Last July Asiana unveiled a new, cutting edge first class product, featuring fully enclosed suites and the largest personal TVs in the sky. The 777-200ER aircraft featuring this product initially operated the Chicago to Seoul Incheon route, though Asiana has announced that they’ll also be starting three cabin service with their new product to New York JFK starting July 22, 2013. Asiana has always had amazing in-flight service and food (you can read my trip reports on their service here and here), so getting their new hard product to another destination is a huge win, in my opinion.
Best of all they have a ton of first class award space on the route, so snagging an award ticket shouldn’t be too tough. Conversely I’ve found it nearly impossible to find first class award availability on their Chicago route as of late.
Definitely an exciting change for those with Star Alliance miles!
Update: It looks like they’ll also be pulling the product from the Chicago route as of July 22, 2013, so this is merely a route change for the aircraft.
Am sitting on board jfk-icn writing this waiting to take off. So disappointed. Have the old first class seat. Hard to understand the crew explanation, but seems to be an equipment change - at least for this flight.
So, for those of you who booked this just for the suite, beware. Maybe an infrequent occurrence, but very disappointing after ray high hopes for the suite.
@ lucky - Thanks! I guess I played roulette on a saver ticket when I could have burned more miles on direct UA. Now it's time to try and get creative with limited seats left.
@ Ryan -- Best I can tell it seems to be the old product, based on the fact that it's coded as a "772" and not as a "77L" or "77W."
That could of course change.
I'm traveling LAX-ICN on 3/14. I booked an upper deck 47 but it looks like it switched to 77. Does anyone know if this cabin configuration has their new lay-flat or the angled seats? I see their "v5" 77 has lay-flat but don't know how to check which version is on this leg.
@ Arthur -- Still shows as a 747 to me...
My mistake, I meant next week the 20th....
@ Arthur -- OZ201 on March 15 shows as a 747 to me, which is the same plane it's usually operated by. OZ203 is the same two cabin 777 that day, as usual.
Hi. What's the aircraft layout that shows on ANA for OZ 201 departing March 15 out oa LAX. It shows 772 with F seats. Suites?
@ E -- The 777 operating the LAX route is a two cabin aircraft without first class, so there are no plans to have it on the route. The 747 operating the route features the old first class, and they don't plan on reconfiguring the 747s.
Do you know when/if the lax route will feature this?
I am so excited they just pulled the OZ from ORD considering it is only a 13.5 hr flight and I am traveling with my whole family via ORD. Booked two months ago. Love the slanted for that long. That is a fail on Asiana's part.
@dan ray
As posted REPEATEDLY in the earlier posts, Asiana does NOT fly 777-300ERs. It's a 777-200.
My reservation is still saying the same first class but searching for award space that is open July 23 (one day later) is showing two-class 777-200.
@ dan ray -- They haven't updated the GDS yet, but yes, I suspect your flight will be downgraded unfortunately.
We are booked in first on ord-icn on July 22 with united award. I'm not clear if this changing to the old product that very day? My United reservation still says First A - 777-300ER.
@ David -- Asiana is notorious for blocking seats, as they seem to block a majority of their premium cabin seats for advance assignment. I'm willing to bet they're almost all available, but just can't be assigned till check-in.
I'm booked on the ORD-ICN flight on 7/10, however, when I went over to OZ website to get my seat, there were no other open seats than the one I was automatically assigned (a middle seat). Is it really popular or is OZ blocking the seats?
@ Siobhan -- Nothing is guaranteed, though it is very likely to be the old product.
@ Eric -- Enjoy your flight!
Hi Ben, great timing! I am sitting in 1A on OZ235 ORD-ICN right now! So far it's quite comfortable and spacious!
aaah nooooo this means that my business class flight from ICN to ORD in September is definitely not going to have the new hard product!? So sad.
I flew this from ORD a couple weeks ago and it was fantastic. Love that it is coming to JFK now.
@ Gene -- I do, but probably not one you haven't taken yet!
@ Justin -- Correct, I believe they're going to have two, which is why they'll be operating it to JFK finally.
Really glad I didn't book this for next Jan--was thinking of doing it ex-ORD!
Do they now (or will they soon) have 2 aircraft with the product? My understanding as to why they were running it to ORD instead of JFK or another "premium" market was they only had one aircraft outfitted with the suites and didn't want to serve a premium market with an inconsistent product...
@ Kai -- I'm an idiot, you're absolutely right. Shouldn't have written the post after being up for over 40 hours.
@ Aaron D -- Thanks for the confirmation. That's sad...
Looks like OZ is pulling the new First class product from ORD-ICN starting July 22nd.
New F class is being pulled from ORD. See Matt's confirmation comment on Point Me to the Plane earlier today - http://boardingarea.com/pointmetotheplane/2013/03/19/asiana-first-suite-class-jfk-great-award-availability/
It's miscoded by Asiana directly .... They use 77L and 77W to describe new 2-class and 3-class planes - both referring to plain old 777-200ER
all other partners misinterpret it
Anyone have some good suggestions for a 4-5 day Labor Day trip from SFO now that my Asiana F trip via ORD is ruined? I have 10 million miles spread across a dozen airlines, but I don't do coach or slanted business.
@Andy -- Mine is coded by US Airways
@Gene - Asiana doesn't fly 777-300er's. It's miscoded by UA.
Asiana does not operate 777-300ER at all, all their 777s are -200(ER). I found the information on their website. Maybe the "77W" denotes the particular configuration with first class.
This is great. I am likely to fly Asiana if I extend my trip to Asia this fall. Excellent! Now just finding the first class award availability... :)
@Kai -- which now shows business 777-200 for ORD-ICN. !@#$%^&^!
@Kai -- Asiana does operate 777-300ER. I am looking at my reservation right now...
OZ doesn't have any 777-300ERs. They're coded 77W but are actually 772s with the new products.
They're actually yanking the "77W" from ORD in favour of JFK.
Funny, today I just picked up OZ F ICN-ORD for June in case my COdbaUA UG from HKG doesn't clear.