Because of the short flight time I was not expecting anything more than the standard offerings of peanuts or cookies that we expect domestically. Within five minutes of boarding, each business-class passenger that was seated was offered Champagne, orange juice or water. The canap was served about 10 minutes after ordering and tasted fine, though the presentation was underwhelming. The meals on the return flight included a spicy beef and rice dish for the first meal. Seattle (SEA) - Seoul-Incheon (ICN) one-way in Asiana Airlines business class for 88,000 United miles + $5.60 in taxes and fees. Each of the seats was supplied with a plastic-wrapped blanket and pillow, as well as an amenity kit and set of headphones. This post contains references to products from one or more of our advertisers. The menu included two options: Western or Korean. During busy days,, It's a new concept, for sure. Also, the A350 offers ample storage space for bags, so boarding early did not offer much of a benefit. For an explanation of our Advertising Policy, visit. Many American carriers now have a seat pitch of only 29-31 inches, so Asianas standard offering already felt like an upgrade. I was very satisfied with the meal, and stuffed beyond belief. Though not too sweet, the cake was extremely dry, aided somewhat by the moistness of the topping. Accumulated points can be redeemed for various benefits such as free flights with Asiana . The seat size, even in standard economy, was comfortable at 18 inches wide and 32 inches deep. / Every type from fighters to helicopters from air forces around the globe, Classic Airliners According to the airline . What are the benefits of traveling with . This is my FIRST EVER vlog. Economy Review Additionally, do your prefer Asiana or Korean AIr? contest (Unavailable from website and mobile web/app.). From start to finish of both meal services, they worked efficiently to get meals served as quickly as possible. SIA to acquire 25 per cent stake in Air India. It's a new aircraft that offers a quiet and technologically advanced ride. Im guessing they ran out of the tiramisu option by the time they came to my seat, since I was handed a fruit plate. Our bags were among the first out along with first/business class. Ho Chi Minh City, the center of Vietnam's economy Most travelers visiting Ho Chi Minh City are more familiar with the name "Saigon," what the city was called before unification in 1975. Asiana Club does add fuel surcharges to its own flights, but they're nowhere near as steep as British Airways. Unlike the premium economy found on many other international airlines, the seats are the same as regular economy, save for . The display icons were self-descriptive and simple to use. Advertisement. My seat (20E) in economy class was good for me with a wide seat legroom. Most of the seats around me appeared to be working fine, but mine was incredibly loud. There are now 3 coupon code, 6 deal, and 0 free shipping bargain. British Airways Website. I arrived at Seoul's Incheon International Airport a few hours before my flight was scheduled to depart at 8:40pm. Asiana offers a first class ticket that allows travelers to fly in comfort and style. For Incheon departure flights only, Economy Smartium passengers on long-haul flights (to U.S., Europe, Oceania) have access to the Business Class lounge at Incheon International Airport. I would not hesitate to fly Asiana again, although I most likely would not pay for the Smartium Economy upgrade next time. watch the video to see the extra. I have the option to upgrade to Smartium Economy on the A350 between ICN and SFO. There were several movies with English, Korean, Chinese, or Japanese audio and enough selection for me to spend the entire flight watching movies. So I'm including my review of the new lounge here instead. I took Asiana on a transit flight from CTU to MNL on 28th June. The seats had 77 inches of pitch and 22 inches of width. The premium economy cabin was in a 3-3-3 configuration, with each seat offering 36 inches of pitch and 18 inches of width. Boeing 787 Flights from the US -> Asia/Australia. Different aircraft within a given subfleet may fly different seating configurations, so it's hard to know exactly what to expect. 0:45 Asiana Business Class Lounge.1:15 Boarding OZ222.1:35 Takeoff and onboard experience (meals and amenities).2:45 New York City skyline, descent, and landing. The entertainment center had a USB slot next to the headphone jack to charge a device. At the end of the day, it's hard to screw up cubed cheese and tomato. 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With this goal in mind, we purchased the upgrade to Smartium Economy for the first of our four legs; travelling from San Francisco to Seoul. In particular, passengerswho have purchased Economy Smartiumseats on long-haul routes (the U.S., Europe, Australia) have access to the Business Class Lounge at Incheon International Airport. (Unavailable from website and mobile web/app.). The Airbus A330-300s, Boeing 767-300s and 747-400s all offer angled lie-flat seats, but these aircraft are thankfully used primarily for regional routes. Ultimately I did not feel that Smartium Economy was worth the cost, especially when flying from the United States. Airbus The extra space of seats in Row 10 at the front may be used as a pathway for other passengers. Passengers traveling with pets (in the cabin) cannot be seated in the first 10 rows. People could easily find space near their seats and quickly store their carry-ons. Asiana Airlines took delivery of its first A350-900 in April 2017, and since then, it's expanded the use of the aircraft on its long-haul route network including on several to the US. Voting Is Now Open for the 2021 FlyerTalk Awards! Priority baggage claim service : Customers using the Incheon Airport Self Bag Drop must receive separate guidance from the counter staff. At first glance, the interior of the cabin gave off a somewhat dated feeling the upholstery looked like something you'd find at a dentist's office, and the light beige screamed old-fashioned. According to the award chart, all flights between the North Asia zone (where Seoul is) and the United States (zones 1, 2 and 3) are 75,000 LifeMiles one-way. . In less than 20 minutes everybody was in their seats and the flight attendants were making their initial rounds to prepare us for an on time departure. Economy Smartium Seats. Next up was the sous vide lobster-tail salad. Thanks for all of the GREAT info! A one-way flight would have cost me 75,000 LifeMiles in the business-class cabin, but I chose to use LifeMiles and money, redeeming 72,340 LifeMiles plus $25 to cover the remaining 2,660 LifeMiles. Since this was my first time flying a Korean carrier and because Korean barbecue is awesome I went with the former. Seats that are flat but not horizontal and so desperately uncomfortable. While Qantas adds its QF code to this flight as a codeshare, Asiana was selling the ticket at $1500 less than Qantas, so I booked through Asiana. The A350 is one of the newer aircraft flying, and I was curious to find out just how Asiana's stacks up with the competition on the popular Asia-to-US nonstop routes. Your email address will not be published. If any of you get to fly in Smartium business class, make sure to score an even-row window seat, and definitely go for the Korean meal option you wont be disappointed! Ill be brief in this section, but I was pretty disappointed with the inflight entertainment system on my flight. This is the version of our website addressed to speakers of English in the United States. Even with the limited number of overhead bins, there was plenty of storage for all the business-class passengers on my flight, which wasn't full. You are only entitled to access if you are booked in Smartium Economy for a long haul flight departing Seoul. Programs: OZ Lifetime-DMPL*G, AF*G, SPG Plat, Hertz PC. These seats are located in Rows 10 to 14, right behind Business Class, and priority boarding in Economy Class and priority baggage services are available. Asiana's economy smartium is a semi-premium economy class found exclusively on its A350s. The extra space of seats in Row 10 at the front may be used as a pathway for other passengers. The grade: for cabin design and seating, Smartium gets a B overall. Thanks for the report! This is my FIRST EVER vlog. Boeing 737 Here are the best cards for making your trip more comfortable. These seats are located in Rows 10 to 14, right behind Business Class, and priority boarding in Economy Class and priority baggage services are available. Programs: AA EXP; AS 75K; WN A List; UA 1K 1MM; Hyatt Globalist; Marriott AMB; Hilton Diamond (Aspire), Programs: OZ Diamond (*G), Hilton Diamond, IHG Diamond, Marriott Gold, Programs: OZ Platinum LifeTime; DL PM; QF Gold; VA Gold; HH Diamond; Bonvoy Gold. On these aircraft, Asiana brands its Business Class as Business Smartium. But economy smartium seats with 36in pitch sounds better to me if comparing to Korean Air's regular economy seats with 33in pitch. The A380 will offer 495 seats, with 12 in first, 66 in Business Smartium, and 417 in economy class. Are cruises the most budget friendly vacation? As an upgraded version of its Economy Class, Asiana Airlines' Economy Smartium Class provides enhanced comfort with 4 inches of extra legroom. Boarding was also very quick and efficient. . . The transition between the seat cushion and footwell cushion felt a bit uneven. * The refund is only available when the reserved seat is not available due to circumstances. Standard economy seats, on the other hand, offer only the pillow, blanket, and economy slippers. Both my meals were impressive in terms of quality, quantity, and authenticity. (Departures from Incheon only), Passengers who have purchased international flight tickets operated by Asiana Airlines, For group reservations, passengers are able to purchase from the reservation center, regional offices, travel agencies, and airports. Does smartium economy live up to its name as a premium economy product? The time savings is also a nice perk. Honestly I think my gripes about cabin decor, condition of the seats, and inflight entertainment systems probably wouldnt be so bad if I flew Asiana on an A380 or A350. The security line was short, and I was through within five minutes and on my way to the Asiana business-class lounge. (The seat next to me was empty, though.). Economy Smartium passengers on long-haul flights (U.S., Europe, Oceania) have access to the Business Class lounge at Incheon International Airport. Very good experience for an economy flight. You can view your information when you log in. Overall, Asiana was an excellent airline to fly. Manu got his private pilot license in high school, setting the tone for his interest in all things aviation. (Permitted size for carry-on bags: 22"X16"X9") Fly in comfort in seats with 4-inch more legroom than regular seats. This affords you the opportunity to stretch out across all 3 seats, making it easier to catch those intercontinental z's. Then add the traveler's number and select economy smartium in the travel class field. yeah. As one of two major airlines in South Korea, Asiana Airlines (IATA: OZ; ICAO: AAR) operates flights to four continents. But I'd argue that ICN is one of the rare airports where lounge access doesn't make for a significantly different airport experience. This is pretty much on par with the cost of economy plus or premium economy seats on US carriers. While not the most luxurious business-class seat in the skies, it was a comfortable hard product that made for a great trip especially when you consider the great redemptions to be had. Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 12 guests, The A350 cabin looking bright, in fact a bit too bright. Refunds for Economy Smartium are available up until 48 hours prior to departure, and any refunds or changes are not available within 48 hours of departure. Economy Smartium will offer a total seat pitch of 36 inches, thoughthe rest of its seating features remains unchanged from standard economy, with width, recline and screen size all stayingthe same. In addition, you can get to your seat quickly and easily, as the Economy Smartium zone is located directly behind the Business Class cabin. We never really used the additional amenities, and I did not really notice a difference in the slippers offered in economy versus Smartium. This latter perk does come with a fairly major caveat, however. All Nippon Airways Passengers traveling with pets (in the cabin) cannot be seated in the first 10 rows. Accident, incident and crash related photos, Air to Air Passengers accompanied by an infant or child, Finance (Credit cards, currency exchange), Travel (Hotel, car rental, travel insurance). When I first came to Korea, I flew on the upper deck of the Airbus A380 in 2016. Given my shaky luck with eggs on flights, I opted for the abalone porridge. This site does not include all credit card companies or all available credit card offers. Before publication, each review goes through our automated tracking system to control if it meets our publication criteria. As one of two major airlines in South Korea, Asiana Airlines (IATA: OZ; ICAO: AAR) operates flight Because I was early, there wasn't much of a wait for business-class check-in lanes. Photo: Manu Venkat | AirlineReporter. We Had a Sneak Peek and it is AWESOME. 787 Dreamliner Im mindful that I flew a relatively old version of the Smartium product, and Im guessing that fresher versions on newer planes might score a little better. 9 reviews Hung Nguyen (Japan) 12th June 2017. Economy Smartium on A350 provides enhanced comfort with 4 inches of extra legroom, and allows easy access to boarding located right behind the Business Class Cabin (Row 10~14). 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