The Best Flight To South America Gets Downgraded

Doesn't that mean the ICN-LAX route was also downgraded? Or is KE solely using this A330 product for the LAX-GRU route?

AA started GRU-LAX about a year ago, but it's one of the few routes they still use the old and terrible 777-200 with super old business class seats. Do you think is there a chance that they will upgrade this plane to the new 77W's? They already fly the 77W's to MIA, JFK and DFW, all from GRU. It would be amazing to have this plane to LAX as well!

I was reading somewhere that they're updating their A330 first and business class products, perhaps this is what they're sending to Sao Paolo?

I dont understand the logic with KA on another flight using the same A 330 -300 configuration between icn-syd. its a good ten hours flying and the seats does not give the same confort.

The term you're looking for is "downgauged" which refers to a change in schedule when a smaller aircraft is used.

@JC No, I think Lucky chose the right term here...

lucky, what about the business seats? Downgrade as well?

@ Joey -- Indeed, one of the daily ICN-LAX flights is downgraded as well.

@ Lucas Guterres -- In theory I suppose it's possible, though American only has a few more 777s yet to be delivered, and my guess is that they'll eventually put more of them on the London routes. Instead. I think LAX-GRU will just get a reconfigured 777-200 eventually.

@ jk -- Even if they do, it's still not as good of a product in first as what they have on the 777.

@ JC -- While that's another term, I intentionally chose downgraded. "Downgauged" doesn't necessarily suggest that the quality has gotten worse. For example, if Qatar Airways changes a route from a 777-200ER to a 777-200LR that's downgauging, but has no implications in terms of the product. This is truly a "downgrade," in my opinion.

@ Denis -- Yep, unfortunately.

So sad if they use the current A330-200 First seat on the route.... unacceptable for ICN-LAX-GRU runs... what if I buy the First ticket to be on KE17 ICN-LAX runs by A380 but my plane come in late and have to rebook on this A330-200 flight?, they should have been more consistent with the product at least on the same route!.... It is ok to use that different First class on a secondary market like St Petersburg or Prague flights but not on their flagship ICN-LAX flight.

I flew LAX-GRU in First once... was nice indeed! though no shower or bar

I thought AA's F on the 77W was supposed to be quite good (at least the hard product), no?

what are the business class seats like?

I would imagine many people would be happy just to be able to afford to fly to South America, regardless of which class it was!!

Hey Mick -

If that's your point, why are you reading this blog?

How about SQ BCN-GRU on SQ68/67? It's operated by one of their 300ERs and flies 3x weekly.

@ Todd -- Yes, quite a good hard product, though soft product is lacking. And it's virtually impossible to score premium cabin award seats on that flight.

@ turgutbey -- They're angled seats. If you go to this page you can find pictures:
https://www.koreanair.com/global/en/traveling/classes-of-service.html

@ w -- Well and Emirates and Etihad fly there as well. Was talking about the best products between North and South America.

Wow, what a lousy first class configuration. Not sure how they justify charging more for that product. On SeatGuru, it states that the F seats are actually an inch more narrow than the J seats..

@lucky @turgutbey Ummm, no, they're full flat seats. The only widebodies KE operates with the old angle flat (Prestige Plus, as opposed to the flat bed Prestige Sleeper) are the 747 and a sub-fleet of the 777-200ER fleet. (The ones with 261 seats. Look at the Y seat maps and compare to koreanair.com to figure out which seats are on any given route.) The fleet page at https://www.koreanair.com/global/en/traveling/fleet-info.html tells all. (So nice that we can finally directly link to pages on koreanair.com.)

I can confirm with Mitch that these are full flat seats (well, 179 degrees). The J seats on this aircraft feel exactly the same as the J seats on the A380, except there's no bar. Sad that they're downgrading KE 61/62 to an A330 as well.

Erndog
"If that’s your point, why are you reading this blog?"

... to get a perspective on how the elite lives, and to remind them of how they should be grateful for what they have, rather than whine about 5 degrees less angle on a seat.
I believe we all owe it to ourselves to get different perspectives on the world. I hope you have gained a little something from my post.

(And Lucky: thanks for not censoring me out, and for allowing me to express my thoughts)

I have been traveling to Brazil at least 3 times a year for the last 5 years, EXCLUSIVELY on Korean air from LAX-GRU..I have flown both economy and business (using upgrades) and I am surprised.. Most flights I have flown in both directions are almost always at full capacity and the reason why I chose KE over AA (the only other airline that flies the LAX-GRU nonstop) ...well we know what AA'S 772 is like. My question: do you fellow fliers think it will be a significant change for the worse if I choose to fly the economy class of the a330? KE does have less frequency than AA from LAX-GRU and is typically, in my research, more expensive.

Has this downgrade remained? It looked like for flights at the end of the year it was showing 777's, but perhaps that is incorrect.

Route is being cancelled- last flights will be Sept 2016.
http://www.airliners.net/aviation-forums/general_aviation/read.main/6715753/

It's SUCH a damn shame. I fly to Brazil at least 3 times a year and have flown KE exclusively for the last 6 years. Truly a great experience ..and I LOVE the day flight back. SO SO SO bummed. I remember when I was very young we had a choice of Varig, VASP, and JAL from LAX. Now the ONLY airline flying non stop Brazil (after Sept 23) from LAX is AA? Any rumors of another airline? I know there was some chatter about Philippine airlines...would love to see EVA.