Salad with melon slices, peppers and rocket. On a flight that's over 14 hours long, you only have one thing in mind, no matter what cabin you're sitting in: comfort. There were maybe 10 people in the lounge the entire time I was there, so I pretty much had my pick of seating types. The first problem is meal timing: Asiana haven't really thought through what they are serving, when. Find the right card for you. Travelers with various specific dietary needs are taken care of with menus that include gluten-free meals and low-cholesterol foods. I mean, what do you do for 14 hours? The countrys flag carrier has announced a new initiative where starting in September, cuisine consultant Chef Vtor Sobral will work with five Michelin-starred chefs Henrique S Pessoa, Jos Avillez, Miguel Laffan, Rui Paula, and Rui Silvestre to create Portuguese-inspired in-flight food for the next two years. Just landed in Paris after fl, Hello from Hong Kong! Asiana airlines inflight meals vary depending on your flight time and your class of travel. Mixed salad. Plus, your own feed of TPG content. I have a really big sweet tooth, and it was sweet even for me. Asiana is one of South Korea's major airlines, the other being Korean Air (or as I like to call it, the Pepsi planes airline). This influences which products we write about and where and how the product appears on a page. . As far as amenities, I was really happy with my L'Occitane products and fluffy slippers. The catering team behind the airline brings fliers downright delicious tastes from Gangnams piping-hot popular food courts and Seouls barbecue joints. As one of two major airlines in South Korea, Asiana Airlines (IATA: OZ; ICAO: AAR) operates flights to four continents. It's light, healthy, and for inflight food, rather unusual. Menus were distributed and meal orders taken about 30 minutes after takeoff. The flight attendant also asked if it was OK to serve me peanuts, which anyone with allergies would appreciate. Both Asiana and Korean Air provide top-notch in-flight experience on flights, even in economy class. Oddly, with some fruit around the edges. Korean Air . JFK to ICN 20 Apr 2018 Mirek Rated: 10. She started as the site's first full-time social media editor and also served as its lifestyle editor. However, it is only offered on request, so you have to know that it's there - it is at the bottom of the menu, and only 4 sets are carried on the plane. The upper deck of the plane was mostly business class, with a small economy cabin in the rear. Asiana had separate lines set up for first-, business- and economy-class passengers, with three jetways hooked up to the A380. Our partners compensate us. Asiana Business Lounge (West) Seoul Incheon Summary. All three cards currently offer 30,000 bonus Korean SkyPass miles for spending $3,000 in net purchases in the first 90 days after account opening. For indecisive people like yours truly, I felt pressured and rushed to figure out what I wanted to eat. Seared snapper with black bean sauce, seasonal greens and salted chili served in Business on selected international flights Dark chocolate cream with hazelnut cake, poached pears and caramel served in First and Business on selected international flights Black pepper beef with oyster mushrooms served in Premium Economy on selected flights It came with a side of potatoes and asparagus, and the portion of veggies was a little cold. The lounge was split up into two pretty much identical sections, with windows that overlooked the runway: prime spot for plane spotting or catching up on work. First class passengers can book an 'Advance . Learn more: The best airline credit cards right now. Reasons you should be using airport lounges, Both airline programs offer valuable award charts, although Korean Air is devaluing its partner award chart in April 2023. You can fly anywhere in North America in economy for 25,000 miles round-trip, to Europe in business class for 80,000 miles round-trip or to Africa or the Middle East in business class for 120,000 miles round-trip. We'll run a soft credit check to find special offers, but it wont affect your credit score. The airline offers a wide range of traditional Korean dishes as well as western options. Opinions expressed here are the authors alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airline or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities. . After that, I was served a beautifully presented caviar course, along with a single rose placed across my table. Each seat featured a 30-inch TV screen with not an inch of wasted space. Main courses include an Iranian mix grill of lamb chops, kofta and chicken tikka with broad bean saffron rice or stuffed spinach crpes with mushroom, cheese, and tomato sauce. Put a cabbage leaf on your hand. An avid yogi, hiker, beach bum, music and art enthusiast, salad aficionado, adventure seeker, animal lover, and professional writer, she is an active individual who loves to express herself through the power of words. Here is a list of our partners and here's how we make money. This may influence which products we review and write about (and where those products appear on the site), but it in no way affects our recommendations or advice, which are grounded in thousands of hours of research. That includes flights to 11 U.S. airports: Like Asiana, Korean Air operates a wide variety of aircraft, from 10 140-seat Airbus A220 to 10 407-seat Airbus A380 aircraft. At last, the rare afternoon tea service on Asiana. Every passenger with Emirates gets a multi-course meal, served with a selection of wines, beers, spirits or non-alcoholic beverages. NerdWallet Compare, Inc. NMLS ID# 1617539, NMLS Consumer Access|Licenses and Disclosures, California: California Finance Lender loans arranged pursuant to Department of Financial Protection and Innovation Finance Lenders License #60DBO-74812, Property and Casualty insurance services offered through NerdWallet Insurance Services, Inc. (CA resident license no. Few Westerners try this, but you really should try this: yes, really! Daniel Gillaspia is a lawyer and the founder of UponArriving.com who flew BAs first class on the Boeing 747 from London Heathrow to Houstons George Bush Airport. Please view our advertising policy page for more information. Croissant with butter and strawberry jam. Japan Airlines economy class experience from Los A, Hello from Corfu! Asiana Airlines. Meanwhile, Korean Air offers three options with a range of benefits. Our flight landed in Seoul on time, and it was incredibly easy to find the bright green hallway leading to the transfer security. This was a great lounge, and while I had not a single complaint, nothing about it felt particularly first class, either. I ended up nibbling on a bit of bulgogi salad (yum!) Alas the swordfish is a nightmare of rank, old, fish. No news yet by Asiana Airlines. The airline has teamed up with Luvo, a food company that offers a variety of healthy frozen meals, including high-protein, gluten-free, vegetarian and vegan options. By Kim Hyun-bin. One feature I really liked was the handheld tablet, which could be used to control the seat. This is the absolute classic dish on Asiana airlines, at it should be tried at least once. You will get the choice of two western or one Korean meal on longhaul flights. It was folded into a small pouch (and pajamas and an amenity kit don't take up that much space), but I'm sure I'll find a good use for it on future trips. However, passengers on promotional fares (booking code N or T) will have to pay for standard seat selection and cannot purchase extra legroom seats. All financial products, shopping products and services are presented without warranty. In first class, passengers can expect a gourmet dish inspired by the countrys Matres de Cuisine (essentially food historians). In fact, the airline is known for providing nourishing snacks and meals, including crispy croissants, juicy fruits, rich soups and even Bavarian beers. I asked if it would be possible to upgrade me to a business-class seat, since I was on a first-class ticket and there were at least a dozen empty seats in the cabin, but the check-in agent (and her supervisor) said they couldn't do anything because my ticket had been booked through Aeroplan. Starters include smoked salmon or grilled prawns. Because of the loud noises my seat emitted, I tried to make a conscious effort to move it as little as possible. The island carrier partnered with "Top Chef "cheftestant Sheldon Simeon to create meals in its first class cabin on flights from Hawaii to the mainland as part of its rotating Featured Chef Series. One of South Koreas two major airlines, Asiana Airlines capitalizes on the countrys foodie-mecca status. This would have been a perfect business-class lounge, but when you're traveling in first class you expect either unique amenities (like boarding directly from the lounge in Dubai or a tarmac transfer in Frankfurt) or top-notch service. With the lounge being essentially empty during my early morning visit (I stayed for about 20 minutes from 7:30AM), it provided for a nice place to spend some time in away from the busier public part of the terminal. I liked how big the table next to the seat was, with plenty of room for all of the things that accumulate during the flight (drinks, glasses, cellphones, lip balm, etc.). The good news: Unlike many airlines, Asiana isn't too cheap to serve the good Champagne on the ground. Passengers in more expensive fare classes even get free extra legroom and preferred seat selection. Main courses include grilled U.S. prime Angus beef strip loin with portobello mushroom, asparagus spears and oven-roasted potatoes topped with Barnaise sauce or red wine jus, mezze rigatoni pasta, artichokes, and carrot ribbons, topped with parmesan cheese and zucchini cream sauce or Peking duck salad with almonds and black truffle. Instead of creating an elaborate meal, the airline partnered with New York-based restaurant Saxon + Parole to create small plates that travelers can choose from. South Korean hospitality is a hallmark of the Asiana brand, which operates from its main hub in Seoul to destinations around North America, Europe and Asia. On Sunday, 38 Asiana flights left Seoul Incheon Airport (ICN) without in-flight meals and Monday had 16 aircraft flew sans food. Korean Air operates flights to many more destinations, including more than double the number of U.S. routes that Asiana Airlines operates. Why? Rookie mistake. A tub with pasta and fish sauce. The headphones also weren't the comfiest. I had a glass of the Barons de Rothschild Blanc de Blancs, which retails for about $130 a bottle. Why? Do & Co isn't your average airline caterer; its food is some of the best in the sky. That's slightly less than what Asiana offers its business class passengers. The toilet was hidden under a bench, giving me a large space to spread out and change. It in no way detracted from my experience, it's just interesting not to see Asiana take such a little step. And while our site doesnt feature every company or financial product available on the market, were proud that the guidance we offer, the information we provide and the tools we create are objective, independent, straightforward and free. First-class passengers on Asiana can pre-order their main meals up to 24 hours before departure from the Korean royal cuisine menu options. Plus, you can get a 5,000-mile bonus for transferring at least 60,000 Bonvoy points. Our partners cannot pay us to guarantee favorable reviews of their products or services. Korean rice wine and Korean grain wine. The normal breakfast menu had plenty of other options, including scrambled eggs, French toast and Korean shrimp porridge. Award travelers and Star Alliance loyalists will surely mourn the loss of Asiana first class. Roll and butter. It was incredibly well-stocked, including cologne, lip balm, hand cream, aftershave lotion, body lotion and a facial mist. The pants didn't have any pockets, though, so I left them on the plane. This was also where the main outlet was, which meant you couldn't charge items like a computer while reclined into bed mode. Get more smart money moves straight to your inbox. However, that partnership ended in August 2018. As such, on board, one western meal will almost certainly have beef, typically a steak. A pretty good cheeseplate with an excelent blue cheese. It is great to have something mid-flight that seems just right for the time of day when you are over the Urals. A great start to the flight, it is good to see Asiana offering this in business before the starter. It's so important to have not only room but easy access to all of your essentials. Typically, your best bet for finding award tickets on Star Alliance carriers is to search for it through either United or Aeroplan. Asiana Lounge Pass . The yummy choices include the sesame grilled chicken wrap, Mediterranean . but is only a transfer partner of one major transferable points program: Marriott Bonvoy. 763 airlines 52363 pictures Last Update: April 29, 2023 < BACK TO HOMEPAGE. Kumho Asiana Group Chairman Park Sam-koo will continue as CEO of Asiana Airlines as the court has ruled his appointment legally valid. But thats not the case with business and first class, where airlines go all out to impress their best customers with culinary prowess. Samples include a goat cheese croquette, kale & sweet potato salad, buttermilk fried chicken Green cabbage & celeriac slaw or Butter poached lobster Poblano chili basmati rice, pickled pepper rings. Asiana Airlines no longer offers credit cards to U.S.-based credit cardholders. Asiana Airlines and Korean Air are the two largest international airlines based in South Korea. Hong Kong, Cathay Pacific Economy vs Premium Economy Dining, Everything You Need to Know About Royal Brunei Economy Class, All You Need to Know About Eating Onboard Qantas, What to expect when flying Austrian Airlines business class. While the seat itself had plenty of storage, the bedding took up most of the space on the ottoman and took away from the sleek feeling of the suite. Viaigrette dressing, and a mini bottle of oil. Translation: a lot of people to feed. Australias flag carrier has partnered with Chef Neil Perry and his Rockpool Dining Group to create menus in its premium cabin. And since the A380 is a really, really big flying metal tube, that meant there were a lot of people in said line. Asiana even provides economy passengers amenities like slippers and a toothbrush set on routes to the U.S., Europe and Australia. Japanese offerings included squid dressed with green miso or a fried lotus root cake rolled with grilled conger eel, grilled chicken & fried tofu dumpling, seaweed sauce, steamed rice, miso soup, and Japanese pickles. At last! Or, you know, sleep. Vegitables and Steamed rice. When you're sitting in the seat, you're not concerned with the color of the fabric behind you, and I thought the soft wood trim around the suite made for a very relaxed design. [flight_stats ticket-class="first" review-stat-section="Service" tpg-rating="22" tpg-rating-max="25" live-tv="0" tailcam="0" headphones="0" comp-alcohol="0" extra-pillows="Yes" turndown-service="Yes" /]. When evaluating offers, please review the financial institutions Terms and Conditions. Not going to lie, it felt like a little spa in the sky. Lovely. Can be ordered up to 24 hours before departure and passengers can also order a Celebratory Cake on flights from Seoul and Busan. Compare the cost in points or miles to cash, and see which option is best. There was also a storage bin where I put my tote bag for most of the flight. However, I was pleasantly surprised with a full meal both times: chicken and rice, bread and butter, a salad, and a dessert. The only major transferable points program that transfers to Asiana is. True, it's better than Singapore Airline's one demand sanwiches (tightly wrapped in the cling film) but what is with the weird seafood obsession? Asiana Airlines gets the slight edge as Korean Air's valuable partner award chart expires in March 2023. One-way tickets would cost 90,000 Avianca LifeMiles, 105,00 Aeroplan miles or 120,000 United MileagePlus miles. Since we booked this award before Amex added Avianca as a transfer partner, we booked through Aeroplan instead. Yes! When evaluating offers, please review the financial institutions Terms and Conditions. I had to stop and ask at the information desk after walking halfway down the terminal in the wrong direction. The Points Guy, Forbes Advisor, AwardWallet, LendingTree. Expect reserved, yet friendly, service from everyone that you meet from the moment you arrive to the airport. First class to Europe for just 50,000 miles each way. Final verdict? memorable experience when he flew it last year, first international business-class flight on Turkish Airlines, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. But on this trip we found a better deal on Asiana Airlines, which is another major airline based in South Korea.As soon as we entered the airplane, the service was great, and we had baby friendly seats, so we were all the way at the front of the airplane with plenty of leg space.For the first flight from Bangkok to Incheon they served us dinner at midnight and I had the Korean bibimbap which was excellent.We then had a 14 hour layover, where we went out and ate our way through Incheon.Watch the full Korean Food Tour Layover here: https://youtu.be/oaJoZDJMQyUFor our next flight from Incheon to Honolulu, we had ssambap, which is vegetable wrap with rice and bulgogi. Asiana has a Korean Option Meal. This is the rare mid flight English Heavy Snack. In addition to standard perks like priority check-in and lounge access, Korean Air business class passengers can enjoy an onboard lounge on the Airbus A380 and take a shower upon arrival in Seoul. There was also a window in the bathroom, which was really fun during flight, but make sure to keep it closed while you're on the ground! The meal was well-paced and perfectly tailored to suit my appetite, and flight attendants were proactive about coming through the cabin throughout the flight to see if passengers needed anything. Turndown service included a mattress pad, a separate blanket and an extra pillow. Where Asiana fell short in entertainment options, it made up for in food and beverage which isn't that surprising, since Do & Co is the official caterer of the airline. For an explanation of our Advertising Policy, visit. Here are some of the best foods to bring on an airplane. Inspired by balance, Alexa finds that her true inner peace comes from executing a well-rounded lifestyle. The veges are done very well, and the sauce is excellent. Like Asiana, Korean Air offers economy passengers two checked bags each of up to 23 kilograms (50 pounds). Asiana First Class Lounge - Hot Meal Selection Asiana First Class Lounge - Hot Meal Selection Asiana First Class Lounge - Salads Lunch started off with Korean-inspired bites and wine, always wine. The amenity kit was well-stocked, and the food was mostly amazing. Appetizer of smoked Sword fish. A carrot sliver. The salad was simple, and the balsamic pearls were a fun alternative to normal dressing, but the greens were so thin that all the bacon and pistachios fell to the bottom, making it hard to get one complete bite. Showing Aisana's love of seafood, you get these weird creations which are at best lukewarm, and which are pretty tough. An extra checked bag costs $200 and overweight bags cost $100 each. Economy passengers need to pay $100 extra to check an overweight bag (up to 70 pounds) and $200 to check an extra standard-sized bag. Mixed Garden Salad. For example on the early morning 9am flight from Sydney, the first meal is lunch, followed by dinner as you land in Seoul, even though you land in Korea at just gone lunchtime. Asiana Airlines passengers can enjoy award winning meals, which are inspired by Korean and Korean-Italian cuisine. Just flew in with Cathay Pac, Hello from Melbourne! Understandably, I was a little nervous for my first long-haul flight. Another day, another cheeseplate, This one comes with the prunes, but the saving grace is the rockforte which is a delight. A starter is a classic Arabic mezze with hummus, tabouleh, muhammara, and lahim bil agine served with Arabic bread. and eggplant Caprese. Siraj Cuisine, Lansing: See unbiased reviews of Siraj Cuisine, one of 432 Lansing restaurants listed on Tripadvisor. And these two airlines might soon become one. Something other than beef on an Asiana flight! Asiana flies its A380 to both New York-JFK and LAX, and as it's a member of Star Alliance, you have plenty of options for booking this award. If you're considering flying to or through South Korea, here's our analysis of Asiana versus Korean Air. Without dessert, my meal was done 90 minutes into the flight, a great pace that maximized my time to sleep without rushing me through lunch. Follow her adventures on Instagram: @lextraordinary1, and follow her work at: alexaerickson.contently.com. Learn more: Reasons you should be using airport lounges. Swiss Airlines offers the Taste of Switzerland program, which highlights different regions of the country through food. If you find discrepancies with your credit score or information from your credit report, please contact TransUnion directly. I didn't call ahead early enough to select my seat, so I ended up in an even-numbered seat. Flying on Asiana Airlines from Bangkok to Honolulu! The Hamburger Steak was okay. You'll get 1 Asiana Club mile per 3 Marriott Bonvoy points transferred. Normally I approach a review flight with the mindset of trying to help readers decide whether this specific airline and product would be a good use of their miles. Booking. Wines are selected by the Asiana Wine Consultant Group. Even in economy, Korean Air boasts an experience "full of comfort and diverse enjoyment beyond comparison." Boarding this three-year-old Airbus A380, registration HL7634, was a bit of a mess, which seems to be the norm when it comes to international flights operated by large aircraft. Yes, a kebab. As a result out of Sydney you may go at breakfast for lunch, second lunch, heavy snack, light snack, and dinner. It's really not up to much. Pro tip: If you don't know which lounges you have access to before a trip, download the app LoungeBuddy. The main course was seared fillet of Aberdeen Angus beef and ended with a choice of Madagascan vanilla ice cream, a salted caramel brownie, and profiterole slice or a cheese plate for dessert. Anytime food options include a Japanese seafood curry with rice, udon noodle soup with seaweed, octopus fritter balls, spaghetti carbonara with bacon and smoked cheese and tomato omelet. Caviar has to be among the most photogenic foods out there, and I appreciated the mix of blinis and toast. Business class passengers still get two checked bags each, but the weight limit is increased to 32 kilograms (70 pounds) each. Get our travel tips Delivered to your inbox. Their menus typically feature a full Western and Korean option, which is a great way to try some regional cuisine. Standard economy seat selection is free. Another great after dinner desert, with a very good sauce. This was by far the nicest amenity kit I'd ever received, both in terms of the bag itself and the quality and diversity of products. However, neither is a transfer partner of any major U.S. bank program, which makes it hard to earn a lot of miles with either program. One nice thing about a plane this large is that it necessitates an orderly boarding process. JFK to ICN 20 Apr 2018 Mirek Rated: 10. . Share this: Facebook Google+ Twitter Email URL. Accompanied by Black Mushroom and Fried Rice. Her best meal was lunch aboard a Suites Class flight from Singapore to Shanghai. You would expect that Frances flag carrier would offer cuisine to match the countrys reputation for gourmet offerings. After an agent verified your boarding pass, you could simply scan it at the electronic gates to let yourself into the appropriate lounge. Although menus rotate every three months, much like a farm-to-table restaurant, a sample dish is beef tenderloin with ofetori (an egg dish) or Nidwalden-style mashed potatoes made with veal bacon and cheese. The cuisine is well-rounded and authentic, and there are options for vegetarians and vegans, too. These appeared empty for most of the flight (as the lights were off on the upper deck) and looked like a waste of space. My advice? Thankfully, by the time this announcement was made, I already had my flights booked to try out Asiana's first class. Departure was delayed 17 minutes. SUBSCRIBE (ONLY FOR REGISTERED USERS): Once I realized where I was, I ran to the business-class line and tried to pretend that whole ordeal never happened. I've now flown on four or five different airlines that offer closing-door suites, and while I used to think it was a complete gimmick, the added privacy really helped me get comfortable and fall asleep faster. There will be options of Western or Korean options including a Canape, Appetiser, Soup and a choice of three main meal options, followed by cheese and a selection of two dessert options. For an explanation of our Advertising Policy, visit. U.S.-based travelers can apply for one of three Korean SkyPass-branded credit cards: SkyPass Visa Signature Card ($95 annual fee). When this comes around you are asked to select some carrot and cellary sticks from a cup. Why Airline Food Is Better Than You Might Think, Every Utah Restaurant Featured on "Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives", A Review of ANA's New Business Class on the Boeing 777-300ER, Holland America Nieuw Amsterdam Dining Options, A Review of La Compagnie's Business Class on the Airbus A321neo, A Review of Finnair's Business Class on the Airbus A330, 18 Best Restaurants in Chattanooga, Tennessee, The Top 12 Restaurants in Buckhead, Atlanta. He published over 2,000 articles on The Points Guy before becoming a freelance writer. There are some self-service snacks available on North America (except Honolulu), Europe, Sydney, and Indian routes. Here is a list of our partners. Asiana Airlines also happens to be one of the view carriers that consistently put a calorie count on their menus next to the items. Delta earns a spot on the best-airline-food list for its commitment to healthy eating. You'll get 1 Asiana Club mile per 3 Marriott Bonvoy points transferred. Varied dining service In addition to healthy Ssambap, we serve a variety of unique in-flight meals including Japanese and Western cuisine, The starry night sky on the ceiling certainly didn't hurt, either. Take a look at the best airport restaurants across the US. The footwell and ottoman provided even more storage space, but since I used the bin for most of my belongings, I only used it for my shoes. The credit card offers that appear on the website are from credit card companies from which ThePointsGuy.com receives compensation. 10 of 15 JetBlue I loved the bright red Asiana logo greeting me as I stepped off the escalator. There were no overhead bins in the first-class cabin, which kept it from feeling claustrophobic with the high seat walls. . Last but not least, there was caramel cheesecake for dessert.

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