Flight Review: Korean Air Airbus A330-300 Prestige Class – ICN-HKG

We flew from Tampa International Airport (TPA) to Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL) and then onto Seoul Incheon International Airport (ICN) on Delta Air Lines (review here). We then connected to a Korean Air flight in Prestige Class (Business Class) to take us to Hong Kong International Airport (HKG). It has been a few years since I last flew Korean Air and I enjoyed the flight with solid service, speedy Wi-Fi, plenty of space and a tasty meal.

Anthony’s Take: This flight went by quickly and even though I was tired from the two previous legs, I did not sleep. The Wi-Fi was fast and the meal was delicious. Both of those things made me stay awake for the entire flight. I found the crew efficient, but very quiet. This might have been from a language barrier, training, or I’m not sure what, but most exchanges were only a word or two. This was not negative, but I usually like to interact a bit more. Korean Air provided plenty of email updates all the way through boarding. I had no issues checking in online and printing boarding passes at home before we left.

Booking

This flight was booked as a one-way paid fare directly with Korean Air. It cost around $618 per person in Prestige Class (Korean Air’s Business Class). When I booked it, only full-fare, flexible tickets were available. I credited the flight to my Delta SkyMiles® account to earn some miles.

Seoul Incheon International Airport (ICN)

We spent a brief time connecting from the Delta Air Lines flight at Seoul Incheon International Airport (ICN). The connection was seamless with a quick security line and no need to go through passport control as we cleared that when we landed at Hong Kong International Airport (HKG). While waiting for our connection, we visited the Korean Air Prestige Lounge (East Right, Gate 253). It’s a large space with plenty of space to relax, shower, and have some great food. We were in the lounge for around 90 minutes before we boarded this flight.

Boarding

Boarding was on time and followed Korean Air’s Zone boarding process. We boarded in the Sky Priority lane (which includes First and Business Class) and were among the first on the aircraft. We laughed at the name of the Zone 1 boarding group. When have you ever seen a boarding group or status level (that’s what this is) called “Morning Calm?”

On-Board

We selected the the only two open seats together. They luckily were bulkhead seats: 7D and 7E. The aircraft had one row of seats in a 1-2-1 configuration in a mini cabin in front of us (labeled Row 1). These were all Business Class seats. The seats were open and offered plenty of space. There is no tight footwell here (which is great if you do want to recline and sleep).

The seats were comfortable and when fully reclined provided more than enough space for my six-foot-five-inch frame. There is no storage with these seats, so everything had to go in the overhead bins.

Headphones, a blanket, and a pillow were waiting at the seat when we boarded.

Seat Features

The seats on this Airbus A330-300 did not make me feel claustrophobic. I would have been happier to be in them for an even longer flight. We were close together and these seats work well when traveling with someone. There is a divider for more privacy if you’re traveling alone. The seat had controls for different positions and lights.

The controls were simple to use.

There were no individual air nozzles overhead.

A hook for jackets was on one side.

A reading light was on the other side.

An outlet was also available for charging devices. There were no USB-A or USB-C ports here.

The entertainment screen was a decent size. I did not use it in flight and it blinked a few times. I’m not sure if it worked properly, but I was fine working for the flight.

A set of earbuds was also at the seat along with a water bottle when we got on the aircraft. I’m not sure why headphones and earbuds are offered.

Food

Orange juice and sparkling wine were the choices for pre-departure beverages. There were no menus provided on this flight. We pre-ordered our meals. I had Duck Confit and my husband ordered Pan-Seared Halibut. Both were delicious and well prepared.

Drink orders were taken shortly after we took off. I had my usual ginger ale.

The meal started with a tray that held a seared tuna appetizer and bread from a bread basket. The tuna tasted better than it looked.

Soup (I’m guessing butternut squash) came next.

The entrees arrived shortly after. The lettuce was not necessary on the plate, but I loved the rest of it. The side was some sort of pumpkin or squash tart that went really well with the duck.

Dessert consisted of some fruit.

Wi-Fi

The Wi-Fi cost $4.95 for messaging or $11.95 for full access during the flight. I selected the latter. It worked well for the entire time we were in flight. I was able to upload photos and did not experience any outages.

Lavatory

There were two lavatories behind me. There is another in the front of the plane, but flight attendants were not letting passengers use it. The lavatories were pretty standard. They consisted of a sink and toilet.

A selection of toiletries was available on a shelf above the sink.

Service

As mentioned above, the flight attendants were not talkative and did not come around at all after the meal service. When one walked by, I asked him for another ginger ale. This was brought right away, but there was no proactive effort to engage in any way.

Overall Impression:

I enjoyed this flight and got a good amount done thanks to the Wi-Fi working all of the flight. The meal was tasty and the crew got the job done even with us only exchanging about 10 words in total. I have another Korean Air flight next week and hope it goes as smoothly as this one.