Nick Ellis joined The Points Guy in 2016 as an intern and is now Reviews Editor, primarily responsible for arranging, writing (some of), editing and publishing reviews of hotels and airport lounges along with helping manage, write and edit travel content.
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[tpg_rating ticket-class=business tpg-rating-score=80 ground-experience=14 cabin-seat=24 amens-ife=10 food-bev=18 service=14 pros=Private jet-like feeling on the upper deck, stellar service and tasty food offering. cons=No Wi-Fi, weak IFE selection and the bedding was lacking. /]
Business Class Flights
Last year, for the first-ever TPG Awards, I was assigned to fly Korean Air’s business class, as it was in contention for the award for best international business-class product. Korean didn’t end up winning, but it’s certainly a contender once again for this year’s awards.
When I flew Korean last year, it was on the carrier’s 787-9, and I was disappointed, though much of that was probably because I'd waited too long to book and ended up in a middle seat.
This year, I wanted to give Korean another go — this time on its 747-8, which seemed to be the aircraft that would provide the best business-class experience the carrier had to offer, thanks to its spacious cabins and two decks.
Flight Of Flavor: A Review Of Korean Air's Business Class On The 747 8 From Atlanta To Seoul
I had to make my way to Australia so I could catch a flight in Qantas’ first-class cabin on the A380 from Melbourne (MEL) to Los Angeles (LAX) that I was able to book for 70, 000 Alaska miles, and I figured I’d take the really, really long way there in order to review several different products.
I ended up flying from New York LaGuardia (LGA) to Sydney (SYD) by way of Toronto (YYZ), Atlanta (ATL), Seoul (ICN), Shanghai (PVG) and Taipei (TPE), flying Korean Air on its 747-8 on the leg between Atlanta and Seoul. Here’s what my flight was like.
Korean doesn’t fly its 748s to many U.S. destinations, and even some of the cities that see that aircraft only do so for part of the year. When I traveled, Atlanta was the only airport that was getting the 748 regularly, so my sights were set on a trip that would route me somewhere — anywhere — in Asia through Atlanta and Seoul.
Review: Korean Air A380 Business Class, Los Angeles To Seoul
Korean Air is no longer a transfer partner of Chase Ultimate Rewards, which used to be our go-to way for booking Korean flights, so we knew that we were going to have to get creative when looking for an itinerary that would allow me to review this flight.
Predictably, beginning my journey anywhere in the U.S. turned out to be outrageously expensive. I have had good luck finding relatively reasonable SkyTeam business-class fares when the ticket starts in either Toronto or Montreal (YUL), so I used the ITA Matrix to piece together an itinerary. Sure enough, I was able to find a decently priced (for business class, at least) itinerary to Shanghai that would allow me to fly the 748 between Atlanta and Seoul.
We paid $2, 330 for the one-way ticket with The Platinum Card® from American Express in order to take advantage of the card’s 5x bonus category on flights booked directly through the carrier or with Amex Travel. In total, we earned 11, 650 Membership Rewards points for this purchase, which are worth about $230 according to TPG’s current valuations.
New Flat Bed Business Class From Singapore To Seoul With T'way Air
If you want to fly Korean Air in a premium class, you can transfer your Marriott Bonvoy points to Korean’s SkyPass program and book flights that way, but with what's not the most favorable transfer ratio, you’ll want to be 100% sure that you want to use your Marriott points that way before making the transfer.
This trip began with Delta’s first flight of the day from Toronto to Atlanta, to give me the best chance of making my flight in case things went sideways. But if things went according to plan, I’d have plenty of time in Atlanta to give the full ground experience a try. Luckily, the flight gods were looking down favorably upon me that day, and the trip got started without a hitch.
As soon as I landed in Atlanta, I made my way out of the secure area so that I could begin the whole process again as if I were originating there. I was very early, so the check-in area was pretty much deserted.
Booking Flights Using Points: Economy Vs Business Class
Obviously, it was Delta-centric, but Korean Air had three staffed check-in desks (one for passengers in first and business class, one for its Morning Calm elite members and one for economy) but no dedicated self-check-in kiosks. It was adjacent to Air France-KLM’s check-in area, though, so passengers were to use those kiosks to check in for their flights. I found it strange that there was only one desk for economy passengers, but maybe as the flight got closer more economy lanes opened up.
There were hardly any other people in the check-in area, so I breezed through security in no time at all, and I checked my bag all the way to Shanghai, as I didn’t want to deal with it as I was reviewing the flight.
There’s technically a priority security lane at ATL that I could have used, but it was still closed, since there were so few people going through security at all at this point.
Review: United Airlines B787 8
Korean’s daily flight departs from the F gates at ATL, which is designated as the international terminal, though I have had some domestic flights depart from F gates in the past.
After my less-than-five-minute security screening, I headed straight to Delta’s F Concourse Sky Club, which I’ve visited numerous times on various domestic U.S. and international connections.
The lounge itself was quite large and clearly designed for large numbers of passengers, which makes sense given the tremendous number of flights Delta operates each day from ATL.
Business Class Flights From Warsaw To Seoul Flight Deals
Next to the buffet was the full-service bar, where you could order complimentary beer, wine and spirits or try specialty cocktails and other beverages for a charge.
I spent the majority of my time in this lounge in the long and skinny seating room flanking one side of the bar. I settled into a cozy leather armchair and set up my laptop so that I could get some work handled before getting on my flight, which didn't have Wi-Fi, for 12 hours or so. The Wi-Fi in the lounge was strong, and I had plenty of options for plugging my devices in — traits that I’ve noticed consistently at pretty much all of the Sky Clubs I visit.'
About an hour before my flight was scheduled to board, I wandered into the shower area to freshen up before the long-haul flight to Asia. There were several shower rooms available, and I was able to access one right away after checking in with the attendant.
Korean Air A380 800 Prestige Class (business Class) Seoul To Los Angeles
Each shower room had a toilet and was equipped with a a few towels as well as a bath mat. There was a sign letting guests know that both dental and shaving kits were available and could be requested from the attendant. Toiletries were from Malin+Goetz and came in larger multiuse bottles in the shower itself.
Finally, after my shower, I spent a little bit of time on the Sky Deck, since the weather had improved considerably since I’d arrived earlier in the morning. It was still drying out after an early-morning rain shower, but it was a fun place to hang out for a little bit and watch the morning aircraft movements.
While I find Sky Clubs to be generally consistent in quality, this one in the F Concourse at ATL was slightly ahead, thanks to its Sky Deck and large footprint. I realize that I wasn’t actually flying with Delta, but Korean doesn’t have its own lounge in Atlanta, so this experience was based on the ground game of its close partner Delta, which I find to be middle of the pack in terms of the long-haul international business-class experience. Had I been flying, say, Lufthansa, from Houston (IAH) or another one of United’s hubs, I could have accessed the Polaris Lounge, which provides a dedicated premium ground experience for premium passengers. Until Delta decides to compete in this regard, it — and SkyTeam and its joint venture partners operating from a U.S. Delta hub — will always rank lower than its peers.
Review: Korean Air Airbus A330 First Business Class 'plus' Seoul Brisbane
I departed the Sky Club about 15 minutes before boarding was scheduled to begin so I could check out the gate area and secure a spot at the front of the priority line. I wanted to be one of the first on board for this review.
My flight departed from Gate F1, which turned out to be a schlep from the lounge. Once I arrived, I could immediately tell that there were not enough seats or power outlets for a full 747, as many people were standing waiting for boarding to begin.
The first boarding announcement was made about 20 minutes after the scheduled boarding time, and then
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