Extremely Friendly Asiana
Written: Aug 13 '05
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Product Rating:
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Pros: The best FA's in the world, low fares
Cons: Faulty TV(?)
The Bottom Line: **NOTE** To find low fares, try looking for flights that run through large hubs and offer red eyes. On Asiana, it saved me $500 to Japan from Calgary.
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| can_of_beans's Full Review: Asiana Airlines |
Pretext
I didn't know what to expect when I bought tickets on Asiana this summer. I usually had never done red-eyes, but seeing how you could save $500 (why not?), and the fact that Asiana is an awesome airline, I dug in. And I wasn't dissappointed at all... well almost. Asiana was on strike when I flew them this summer (As of a some hours ago after writing this review, the S. Korean government has forced the strikers back to work). And it slightly disrupted my flight schedule.
My history with Asiana
I've flown them once before on a flight from Osaka to Seoul prior to this year. Then I was satisfied just as much as I was this time.
Check-in
Well the Air Canada agent in Calgary mixed up my bags. She had checked them in to Seoul and gave me a boarding pass upto Los Angelas. The check-in agent (Mr. Choi) was very apologetic for that (although it was the agent in Calgary's fault!) especially since you have to clear customs in Incheon before picking up the luggage. Not a problem. He gave me all my boarding passes until Takamatsu. The flight from Los Angelas to Seoul (Flt. 203) departed at 12:30 AM (half past midnight), so there weren't as many check-in agents, but there weren't any crowds. In Osaka, they were very helpful as well (My flight from Takamatsu to Seoul was cancelled due to the strike) and got me through back home. My flight to Los Angelas was also cancelled, so they got me an alternate ticket via Seattle. They were kind and worked hard to get me home.
Seating
Asiana offers comfortable seating more in the 777 (I think it was the 777-200, correct me if wrong) than the 747-COMBI. In general, the seats are very comfortable. The 777 and the A320 also have personal entertainment systems. The downside... when I was flying back to Seattle, seats 10 -19 (something like that) malfunctioned and were inoperable (guess where I was sitting). The crew were very apologetic about it handing out stacks of newspapers and magazines (I slept most of the way)
Inflight Crews
Well they were named #1 by Skytrax this year, and they weren't wrong! Asiana flight have to be the best in the world. Smart, friendly and attractive, they make sure that you are comfortable. Like the Korean Air FA's, they are suited up all the way and you feel sorry yet again to them. On the 12 hour flight from LAX to Seoul, (also a red eye), they were always up and alert with an unceasing smile. These FA's definately need to work on other airlines back in North America!
Entertainment
Some planes offer the personal entertainment set. Asiana prints out their own magazine and offers passengers newspapers as well. They also gladly handout the usually playing cards, post cards and writing material. According to the website, some flights apparently have a magic show and a in flight crew music show (I'll pass, but it's kinda cool that they'd offer that). More info at http://us.flyasiana.com/travelplanner/travelplanner_inflight.asp
Food
Very tasty and satisfying meals are offered. Usually the dinner coarse has an option of Western or Korean. Both are done well. One thing that I do complain is that the Korean meal usually always is Bibimbap. Many people like Bibimbap (I do too), but after a while it would get repetative. Assorted variety of drinks were offered for free. On domestic flights, they do offer a refreshement. For images, go to http://www.airlinemeals.net, then click on browse thousands of meals and then Asiana Airlines.
Destinations
Asiana still is less prevalent than KAL, but they are aggressively expanding destinations which is nice.
They have a very extensive Korea-Japan routing even flying to cities such as Takamatsu and Matsuyama on Shikoku (which is very handy for me). Like ANA, Asiana has a lot of code sharing with Air Canada and United in North America. They fly to N, America, Oceania, China, Japan and even central Asia (ex. Tashkent), and Europe.
Fares
This is one of the most shining stars of Asiana. With the quality of air service you get, they offer so much lower airfares compared to many airlines. The key to them though lies in seasons and timings of flights. The Red eye flights out of Los Angelas mean alot more cheaper fares. This saved me about $500 compared with flying through Vancouver with Air Canada. A domestic flight in Korea is very cheap ( Seoul to Busan W80,000 ($80)) but similar to KAL (and trains and buses are much cheaper).
Overall
Asiana is an excellent choice for flying. They offer low fares and great service on board.... which many airlines today lack of. They put a lot of effort into service and ensuring that the passenger is comfortable and has a great flight. There were bits here and there such as the personal entertainment system not working, but this probably rarely happens and usually there is nothing a FA can really do. Fly Asiana, you won't regret it!
**Striking** (not affecting rating)
At the time I flew Asiana, they were on strike. I was fortunate in that I was rerouted and called Asiana prior to leaving. There is nothing an airline can really do to stop staff from striking. The best way to prepare for sudden events such as that is to know to follow a few steps.
1) Prior to a few days, comfirm your flight- Although striking can suddenly affect a flight, your more likely to be informed with relavent information from more recent sources. If it isn't too late, airlines can help reroute your flights if needed. Make sure to have airline contact numbers. Asiana did a great job for me. My flight from Takamatsu to Seoul and Seoul to Los Angelas was cancelled, so they rerouted me from Osaka to Seoul and Seoul to Seattle (and they changed my reservation of Los Angelas to Calgary to Seattle to Calgary). Despite very little vacant seats, they got me rerouted with me not losing much time.
2) Be patient-- It isn't always the agents fault. -- Don't lose patience with agents unless they are mentally inept. For them it is also a stressful time as one pilot on strike can mean hundreds of stranded passengers for the weary agents to handle. Just be patient and inform the agent about your reservation and information about your travel. Patience really helps in getting problems resolved quicker. There are the times when they can be unfair, but give them a chance first, then fight back when necessary!
3)Carry an emergency supply of cash-- when stranded, you may need necessities such as a hotel room and food (Although airlines can provide for some when they aren't too cheap).
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
can_of_beans
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Reviews written: 12
Trusted by: 1 member
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