We’ve seen a huge amount of international growth out of Seattle lately, much of which has been precipitated by Delta setting up a hub there. But beyond that we’ve seen other airlines both add service and improve the quality of their product offerings to Seattle.
It looks like the next airline which will do that is Asiana. Asiana presently operates an A330-300 to Seattle, which features angled business class seats. As of June 28, 2015, Asiana will fly a two class 777-200 between Seoul Incheon and Seattle.
This plane features Asiana’s fully flat, staggered business class product, which is a huge improvement over the old one.
Asiana 777 business class seat
Asiana 777 business class seat
The flight will continue to operate with the following schedule:
OZ272 Incheon to Seattle departing 6:40PM arriving 1:10PM
OZ271 Seattle to Incheon departing 2:40PM arriving 6:00PM (+1 day)
The one exception is that on Fridays the flight will still be operated by an Airbus A330, which you’ll want to avoid if possible. I am curious how that will work in terms of pilot staffing. Presumably the cabin crew can work an A330 out and then fly the 777 back, but do the A330 pilots lay over for an entire week, deadhead back to Incheon, or…?
Asiana A330 business class seat
Asiana A330 business class seat
Bottom line
The Star Alliance offerings out of Seattle keep improving. ANA now flies a three cabin 777-300ER to Seattle, EVA Air largely flies 777-300ERs there with their excellent business class product, and now Asiana has a competitive product as well.
Lucky,
I will be flying SEA>BKK with an ICN stopover. When searching for award availability on a Friday, United tells me the flight is operated by a 777. Is this a mistake on United's part, or is the entire schedule for SEA>ICN now 777? Seat Guru reflects the 777 as well. If there is a chance it is on the A330, I'll just shift my plans. But that Friday flight would be perfect timing.
Thanks,
Craig
Yep, the longhaul A330s have the angled recliner seats... which is a giant headscratcher as Asiana was refitting a flat product in J on its 777 at the time those planes were delivered.
Lucky -
Asiana flew the 777 ICN-SEA for many, many years, on a 4 or 5 day a week schedule.
About three and a half years ago, they went daily on the route, and downsized the plane to an A330.
Please note that the A330s they use to SEA are a different configuration than the A330s that fly intra-Asia (or at least, they were when I went to Myanmar in Dec 2012). I believe they...
Lucky -
Asiana flew the 777 ICN-SEA for many, many years, on a 4 or 5 day a week schedule.
About three and a half years ago, they went daily on the route, and downsized the plane to an A330.
Please note that the A330s they use to SEA are a different configuration than the A330s that fly intra-Asia (or at least, they were when I went to Myanmar in Dec 2012). I believe they have some newer A330s that were doing exclusively SEA-ICN and HNL-ICN.
My first two trips to Asia in 2008 and 2009 were on Asiana 777s from SEA-ICN.
@ K H -- Even the longhaul A330s have the angled recliner seats, though, right?
Is it just me, or does that fully-flat seat not look very flat at all?
Seattle to Incheon route was used to be dominated by KE and OZ and both were laid back about their services on this route, but DL introducing full flat business class product on this route means OZ is trying to compete with DL. We'll see what KE comes up with.
Wasnt the 777 standard equipment on this route not too long ago?
@ dmodemd -- I've never seen an Asiana 777 at Seattle.
Surely the 330 pilots will deadhead back (and to Seattle), no? Seems really uneconomical and weird to keep pilots in Seattle for a whole week.
Gotta fill where UA left right?
Yet another airline finding a market between Asia and Seattle. It is frustrating as a long time Oneworld customer to see Oneworld and especially AA overlook Seattle for so long. AA neglected Seattle despite the fact that they have a great partner with very loyal customers (Alaska) able to feed them traffic, and despite the fact that they have no viable Asia strategy - unless you think that asking everyone to fly to the Central...
Yet another airline finding a market between Asia and Seattle. It is frustrating as a long time Oneworld customer to see Oneworld and especially AA overlook Seattle for so long. AA neglected Seattle despite the fact that they have a great partner with very loyal customers (Alaska) able to feed them traffic, and despite the fact that they have no viable Asia strategy - unless you think that asking everyone to fly to the Central time zone before heading back across the Pacific is a viable strategy.
While Seattle's airport welcomes more and more international traffic the infrastructure and ICE staffing isn't up to handling the current load. There's talk about a new international terminal, but that's years away. Meanwhile, while the OZ equipment swap is good, the race for SeaTac to become the next LHR is not one I want to see won.
@Nathan - That may well be exactly why they haven't joined the game in SEA. Throwing more capacity into a market where capacity has already grown so quickly (almost certainly more quickly than demand) isn't exactly a surefire path to profitability.
Gene,
Agreed.
With all this increased Asian activity in Seattle, I'm surprised Cathay and Singapore Airlines are not yet flying there.
Oh hell yes! I'm on AS271 in September and was dreading the angled (not so) lay flat seats.
Fantastic news.
The plane type changes back to A330 at the end of October.
Looks like this is a seasonal equipment swap.
@ Tom -- Well that, or they haven't updated winter schedule yet. Guess we'll see soon!
What's with the woman sleeping upright in her lay-flat seat? Very strange...
DL found out that there is a market for Asia at SEA and it looks like ANA and Asiana decided to follow after