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…
Continue reading: Asiana Upgrades Seattle Service To 777
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DL found out that there is a market for Asia at SEA and it looks like ANA and Asiana decided to follow after
The plane type changes back to A330 at the end of October.
Looks like this is a seasonal equipment swap.
Oh hell yes! I'm on AS271 in September and was dreading the angled (not so) lay flat seats.
Fantastic news.
With all this increased Asian activity in Seattle, I'm surprised Cathay and Singapore Airlines are not yet flying there.
@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.
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.
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.
@ Tom -- Well that, or they haven't updated winter schedule yet. Guess we'll see soon!
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.
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.
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?
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,
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