Flight Review: Seoul to Hong Kong in Korean Air Business Class

This post is a continuation of my first guest review series. For those of you who didn’t read the first review (from Detroit to Seoul in Delta One), I will briefly explain the format. With this review (and probably most guest reviews), I will write the review in the third person. How do I do that? The person who flies on the flight takes pictures of their experiences and then reports back to me on how the seat was, how the airport was, how the meals were, and more. I then put the grand experience into a final report on my website in review form. A person that I know recently traveled to Hong Kong and back on Delta and Korean Air, whose name shall not be mentioned in any of the reviews. In this mini-review series, the following flight reviews will be done:

• Delta One Suites (Business Class) – Airbus A350-900
• Korean Air Business Class – Boeing 787-9 
• Korean Air Business Class – Boeing 777-200 (Review Coming Soon)

Please Enjoy the reviews!

The Flight At A Glance:

Pre-Flight:

After the reviewer flew on the Delta flight from Detroit to Seoul, the reviewer had a two and a half hour layover in Seoul. The Korean Air flight departed out of the new Terminal 2 in Seoul which was recently finished this year. The terminal was new and modern and was world-class. It was very open and had a ton of stores. There was even a robot that would go around and talk to people and could take pictures with children and give general information on the airport. Although it looked like it was fully automated, a person was controlling it from 20 feet away with a remote controller.

A Korean Air Airbus A380

A Korean Air Boeing 777-300ER

A Korean Air Boeing 747-8

Incheon International Airport Interior

Incheon International Airport Interior

Incheon International Airport Robot

Incheon International Airport Interior

Incheon International Airport Interior

The reviewer used the layover to visit the Korean Air Lounge. The lounge was very modern, although it was quite crowded. It was completely open, so basically, no one in the lounge had much privacy, in contrast to the Delta lounge in Detroit which was much more private. That made the lounge feel very cramped, which is a shame for such a new lounge. It had many different types of seating, including standard airline lounge chairs, tables, and high booths for working. The lounge also had a buffet which had warm meals and snacks. 

The Flight:

After visiting the lounge, it was time to enter the airplane. Korean Air took delivery of their first Boeing 787s in 2017, and now has a total of 8 of them in their fleet with an additional two on order. Korean Air features Apex Suites in a 2-2-2 configuration in business class. However, this isn’t just a standard 2-2- configuration. In business class, window seats are staggered to the aisle seats, making a hallway between the seat and the aisle. This gives the window seats direct aisle access and a ton of privacy. Please note that first class on the 787 features seats nearly identical to the ones found in business class. The seat also transformed into a fully flat bed, which was extremely comfortable for a 3.5-hour flight.

The Korean Air Boeing 787-9

The 787 Cabin

The Seat

Seat 7J

All seats featured a divider between the seat and the one next to it which had to be down while on the ground but could be put up in-flight. If possible, always opt for a window seat while traveling on Korean Air’s 787s. The aisle seats and seats in the middle are reasonably private, although they aren’t anywhere close to having full privacy. However, the window seats have a divider with the aisle seat which can come up, to create almost as much privacy as closed suites have. All seats also have a sizeable in-flight entertainment screen, a reading light, and a controller with a touchpad for the IFE. The in-flight entertainment system was high tech, responsive, and had a pretty good movie selection. The seat controls were found in the armrest and had many different presets. There were also storage units under the entertainment screen and in the armrest. The seat also had a side table for drinks and had a power outlet and USB port. 

IFE Screen and Footrest

Storage Compartment

Hallway Into The Aisle

Storage Compartment

Seat Controls

IFE Controller

IFE Screen

Regarding amenities, Korean Air only had one pillow, a blanket, and slippers. Please note that since the flight was pretty short, Korean Air did not offer an amenity kit, but for a flight so short, even a blanket and pillow is nice. They also provided headphones in business class. 

The Blanket, Pillow, and Bag With Slippers

In-Flight Amenities

Korean Air served a full meal on the flight. Unfortunately, the reviewer accidentally forgot to take pictures of the meals. For the flight, the reviewer opted for the Korean option, the Bibimbap beef with vegetables, which was reported as being highly authentic and delicious. For dessert (picture included), Korean Air served cups of strawberry Haagen Das ice-cream, which was alright, although was not anywhere near gourmet. I haven’t talked much about the service yet, which can be described in one word: attentive. The flight attendants seemed to be always around to ask if your food is well or to check to see if you needed anything, without being intrusive. 

Menu Card

In-Flight Menu

Ice Cream

After the meal, the reviewer used the in-flight entertainment selection, which had plenty of western movies. About three hours after takeoff, the 787 started its final descent into Hong Kong. The flight landed in Hong Kong at around 10:30 PM, and taxied to a gate at the main terminal (not at a remote stand or a satellite terminal). It parked at a gate close to the exit, so it only took a few minutes to clear immigration and head to the exit. 

A Finnair Airbus A350

The Baggage Claim in Hong Kong

Conclusion:

Korean Air offers a very solid experience in short-haul business class, or as they would say Prestige Class. The seats were fully flat, and the window seats had a ton of privacy while still having access to the aisle due to the seats being staggered. No there were no amenity kits, although, for such a short flight, they aren’t necessary. The food was excellent, and the flight attendants were always attentive. Overall, the 787 on Korean Air offers a fantastic in-flight product along with a fantastic soft product as well!

Have you ever flown in Korean Air Prestige class? Share about your experience below in the comments section!