Asiana 201
Los Angeles (LAX) – Seoul Incheon (ICN)
Friday, October 3
Depart: 12:20PM
Arrive: 5:20PM
Duration: 13hr
Aircraft: Airbus A380
Seat: 2K (First Class)
I had intentionally left the first class lounge a bit early so that I could snap some first class cabin pictures before the other passengers arrived. Since Asiana’s A380 first class is on the lower deck, literally only the (up to) 12 first class passengers board through the forward door on the lower deck (economy passengers board through the door behind the first class cabin).
Asiana A380 first class cabin
When I boarded I seemed to catch the crew somewhat off guard. I guess most first class passengers board later in the process. They were of course still courteous, and quickly directed me to my seat, 2K. I explained I’d like to take a few cabin pictures quickly, and they gladly stayed out of my way for a few minutes.
Asiana’s A380 first class cabin consists of a total of 12 seats, spread across three rows in a 1-2-1 configuration. Each seat is fully enclosed, so you can’t beat the overall privacy of the product. Since first class is on the lower deck, the cabin is considerably wider than on the upper deck. So it is generally true that airlines with first class on the lower deck of the A380 have more spacious feeling cabins.
Asiana A380 first class cabin
Asiana A380 first class cabin
My biggest complaint about the cabin was the color scheme. Who decided on the barf colored tones? Does anyone actually find it appealing? It’s odd that they completely revamped their first class product compared to first class on the 747… except they kept the color scheme exactly the same.
Asiana A380 first class, seat 2K
Asiana A380 first class, seat 2K
Asiana A380 first class, seat 2K
On the plus side, the seat does have a massive TV screen. It’s 32″, supposedly the biggest found at any seat on a commercial plane.
Asiana A380 first class, seat 2K
The seat also has ample storage. There’s a storage compartment located at the back right of the seat, which fits headphones, reading glasses, etc.
Asiana A380 first class seat storage
Then in front of the tray table compartment was an even bigger storage compartment, which could fit an iPad, etc.
Asiana A380 first class seat storage
And while presumably it wasn’t meant as storage, there is a huge opening along the side of the cabin, where I kept my laptop bag and many “loose” articles during the flight.
Asiana A380 first class seat open space along side of cabin
Also along the right side of the seat (between the two storage units) was the entertainment controller. I found it a bit clunky and unintuitive, but then again I didn’t use the entertainment system very much (more on that later).
Asiana A380 first class seat controls
On the opposite side of the seat was the First Suite seat controller, located below the magazine rack. It was a bit more intuitive than the entertainment controller, and could be removed from its “holder.” That was actually sort of necessary, since it was otherwise pretty tough to turn enough to use it without contorting.
Asiana A380 first class seat controls
Asiana A380 first class seat controls
Then below the ottoman was the power adapter. They clearly didn’t put much thought into where they placed it. It was immediately below the ottoman, so to plug something in you basically had to get down on all fours, which requires putting the seat into (at least) a near upright position.
Asiana A380 first class seat power outlet
On the aisle side of the suite is the storage closet. One feature that’s both incredibly practical and dangerous is that the “rack” inside the closet comes out. That way you can pull out the rack, hang your jacket, and then push it back in. The only issue is that the rack came out really easily, so I nearly hit myself in the head about a dozen times while trying to reach in there.
Asiana A380 first class seat closet
The seat also has a massive tray table. It’s beautifully finished, and you can even dine with someone else if you’d like, since the ottoman does have a seatbelt.
Asiana A380 first class seat tray table
Already waiting at my seat upon boarding were headphones, an amenity kit, and slippers.
Asiana first class amenities
The slippers were extremely well padded, though a bit on the small side.
Asiana first class slippers
The headphones were Bose headphones — I believe QC30s. You can’t beat that!
Asiana first class Bose headphones
Then there was a gorgeous Salvatore Ferragamo amenity kit.
Asiana first class Salvatore Ferragamo amenity kit
Probably my favorite amenity kit ever was the Salvatore Ferragamo one Singapore Airlines offered years ago, which featured a full sized bottle of cologne. While this one wasn’t quite as nice, it was possibly the next best thing.
Asiana first class Salvatore Ferragamo amenity contents
Also waiting at my seat were a pillow and blanket.
Asiana first class pillow & blanket
Once settled in one of the friendly flight attendants came by to introduce herself. She started by offering me some pajamas.
Asiana first class pajamas
Asiana’s new pajamas are super comfortable, unlike their old ones. Just be warned that they run small.
Asiana first class pajamas
I figured I’d already get comfortable, so quickly changed into my pajamas while still on the ground.
The first class cabin has one very large lavatory, located on the forward right side of the cabin. It is a bit odd that they only have one lavatory for 12 first class passengers. For what it’s worth I think there’s a smaller lavatory primarily intended for pilot use, though I think it can be used when the primary one is occupied as well.
The lavatory is huge, and is more of a combined bathroom/powder room than anything else. It features a bench for the entire length of the lavatory, which can be lifted to reveal the toilet.
Asiana A380 first class lavatory
Asiana A380 first class lavatory
Asiana A380 first class lavatory
Asiana A380 first class lavatory
Once back at my seat I was offered a pre-departure beverage. I asked for a glass of champagne, though apparently Asiana doesn’t offer alcohol on the ground for flights departing the US. I’ve certainly had pre-departure champagne on flights departing Korea, so I’m guessing they just don’t want to pay the taxes for alcohol served on the ground in the US.
Instead I had a Diet Coke, which was served with peanuts.
Asiana first class pre-departure beverage & nuts
I was also offered a warm towel.
Asiana first class pre-departure hot towel
Then I was handed the customs & immigrations forms for South Korea, along with an Asiana branded pen.
Asiana immigration form and pen
Out the window I saw the Korean Air A380, which was scheduled to fly the same route as us 20 minutes later.
Korean Air A380 LAX
At around 12:10PM the ground agent came aboard to make a final departure announcement, asking us to check our flight numbers to be sure we were on the correct plane. Of course she did this by reading out all the codeshare flight numbers as well, including United 7286, Singapore 5701, and COPA 8002.
We pushed back at around 12:20PM, at which point the cabin service manager made her welcome aboard announcement, informing us of our flight time of 12hr55min (that’s considerably longer than normal, given that the block time is only 13 hours).
That was followed by the safety video, which began with the flight attendants bowing in the aisles. Thank goodness they had four flight attendants to bow for the eight first class passengers… anything less than a 1:2 bow to first class passenger ratio would be downright insulting. 😉
We taxied towards the North side of the airport, past a bunch of other exciting heavy aircraft (though most of the A380s don’t show up until later in the afternoon and evening).
Cathay Pacific 777 LAX
KLM 747 LAX
Japan Airlines 777 LAX
We turned right to taxi towards runway 24L, where we’d be taking off from.
Taxiing LAX
That took us past some of the other terminals, giving us a view of China Eastern, Air New Zealand, Air China, etc.
China Eastern A330 LAX
Air New Zealand 777 LAX
Air China 777 LAX
We reached runway 24L at around 12:35PM, where we taxied into position and held.
Approaching runway LAX
Oddly we rolled forward on runway 24L for about 20 seconds before any considerable thrust was applied, presumably because there was an A321 landing on the parallel runway.
American A321 landing 24R LAX
Our climb out was gradual, and as usual the views climbing out over the coast were gorgeous.
View after takeoff from LAX
View after takeoff from LAX
California coast view after takeoff from LAX
As we climbed out I browsed the entertainment selection. It’s great that Asiana has the largest TVs in the industry, though the content was absolute crap. In terms of English entertainment options, they didn’t have a single movie I’d want to watch, and didn’t even have the same recycled sitcoms you get on virtually every other airline (Big Bang Theory, 2 Broke Girls, etc.).
I usually bring my own entertainment on my iPad, though go figure on this flight I forgot to load it up.
Asiana A380 first class entertainment system
Asiana A380 first class entertainment system
Asiana A380 first class entertainment system
Instead I just left on the airshow for most of the flight.
Asiana A380 first class airshow
Asiana A380 first class airshow
As soon as we passed through 10,000 feet the seatbelt sign was turned off and flight attendants jumped into action and closed the curtains between the galley and the cabin. It’s worth noting that on the A380 the galley is actually located behind the cabin, so there’s very little foot traffic in rows one and two.
Asiana A380 first class cabin
The cabin service manager came around the cabin to introduce herself and distribute menus. I’ve found that there’s a bit of a communication barrier on Asiana, as the flight attendants don’t speak English very well. That being said, they do try very hard, and it shows.
I think the one thing that was sort of “lost in translation” is that she stood right in front of me for about 10 seconds trying to study my name — even mouthing it to herself — and figuring out how to pronounce it before she actually made eye contact with me and spoke to me.
Asiana first class menu & wine list
Shortly thereafter the other flight attendant came by to take meal orders.
There was a pamphlet in the menu touting the option of pre-ordering the Korean Royal Cuisine, though as far as I know that can just be pre-ordered on flights departing Korea.
The lunch menu read as follows:
And the wine & cocktail list read as follows:
And the coffee & tea menu read as follows:
In terms of ordering food, I went with the Korean menu the entire way, though also added caviar. My drink order was also taken.
Asiana offers two (objectively) great champagnes in first class — 2000 Pol Roger Cuvee Sir Winston Churchill, and 1995 Charles Heidsieck Blanc des Millenaires.
I ordered a glass of the Pol Roger first. Frankly it was a bit too complex for me, though I’m sure others would love it.
Asiana first class champagne selection — Pol Roger Sir Winston Churchill Champagne 2000
My champagne was served with the Korean starter, which was a turnip vegetable roll.
Asiana first class meal starter — turnip vegetable roll
At that point my table was set, which included a flower. They sure do put a lot of effort into the presentation!
Asiana first class table setting
I was then served Calvisius caviar, which was served straight out of the tin. It was accompanied by blinins, toast, condiments, and most importantly, a mother of pearl spoon.
Asiana first class meal — caviar course
Asiana first class Calvisius caviar
Asiana first class Calvisius caviar
Then I was served shrimp with radishes, which was flavorful.
Asiana first class meal starter — shrimp with vegetables
Next I was served Korean pumpkin porridge, which was really sweet.
Asiana first class meal soup — Korean pumpkin porridge
As is the norm in Korea, the main course was a work of art. Everything tasted fantastic, though was borderline lukewarm by the time it was served. I do think Korean Air’s Korean main courses are a bit better than Asiana’s, while Asiana wins when it comes to Western food.
Asiana first class Korean Royal Cuisine — bibimbap and beef short rib bulgalbi
Asiana first class Korean Royal Cuisine — bibimbap and beef short rib bulgalbi
Asiana first class Korean Royal Cuisine — bibimbap and beef short rib bulgalbi
Asiana first class Korean Royal Cuisine — bibimbap and beef short rib bulgalbi
Asiana first class Korean Royal Cuisine — bibimbap and beef short rib bulgalbi
After the main course I was served a fruit plate.
Asiana first class dessert — fruit plate
And then I requested the Western dessert, which was cheesecake. The friendly flight attendant insisted I also try the Korean dessert, which was “traditional Korean cookies.” While I appreciated her encouragement, the cookies were the only part of the meal I didn’t like one bit.
I also had a cup of coffee and some Bailey’s to go with dessert. It’s worth noting that Asiana doesn’t have an onboard cappuccino machine, so there’s no specialty coffee to be had.
Asiana first class dessert — Western and Korean options
Asiana first class Western dessert — cheesecake
Asiana first class Korean dessert — traditional Korean cookies
Service throughout lunch was excellent, though was a bit on the slow side. It was about 2hr30min into the flight before the meal service was complete. Then again, for a 13 hour daytime flight with limited entertainment options, I guess that’s a good thing. 😉
After lunch I asked to have my bed made, which was promptly taken care of.
Asiana A380 first class bed
The bed itself was comfortable, and it’s nice to have a door. My one complaint would be that the blanket really wasn’t very big. I couldn’t even completely wrap myself, so had to use the other blanket to supplement the one intended for sleeping.
Asiana A380 first class bed
Shortly after I settled into bed the cabin lights were turned off in favor of the “star” light setting, which simulates the night sky.
Asiana A380 first class bed
I managed to get about four hours of sleep, which is more than I’d usually get on a daytime flight. I woke up almost exactly halfway through the flight.
At that point I decided to check out the upper deck of the plane. As I headed up there one of the flight attendants ran after me to open the “rope” for me, and insisted I inform one of the flight attendants when I wanted to come back down, so that I wouldn’t have to open the rope myself. Hah.
Asiana A380 upper deck stairs
As far as A380s go, Asiana’s is among the least pimped out. It doesn’t have showers like Emirates, or a massive bar like Korean Air or Qatar. Instead it just has a small lounge with four seats at the top right of the upper deck.
Interestingly there’s not even a self serve bar setup there. This is the first A380 I’ve flown that doesn’t have some sort of food or drink setup where passengers can help themselves.
Asiana A380 upper deck business class lounge
Since they only have a lounge on one side of the upper deck, the other side has a large business lavatory. It’s not quite as nice as the lavatory that Emirates, Lufthansa, Qatar, or Thai have on the upper deck, but is still quite nice.
Asiana A380 upper deck business class lavatory
Asiana A380 upper deck business class lavatory
Asiana A380 upper deck business class lavatory
For comparison, next to it is a normal sized lavatory.
Asiana A380 upper deck (smaller) business class lavatory
When I got back to my seat I decided to have a snack. One of my favorite things about Asian airlines are their snack menus — I find they’re often the best part of the meal service.
In Asiana’s case, the refreshment menu read as follows:
I ordered some ramen, and some sparkling water to go along with it. She explained that it would take about 15 minutes for the ramen to be prepared, which I was of course fine with.
Asiana first class Perrier
She returned 15 minutes later with a guilty look on her face, as if she actually spit in it, or something. She said “so sorry, but I prepare the ramen and it not look delicious because oven have problem. I want to serve you the delicious ramen. Can you maybe wait 15 minute longer and I make you the delicious ramen?” Hah, works for me!
Asiana first class fruit plate
About 20 minutes later she returned with ramen she was more proud of, and it was indeed delicious. Mmmm…
Asiana first class snack — ramen noodles
Asiana first class snack — ramen noodles
Asiana first class snack — ramen noodles
I got some work done on my laptop while the cabin was mostly dark. I haven’t mentioned it up until now, but a handful of times throughout the flight the cabin lights suddenly turned on all the way, and then you’d see a flight attendant sprinting through the aisle to turn them back off. I’m not sure if it’s just because it’s a new plane, or what, but it was kind of annoying, and also kind of hilarious (to see how quickly they’d respond).
Before I knew it we were passing Tokyo, with just under two hours to go to Incheon Airport.
Asiana A380 first class airshow
Asiana A380 first class airshow
About 90 minutes out the flight attendant came by to ask if I wanted a pre-arrival snack. Sure, why not?
The pre-arrival snack menu read as follows:
Neither of the Western options sounded especially appealing to me, so I once again selected the Korean option, which consisted of beef rib soup. I didn’t enjoy it nearly as much as the first meal, as I found it to be a bit flavorless. Maybe I wasn’t eating it right…
Asiana first class Korean snack — Korean Royal Cuisine ‘Gomtang’
I requested the Western dessert, which was a delicious fruit tart. I had some coffee to go along with it.
Asiana first class dessert — fruit tart
Before I knew it we were beginning our descent, so I changed out of my pajamas and stowed everything I had taken out during the flight.
Asiana A380 first class airshow
View on descent into Incheon
Asiana shows a super annoying video on approach, which is broadcast through the PA. It’s especially odd since it shows all kinds of tips for stretching, and how you should stretch at least once every 30 minutes during the flight. That’s a useful thing to show 12hr30min into a 13 hour flight, eh?
Programming on descent into Incheon
Asiana A380 first class airshow
As we passed through about 10,000 feet the seatbelt sign was turned back on, and the cabin service manager came through the cabin to thank everyone for flying Asiana.
Asiana A380 first class airshow
The views on approach were gorgeous, as the sun was setting right as we arrived. We touched down on runway 15L at 5:40PM.
Final approach Seoul Incheon Airport
Final approach Seoul Incheon Airport
Taxiing Seoul Incheon Airport
As we taxied in the cabin service manager apologized for the delay, citing strong headwinds.
Our taxi seemingly took forever — it was only about 20 minutes, but felt much longer than that.
Crossing runway Seoul Incheon Airport
On the plus side, we taxied by some rather interesting planes.
Delta 747 Seoul Incheon Airport
Turkish A330 Seoul Incheon Airport
Singapore 777 Seoul Incheon Airport
American 777 Seoul Incheon Airport
Qatar Airways 777 Seoul Incheon Airport
Business Air 767 Seoul Incheon Airport
Korean Air A330 Seoul Incheon Airport
Asiana A330 and 777s Seoul Incheon Airport
Asiana A321 Seoul Incheon Airport
We deplaned through the forward door, where the friendly crew bid each passenger farewell.
From the jet bridge it was only a five minute walk to immigration, where there was no queue.
Asiana A380 First Class Bottom Line
I’ve always been a huge fan of Asiana first class, as I find their food and service to be among the best in the sky. Their A380 first class hard product is a considerable improvement over their old seats, which weren’t nearly as private or spacious.
That being said, other than the added personal space, I don’t really think that Asiana used the A380 to “up” their game as much as other airlines have. There’s no onboard bar, the entertainment selection is still lackluster, and the decor is hideous.
Don’t get me wrong, Asiana is still among my favorite airlines out there, though some part of the A380 experience didn’t really blow me away.
If you’ve flown the Asiana A380, what was your experience like?
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