Review: Asiana Airbus A380 First Class (ICN-JFK)
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The longest flight of my trip to Japan is the one that brings me back to North America from Seoul. Although I am not unknown to Asiana Airlines, I took this flight on purpose: first because it is in First Class and Asiana has a good reputation and finally it is a very long flight, we have time to enjoy the comfort of the First Class.
The Asiana Airlines First Class Lounge in Seoul Incheon
The transfer from our flight from Tokyo took a few minutes. We then arrive in the departure area and the location of the First Class lounge is clearly indicated, it is located a little before the one reserved for the Business Class.
The welcome is cordial, unlike the Lufthansa First Class lounge, no agent offers a tour, anyway given the size, it does not seem necessary. The lounge is composed of a large room with relatively isolated sub-parts. We sat around a table with two chairs.
The food offer is slightly better than in the Business Class lounge, but not exceptional. On the drink side, there are more alcohols including Moët & Chandon champagne.
The decor is very “woody”, in a style that can be found in some American hotel chains. Usually I find this style of decoration a bit heavy but the living room is still nice.
The toilets are very clean.
I receive a notification from Kayak that our flight will be delayed by 40 minutes at departure, but no announcement is made in the lounge. As is becoming increasingly common, Kayak seems to be ahead of airport displays. We thus take advantage of it to take another small cut. After that we head to the boarding gate which is 5 minutes away from the lounge.
So we see that the First Class lounge may not be one of Asiana Airlines’ strengths. Like its business class lounge, it has the essentials but nothing more.
Flight from Seoul Incheon to New York JFK
The boarding has already started when we arrive at the gate. There are not many people in the First Class line 🙂
When you get on board, what surprises is the space of the cabin because it has no upper storage space. A stewardess will approach me to take my carry-on suitcase to stow it out of my sight.
The name “Suite” may be a bit of an exaggeration, but the seat is definitely huge! Whether it’s the TV, legroom or width, the seat is incredibly comfortable. I could sit in a lotus position without any problem. The dimensions are 64 cm wide for a bed length of 2 meters. The cabin has 12 seats.
We took the two seats side by side, ideal for a couple.
In terms of storage, we are not outdone with a special mention for the small closet to put a jacket.
The comfort kit is well supplied but what is nice is the pajamas even if the size available was slightly too big. Another bag was also present.
The welcome glass was a Baron de Rothschild Blanc de Blanc champagne, unfortunately there were only two bottles left… So we switched to Laurent Perrier for the rest of the flight (#veryfirstworldproblem).
The captain then speaks to tell us that turbulences are to be expected on the way and that the flight time will be slightly less than 14 hours to try to make up for the delay due to the traffic jam in Incheon at this time. It will be a smooth takeoff as usual with an Airbus A380.
The meal starts and we both take the Korean tasting menu. This is where the word “Suite” takes on its full meaning, as the ottoman of the seat is equipped with its own belt and therefore it is possible to eat face to face on the same table! It was the first time we had the opportunity and we loved it.
The dinner starts with Italian caviar followed by an appetizer, oyster, soup and then the tasting meal consisting of Korean specialties. During all the meal the flight attendant will serve us champagne and the service will be impeccable.
I change after the meal, in the toilets which have nothing exceptional except their large size and a porthole.
After two good hours spent eating it is time to take a nap… But first, why not make a little moisturizing mask?
I think I have never slept so much on a plane, 8 hours later I wake up.
We are above the United States. I then have breakfast with a beef soup followed by a small fruit salad and a coffee.
After a small tour in zigzag around New York, there was a lot of storms that day, we landed at noon.
A last look at the whale that brought us here.
Bottom line
A fantastic flight in short. Even if the design of the cabin is a bit old-fashioned, its comfort is really great. The service is attentive without being intrusive. Flying requires a significant amount of points, but it’s an experience to know.
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on American Express's website
Apply with confidenceCheck whether your application will be approved before you submit it, with no impact on your credit score*When you apply for a personal American Express Credit Card, we will tell you whether you are eligible without affecting your credit score. So you can apply with confidence.*Instant decisions are only available for consumer Card applications (also called “personal Cards”).
