Asiana Airlines
Flight OZ 201
Los Angeles to Seoul
Depart 12:10 PM, Arrives 5:35 PM + 1 day
I arrived about 15 minutes before boarding was scheduled to begin. The plane was already at the gate, and dwarfed the service vehicle beneath the wing, demonstrating the behemoth size of the majestic giant.
Boarding was fairly organized, as there were signs posted for each group: First Class/Asiana Diamond, Business Class/Star Alliance Gold, and two separate economy class lines depending on row number.
As my ticket to Manila was among the lowest I’ve seen, I was stuck in economy. Even though I have Star Alliance Gold status, getting an upgrade is very unlikely on any Star Alliance partner.
Economy seating wasn’t too bad. There was a decent amount of leg room, even though economy seating is 3-4-3. The color scheme is rather drab though.
Already waiting at my seat was a pillow and blanket.
Slippers were also provided. Although they were very thin, this is a nice amenity for economy class.
The IFE was crystal clear, which always isn’t a given, even with today’s techonology centric world. There was also a USB port at every seat.
There is an outlet between seats which is convenient for charging at least one device.
There is also a foot rest at every seat.
Like many foreign carriers on international routes, there are no personalized air vents. There are several air vents above the cabin doors. My last flight on Asiana was uncomfortably warm, almost to the point of me not wanting to fly Asiana ever again. Granted I was sick on that flight and didn’t feel good during the entirety of the flight despite being in business class.
Oddly, Asiana turned on the AC for this flight for the first and last 30-45 minutes of the flight. It felt great initially, as it was a hot day in Los Angeles upon departing, but over the course of the flight the cabin became progressively warmer.
Lunch service began about 90 minutes after take-off. It consisted of a roll with butter, a small salad with garbanzo beans, beef with vegetables, and lemon cake for dessert. The salad had very little dressing. The beef was slightly overcooked, and the vegetables retained some texture. The cake was tender, but the frosting had a very chemical taste to it which was unappealing.
Flight attendants came though the cabin fairly regularly offering glasses of water, which was much appreciated.
A small bag of snack mix was also distributed.
A mid-flight snack of a turkey sandwich on croissant like bread was provided. Although basic, it hit the spot.
The pre-landing meal was pretty substantial. It contained a salad of kidney beans, corn, onion and pastrami, a roll and butter, chicken teriyaki with vegetables and rice, and small side of fruit. The salad had no dressing, but the pastrami was very good. The chicken was fairly tender, and about what you would expect at Flame Broiler or WaBa Grill.
Headsets were collected about 40 minutes before landing, which I thought was ridiculous. You may be better off bringing your own headsets if this an issue.
Service was friendly throughout the flight, and refills of drinks were offered fairly regularly. The cabin did get rather warm during the middle of the flight, however flying Asiana economy class is a pretty good product.
