Alone in Asiana Airlines First Class from Seoul to Frankfurt

For the second time on my trip, I would be the only passenger in the First Class Cabin on a long haul flight. Not too shabby!

the Asiana Airlines Boeing 747-400 Combi that would take me to Frankfurt

Then again, shabby could be a word used to describe the First Class product. I guess I wouldn’t say that, maybe a better adjective would be dated or well seasoned…

Asiana First Class on the 747

While Asiana Airlines now has a new First Class product, this route between Seoul and Frankfurt on the 747-Combi, it was the old product. That said, service is where Asiana shines, and it was excellent on this sector. Although it was my first time on Asiana, James flew this route in the opposite direction in the same configuration.

Asiana 747 First Class

Upon arriving on board, I was warmly welcomed and shown to my seat. I was relatively late in the boarding process, and this was when I first realized I would be alone in the cabin. Since the first class configuration is in the nose of the 747, there was no traffic in front of me. It was probably as close as I’ll get to a private jet experience.

Asiana amenity kit in the foot well of the seat.

Waiting at the seat was an amenity kit, slippers, a day blanket, and headphones. Here is a review of the Amenity Kit and other products from Darren’s site. The unisex kit contained Bulgari products.

Asiana Airlines First Class day blanket, pajamas and slippers

Once I was seated, the flight attendant welcomed me onboard and offered pajamas and a drink of my choice. I opted for Champagne and it was served with warm nuts. I was then given a steaming hot towel.

Pol Roger Champagne and warm mixed nuts

There ultimately was a short departure delay, so I was offered another glass of Champagne (when in Rome First Class…). During this delay, the in-flight Manager came by to introduce herself. She was quite friendly, I noted her smiles, and she told me, “Enjoy the movie and enjoy the food”. It seemed strange to me, but it was a warm welcome onboard.

Champagne taste test

Asiana was pouring 2 different champagnes, so I was offered a taste test. I preferred the Pol Roger to the Heisdeck. Who am I to dispute with noted champagne connoisseur Winston Churchill?

Even though it was a daytime flight, I opted to take advantage of the pajamas. The Flight Attendant offered to hang my clothes. Why not be comfortable? That said, the cabin was a bit warm, so I only wore the pants, and kept my own t-shirt on during the flight.

Farewell from the Incheon ground crew

Once we leveled off, meal orders were taken. Having heard great things about food on Asiana, I was interested to taste it for myself. I was pretty impressed with the food in the First Class Lounge, so I was hoping it was tasty on board too.

Here is the menu (offered in Korea, German, English and Japanese):

Asiana Airlines

We are proud to be serving outstanding signature dishes for the health and palate of our passengers. On our flights from Seoul, we will be spotlighting some of the finest restaurants in Korea. La Cucina and the Institute of Korean Royal Cuisine are now serving their unique and creative cuisine in the air. We hope you enjoy our special cuisine.

As a special offer on flights only from Seoul, you may choose from all menus if ordered 24 hours in advance.

Lunch

Western

Starter
Foie Gras Mousse with Blini, Truffle and Ginger Compote
Caviar
Salmon Carpaccio
Pickled Mushroom and Chick Pea Salad with Baby Leaf
Creamy Chicken Soup or Tomato Consomme
Apple Sherbet

Main Courses
Grilled Wagyu Beef Thick Skirt, with Green Beans, Sweet Potatoes and Roasted Tomatoes (490kcal)
or
Stir Fried Lobster with Blackbean Sauce and Cashew Nuts (420kcal)
or
Iberico Pork and Endives with Green Beans, Carrots and Potatoes in Orange Mustard Sauce (500kcal)

Cheese
Blue, Mimolette, Brie

Dessert
Tarte Tropezienne with Blackberry Sauce

Coffee and Tea

Petit Fours

Korean Royal Table D’hote

Starter
Ginseng Salad Roll
Shrimp and Vegetables with Pine Nut Sauce
Rice Porridge with Mountain Yam ‘Sanmajuk’

Main Courses
Korean Royal Cuisine
‘Bibimbap with Braised Abalone and Roasted Garlic Chicken’ (1600kcal)
^{Steamed Rice Mixed with Various Kinds of Vegetables,}
^{Accompanied with Red Pepper Paste ‘Gochujang’, Sesame Oil}
^{Braised Abalone, Roasted Garlic Chicken}
^{Assorted Side Dishes and Soup}

Dessert
^{Fresh Fruit}

Coffee and Tea

Korean Traditional Cookies
^{Made of Rice Flour and Apple}

^{*-We are pleased to offer Caviar Service upon your request.}

Refreshments

Ramen

Kimchi Cold Noodles

Warm Sandwiches ‘Croque-Mousieur'(sic)

Fresh Fruits

^{Besides the main course, the light snacks described above are provided upon your request throughout the flight}

Snack

Western

Appetizer
Roasted Beet with Boiled Quail Egg, Heirloom Tomato and Mustard Vinaigrette

Main Courses
Oven Baked Sea Bass with Clam & Vegetable in cartoccio (310kcal)
or
Cumin Scented Lamb Tenderloin, Green Olive & Peas, Orange Segments with Tomato Coulis (480kcal)

Dessert
Vanilla Mousse, Pineapple Shavings, Crunchy Chocolate, Lemon Dressing

Coffee and Tea

Korean

Main Course
Korean Royal Cuisine ‘Ugeoji Galbitang’ (280kcal)
Korean Traditional Spicy Beef Soup with Steamed Rice
Served with Various kinds of Side Dishes

Dessert
Fresh Fruit

Coffee and Tea

^{We apologize if your choice is not available due to unexpectedly high demand.

If you are allergic to any types of food or beverages, please inform one of your cabin crew.}

Wine List

Welcome Aboard

At Asiana Airlines we believe a fine bottle of wine is the best companion to the meals we serve on board and a wonderful way to refresh your mind and body during the long journey ahead. Our cabin crew members strive to offer exceptional service by recommending the best wine pairings for the meal of your choice.

Our wine has been carefully selected under the supervision of the Asiana Wine Consultant Group. Their devotion and combined expertise in the field of wine has allowed us to build a portfolio of wines that we are truly proud of. Come explore, and enjoy the world of wine with Asiana Airline!

^{“Nothing more excellent or valuable than wine was ever granted by the gods to man.” -platon}

Asiana Bar

Apertifs
Sweet Vermouth
Dry Vermouth
Campari
Medium Dry Sherry Sandeman

Spirits
Johnnie Walker Blue Label Scotch Whisky
Jack Daniel’s Bourbon Whiskey
Canadian Club Whisky
Absolut Vodka
Beefeater Gin
Bacardi Rum

Beers
Ob, Cass, Hite, Max
Heineken, Beck’s Budwiser (sic)

Korean Rice Wine ‘Makgeolli’

Non-Alcoholic Beverages
Orange, Apple, Tomato, Pineapple, Guava Juice
Coke Diet Coke, Sprite, Ginger Ale

Cocktail

Whisky Sour
Manhattan
Bloody Mary
Mimosa
Screwdriver

^{Other Cocktails are also available upon your request, subject to availability of ingredients}

Champagne

Pol Roger Cuvee Sir Winston Churchill 2000
Charles Heidsieck Millesime 2000

White Wine

Olivier Leflaive Saint Aubin le Charmois 1er Cru 2009
Aaldering Sauvignon Blanc 2013
Berncasteler Doctor Riesling Kabinett 2011

Red Wine

Chateau L’Arrosée 2008
Louis Jadot, Corton Grèves Grand Cru 2007
Yangarra Estate Vineyard Shiraz 2011
Robert Mondavi Winery Cabernet Sauvignon 2010

Dessert Wine

Sandeman 20 Years Old Tawny Porto
Jackson-Triggs Vidal VQA Ice Wine 2012

Cognac & Liqueur

Hennessy X.O
Drambuie
Cointreau
Baileys Irish Cream

^{We apologize if a particular vintage year is not available on your flight selection}

Coffee and Tea

Rainforest Alliance (RA) Certified Coffee
Decaffeinated Coffee
Eart Grey
Chamomile
Ginseng Tea
Green Tea
Rooibos
Peppermint

Asiana in flight service

I enjoyed my view out the window, and of course the aviation geek in me always enjoys the moving map. Once we leveled off, service began. The seat itself is old, but plenty of space for this flight. Upholstery is an odd mix of tans and yellows, so its ugly, but comfortable enough.

Old, and compared to other products a small IFE screen

Shoe storage compartment in the seat in front

On to the food! After hearing good things about dining options on Asiana, I mostly opted for the Korean main course with western starters.

First was an amuse bouche, the Foie Gras mousse.

Then the table was set for the main meal service, and garnished with a red rose.

Next up was caviar. I can’t say I’m really a fan of caviar, but I’ll eat it when it offered so I can pretend to be fancy. The mother of pearl spoon was a nice touch, and the caviar itself was served in a tin.

Asiana Airlines caviar service

Salmon carpaccio

mushroom, chickpea and baby leaf salad

Creamy chicken soup, which was excellent

Apple sorbet to cleanse the palate before the main

Bimbimbap

From here, I switched to the Korean main course, or more accurately courses.

The Bibimbap Asiana Airlines style…

…and the many sides

plus more soup and some chicken and abalone

In all the food was really good. I’ve had some excellent Korean food during travels in Los Angeles and New York, and of course in Seoul. For airplane food, this was among the best I’ve had. I especially remember the soup being very tasty. Service was also excellent, the flight attendant made suggestions to pair wine with each course. I also noticed that whenever I got up, my blanket, napkin, etc was folded before I returned to my seat, like a a fancy restaurant.

After this meal, I didn’t have much room for dessert, but I did try a little fruit.

I then had some tea. The options were elaborately presented to me. When she first tried to show me, the case was upside down, so the tea fell. She cleaned it up and ran away embarrassed, and then returned to try again. It was rather humorous for me, but I know she was trying hard, and clearly there is a specific protocol to serve tea.

She then insisted I have some Korean sweets with my tea.

After too much food…

After this meal, I reclined my seat and watched some TV. There were a lot of options, but little in English that was of particular interest to me. Eventually I decided to nap a little, so I asked the flight attendant to make up my bed. I went to the lavatory to freshen up a bit.

asiana-first-class-icn-fra-lav-amenities

Like the rest of the plane, the first class lavatories near door 1 were rather dated…

Once back at my seat, with an already made bed. It was quite comfortable with a mattress pad, duvet, a second pillow. The cabin was somewhat warm, so the heavy duvet was not really necessary. I did manage to sleep a bit even though it was afternoon/evening on my body clock thanks likely to the large meal.

Asiana Airlines First Class bedding

I didn’t sleep too long and somehow I was somewhat hungry after the first meal, and for blog research (yeah, that’s it), I decided to peruse the snack menu. I just opted for some comfort food, some Ramen. There were a few options, with regard to spiciness and toppings.

I had ramen noodles…

…which was served with kimchi

Salty, spicy goodness, an excellent snack, and flavors like this work even in dry air at altitude. I watched a few more shows, and did some reading, and before too long, the pre-arrival meal was offered. Its a good thing I went for a nice long run in the morning before my departure in Incheon.

With how good the main Korean meal was, I figured I’d go for that option for the pre-arrival “snack” as well. It was a hearty beef short rib soup with various sides.

asiana-first-class-icn-fra-pre-arrival-meal

Asiana Airlines First Class pre-arrival “Snack”; Galbitang.

Final thoughts on Asiana First Class

It was another excellent meal, and a really great flight. Being the only passenger in the cabin was very nice. I’m sure it made the service even better, but the flight attendant was very warm, and did a great job. She encouraged me to eat, like the Korean mother I never knew I had and I did my best to oblige. I would wholeheartedly recommend Asiana Airlines, especially in First Class. The food is top notch, and service really shines. Even in a tired old cabin like I experienced on the 747, the service was really strong. I look forward to another opportunity to fly Asiana, especially on one of their newer First Class configurations.

Alone in Asiana Airlines First Class from Seoul to Frankfurt

Asiana 747 First Class

Champagne taste test

Asiana Airlines

Korean Royal Table D’hote

Wine List

Cocktail

Asiana in flight service

Bimbimbap

After too much food…

Final thoughts on Asiana First Class

Other posts in this series:

About Brad

Asiana 747 First Class

Champagne taste test

Asiana Airlines

Korean Royal Table D’hote

Wine List

Cocktail

Asiana in flight service

Bimbimbap

After too much food…

Final thoughts on Asiana First Class

Other posts in this series:

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About Brad