with a bartender and a lot more snacks.

We flew to NRT a few days later. We had the fortune of an equipment change, and we were in the 748 on the 2-hour flight from ICN-NRT, so we got to experience the new F product as well. For us personally, we liked the A380 MUCH better. We felt the F space (not the seats, but the general area) in the 748 is far too small and claustrophobic. The seats themselves are similar and obviously with the new door, but we had SO much space to wander around ourselves on the A380, both in F class itself as well as in front of it by the cockpit (where our bar and the staircase to J was).

Anybody remember what Champagne they served for the LAX-ICN leg? Especially on KE18?