Review of Asiana Airlines flight Seoul Sydney in Business

Airline Asiana Airlines
Flight OZ601
Class Business
Seat 3C
Aircraft Boeing 777-200LR
Flight time 10:10
Take-off 22 Apr 15, 20:30
Arrival at 23 Apr 15, 07:40
OZ 106 reviews
airtraveladdict
Published on 18th May 2015
Hello again Flight-Report readers,
Thank you for taking the time to read my report and feel free to comment :)

Introduction
After a short break in Seoul, it was time to leave this beautiful city and the wonderful and friendly people.

Seoul has been overlooked for years, overshadowed by the likes of Hong Kong, Shanghai and Tokyo. Before arriving here, I underestimated just how much I would enjoy this city. I stayed in the old part in Jongno, not the new rich part that is Gangnam district, made famous by that music Gangnam Style.

I decided to stay at Jongno because it was the centre of the city, walking distance to thousands, yes thousands of restaurants and the city's museums, galleries, palaces etc.

It is hard to describe Seoul but it was an eye opening experience and I urge readers to visit Seoul one day.

Overview
Anyway Asiana has always been on my list of airlines to fly. Rated a 5 Stars airline by Skytrax, my expectations were set very high - higher than other airlines I have flown in the 4 Stars category, because I asked, what separates a 4 and a 5 Stars airline?

There are only eight airlines with a 5 Stars rating, ANA, Asiana, Cathay Pacific, Garuda Indonesia, Hainan Airlines, Malaysia Airlines, Qatar Airways and Singapore Airlines.

Out of that list, I have only tried CX in business class, which was my previous trip. So how does Asiana stack up against its 5 Stars rival, CX.

Airport
I left Seoul at least 3 hours 30 minutes before my departure and because traffic was terrible. An hour later, I arrived at the airport with 2 hours 30 minutes remaining. Check in was a breeze since I was flying business class.

And then it was roadblock. Firstly I walked up and down the terminal looking for a Premium or Express queue for premium class travellers, I couldn't find it. Feeling defeated and silly, I went with the general queue.

The immigration for departing Seoul did not take as long as my arrival, where I spent over 1 hour in the queue. This time it took 45 minutes to clear security and immigration and I was airside.

Subsequently, I have found out that ICN does not offer priority services to premium passengers at all. I would hate to join the queue after some Airbus A380… omg imagine you would need 2 hours to clear security. So my advice to premium passengers or status cardholders, arrive very early.

Rating 3 out of 10 - It is not Asiana's fault but the lack of priority queue for premium passengers is annoying.

Lounge
There are two Asiana lounges, four if separate first and business classes, at Incheon. One in the main terminal, from gates 1-41 and Concourse A, gates 42 and upwards.

I got lost for 10 minutes trying to find the Asiana business lounge. Whereas the First Class lounge is labelled in big letters after passing immigration, Asiana does not label the business class lounge until you are 10 metres away. The Star Alliance website says the lounge is near Gate 42, except the main terminal only goes from Gate 1 - 41… so much for correct instructions.

In fact the lounge is near Gate 28. By the time I got to the lounge I had only 1 hour 30 minutes before schedule takeoff. After going up the escalator and seeing the A380 model, you will find the Asiana Business Lounge.
photo asiana-ICN-lounge-0

The lounge is divided into two sections, left and right. I looked at the right side and it was empty, and I turned to see the left and saw the buffet, so silly me, I turned left.

Both sides offer identical self serve buffet, but the left side is visible from the lounge entrance, which explains why it jam packed with passengers. At 7PM, it was full of passengers departing on Europe, North America and intra-Asia. Staff were scrambling to cook faster as passengers like hungry zombies in World War Z movie, devoured everything in sight.

On the left side of the lounge, it is more a business environment, with lounge chairs facing TVs; long tables facing the apron with chargers; private workstation cubicles and the buffet seating area.


On the right side, it is more like a clubhouse, there is a grand piano in the middle, surrounded by armchairs and bookshelves, and the buffet area. This side was deserted because almost all the passengers thought it was only the left side that offered food… how embarrassing, I was one of those people.

The buffet food offering was very simple and consisted of a large plate of pasta, abalone congee, make your own salad, bread, croissants, pretzels, corn chips and instant noodles.



Rating 5 out of 10 - Very middle of the road, feels like a domestic business class lounge. Also this is Asiana's home lounge and it was 7PM, but there weren't any hot dinner options at the buffet, unless you count instant noodle cups and the congee. However, there were plenty of comfortable seating arrangements and the lounge felt spacious.

Flight
Asiana Airlines OZ601 777-200
Seoul to Sydney
Depart 8:30PM Arrive 7:40AM
Seat 3C
Total flight time 9 hours 30 minutes

Boarding was called at the lounge and the flight was departing from Gate 40. Priority boarding was enforced and within a minute I was onboard.

No champagne was offered prior to take off, just water.

Rating 8 out of 10 - no champagne, but not a huge deal. Everything else went smoothly.

Seat
The layout of the cabin is 2x3x2. These are the old angled flat bed seats. Tonight's flight had 12 seats occupied out of the 28 seats, so all the passengers were spread out.

I have flown on two previous angle flat beds, Royal Brunei's 777-200 (SQ's old Raffles Class) and Air France, and I was able to sleep well, so I wasn't concerned.

However I should have been worried, because the Asiana seats are so hard and uncomfortable. Regardless of sitting upright, reclining or sleeping, it was really bad, and I ended up having a sore back for two days after my flight.

This seat would probably be fine if this was a daytime flight, but for an overnight flight.



Rating 2 out of 10 - Dated, hard cushions and uncomfortable.

Entertainment
The entertainment wasn't something to write home about either. After the seat belt sign was switched off, the cabin crew came over to explain that the movies and TV shows will be played on a loop, not on demand, and it resets every 2 hours. The screen colour was like one of those CTVs from the 90s.

Rating out 1 of 10 - No on demand IFE for international business on a 5 Star Airline in Year 2015 is just not acceptable.

Catering
Once the seat belt sign switched off, the cabin crew sprung to action and came over to ask about our dinner options. I asked for a Mimosa cocktail, and she asked to go with your meal?, and I said I'd like to have it now.
So no drink with your meal? she asked.
No, I would like to drink something else with my meal, but I would like a cocktail first. I said.
Okay so two drinks? she asked.
I was really confused, I'm not an alcoholic, I just wanted a drink.



Flying out of Seoul, I decided to try the famous Bibimbap. I asked if I could mix and match and have the western dessert, which was panna cotta. However I was told it was all gone.

I started with the ginseng salad, which was crunchy and slightly tart. I liked it though.

Then it was the Korean rice porridge, which was blended like pumpkin soup, you could have drank it with a straw. It was bland tasting.

They offered bread to my travel companion but I wasn't offered bread because I was having the Korean meal.

For my main, I ordered Bibimbap as well as the Manhattan cocktail. The variety of lettuces were fresh, none of them were stale, wilted or yellow. The beef bulgogi was tender and salted just right, and the rice was soft and fluffy, unlike the CX flight, which served me hardened rice. It was fun to do the wrapping process with Bibimbap, and after about six lettuce wraps, I was feeling full.

Dessert was fresh fruit followed by Korean cookies.



As a side on, my travel companion didn't want to eat the panna cotta, so I took it and did a fist pump until I tasted it. Oh god… it was bad. It was like bitter lime yoghurt jelly. My companion skipped the soup and just ordered the main, but didn't finish the Pan Fried Seabass with Mango Salsa, Asparagus and Potato because it was too dry and the skin on the fish was soggy, instead of crispy as it was meant to be fried.



About 3 hours before arriving in Sydney, the breakfast service started. It was a fresh fruit platter and croissant, both were delicious.


My companion picked the seafood crepe but did not like the taste. It wasn't the same as the seafood omelette you get in Seoul. I chose the Tomato Scrambled Egg with Sausage, and the eggs didn't taste like powered eggs. The sauteed potato and mushroom were soggy and the sausage was brockhurst.
photo OZ601-catering-33

The drinks list is extensive and had just about everything you could ever ask for.

Rating 6 out of 10 - the Bibimbap was delicious but overall the catering fell flat and nothing really stood out. However, the wine, cocktail and drinks list was impressive.

Service
The cabin crew were very professional and attentive. No trays were used so the service felt really personal. Two crewmembers pushed the trolley down the aisle and set passengers table individually. They also served the meals from the galley, serving the starter, main course and desserts individually, rather than bring it in a tray or trolley.

My Bibimbap was served in a tray, which is understandable because there are so many bits and pieces.

After my meal, I visit the bathroom and got random pictures of the products on offer.

Rating 10 out of 10 - The crew asked passengers how each meal or cocktail was, which is a nice touch. They left passengers alone after the meal service to allow people to sleep, and I managed to nod off. In the process of falling asleep, I didn't have a blanket on because it fell under my seat.

A crew member walking passed me noticed it, and she went to get a new blanket and placed it over me. I know some people might find that creepy, but I thought that was thoughtful.

The End
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See more

Verdict

Asiana Airlines

4.1/10
Cabin1.0
Cabin crew10.0
Entertainment/wifi0.5
Meal/catering5.0

Asiana Airlines Business Lounge

2.1/10
Comfort0.5
Meal/catering0.5
Entertainment/wifi7.0
Services0.5

Seoul - ICN

5.5/10
Efficiency2.0
Access5.0
Services5.0
Cleanliness10.0

Sydney - SYD

6.6/10
Efficiency10.0
Access5.5
Services5.5
Cleanliness5.5

Conclusion

Rating out 3 of 10 - Unfortunately the hardware lets Asiana down, I didn't manage one solid hour of sleeping because the seats were so unforcomfotable and hard. And it is not acceptable for a 5-star airline flying an international route in year 2015 not to offer on demand IFE.

The Korean meal option was good but its not best meal I've ever had on business class. The crew were courteous, friendly and professional, so the low rating is not a reflection on them.

Besides the crew, the whisky offered is top shelf. So points to Asiana for offering 18 years old Chivas Regal and 17 years old Ballantine's, which is normally served in First Class by a few premium airlines. For example, Etihad only serves 12 years old Glen Livet in First.

Whereas Japan Airlines serves 21 years old Chivas and 17 years old Hibiki.
So compared to other airlines first and business class wine list, Asiana's whisky selection is very good.

There were only 12 passengers out of 28 seats in business, so the load factor is light, which suggests OZ does not consider Sydney a premium route to fly their newer 777-200ER.

But the price for a return ticket for both Korean Air and OZ is the same, $4,330 for this route, so it would be interesting to fly KE121 and compare their load factor to OZ601, because KE uses a fully flat bed, unlike OZ.

Certainly this old product is not value for money.

I would try OZ again, if they use their refitted 777-200ER with the staggered business class seat. However based on this old 777-200 product, I would not fly OZ again or recommend it, at least not for an overnight flight.

Related

14 Comments

If you liked this review or if you have any questions, don’t hesitate to post a comment below !
  • Comment 136729 by
    SKYTEAMCHC GOLD 10025 Comments
    Thanks for sharing this report. The cabin looks clearly outdated and I am not surprised by the grade you give regarding comfort. Catering seems to be a mixed bag with some very well presented plates and others less and taste not being perfect. You had a good crew which can make up for a lot of defaults but never completely !
    How come you give a 0 in IFE , press ?
    thanks again for sharing with us
    • Comment 316253 by
      airtraveladdict AUTHOR 117 Comments
      Hello SKYTEAMCHC, Thank you for reading.
      Yes you are right, the cabin is very outdated - not very 5-star airline. To me a 5-star airline must have consistency, not just great first class and everything else is bad.
      I couldn't sleep even for 1 hour on this flight, and i had a sore back after. Compare to the angled bed I have flown SQ's old raffles class and Air France Affaires, and I was able to sleep 4-5 hours.
      The catering service, where the crew setup each table is good and serve each dish from the galley, its a very nice personal touch. But the quality and taste is just okay.
      The crew are great and they try their best, they always make eye contact when they speak. They ask you how the food is etc, so they are very attentive.
      I gave IFE rating of Zero, because it is really bad.
      Maybe if I flew a 1 star airline, I would have rated the IFE 2 out of 10.
      But a 5-star airline in Year 2015, 1. no on-demand IFE 2. small tv screen. 3. have bad color, its just no excuse.
      The movie and tv shows in on a 2 hours loop, so if you watch a 1 hour 30 minutes movie, after it finishes, you have to wait 30 minutes before you can watch another one again. Or if you don't like the movie, you can't watch a new movie from the start, you have watch it as it is because its not on-demand.
  • Comment 136744 by
    NGO85 SILVER 1955 Comments
    Thanks for sharing this report with us, not too many OZ reports on here. You took one for the team ;)

    And then it was roadblock. Firstly I walked up and down the terminal looking for a Premium or Express queue for premium class travellers, I couldn't find it. Feeling defeated and silly, I went with the general queue.
    - Yeah, ICN is a mess and should have a premium line, but there just isn't one. I have always found this aspect of the airport very frustrating and don't know what it is so highly rated.

    I've tried to avoid OZ because of their hard-product problems. They are so far behind in this regards (JL also has this problem). Every carrier in China now has flat-bed seats on their long-haul fleets, why is OZ stuck in the early 2000s? Who knows. The Smartium product is nice, but it has not been standardized throughout their fleet. I love those cup holders at the base of the center console :) IFE is bad, no on-demand programming is really bad. Really shocking from a 5*-carrier.

    Shame about the panna cotta, that caught my eye on the menu, would have liked to have seen it, but then I keep scrolling and the secrets are revealed! Maybe I don't want to see that panna cotta, lol. Sounds like the catering was all over the place on this flight, at least you enjoyed your dinner. I just wish the Korean carriers would offer something other than bibimbap as the Korean option (although I did have a really tasty octopus one once).

    It sounds like the crew was the only good part of this experience, and I feel like that is the one good aspect of OZ's product and the only 5* aspect of the carrier.
    • Comment 316273 by
      airtraveladdict AUTHOR 117 Comments
      Thank you NGO85 for your feedback!

      Yeah, ICN is a mess and should have a premium line, but there just isn't one. I have always found this aspect of the airport very frustrating and don't know what it is so highly rated.
      - Yes even smaller airports in Australia have priority lane, ICN is a major airport, its a mystery to me.

      I've tried to avoid OZ because of their hard-product problems. They are so far behind in this regards (JL also has this problem). Every carrier in China now has flat-bed seats on their long-haul fleets, why is OZ stuck in the early 2000s? Who knows. The Smartium product is nice, but it has not been standardized throughout their fleet. I love those cup holders at the base of the center console :) IFE is bad, no on-demand programming is really bad. Really shocking from a 5*-carrier.

      i booked hoping they would use Smartium seats which i have flown before on Etihad and it was nice and private. but OZ's product is falling behind, as you said, even Chinese carriers have flat beds now for long haul. Those cup holders were... no comment. i dunno why it sits so low down there. and no on-demand IFE in year 2015 for 5 star airline on long haul flight, how do you explain that?

      Shame about the panna cotta, that caught my eye on the menu, would have liked to have seen it, but then I keep scrolling and the secrets are revealed! Maybe I don't want to see that panna cotta, lol. Sounds like the catering was all over the place on this flight, at least you enjoyed your dinner. I just wish the Korean carriers would offer something other than bibimbap as the Korean option (although I did have a really tasty octopus one once).

      yes as you can see from picture, the panna cotta was not that good looking and tasted ordinary too. i like the bibimbap option because of the novelty factor, but i imagine if i fly korean carriers regularly, i would get bored having the same option all the time.

      It sounds like the crew was the only good part of this experience, and I feel like that is the one good aspect of OZ's product and the only 5* aspect of the carrier.

      Crew are 5star, but everything else. no. this airline is at best 3 star.

  • Comment 136798 by
    02022001 GOLD 4367 Comments
    Thank you !
  • Comment 136818 by
    Numero_2 TEAM BRONZE 10410 Comments
    Thanks for sharing.

    As you, I had high expections from OZ before the first time I've flown them from ICN to KIX.
    Althought the aircraft was an A333, the Y cabin was old, the IFE crappy, and the food disappointing.

    Even the lounges at ICN were under average to my eyes, as you noticed in this report.

    After having read several reports about OZ here I wonder how is it possible for this airline to get such high ratings…
    The Business class experience you got makes unfortunately no exception.

    See you for the next flight.
    • Comment 316319 by
      airtraveladdict AUTHOR 117 Comments
      Thank you for your comments Numero_2,

      I also had high expectations of OZ, and I picked this airline because of all the fan boy love review I read. I think sometimes, maybe their First class is good, but everything else is low quality?? who knows.

      The lounges were a huge surprised, this is an international home airport lounge, their flagship, like CX in HKG, SQ in SIN, QF in SYD, BA in LHR... and no hot food options at 7PM dinner time?? It was like a domestic business class lounge.

      I also wonder how they maintain 5 star rating with 2-3 star hardware and catering. I wouldn't recommend you buy a ticket on OZ business class, because it would be a waste of your money. I might try them again if they use the new Smartium seats, but right now, no way!
  • Comment 136836 by
    lagentsecret 12186 Comments
    Thanks for sharing this FR

    Do you really take care of these Skytrax ratings ? lol
    To me it's only little deals between friends.

    It is not Asiana's fault but the lack of priority queue
    I disagree : they could pay to have an OZ priority queue
    BTW it's the same with CX in HKG

    I got lost for 10 minutes trying to find the Asiana business lounge
    I had the same issue

    Staff were scrambling to cook faster as passengers like hungry zombies in World War Z movie, devoured everything in sight.
    And especially because there isn't a lot to eat lol

    and I ended up having a sore back for two days after my flight.
    And you seem to be young !

    I was really confused, I'm not an alcoholic, I just wanted a drink.
    So did you feel guilty ? ;)

    I had exactly the same Korean menu (and the same old seats) on my ICN-IST flight more than one year ago (http://flight-report.com/en/report-6563.html)

    And the same wine list, BTW, nothing to speak about

    OZ is overrated but the crew was the exception for your flight and for my flight too

    Your report confirms my opinion not to fly with OZ anymore

    See you soon for another report
    • Comment 316320 by
      airtraveladdict AUTHOR 117 Comments
      Hi lagentsecret, thanks for the detailed feedback.

      Do you really take care of these Skytrax ratings ? lol To me it's only little deals between friends.
      Yes I am starting to see that the skytrax rating is smoke and mirrors. No wonder Etihad withdrew from the system.

      I disagree : they could pay to have an OZ priority queue BTW it's the same with CX in HKG
      Yeah funny you point it out, I suppose HKG process is so fast, I didn't notice it. Maybe if ICN opens more security check points, instead of just two guards to handle thousands of passengers flying in or out on multiple airlines including several A380, they wouldn't need priority queue.

      I had the same issue
      Yeah its not clearly labelled.

      And especially because there isn't a lot to eat lol
      Yep what you see in the pictures is ALL the food offering, 1 plate of pasta and congee.

      And you seem to be young !
      hahaha I am 32 years old and I had a sore back from OZ's bad seat. thats how uncomfortable the seats are.

      So did you feel guilty ? ;)
      LOL normally I don't have to explain to the crew about my drinking habits, they just pour it on-demand.

      I had exactly the same Korean menu (and the same old seats) on my ICN-IST flight more than one year ago (http://flight-report.com/en/report-6563.html) And the same wine list, BTW, nothing to speak about
      Oh gosh, so they really don't change anything. That's bad and just lazy. Qantas changes their meals to reflect different seasons - spring, summer, autumn, winter.

      OZ is overrated but the crew was the exception for your flight and for my flight too. Your report confirms my opinion not to fly with OZ anymore

      I agree, they are overrated. If skytrax rating was real, OZ would be a 3-star airline. I would fly them if it was the Smartium seats, which I have tried before on Etihad.
      The crew are good, but everything else is blah, lounge, catering, seat, entertainment.
  • Comment 136904 by
    socalnow 976 Comments
    Thank for sharing your experience with Asiana Airlines. I too think Seoul is a fantastic city to visit. So vibrant and youthful.

    I have experienced the same product on ICN-SIN and HKG-ICN. My conclusions mirror yours. I too felt the staff was eager to please but with the dated product and my lack of Korean language sills there were limits to how well we could get on.
    • Comment 316787 by
      airtraveladdict AUTHOR 117 Comments
      Thank you Socalnow, I appreciate your feedback.

      Thank for sharing your experience with Asiana Airlines. I too think Seoul is a fantastic city to visit. So vibrant and youthful.

      Yes I can't wait to visit Seoul again! Seoul has a lot of Soul... hahaha I am soo corny.

      I have experienced the same product on ICN-SIN and HKG-ICN. My conclusions mirror yours. I too felt the staff was eager to please but with the dated product and my lack of Korean language sills there were limits to how well we could get on.

      Unfortunately good staff can only do so much, because ultimately you still need decent IFE to be entertained, more food variety options or higher food load factor, so passengers can mix and match courses. For example, Emirates have 120% food load factor for business and 150% for First, so it allows passengers to mix.
      But Asiana is 100% load factor for business, which is what emirates does for economy.
      That means you can't have a western starter and korean main or western desert. Its not very flexible.
      And also a good crew can't replace a good sleep on a good seat.
      I dont know how OZ maintains 5* rating.
  • Comment 137204 by
    KévinDC TEAM SILVER 6658 Comments
    Thanks for another nice report! I'm surprised the return is with OZ, not even in the same alliance as CX. Did you buy the tickets separately? In a way it's nice because you get to try another airline and product! I'm a slave to miles and alliance so I wouldn't be able to do a routing like this :-)

    Wow...ICN has no priority lanes for either arrival or departure?
    It is not Asiana's fault but the lack of priority queue for premium passengers is annoying. - It must be annoying, and it's a little bit Asiana's fault--OZ and KE as large stake holders in the airport due to having their hubs there can pressure the airport authority to establish priority lanes for their customers. Most airlines around the world do this. There is no reason why it couldn't work in ICN.

    Funny how one side of the lounge is jam packed and the other is empty. People always tend to follow the crowd. I like to run away from it, lol. Too bad there wasn't really any hot food at dinner time.

    No pre-departure champagne? Booo...not good. Especially before such a long flight. Great shots of the cabin. Too bad the seats aren't comfortable. Good things the cabin wasn't full. Apparently having direct aisle access isn't a requirement to being a 5* Skytrax airline. The 2-3-2 configuration is so below average in this day and age.

    OMG, I can't believe the drink conversation...but I've had it too. Why can't some FA's understand that the proper drink service protocol should always be a seperate and distinct pre-meal drink (Aperitif), a different wine with each course depending on the type of meat, then a dessert wine with dessert and or red wine with cheese, and finally a digestif/after-dinner drink. There's nothign alcoholic about it...it's just proper drink service. But we'll let it slide since the crew was so nice and attentive.

    The service and catering seem ok apart from a few items that may have not been good. The overall impression of this flight; however, is that it is far from 5* --from the average lounge to the below-average hard product, nothing screams high standards and luxury. I'm sure if you had been on the A380, it may have been an actual 5* experience. Still, a good flight, as they always are in Asia compared to US carrier, lol.

    • Comment 316788 by
      airtraveladdict AUTHOR 117 Comments
      Hello KévinDC,
      Thank you for taking the time to read and comment :)

      Thanks for another nice report! I'm surprised the return is with OZ, not even in the same alliance as CX. Did you buy the tickets separately? In a way it's nice because you get to try another airline and product! I'm a slave to miles and alliance so I wouldn't be able to do a routing like this :-)

      I am a flying addict! yes I have a problem, like AA, but not alcholic anonymous, its airplane anonymous :)
      So I everytime I travel, if I can, I always try and fly different airlines, alliances, non-alliance airline. I want to try them all :)
      I am also a slave to a miles and points, but there are lots of methods to travel on lots of airlines :) trust me.....

      It must be annoying, and it's a little bit Asiana's fault--OZ and KE as large stake holders in the airport due to having their hubs there can pressure the airport authority to establish priority lanes for their customers. Most airlines around the world do this. There is no reason why it couldn't work in ICN.

      Yes in Australia, OZ pays Sydney Airport for the use of priority queue, so when we landed in Sydney, they gave us priority passes. So I don't see why they cannot offer the same service in ICN.
      ICN is not a remote or regional airport, it is a major hub for two big airlines, KE and OZ, which service millions of passengers a year. Plus all the other foreign airlines that fly into it, like CX, JL, TG, LH, EY, EK, QR etc etc etc.
      Can you imagine what happens when several Airbus A380 land? OMG... maybe wait 2 hours in the queue.

      Funny how one side of the lounge is jam packed and the other is empty. People always tend to follow the crowd. I like to run away from it, lol. Too bad there wasn't really any hot food at dinner time.

      Yes never follow the crowd hahaha, You turn left and it was full of passengers, because the buffet and dining tables are visible from the lounge.
      but if you turn to the right, you go to the exactly same buffet but with the library books and piano, but its empty, because the buffet is not visible from the lounge entrance.
      7PM and only 1 food option, pasta. thats it. how is this a 5 star airline?

      No pre-departure champagne? Booo...not good. Especially before such a long flight. Great shots of the cabin. Too bad the seats aren't comfortable. Good things the cabin wasn't full. Apparently having direct aisle access isn't a requirement to being a 5* Skytrax airline. The 2-3-2 configuration is so below average in this day and age.

      I have decided not to believe Skytrax anymore. I tried to capture this with as many pictures as possible, to warn other travellers lol

      OMG, I can't believe the drink conversation...but I've had it too. Why can't some FA's understand that the proper drink service protocol should always be a seperate and distinct pre-meal drink (Aperitif), a different wine with each course depending on the type of meat, then a dessert wine with dessert and or red wine with cheese, and finally a digestif/after-dinner drink. There's nothign alcoholic about it...it's just proper drink service. But we'll let it slide since the crew was so nice and attentive.

      Yes I think some crew think that you only drink alcohol during meal service? I do the same when at a restaurant, I always have beer or cocktails or go to the bar first. then move to dining table and order different drinks. Thats normal for me. I don't sit at the table drinking water and waiting until the food arrives and then order the wine.

      The service and catering seem ok apart from a few items that may have not been good. The overall impression of this flight; however, is that it is far from 5* --from the average lounge to the below-average hard product, nothing screams high standards and luxury. I'm sure if you had been on the A380, it may have been an actual 5* experience. Still, a good flight, as they always are in Asia compared to US carrier, lol.

      I would give this airline a total 3 stars. i think its fair, because its middle of the road. One day I hope to try the new Smartium seat, same one used by Etihad and Alitalia, and see if the flight experience is different.

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