OZ541 ICN-FRA First ClassThis flight was our first on Asiana and booked as part of a US-Airways redemption. We stayed the night beforehand in the fantastic Hyatt Regency Incheon, so as to have a relaxing morning and a couple of hours to find our way through the airport.
At checkin we were greeted by name, which is a first for us (there were others in F on our flight although no couples - could we be the only Western couple flying that morning?) and our bag was checked through to Berlin. A friendly agent escorted us to security (F passengers can use the crew line) and we were soon through immigration and in the lounge. The lounge was nearly empty, huge, spotlessly clean (BA please note) and contained a wide range of seating options. There's a grand piano on a plinth but nobody was playing at this time of the morning. Overall it is quite palatial and although there is no full-service restaurant as such, it felt better than BA's CCR at LHR. We had expected a greater range of food but knowing there would be plenty to eat in flight, we weren't too worried. Definitely use the lounge if flying OZ F, but don't plan to spend more than 90 minutes or so in there. The Wi-Fi is fast. Food & BeverageAlthough we were at first a little disappointed that our pre-order meals had not been loaded (if you order by email make sure to do so a week in advance as we were too late), the crew tried hard to make up for it and were great at checking out whether meals were suitable for our allergies.
We both enjoyed the caviar, served in individual tins with a pretty caviar spoon, and the starter of lobster. A fruity sorbet cleansed the palate before progressing to the mains. The navarin of lamb was tender and tasty (although not memorable) and the oven-baked sea-bass was ok, but nothing special and was not my first choice. For the second service, the crew went out of their way to form a Korean option without beef for me. The main part was delicious (although I'm not an abalone fan), but the soup was a little bland. Unfortunately, I was still too full from dinner to eat much, but would definitely recommend getting a Korean meal for the first serving. Excellent wines including 2 vintage champagnes and 5 whiskies, but no brandy! |
The SeatAsiana currently has 2 first class seats in the sky. At the time of this flight, the newest version only flew on the ICN-JFK route, so we were seated in their old F. Although this is showing its age, we knew to expect an older seat and it remains as spacious as most other F cabins out there. The cabin is arranged with 1 row of 1-2-1 staggered seating and 3 rows of 1-1 seating. We sat in the only pair - 4E and 4F.
In the seated position, the seat was pretty comfortable. However, we both found it near impossible to get comfortable in the lie-flat position - the leg rest didn't seem to fit properly with the ottoman so there was always a dip or a bulge, whichever way you moved it. Until the seat is replaced with the new version, we would choose a different airline for long-haul routes in F if sleep is important. The amenity kit contained some really useful items of high quality but the pyjamas were a tad old-fashioned. We won't be keeping these. |
Overall Impression
From arrival on the plane and being served the first glass of champagne through to departure, the service on the flight was extremely good. Although there was only a couple of bottles of Pol Roger 2000 Winston Churchill champagne loaded, the flight attendant was incredibly apologetic when offering me the not too shabby vintage Charles Heidsieck instead.
Having read other reports of Asiana first class, we were disappointed not to be offered a gift towards the end of the flight (there used to be an option of a leather iPhone holder, business card holder or similar) but it seems this has been phased out. Our expectations for Asiana service were also very high and they were almost met, but not quite - for example, we weren't addressed by name. We greatly enjoyed our OZ F flight. However, in future, we will probably use TG F if available, until the new OZ F is rolled out on more routes.
Having read other reports of Asiana first class, we were disappointed not to be offered a gift towards the end of the flight (there used to be an option of a leather iPhone holder, business card holder or similar) but it seems this has been phased out. Our expectations for Asiana service were also very high and they were almost met, but not quite - for example, we weren't addressed by name. We greatly enjoyed our OZ F flight. However, in future, we will probably use TG F if available, until the new OZ F is rolled out on more routes.