Posts: 792. Business Lounge based on Economy Smartium ticket is not available for the outbound, but available at Incheon airport for inbound. The best potential benefit would be access to the lounge in Seoul, but the value of that perk depends largely on how long of a layover you have. Asiana Boeing 777-200ER Photo: Manu Venkat | AirlineReporter. The grade: Asiana definitely gets an A for dining, drinks, and service. 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. If you're traveling with someone, the best option is the two seats in the center of the aircraft (E and F). This is the version of our website addressed to speakers of English in the United States. 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. **UPDATE: Many of the Covid guidelines have changed. Asiana does offer an extra legroom section of economy class, but only on its Airbus A350-900s, which they label Economy Smartium. There are 4 rows of Smartium Economy seats, row 10 through row 14, for a total of 36 available seats. 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. Instead we were given a snack that included a yogurt and a pig in a blanket. Flights within Asia are either $30 for Japan, China, and northeast Asia, or $60 for flights to or from the rest of Asia. Economy Smartium seats must be refunded at the place of purchasereservation center, Asiana Airlines regional offices, airport ticketing counter, homepage, mobile app, or travel agenciesup to 48 hours prior to departure. Highly recomendable!! Standard economy seats, on the other hand, offer only the pillow, blanket, and economy slippers. Keep up the great work. I have the option to upgrade to Smartium Economy on the A350 between ICN and SFO. is The Points Guy's Global News Editor and is based in London. Premium Economy tickets are ~65% less expensive than Business Class tickets. I just completed my first flight on Asiana and it will be my last. Asiana's service is great and catering is similar to Korean Air's. If not upgrading to economy smartium, then slight edge to Korean Air's 777 with about an inch more legroom. The F lounge is the First Class lounge, not the business lounge. Didn't know Asiana did a "Econ Plus" on their A350! Asiana also offered earphones in each seat, although I found the audio quality to be lackluster and ended up using my personal earbuds the entire flight. Economy Smartium Seats. The A350 Economy Smartium seat offers 4 inches more legroom than Economy Class for a comfortable and relaxing trip. Though not too sweet, the cake was extremely dry, aided somewhat by the moistness of the topping. Premium economy seats are ~95% expensive than economy class. com) B777 and A380 offer a comfortable seat pitch of up to 33 inches, while Philippine Air's (www. Despite the extremely long flight, the journey was comfortable and we were entertained throughout. There are 4 rows of Smartium Economy seats, row 10 through row 14, for a total of 36 available seats. The grade: Asianas Smartium amenities and bedding are definitely areas for improvement Id only give them a C+. First Suites cost 160,000 Asiana Club miles versus 240,000 MileagePlus miles. Tray tables were built into the seatback in front, making them, in my opinion, easier to use than those built into the armrest. The time savings is also a nice perk. 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. It runs flights from Sydney to Seoul daily on the A330-300 with business and economy class. Check here before booking an award fare. Asiana is part of the elite club of Skytrax five-star airlines, which is a pretty serious honor. (Unavailable from website and mobile web/app.). Please check the government website before traveling! 3,606 reviews. The only storage for smaller items was underneath one armrest for me, the armrest closest to the center. Asiana Smartium business seat in bed mode Photo: Manu Venkat | AirlineReporter. That Korean option happens to be the traditional Bi Bam Bap which has a spice sauce in a tube and KE does the same. We also wanted to see what the standard economy product was like on Asiana to compare the two offerings. Note that even itineraries that don't continue onward and end in, say, San Francisco also can be redeemed at the same 75,000-mile level. We started boarding 30 minutes before takeoff, with one line for Smartium and one for economy. If you want the Economy Smartium seating after purchasing a preferred seat where a baby bassinet can be installed, contact Asiana Airlines reservation center up until 72 hours prior to departure. Economy Smartium: Provides more legroom than the basic economy Asiana seating. Oh that sucks. I highly suggest you apply for a travel card with Priority Pass as a benefit if you dont already have one. LAX I was able to gain access because of my Priority Pass membership, a benefit of the Platinum Card from American Express. Seats can be purchased in your local currency. Everything felt new and much improved. These prices don't seem to change a lot, no matter the booking date. Airline Livery Thanks for all of the GREAT info! It's been 4 years since I last visited the States. If so, what was your experience like? Odd-row window seats are more exposed to the aisle and make it harder to look out the window. What is Asiana Airlines Economy Flexi? Gone were the worn carpets and aged seating. Every type from fighters to helicopters from air forces around the globe, Classic Airliners Check out my review of Asiana's excellent business class with great service and one of the best flatbed seats in the sky! This guy on his phone has an A380 for a head so he must be REALLY smartium I mean smart Photo: Manu Venkat | AirlineReporter. Delta Air Lines . Before our afternoon departure, we made sure to swing by Asianas excellent business class lounge. The A350 Economy Smartium seat offers 4 inches more legroom than Economy Class for a comfortable and relaxing trip. While there are some things that Asiana could do to improve its product, like upping its catering to something more consistently good, I would absolutely fly this product again. Both entrees were served with a biscuit, shrimp slaw, and a small desert cake. The credit card offers that appear on the website are from credit card companies from which ThePointsGuy.com receives compensation. Right after we had reached 10,000 feet, flight attendants came around the cabin distributing menus and offering hot towels. Passengers traveling with pets (in the cabin) cannot be seated in the first 10 rows. While the content was OK, the selection of Western new releases was pretty dismal, and the system featured no tail camera, a mainstay on many A350 aircraft. This latter perk does come with a fairly major caveat, however. One was a self-serve bar when you entered the lounge. This is pretty much on par with the cost of economy plus or premium economy seats on US carriers. Air France Returns to the Pacific Northwest, Spotting Tool Review: JetTip Watches for the Good Stuff So You Dont Have To. These games seemed to work much better with the available remote than the touchscreen. Find the best airplanes seats, information on legroom, recline and in-flight entertainment using our detailed online seating charts. Every Asian Vegetarian meal ever. Flew from Ottawa with AC to Vancover to Soeul. The first meal was offered shortly after we reached cruising altitude, and was a choice between a Korean bibimbap or a steak and veggies dish. Odd-numbered seats in rows A or K are still nice for solo travelers but have less privacy, as they're flush against the aisle. The entertainment center had a USB slot next to the headphone jack to charge a device. Wi-Fi Pricing OptionsComplimentary Headphones. These will be followed by San Francisco in August and London in the fourth quarter of 2017. It is not on par with other premium economy products but it does boasts some additional benefits not found on Asiana economy. Enjoy, for example, ten centimetres more legroom in comparison to standard Economy Class. yeah. . Kansas City Opens Its New Unified Terminal Tomorrow. Traveling for spring break? 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. All passengers were first given a plate of tasty fresh fruit, pastries and yogurt. 787 Dreamliner Along with the slippers, each side table was graced with two plastic-wrapped items: a set of headphones and a green amenity kit. While there were some hits the chicken was delightful and the lobster salad was a win there was an equal number of misses, like the disappointing canap. I arrived at Seoul's Incheon International Airport a few hours before my flight was scheduled to depart at 8:40pm. An extra checked bag costs $200 and overweight bags cost $100 each. Dreamliner Priority baggage claim service : Customers using the Incheon Airport Self Bag Drop must receive separate guidance from the counter staff. Asiana opened reservations for the new seat class on March 2, 2017. Well, as compared to say the Delta A350 which also flies to Korea, Asiana needs to upgrade its seats. When it comes to business class, branding is big. It charges 60,000, 100,000 and 125,000 for economy, business and first, respectively. Smartium is the airline's new business class product and costs marginally more miles than the older product. My even-numbered center seat, 4G, sacrificed some privacy from aisle traffic in favor of privacy from my neighbor. Boeing 747-8 Intercontinental This, however, gives them most of the benefits of a "Flexi" booking, even if on a cheap booking. Here's a flight review on board Asiana Airlines (South Korea's 2nd largest airline) flying their latest aircraft, the Airbus A350-900.Route: San Francisco to. Shortly after I had visited that lounge, I returned on another trip and found signs that, as of Oct. 1, the airline had opened a new lounge on the east end of the terminal. Well, theres only one way to find out! Smartium Economy is currently on a flat rate pricing structure. From 361 days to 48 hours prior to departure, Asiana Airlines reservation center, Asiana Airlines regional offices, airport ticketing counter, homepage, mobile app, and travel agencies, From 48 hours prior to departure to check-in process. At the end of the day, it's hard to screw up cubed cheese and tomato. **UPDATE: Many of the Covid guidelines have changed. This post contains references to products from one or more of our advertisers. Emirates offers four separate fare categories in economy class: Special, Saver, Flex and Flex Plus. It's b. I was happy with the predeparture beverage choices an option that many carriers choose to skimp on, or skip entirely. SENIOR CORRESPONDENT - NEW YORK, NY. The seats are 18 inches wide in both cabins, which is nice as some airlines are shrinking seat width to 17 or even 16 inches. Economy Smartium passengers on long-haul flights (U.S., Europe, Oceania) have access to the Business Class lounge at Incheon International Airport. I walked past the galley on a trip to the bathroom and was able to see the thermostat. Seattle 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. Aircraft configuration varies from route to route. Food was poor, service was friendly but only in the sense you felt the crew were making the best of a bad lot. Beneifts1 The Shilla Seoul special discount only for Asiana (2 minimum nights) + earn Asiana 500 miles. I love Mecenat is a mecenat company that practices social contributions through mecenat activities. Men are men and women are women and have different biological, Copyright 2023 AirlineReporter Scope of Certification: Asiana Airlines Internet Service, Period of Validity: 2020.06.10 ~ 2023.06.09, Passengers on code-share flights, passengers using Cabin Baggage (CBBG) or Extra Seats (EXST), Kumho Asiana Human Resources Development Center, SKYTRAX 5-Star Airline 16 Consecutive Years(2007-present). . In particular, passengers who have purchased Economy Smartium seats on long . Purchase Asiana tickets at Asiana homepage and enjoy the discount benefits of The Shilla Seoul and KKday's SIMcard/Korean tour. . Overall our experience on Asiana Airlines was exquisite. Programs: OZ Lifetime-DMPL*G, AF*G, SPG Plat, Hertz PC. We were very excited to try this new product, even without knowing fully what to expect. Each seat had a 12 inch touch screen entertainment center in the seat back in front of them. From 361 days to 48 hours prior to departure, Asiana Airlines reservation center, Asiana Airlines regional offices, airport ticketing counter, homepage, mobile app, and travel agencies, From 48 hours prior to departure to check-in process. At the opposite end of the lounge, though, the food was better, with more hot options. A350 Economy Smartium provides more legroom than regular seats as well as special in-flight services depending on flight time. What are the benefits of traveling with . For an explanation of our Advertising Policy, visit. I was not a fan of the abalone porridge, though it just wasn't for me. While still not the best business-class lounge out there, Asiana did a good job in designing a new lounge that'll give its passengers a better on-the-ground experience than the old lounge, which simply needed to go. Economy Smartium passengers (Asiana's Premium Economy product) This lounge is also open to Priority Pass members, but they must be flying on Asiana Airlines or Star Alliance operated flights. Asiana Airlines is Certified as a 5-Star Airline for the quality of its airport and onboard product and staff service. It is easier to add blankets or a jacket to warm up when cold than it is to cool down when the plane is too warm. Smartium Economy is a fairly new product, which Asiana launched this past May on their newly delivered A350s. This would be a flight to the United States, Europe, or Oceania. Comment below!Travel Rewards Cards/Lifestyle Site/Sony ZV1: https://linktr.ee/Jsinnorai4500:00 Departing Korea Covid Info (F6 \u0026 February 2022 info). Good entertainment programm. My crew struck an exceptional balance between efficiency and personality. 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