Business class seats on Korean Air’s B777 are nearly identical to those on its A380 (Photo: Chris McGinnis)
Ever since Korean Air launched its Airbus A380 service between Seoul and Atlanta in September 2013, I’ve longed to take a seat on that 14.5-hour whopper of a flight.
Last month, I finally got my chance when Korean Air invited me over to Seoul for a look at the fast-growing, modern-yet-quirky South Korean capital.
The first leg of my journey was an 11.5-hour Boeing 777 flight from San Francisco to Seoul. I was in Seoul for three busy days, then boarded an A380 for the trip to Atlanta.
I was especially excited to be able to compare the business class experience on two different planes in a single trip. What did I discover? Well, it’s that business class on Korean Air is very consistent across these two planes. Except for the unbelievable business class lounges onboard KAL’s A380 (tune in to my next post for details/photos), nearly everything else was identical. There’s no need to be too disappointed if you can’t ride on an A380 because once you are in your seat, there’s very little difference– the seats, service, food, inflight entertainment, lavs… it’s all pretty much the same. And in both directions, the planes were squeaky clean– even down to the floor of the lavatories (see below).
Today, let’s take a look at that B777 flight from San Francisco to Seoul. Tomorrow I’ll post about my experience on KAL’s big A380 to Atlanta and we’ll explore the slight differences between the experiences.
At SFO, Korean Air uses British Airways’ Terraces lounge for first and business class flyers (Photo: Chris McGinnis)
At SFO, Korean Air new uses British Airways Terraces lounge for first and business class passengers. Luckily the KAL flight and the BA flights are timed well apart from each other so the lounge did not feel overcrowded.
Direct access to the plane from the lounge (Photo: Chris McGinnis)
Nice touch: When boarding KAL’s B777 from the Terraces lounge, business and first class passengers walk directly onto the plane from the lounge… the jetway is just beyond the door in the photo above.
Now, let’s jump onboard.
Carpet in the lavs on Korean Air’s B777 (Photo: Chris McGinnis)
On the B777 flight from SFO to Seoul, I noticed something I’ve never seen on any aircraft: Carpet in the business class lavatories! My first thought was “eeuuww, what if this gets wet?” But upon closer inspection, I noticed that the carpet was actually a rug that was velcroed to the floor. If it gets wet, it’s removed and replaced with another. Based on how many times I noticed the hard working KAL flight attendants enter the lavs for cleaning during the flight, I was certain that it would get switched out if needed. But in any case, I have to say that it added a cozy or homey feel to the lav– much better than the black rubber floor I’m used to. It’s one of those “little things” but I noticed and appreciated it.
Buttonholes in the napkins on Korean Air (Photo: Chris McGinnis)
Another one of the “little things” I noticed on this flight…. napkins with button holes. I’ve seen this on a handful of other carriers and always appreciate it… especially when I’m wearing a light colored shirt and eating things that easily spill… like soup or salad dressing. It shows that someone has really thought through inflight dining… a good sign. (And a shirt saver!)
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The dinner starter on SFO>Seoul: Seared tuna (Photo: Chris McGinnis)
Meal service on the flight from San Francisco (which departed at 2 pm) started with seared tuna– accompanied of course by the ever present Korean chili paste gochujang and a two servings of kimchee-like pickles with an unusual rubbery crunch.
KAL’s famous bibimbap (Photo: Chris McGinnis)
Next up for dinner was the popular Korean specialty bibimbap. Korean Air is famous for this… and even serves it from a truck at promotional events like its recent launch in Houston… it even offers it the Aspen Food & Wine Classic. It’s delicious and healthy. To eat it, you squirt that tube of chili paste over the top and then mix all the ingredients together. Yum!
Economy class on Korean Air B777 offers 33-34 inches of pitch (Chris McGinnis)
Economy class on Korean Air’s B777s offers a roomy 33-34 inches of seat pitch– that’s very generous compared to other carriers (United, for example, only offers 31 inches on its B777). Seats are configured 3-3-3. Korean Air does not offer a premium economy seat.
Stay tuned! My next post will be about my 14.5 hour journey on KAL’s A380 to Atlanta! Here’s a teaser photo… explanations coming soon!
Disclosure: I was a guest of Korean Air on this flight
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The plane was clean and I agree – the attendants were very nice. But on my flight from Seoul to ATL a couple of months ago, they ran out of *water* in Business Class half way through the flight. I was understanding – it happens, I get it … until I exited the plane past the First Class Suites and saw large full bottles of water sitting in all the empty Suites. That was my 2nd trip on KA and unless I have to go to Seoul directly (I usually am just laying over) that, combined with the seating in Business will probably be last. 7+ hrs with water being given out by the 1/4th cup was rough.
You are right about that, Cat! That’s not just “water” on the floor so wear those shoes – or slippers if you are on KAL 🙂 They supply em. — chris
Not sure if I agree with the carpet in the bathroom feeling ‘homey’. Nasty is what comes to mind. What I noticed was the space between the loo and the sink… roomy is good! BTW, don’t ever go into an airplane lav without shoes. Ever.
The A380 is a wonderful plane. It just takes a long, long time to get into the air. The first time I flew one, I couldn’t believe how long it took to get airborne. I almost thought it was just going to taxi all the way to Frankfurt.
Thanks for the observations, Badger! Too bad the Delta/KAL partnership is not as good as it used to be. — chris
I agree that Korean Air service is great. Until Delta (functionally) dropped them as a full SkyTeam partner, I used to fly business class on Korean quite a bit. Also, it always cost less than on Delta. Maybe that is one of the reasons Delta dropped them (or Korean Air withdrew). Since I fly equally to Asia, South America, and Africa, Delta is better for me as my preferred airline so I stayed with Delta. A couple of points:
1. Just returned last night on Delta Shanghai–Detroit 747. Napkins had buttonholes.
2. All of Delta business class seats have direct aisle access. I do not know about others but I really value that quite a bit. Korean Air chose to not do that when they configured their 380s and 777s. Much more relaxing flying with the more private and direct aisle access seats on Delta.
Thanks, Jeff! I’ve never seen harder working flight attendants… really exceptional. — chris
Fly Korean all the time (except in coach the past 5 years due to pricing) and absolutely love it. If I’m heading to Asia I will fly coach on Korean over business in Delta (I’m based in ATL) and this is no kidding. The service is exceptional. If you ring the “call button” a flight attendant (possibly two) are there within seconds. I was on a Delta flight to LAX Monday and rang the call button 3 times over the course of 7 minutes before someone came.