Introduction
Lufthansa First Class Lounge New York JFK
Lufthansa First Class New York JFK to Frankfurt
A day in the Lufthansa First Class Lounges/Terminal Frankfurt
Lufthansa First Class Frankfurt to Singapore
InterContinental Singapore
Exploring Singapore
The Singapore Airlines Private Room
Singapore Airlines First Class Singapore to Tokyo Narita
Japan Airlines First Class Lounge Tokyo Narita
Japan Airlines First Class Tokyo Narita to New York JFK

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I headed over to gate three, which is a bit of a disappointment for any aviation geek, given that the aircraft parked at the gate isn’t visible due to a structure blocking it.

Departure gate

747 taking me to Frankfurt

At around 3:15PM boarding started for first class, business class, and Star Gold members, and I was among the first aboard.

Lufthansa 401
New York (JFK) – Frankfurt (FRA)
Thursday, April 26
Depart: 3:55PM
Arrive: 5:35AM (+1 day)
Duration: 7hr40min
Aircraft: Boeing 747-400
Seat: 82H (First Class)

At the door I was greeted by the purser, who directed me up the stairs. Once at the top of the stairs I was welcomed by two older male flight attendants that pointed me to my seat in row 82.

Rather than try to hide my excitement over the new product, I immediately asked if it would be alright if I snapped a few cabin pictures before the other passengers arrived, which they enthusiastically “approved.”

New first class cabin

New first class cabin

82H, my seat/bed

82C, seat/bed across from me

View from my seat

View from my seat

Entertainment system controls

Seat controls

Power plus

As I mentioned in the introduction, the product on this 747 is pretty unique in that it’s a separate seat and bed. So far 10 of Lufthansa’s 28 747s are configured with this product (see this FlyerTalk post for full details on the reconfiguration progress). Meanwhile Lufthansa doesn’t have plans to configure the rest of their fleet with this product (instead they’re configuring it with the same first class product found on the Airbus 380).

While the upper deck was previously in a 2-2 configuration, they basically turned each set of two seats into both a seat and a fixed bed. We’ll talk about the practicality of the product in a bit and whether the space could have been utilized more efficiently, though I have to say it’ll be a while before the novelty of this product wears off for me. Other airlines have enclosed suites, but this is the first product where you have a separate seat and bed. And of course it’s a huge upgrade over the old 747 first class (which I flew from Frankfurt to Bangkok last year, for example), in terms of seat comfort, entertainment, personal space, etc.

Anyway, back to the flight. As I settled in I was offered a pre-departure beverage, and ordered a glass of water, which was served with macadamia nuts. The flight attendant asked if I was a Lufthansa employee, which I found odd, given that I didn’t think Lufthansa employees could easily get into first class (though maybe I’m wrong?).

Pre-departure beverage and nuts

Moments later I was presented with pajamas, slippers, an amenity kit, duty free magazine, and lastly a service survey (the timing of which I found pretty tacky, frankly – that shouldn’t be one of the first things they give a passenger, in my opinion).

Amenities

Pajamas and slippers

The upper deck continued to fill up, surprisingly enough mostly with Americans (in my experience most Lufthansa first class passengers are German). There were two other Germans, and everyone else was American, including two Lufthansa employees (which might explain why they assumed I was an employee, since maybe they knew two Lufthansa employees were aboard in first class).

Shortly before pushback I changed into pajamas. Moments later the captain made his welcome aboard announcement, advising us of our flight time of 6hr45min.

While we pushed back almost on time, we didn’t move after our initial pushback for about 10 minutes. This was apparently because an Air China plane parked at the gate next to us had a broken APU and was still running their engines, and therefore it wasn’t safe for us to pass.

At this point I decided to get started on a movie. This is one huge new improvement over Lufthansa’s old first class product, since you can start watching movies on the ground. Previously the monitors had to be stowed for takeoff, so you couldn’t watch any movies till after takeoff. And that doesn’t even account for the fact that the new screen is triple the size of the old one, and the selection is more thorough.

I decided on “Carnage,” which was actually reasonably entertaining. More than anything else I was amazed that the entire movie took place in one room and basically covered a time period the same length as the movie, so there was no skipping of time. Interesting.

Carnage movie

After a roughly 10 minute delay and 15 minute taxi we took off into the north, where we had a pretty choppy climb out of JFK thanks to the weather.

Lining up on the runway

About 20 minutes after takeoff the seatbelt sign was turned off and service commenced, starting with hot towels.

Hot towel

Simultaneously the purser came around the cabin to welcome the first class passengers aboard and distribute the menus and wine list.

The dinner menu read as follows:

And the wine list read as follows:

Champagne
2009 “D” de Devaux Brut

White Wine
2009 Scharzhofberger Riesling
2009 Rully
2010 Heinrich Vollmer Grauer Burgunder

Red Wine
terra o. Cuvee
2003 Chateau Belgrave Cru Classe
2006 Kaiken Ultra Malbec

Dessert Wine
2008 Huxelrebe Beerenauslese

Monthly Proposal
Oban Single Malt 14 Years

Now, the only downside of the flight was that the menu was nearly identical to the one from my San Francisco to Munich flight in March. Fortunately that menu happened to be one of Lufthansa’s better ones, so it wasn’t all bad news.

The meal service began with the amuse bouche, which consisted of cucumber and salmon.

Amuse bouche

That was quickly followed by drinks.

Diet Coke with lemon

After that the tables were set. I selected some pretzel bread from the breadbasket and also ordered a glass of champagne to accompany the appetizers. The only disappointment was that the flight attendant didn’t distribute the signature Lufthansa rose.

Table setup

At that point the flight attendant came through with the appetizer cart.

Appetizer cart

I selected the grilled shrimp and sirloin.

Appetizer

That was followed by the salad, which was served with “delicious Dressing,” whatever the heck that is.

Salad

I wasn’t especially hungry by the time the main course was served, and had the tenderloin of beef the last time I flew with the same menu, so went with the pasta with potatoes this time around., It was just alright.

Main course

For dessert I went with the panna cotta. If I were as rich as it, I would have retired a long time ago.

Dessert

To finish off the meal I ordered some Baileys, which was accompanied by a tin of chocolates (which I stuffed in my bag to enjoy at a later time).

Baileys and chocolate

Lastly I was offered a bottle of water.

Water

One thing I was wondering about before trying the new product is just how far the seat reclines, given that there’s no way to place the bed in an upright position. So for anyone else that was wondering, below is a picture of the seat fully reclined.

Seat fully reclined

As you can see the legrest goes all the way up, while the seat reclines maybe halfway back. It’s perfect for lounging. If you want to recline more you can always just lay in bed and prop the pillow up, which works equally well (though I do wish they’d provide more than one pillow).

Now, in terms of the timing this flight sucks. I’m a night owl, so leaving in the afternoon means I can usually not get any sleep on such a short redeye. The flight lands in Frankfurt at 5:35AM, which is 11:35PM eastern time in the US, well before I usually go to bed. So in a way such a great first class product is really wasted on such a short, early redeye. But of course that wasn’t going to stop me from at least trying to get some sleep. After dinner I headed over to the bed, which was really comfortable. It has a legitimate “mattress,” and while it’s not a Westin Heavenly Bed, it is considerably more comfortable than most first class mattress pads, in my opinion.

The only aspect of the seat that wasn’t very well thought out, in my opinion, is that the TV screen doesn’t swivel. It would be really nice if you could position it in such a way that it faces the bed, since the screen can be tough to view when laying down in bed.

From bed

Either way, I told myself I’d sleep till an hour before landing, and I did exactly that. I slept surprisingly well, better than I usually do on a plane, and I’d attribute that at least in part to the bed.

Sunset over the Atlantic

About an hour before landing the cabin lights were turned up a bit and breakfast service commenced, starting with hot towels, fresh squeezed orange juice, and menus being distributed.

Hot towel and fresh squeezed orange juice

Menu

The breakfast menu read as follows:

Given how short the transatlantic flights are from the east coast, the breakfast service is a bit more abbreviated than what they offer on the longer flights, with a choice of three options served on a single tray. I went with the “fitness breakfast,” which consisted of muesli, fruit, and a croissant/roll.

Fitness breakfast

About 30 minutes out we began our descent and I switched back into my normal clothes. The views were quite nice on approach into Frankfurt, and we had one of the most beautiful landings ever. Look, I’ve flown over 1,000 segments over the years, and this was hands down the most stunningly amazing landing ever. Yes, a “nice” landing is normal, but this took that to a whole new level. If the landing were any smoother the captain would’ve had to sing me a lullaby.

Final approach into Frankfurt

Pulling into our gate

With a 15 hour layover ahead of me I was in no rush to disembark, though headed straight for the first class lounge to shower.

Introduction
Lufthansa First Class Lounge New York JFK
Lufthansa First Class New York JFK to Frankfurt
A day in the Lufthansa First Class Lounges/Terminal Frankfurt
Lufthansa First Class Frankfurt to Singapore
InterContinental Singapore
Exploring Singapore
The Singapore Airlines Private Room
Singapore Airlines First Class Singapore to Tokyo Narita
Japan Airlines First Class Lounge Tokyo Narita
Japan Airlines First Class Tokyo Narita to New York JFK

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I made it to terminal one at JFK at around 1PM for my 3:55PM departure.

Terminal exterior

It has been years since I’ve flown Lufthansa out of JFK (I usually fly out of EWR), so I was a bit confused while trying to locate the first class check-in counter. Little did I realize it was just one small counter at the side of the aisle without any partitions, which threw me off given that Star Gold members can use first class check-in as well.

Lufthansa check-in

When I handed the agent my passport she confirmed I was heading to Singapore, and after typing for a minute said “does you have a Chinese visa?” Confused, I said “for Singapore?” She said “yes, you need a Chinese visa.” Dumbfounded I stood there for a moment as she flipped through my passport before she said “oh good, you do have a Chinese visa.” I just couldn’t bring myself to actually say something.

Security queues weren’t too long, and there was even a dedicated premium line. Fortunately they were using metal detectors and not full body scanners, so the line moved along faster than usual.

Once through security the Lufthansa lounge is located immediately on the left.

Airside at terminal one

Lufthansa lounge entrance

After checking in the agent informed me that pre-flight lunch would be served stating at 2PM, which I intended to take advantage of since I didn’t have breakfast.

The Lufthansa lounge at JFK consists of three levels. On the first level is the business class lounge, for business class passengers (obviously).

Lounge entrance and business class lounge

Airbus 380 model at entrance

On the second level is the Senator lounge, for Star Gold members and first class passengers.

The space itself is very nice with a bar, dining area, and plenty of comfortable lounge chairs. The lounge boasts great tarmac views, with runway views in the distance.

Senator lounge

Senator lounge

Senator lounge

Senator lounge

Tarmac views

Since I arrived at around 1:30PM the full buffet wasn’t set up yet, though there were plenty of finger sandwiches, chips, etc. Furthermore, waiters were roaming around offering drinks.

Snack selection

I caught up on email till about 2PM, and then asked an agent about the possibility of having pre-flight lunch, which is served on the third floor. The issue is that you need a key to access the third floor, so the first class waiter has to get you from the second floor to bring you upstairs.

My name was checked off a list and I was invited upstairs. There’s a very small seating area with open bar, and then separately a large buffet with dining room. This area is available for first class passengers and HON Circle members (Lufthansa’s uber-top-tier elites).

First class lounge entrance

First class seating area

Open bar

Open bar

Open bar

I first had a seat in the lounge area, which had a very similar theme to virtually every other Lufthansa first class lounge, both in terms of the furniture and the setup, with canisters of nuts at each side table.

A few minutes later I headed over to the dining room, which was almost identical in quality to the offerings in Frankfurt and Munich.

First class dining

First class menu

View of Senator Lounge from first class lounge

View of Senator Lounge from first class lounge

The buffet consisted of appetizers, six hot dishes, and plenty of desserts.

Buffet

Buffet

Buffet

Buffet

Buffet

Buffet

The service was also fantastic, with a waiter constantly refilling drinks and clearing plates (I had a glass of Rose).

Lunch

Dessert

Boarding was scheduled for 3:25PM, though knowing that my flight would be operated by the 747 featuring the new first class, I decided to leave the lounge at 3PM in hopes of being the first in the cabin to snap a couple of pictures.

On the whole the Lufthansa First Class Lounge JFK is among the best lounges in the US, probably along with the Virgin Clubhouses JFK and Virgin Clubhouse SFO. Kudos to Lufthansa for their consistency.

Introduction
Lufthansa First Class Lounge New York JFK
Lufthansa First Class New York JFK to Frankfurt
A day in the Lufthansa First Class Lounges/Terminal Frankfurt
Lufthansa First Class Frankfurt to Singapore
InterContinental Singapore
Exploring Singapore
The Singapore Airlines Private Room
Singapore Airlines First Class Singapore to Tokyo Narita
Japan Airlines First Class Lounge Tokyo Narita
Japan Airlines First Class Tokyo Narita to New York JFK

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For months I had a meeting scheduled in Singapore, and originally my plan was to first visit Singapore and then continue on to Thailand for about a week (Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai, specifically).

So while I had a ticket booked reflecting that schedule, I unfortunately had a schedule conflict on both ends of the trip. On the front end I was attending Starwood’s screening of “Mansome” in New York at the Tribeca Film Festival, and on the back end I had a family commitment back in Tampa.

Unfortunately this translated to a very quick trip to Singapore of just about 48 hours. While it’s not ideal, I was determined to at least get a few new airline products into the trip, and I’m proud to say that I think I succeeded in this instance.

For the outbound I’ve been dying to try Lufthansa’s new first class on the 747, which consists of both a seat and a bed. I’ve flown their other new first class product, which can be found on the Airbus 380, though never lucked out with the reconfigured 747, since only 10 of the 28 747s feature it.

In this instance the most convenient scheduled for the outbound was from New York to Singapore via Frankfurt in Lufthansa first class for 70,000 United miles one way (which I transferred from Ultimate Rewards).

The Frankfurt to Singapore flight was scheduled to be operated by the Airbus 380, so while it’s not a new product I didn’t feel too bad about flying it again, since I really do love the Airbus 380.

The flight from New York to Frankfurt proved to be a bit trickier. Lufthansa has two flights a day between New York JFK and Frankfurt, one at around 4PM and one at around 10PM. Initially I booked the late night flight, which I far prefer.

The thing is that Lufthansa flies the reconfigured 747s around pretty randomly, so when I woke up in the morning I looked up the tail numbers for the inbound flights from Frankfurt (this FlyerTalk thread is very useful for tracking them). As it turns out, the earlier flight from Frankfurt to New York (LH400) had the new first class, and that plane turns around to fly the early New York to Frankfurt flight (LH401).

So while I wasn’t looking forward to spending an extra six hours in Frankfurt, I decided it was well worth it for the new product. Fortunately the earlier flight had first class award space as well, so I called up to make the change, which took only a few minutes.

The return was also a spur of the moment decision. I initially booked a Cathay Pacific first class award from Singapore to Tampa via Hong Kong and Chicago, which is a tough value to beat at 67,500 American miles. Cathay Pacific has one of the most consistent first class products, though I’ve flown them well over a dozen times, so I was really hoping to try something new.

My flight out of Singapore was supposed to be at 1AM, and at around 4PM the previous afternoon I decided to get online and see if there were any other interesting alternatives.

I found Japan Airlines first class award space from Tokyo to New York in their new Sky Suite. While I flew their old product from Tokyo to New York several years ago, the prospect of trying their new suites proved too much to give up, so I canceled my Cathay Pacific award. The one-way award cost 62,500 miles in first class (flying out of Japan is 5,000 miles cheaper than flying out of Southeast Asia on American).

The issue was getting from Singapore to Tokyo. I had some Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer miles, so decided to book the Singapore Airlines redeye from Singapore to Tokyo in first class for 51,000 KrisFlyer miles.

While I’ve flown Singapore Airlines’ old first class product and new business class product, I haven’t flown their new first class product.

Now, some might say that Singapore to Tokyo for 51,000 miles on a redeye is a waste. But 90% of the people I know really have no clue how far Singapore is from Tokyo. When I’ve asked people to estimate the flight length, they usually say 2-3 hours. It’s actually blocked at over seven hours, and the distance is further than Boston to London. So when you put it into perspective and think of it as the equivalent of a transatlantic first class flight for 51,000 miles, it seems like a bit better of a deal.

Ultimately there’s no doubt the Cathay Pacific deal was a better one, though you guys are always telling me you want me to review new products, and I figured this would be the perfect opportunity, since three of the four airline products were new ones for me.

When all was said and done, the itinerary looked as follows:

04/26 Lufthansa 401 New York to Frankfurt departing at 3:55PM and arriving at 5:35AM (+1 day)
04/27 Lufthansa 778 Frankfurt to Singapore departing at 9:35PM and arriving at 3:50PM (+1 day)
04/30 Singapore Airlines 638 Singapore to Tokyo departing at 11:55PM and arriving at 8:00AM (+1 day)
05/01 Japan Airlines 6 Tokyo to New York JFK departing at 11:20AM and arriving at 11:25AM

On the hotel front I decided to book the InterContinental Singapore. Since I was staying over a weekend I was able to use an InterContinental Buy One Get One Free Weekend Night Certificate, which is an unbeatable deal in conjunction with Royal Ambassador benefits.

Stay tuned!

Introduction
United Global First Lounge San Francisco
Lufthansa First Class San Francisco to Munich
Le Meridien Munich
Lufthansa First Class Lounge Munich, Swiss Business Class Munich to Zurich
Swiss First Class Lounge Zurich, Swiss First Class Zurich to Bangkok
St. Regis Bangkok
Thai Airways First Class Lounge & Spa Bangkok
Thai Airways First Class Bangkok to Hong Kong
Ritz Carlton Hong Kong
Exploring Hong Kong
United Club Hong Kong and Thai Airways Royal Orchid Lounge Hong Kong
Asiana Business Class Hong Kong to Seoul Incheon
Hyatt Regency Incheon Airport
Asiana First Class Lounge Seoul Incheon
Asiana First Class Seoul Incheon to Frankfurt
Sheraton Frankfurt Airport
Lufthansa First Class Terminal Frankfurt, Lufthansa First Class Frankfurt to Seattle
Four Seasons Seattle

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I’ve been wanting to stay at the Four Seasons Seattle for years now. I’ve heard great things about the service at the hotel, and it’s one of the more reasonably priced Four Seasons in the chain. I’ve reviewed several other hotels in Seattle, including Hotel 1000, the Grand Hyatt Seattle, and the Hyatt at Olive 8, if you’re interested in reading about those as well.

While Four Seasons doesn’t have a loyalty program, you can get quite some extra benefits for your stay by booking either through Virtuoso, a Four Seasons Preferred Partner, or American Express Fine Hotels & Resorts. By booking through a Four Seasons Preferred Partner you get a $100 food and beverage credit, room upgrade upon availability, and full American breakfast served in-room or in the restaurant. By booking through American Express Fine Hotels & Resorts you get a $100 food and beverage credit, room upgrade upon availability, continental breakfast served in the restaurant, and 4PM check-out.

I booked through a Four Seasons Preferred Partner for the rate of $285 (I’ve seen the rate as low as $265 in the off-season), so for a one-night stay it’s a pretty unbeatable deal, given the $100 food and beverage credit plus full American breakfast.

Anyway, I took the light rail downtown, and from there it was only a couple of blocks to the Four Seasons, which is located right next to Pike Place Market and right on the water, which is in my opinion the perfect location.

Hotel exterior

I headed straight for check-in, which is located at the far end of the lobby. The hotel has 147 rooms, though feels even smaller than that, since the public spaces feel very “boutiquey.”

Lobby

Check-in was efficient and friendly, including being referred to by name at least a dozen times (with correct pronunciation no less!). I was assigned room 921, a deluxe bay view room.

Room entrance

The room was large and felt spacious thanks to the lack of “clutter.” First there was an entryway with the closet to the right and bathroom to the left.

Entryway

That led into the room, which featured a king sized bed, along with a daybed of sorts next to it. Look, I’m a tough bed critic. I have a “W” bed at home, and I’m a huge fan of Westin beds. But this was literally the most comfortable bed I’ve ever slept in. That alone makes me want to return.

Room

Room

On the other side of the room was a desk along with the flat screen TV. Again, I felt like everything was decorated in a very minimalistic way, which I like.

Desk and TV

The highlight of the room, though, had to be the views of Elliott Bay, which were stunning.

View from my room

At the entryway was the closet containing the minibar.

Closet and minibar

Minibar

The bathroom was also spacious, with a separate tub and shower with rainfall head, featuring L’Occitane amenities.

Bathroom

The sink even had a mirror with a built in TV.

Sink

Tub

Shower

L’Occitane amenities

Bathroom

About half an hour after I got to my room a bottle of VOSS water and basket of fruit were brought up, along with a letter explaining the amenities I was entitled to through my Preferred Partner booking.

Amenity

As far as the hotel’s facilities go, they have a very nice gym facing the pool.

Gym

Gym

The highlight of the hotel had to be the pool area. I just wish it would have been a bit warmer. There’s both a pool and hot tub, with a very nice deck for just lounging and enjoying the beautiful views of the Bay.

Pool and hot tub

Pool

Hot tub

View from pool

Hotel from pool

Since I had a $100 food and beverage credit, I decided to invite a friend for dinner at the hotel’s restaurant, ART.

The restaurant had a very modern design and the service was phenomenal, so it was a really fun place to have dinner.

That being said, I felt the food itself was more style over substance.

ART restaurant

ART restaurant

To start they served potato chips in a bag (if I were a betting man I’d say they were Lays).

Chips

And that was followed by bread which was artfully displayed, and came with a tube of paste to use as “spread.” The bread was rather stale and cold, though at least it was displayed nicely. I’m not sure if they’ve actually thought through the tube, but when two people are trying to eat bread, passing a tube back and forth isn’t especially practical.

Bread

The restaurant offered three courses for $30, so I ordered that.

Menu

For the starter I had cauliflower bisque.

Starter

Then for the main course I had smoked mozzarella ravioli.

Main

And for dessert I had butterscotch pot de creme.

Dessert

Then when the check was brought out we were also offered two cookies. They could have come straight out of a Chips Ahoy bag based on the taste, so again, I felt they focused a bit too much on style over substance.

Cookies

Anyway, the restaurant is beautiful, the service is phenomenal, and the food was reasonably good. But the chips, bread, and cookies really threw me off. Then again, I assume others “get it” better than I do, or it wouldn’t be part of the service.

Back to the hotel, which has both style and substance. Unfortunately the following morning I felt worse than I had ever felt before (I thought I had appendicitis), so at 7AM I decided to go to the hospital. The hotel couldn’t have been better about the whole situation. I didn’t want to burden them with it, but I called the front desk to ask where the nearest hospital was, and within a few minutes the manager on duty was at my door to bring me downstairs, where a cab was already waiting to take me to the nearest hospital. She said she’d extend my stay by a night in case I needed it (which I did). Fortunately it turned out to be nothing major, though I still felt sick and exhausted for another day, so did extend my stay. All of the employees couldn’t have been more helpful, which speaks even more to the great people that work here.

I did end up booking a very early flight the following morning, so never had the opportunity to take full advance of breakfast. That being said, I did order the “15 minute breakfast” through room service, which was delivered in… you guessed it, less than 15 minutes.

Breakfast

I can’t say enough positive things about the hotel. I had heard nothing but great things about it before visiting, and I have nothing but good things to say after visiting. And I’d say it’s actually a remarkably good deal, especially if you’re booking through a Four Seasons Preferred Partner, Virtuoso, or American Express Fine Hotels & Resorts.

Seattle is also one of my favorite cities in the US, and there’s no better location from which to explore the city than the Four Seasons, in my opinion.

Introduction
United Global First Lounge San Francisco
Lufthansa First Class San Francisco to Munich
Le Meridien Munich
Lufthansa First Class Lounge Munich, Swiss Business Class Munich to Zurich
Swiss First Class Lounge Zurich, Swiss First Class Zurich to Bangkok
St. Regis Bangkok
Thai Airways First Class Lounge & Spa Bangkok
Thai Airways First Class Bangkok to Hong Kong
Ritz Carlton Hong Kong
Exploring Hong Kong
United Club Hong Kong and Thai Airways Royal Orchid Lounge Hong Kong
Asiana Business Class Hong Kong to Seoul Incheon
Hyatt Regency Incheon Airport
Asiana First Class Lounge Seoul Incheon
Asiana First Class Seoul Incheon to Frankfurt
Sheraton Frankfurt Airport
Lufthansa First Class Terminal Frankfurt, Lufthansa First Class Frankfurt to Seattle
Four Seasons Seattle

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I can’t say I’m a huge fan of Lufthansa’s Frankfurt to Seattle flight, though because my friend lives there and it’s one of the longer transatlantic flights, I don’t mind taking it. The reason I’m not a huge fan of the flight is twofold. First, it’s one of the earliest transatlantic departures, leaving Frankfurt before 10AM. One of my favorite things about Lufthansa first class is enjoying lunch or dinner in the First Class Terminal prior to the flight, and that’s not possible for such an early departure. Second of all, the flight lands in Seattle at around 11AM, which just sucks in terms of getting over jetlag. I far prefer flights that leave Europe in the late afternoon and arrive in the evening, allowing one to get a good night of sleep upon landing and waking up relatively “adjusted” the following morning.

Of course in the world of first class travel I really have no right to complain, but just figured I’d share those two observations if you ever have the choice between a morning and an afternoon flight out of Europe.

We left the Sheraton at around 8:30AM and took the walkway to the terminal. From there we had to walk on the outside roadway to the First Class Terminal, which is maybe a 10 minute walk. It was a beautiful morning, so I quite enjoyed getting some fresh air. I’ve taken this exact flight before, so feel free to check out my previous report, which can be found here.

Lufthansa First Class Terminal Frankfurt

Once in the terminal we were welcomed by our personal assistant, who escorted us through security. For me the highlight of the First Class Terminal is that you can go from entering the terminal to sitting in the lounge area in less than a minute, an experience no other airline can provide.

We decided to have breakfast right away, since we hadn’t eaten at the hotel.

First Class Terminal seating

First Class Terminal restaurant

The buffet is pretty extensive and consists of just about anything you could want. I still far prefer their lunch or dinner offerings, but that’s probably more of a function of me preferring lunch and dinner over breakfast.

Menu

Breakfast spread

Breakfast spread

Breakfast spread

When breakfast was done we headed back to the lounge area, where I caught up on email for about 20 minutes. At around 9:30AM our personal assistant approached us to let us know our flight was ready for boarding. We were brought down to the lower level for our departure, where we were introduced to our driver, who drove us to our plane in a Mercedes S class.

Frankfurt Airport is the one place where I hope that the gate is as far from the terminal as possible. Unfortunately in today’s case our departure gate was just about the closest to the terminal, so our car ride was less than five minutes. I jokingly asked if the driver could make another round, so he did a little loop on the tarmac for us right next to the plane. Awesome!

Driving to our plane

Our ride

The driver took us up the elevator to the jet bridge, where he walked us all the way aboard and introduced us to the crew, who took over from there.

Our plane to Seattle

Our plane to Seattle

Lufthansa 490
Frankfurt (FRA) – Seattle (SEA)
Sunday, March 25
Depart: 9:50AM
Arrive: 11:15AM
Duration: 10hr25min
Aircraft: Airbus A330-300
Seat: 2G (First Class)

Once onboard we settled into 2D & 2G. Only one other seat was taken (1A), so it was a fairly empty flight upfront, while business and coach were packed.

Seats 2D & 2G

View from seats 2D & 2G

Cabin view from 2G

In this instance we had one senior flight attendant and one junior flight attendant (I assume a trainee) working first class. Lufthansa seems to often have trainees working first class on the Seattle route. While I find just about all Lufthansa flight attendant attendants to be great, I find the trainees to be especially good in first class, since they’re usually enthusiastic about having the opportunity.

In this instance the trainee was working the cabin while the senior flight attendant was working the galley. The trainee was friendly and polished, though lacked the excitement and sincere smile that many of Lufthansa’s trainees seem to have when they get to work first class.

We were almost immediately offered pre-departure beverages, and I ordered a glass of champagne, which was served with the usual macadamia nuts.

Pre-departure service

Moments later I was offered slippers, an amenity kit, and a long sleeved shirt, which are the usual amenities on a daytime Lufthansa flight. I’ve never found the shirt to be especially useful, as I far prefer pajamas on such a long flight. So I immediately changed into my Swiss pajamas, which are among my favorite.

Amenities

Before pushback the captain came on the PA to advise us of our flight time of 10 hours, anticipating an on-time arrival in Seattle.

After a quick pushback and taxi to the runway we were airborne in a matter of minutes.

As we climbed through 10,000 feet the seatbelt sign was turned off and crew began their service, starting with setting up the bar in the front of the first class cabin.

Bar setup

While the first class flight attendants did that, the purser introduced herself and passed out menus for the flight.

Menus

The lunch menu read as follows:

Shortly thereafter the flight attendant passed through the cabin with hot towels, followed by the amuse bouche, which was some sort of feta cheese with fig and sorbet, if I recall correctly.

Hot towel

Amuse bouche

After that the tables were set and drinks were offered, which was followed by the appetizer cart.

Table setup

Appetizer cart

I just had the smoked tuna and caviar, as the other options didn’t interest me. Both were delicious.

Smoked tuna and caviar

I also love how Lufthansa even has a first class logo on their butter.

Gotta love the butter!

The next course was a salad with macadamia nut dressing.

Salad

And then a rather interesting herb cream soup.

Soup

For the main course I selected the potato and sauerkraut crepe. As far as Lufthansa’s catering out of Germany goes, I thought it was quite good.

Potato and sauerkraut crepe

Then I had a pretty interesting coffee dessert.

Dessert

Lastly I ordered a glass of Baileys, which was served with a couple of pralines.

Baileys and pralines

One of the nice things about the flight from Frankfurt to Seattle is how far North it flies, since you fly right over Greenland.

View from the window

View from the window

I wasn’t especially tired after lunch so decided to watch a movie. I had seen almost all the movies, so ended up deciding on Happy Feet Two. It was unbearable, so about halfway through I decided to turn it off and watch Abduction for the second time in two days. Slightly more pleasant of a movie!

Happy Feet Two

During the movie I decided to order some iced coffee, which the flight attendant prepared rather creatively, in my opinion, so kudos to her.

Iced coffee

After that we had about five hours to go till landing in Seattle, so I decided to take a nap. I woke up about 90 minutes out of Seattle, over Northern Canada, at which point the pre-arrival meal service began.

Airshow

The pre-arrival menu read as follows:

I really do like Lufthansa’s pre-arrival meals thanks to the variety of options they offer in a “buffet” format.

Pre-arrival meal

For dessert was a slice of white brownie cake.

Dessert

About 30 minutes out of Seattle I changed back into jeans and a t-shirt, and restowed all my carry-ons. After flying past the airport we turned around and landed into the North.

View on approach

We taxied past the Icelandair 757 and parked next to a Delta 767.

Icelandair 757

Delta 767

Thanks to Global Entry queues at immigration were non-existent, and my last Aeroplan round-the-world ticket came to an end.

Stay tuned, as there’s one more bonus installment.

Introduction
United Global First Lounge San Francisco
Lufthansa First Class San Francisco to Munich
Le Meridien Munich
Lufthansa First Class Lounge Munich, Swiss Business Class Munich to Zurich
Swiss First Class Lounge Zurich, Swiss First Class Zurich to Bangkok
St. Regis Bangkok
Thai Airways First Class Lounge & Spa Bangkok
Thai Airways First Class Bangkok to Hong Kong
Ritz Carlton Hong Kong
Exploring Hong Kong
United Club Hong Kong and Thai Airways Royal Orchid Lounge Hong Kong
Asiana Business Class Hong Kong to Seoul Incheon
Hyatt Regency Incheon Airport
Asiana First Class Lounge Seoul Incheon
Asiana First Class Seoul Incheon to Frankfurt
Sheraton Frankfurt Airport
Lufthansa First Class Terminal Frankfurt, Lufthansa First Class Frankfurt to Seattle
Four Seasons Seattle

---

While my family is from Frankfurt, my travels have me transiting Frankfurt a lot more than they have me terminating there. Usually they’re one night layovers while connecting, and I always  make an effort to go into the city. There’s a train from the airport to the city, and from there it’s just a quick ride to just about anywhere.

In the past my go to hotel was the InterContinental Frankfurt, which is very reasonably priced and does great with Royal Ambassador benefits. I’ve reviewed the hotel extensively, including here, here, here, and here. During my last transit in Frankfurt I discovered the Westin Grand Frankfurt, which is now my go-to hotel in Frankfurt, given that they seem to be pretty good with Platinum upgrades, and the hotel is a bit more modern than the InterContinental. Furthermore, the hotel is part of American Express Fine Hotels & Resorts (for American Express Platinum/Centurion card members), meaning you can get an 85EUR food and beverage credit plus free breakfast there if you book through them, even just for a one night stay.

But I had never stayed at the Sheraton Frankfurt Airport, so I decided this would be a good opportunity to try it out. Our layover was only about 16 hours, so it wasn’t quite enough time to go into the city and see anything while getting a good night of sleep. Beyond that, our flight the next morning was fairly early, and there’s not much I hate more than getting up early.

I had actually gone out of my way to avoid the Sheraton Frankfurt Airport previously. While it’s connected to the terminal and therefore very convenient, the outside of the building just looks so tired that I figured the hotel couldn’t be any good.

After landing and clearing immigration we took the walkway to the Sheraton, which can be accessed from the departures hall.

Walkway to the hotel

While there was a short queue at check-in, they had a dedicated Gold/Platinum line, where there was no wait. I presented my Chase Sapphire Preferred and SPG Platinum card, and after typing away from a moment the agent informed me that I didn’t have a booking at the hotel. I’m a complete idiot, and it’s probably a sign that I’m on the road a bit too much, because I had just assumed that I made the reservation. The good news is that they had plenty of rooms, and the agent gladly made me a cash & points booking (4,000 SPG points plus $60), which only took a few minutes. She couldn’t have been nicer about the whole situation, and even commented that I’d be surprised by how often that happens.

Lobby

Lobby

Computer terminals

She gave us the option between being upgraded to a club room in the renovated tower and a junior suite that wasn’t renovated. We went with the former, since I’ve heard that the non-renovated rooms aren’t in good shape at all.

The Tower elevators are located right across from reception.

Walkway to elevators

Hallways

While the room wasn’t huge, it was very nicely appointed, with bright colors and IKEA-esque furniture.

Room

The bed was firm, though not nearly as hard as the one at the Hyatt Regency Incheon.

Bed

The room featured a flat screen TV across from the bed, as well as a desk and chair with ottoman.

TV

Desk

Chair and ottoman

While the room faced a parking garage for the most part, at an angle you could see the airport, which I always love.

View from the room

The bathroom was a decent size and featured a sink, toilet, and shower/tub.

Bathroom

Shower

While I selected the points as the Platinum amenity, we still got a nice welcome plate with some fruit and desserts. Clearly the hotel knew about my sweet tooth.

Welcome amenity

The club lounge had keyed entry and was really the biggest shocker of the hotel, since it was one of the best Sheraton lounges I’ve seen anywhere.

Club lounge

The lounge featured a bunch of seating, both tables as well as couches.

Club seating

Club seating

The evening spread, which was out till after 10PM, consisted of finger sandwiches, fruit, vegetables, salad, and some delicious chocolate cake. Not only was the spread great, but the service was great too, with constant offers for refills.

The only downside of the lounge was the group of five or six Americans sitting at a table at the other side of the lounge that were talking very loudly. It wasn’t just the volume they were talking at, but what they were talking about, and how they were expressing themselves. Dude, I’m happy to hear you were able to “bag that chick,” but I really don’t need to hear about it. And not every second word has to be four letters…

Fortunately their conversation abruptly ended when one loudly exclaimed “I’ve gotta go take a dump.” Again, good to know.

Spread

Spread

Dessert spread

And while I didn’t partake in the breakfast offerings since I had an early flight, I did quickly stop by the lounge to snap a couple of pictures, and the spread was equally impressive, with fresh fruit, breads, and even hot dishes with a chef on site. They even had champagne, which is the first time I’ve seen that in a Sheraton club lounge.

Breakfast spread

Breakfast spread

Breakfast spread

Anyway, on the whole this is really a phenomenal airport hotel. While I try to leave the airport grounds when I have a longer overnight to get a change of scenery, this place is fantastic for a quick overnight, and I’m sure I’ll be back soon.

Introduction
United Global First Lounge San Francisco
Lufthansa First Class San Francisco to Munich
Le Meridien Munich
Lufthansa First Class Lounge Munich, Swiss Business Class Munich to Zurich
Swiss First Class Lounge Zurich, Swiss First Class Zurich to Bangkok
St. Regis Bangkok
Thai Airways First Class Lounge & Spa Bangkok
Thai Airways First Class Bangkok to Hong Kong
Ritz Carlton Hong Kong
Exploring Hong Kong
United Club Hong Kong and Thai Airways Royal Orchid Lounge Hong Kong
Asiana Business Class Hong Kong to Seoul Incheon
Hyatt Regency Incheon Airport
Asiana First Class Lounge Seoul Incheon
Asiana First Class Seoul Incheon to Frankfurt
Sheraton Frankfurt Airport
Lufthansa First Class Terminal Frankfurt, Lufthansa First Class Frankfurt to Seattle
Four Seasons Seattle

---

Before I even start with the report, I should mention that I flew exactly the same flight from Seoul to Frankfurt a couple of years ago, and you can find my review from then here. The major difference was that the flight was operated by a 777 then, as opposed to the 747 that operates it now.

Asiana 541
Seoul (ICN) – Frankfurt (FRA)
Saturday, March 24
Depart: 12:50PM
Arrive: 4:35PM
Duration: 11hr45min
Aircraft: Boeing 747-400
Seat: 1A (First Class)

Our escort brought us all the way to the door of the plane, at which point she introduced us to the assistant purser, who directed us to our seats in row four. The nose of the 747 is configured with four rows of one seat on each side, and then a row in the center with two seats. We had selected the two center seats, 4E & 4F.

First class cabin

My seat, 4E

First class cabin from 4E

As soon as we were seated, though, we noticed just how cramped the center seats felt. The “suites” along the side of the aircraft are rather large, but you don’t get that same feeling in the center seats. Furthermore, the actual ottoman was smaller, so we inquired as to whether the other two unoccupied first class seats would remain open.

The crew gladly informed us they would, so they assisted me with my move to seat 1A, which felt much more spacious.

Waiting at my seat was a day blanket and pillow. Within a minute of settling in one of the lovely flight attendants approached me to offer pajamas. They run small, so I went with the XLs.

Pajamas

My fashionable pajamas

I was also offered an amenity kit, slippers, and Bose Quiet Comfort 3 headphones.

Amenity kit, slippers, and headphones

Quiet Comfort 3 headphones

The amenity kit consists of Bulgari amenities, which immediately makes it one of my favorites:

Amenity kit contents

The seats themselves are plenty spacious, though far from the most modern out there. The only aspect of their product that’s appalling (in my opinion) is the color scheme.

Ottoman

Seat controls

Entertainment controls

View of bulkhead from my seat

Best part of the seat — air nozzles, which are far too rare on foreign carriers

Anyway, what sets Asiana apart isn’t the seat or painful color scheme, but rather the service and food, in that order.

Once I was settled in the flight attendant asked if I might like a pre-departure beverage. I ordered a glass of champagne, which was poured at my seat. The flight attendant also brought an empty ramekin and large bowl of nuts, from which she scooped at my seat. Now that’s what I call personalized nut service! The only downside was that she gave me the smallest portion of nuts I’ve ever seen, though both champagne and nut refills were plentiful.

What sets a great airline apart from a good airline? They refill your glass of champagne before you even have the opportunity to refuse. And this was a great flight, since I rarely drink, but I was at glass four or five by departure time. Let’s just say I thought the safety video was the most interesting in-flight entertainment of the trip.

Pre-departure champagne and my paltry nuts

As departure time rolled around the captain came on the PA to advise us of our flight time of 11 hours, anticipating an on-time arrival in Frankfurt.

After pushback we had only about a five minute taxi to the runway (and trust me, Asiana pilots don’t taxi at takeoff speed like the folks at Southwest), at which point we had a long takeoff roll before being airborne.

Pushing back

Airborne

About 10 minutes after takeoff the seatbelt sign was turned off, and I immediately changed into the pajamas. I did so before the curtains were closed, at which point I noticed that right behind first class is coach, as business class is only on the upper deck. Boy, the evil glares I got will scar me for life.

When I got back to my seat hot towels were distributed, followed quickly by the menus.

Hot towel

Menus

The lunch menu read as follows:

The only complaint I could possibly have about service on Asiana is that they distribute the menus, take meal orders three minutes later, and then immediately collect the menus. Ideally I like to keep the menus, but at the very least I like to be able to reference them while having an eight course meal so I have an idea of what I’m eating.

Other than that, the service was truly beyond spectacular on the flight. While Asiana flight attendants don’t speak flawless English (admittedly my Korean could use just a bit of fine tuning) their sincerity, warmth, and smiles make the airline, in my opinion.

The meal service began with drinks and a prosciutto with baked pear starter, which was delicious.

Prosciutto and Baked Pear with Balsamic Vinaigrette

After that the service really kicked into full gear, with caviar and a rose. Asiana serves full, sealed “tins” of caviar, unlike most other airlines which plate it for you. The breadbasket was offered along with it.

Caviar

Caviar

The next course was a seafood salad, which was equally delicious.

Seafood Salad with Curry and Saffron Sauce

As was the cauliflower soup.

Cauliflower Veloute with Parmesan Chip

The next course was a chicken schnitzel. Again, it was very good.

Parmesan Chicken Schnitzel and Potato with Creamy Mustard Sauce

The main course was a sirloin. One of my favorite aspects of the Asiana meal service is that they ask you how you want your steak cooked. Not many airlines do that, so it’s a real treat when you can have a steak cooked to your liking on an airplane.

Grilled Wagyu Sirloin

After the main course I was offered a cheese plate with grapes and veggies.

Cheese Selections with Apricot and Raisin Chutney

And to finish off the meal was a green tea cake, which was also very good, and I’m rarely a fan of green tea desserts. I accompanied it with a cup of coffee.

Green tea torte with caramel sauce

Not only was the food phenomenal, but the service was even better. Seriously, I can’t say enough positive things about Asiana flight attendants. They were constantly smiling, incredibly attentive, and very detail oriented. For me the service is what makes a flight memorable, and the crew on this leg really shined.

For example, every time I went to the lav one of the flight attendants opened the door for me, and every time I exited they asked if there was anything they could get me.

As lunch finished up I requested turndown service, which was immediately provided.

Seat in sleep mode

I was rather exhausted after such a whirlwind trip, so slept like a baby for about five hours, waking up with about four hours to go to Frankfurt. I figured I’d take a peak at the snack menu, which read as follows:

I ultimately decided on the soup, which took about 10 minutes to prepare.

Soup

After that I was rather awake, so decided to watch a movie. I typically only like comedies. I never understood the point of fictional dramas. There’s enough sad stuff going in the world, why watch a movie about something sad that’s made up? Asiana’s in-flight entertainment options are pretty lame with virtually no sitcoms, so I decided to watch “Abduction,” a movie I had been putting off seeing for a long time.

And perhaps I shouldn’t admit it, but it was a damn good movie, and I actually thought the acting was pretty good. I was about to kick someone’s ass by the end of it, and I thought the plot was pretty exciting too. Anyone agree? Bueller? Bueller? Bueller?

By the end of the movie we were about two hours out of Frankfurt, and it was time for the pre-arrival meal.

Airshow

The pre-arrival menu read as follows:

Service began with a variety of juices, so I went with orange juice.

Orange juice

The first course was salmon with tomato and avocado.

Salmon with Tomato and Avocado

I was a bit torn on the main course. I didn’t want to go with the Korean option (if it’s spicy by their standards, I’ll be in tears by the end of it), and the goose liver pushed me away from the chicken, so I went with the steak. Yeah, I would have rather not had two steaks on one flight, but both were excellent, and in both instances I was asked how I wanted them cooked, so…

Rossini Beef Tenderloin

Then for dessert was a light but tasty fruit tart, with which I ordered some tea.

Yogurt Mousse with Fresh Fruits

About 30 minutes before landing the purser came around with gifts. Asiana is the only airline I know of that offers their first class passengers gifts, and I think it’s a really nice touch. The options were an iPhone 4S case, a CD, or an Asiana duffel bag. I went with the iPhone case, as I actually don’t have one. I mean, let’s be honest, my iPhone is now totally cooler than everyone else’s, given that it has the Asiana logo on it.

iPhone case

iPhone case

The seatbelt sign came on about 15 minutes prior to landing, and it was proving to be a beautiful afternoon in Frankfurt as we descended over the city.

On approach

On approach

On approach

Short final

After a beautiful touch down and 20 minute taxi to the gate another lovely flight on Asiana was coming to an end.

Taxiing in

It took a few minutes for the jet bridge driver to open the door, so I snapped just a few pictures of the first class cabin.

First class cabin

First class cabin

First class cabin

TAM 777

Our plane

The walk to immigration and baggage claim took about 10 minutes, at which point my friend’s bag was the first off the belt, all wrapped up.

First class baggage “wrapping”

So as usual my flight on Asiana was spectacular. Like I said, they don’t have the best in-flight entertainment or hard product, though the service and food are among the best in the sky.

I’ll leave you guys with one question, though, because I’m torn on this one — do you consider the bag “wrapping” to be a benefit or inconvenience, given that you have to unwrap a ~60 pound bag the second it comes off the belt at your destination after a longhaul flight?

Introduction
United Global First Lounge San Francisco
Lufthansa First Class San Francisco to Munich
Le Meridien Munich
Lufthansa First Class Lounge Munich, Swiss Business Class Munich to Zurich
Swiss First Class Lounge Zurich, Swiss First Class Zurich to Bangkok
St. Regis Bangkok
Thai Airways First Class Lounge & Spa Bangkok
Thai Airways First Class Bangkok to Hong Kong
Ritz Carlton Hong Kong
Exploring Hong Kong
United Club Hong Kong and Thai Airways Royal Orchid Lounge Hong Kong
Asiana Business Class Hong Kong to Seoul Incheon
Hyatt Regency Incheon Airport
Asiana First Class Lounge Seoul Incheon
Asiana First Class Seoul Incheon to Frankfurt
Sheraton Frankfurt Airport
Lufthansa First Class Terminal Frankfurt, Lufthansa First Class Frankfurt to Seattle
Four Seasons Seattle

---

We took the shuttle from the Hyatt Regency Incheon to the airport at around 10AM, and arrived at the airport a few minutes later. Asiana first class check-in is located at the far end of the terminal with two “guards” stationed at the front of the line, despite the fact that no one was in it.

Incheon terminal

First class check-in

First class check-in

The agent efficiently processed our check-in, and my friend decided to check a bag. What I had never noticed before is that Asiana places first class checked bags in a plastic bag, I assume to avoid any damage. On one hand I think it’s a great service, though at the same time it’s a bit of a pain, since you also have to remove the bag from the plastic covering at baggage claim upon landing, and with a heavy bag that’s no easy task.

Bag being wrapped

The agent then escorted us to the security checkpoint. The service is also rather interesting given that they literally just walk you to the security checkpoint and then let you make your own way to the lounge.

Escort to security

Security and immigration was quick, and we found ourselves in one of the world’s most highly rated terminals. We took a right turn and headed straight for the first class lounge, which is only a couple hundred feet away.

Incheon terminal

First class lounge entrance

At the entrance both agents bowed as we entered and welcomed us into the lounge.

The Asiana first class lounge is quite nice, though by no means the Lufthansa First Class Terminal in Frankfurt or Thai First Class Lounge in Bangkok.

The lounge is beautifully decorated, though, and I love the fact that the lounge is almost always empty. Part of the enjoyment of a premium lounge is being able to get some work done in relative peace, and the Asiana first class lounge certainly delivers in that regard.

Lounge seating

Lounge seating

In addition to plenty of seating, the lounge also has a dining room of sorts right by the buffet.

Buffet

The food spread is also quite good, with a handful of hot dishes (dim sum and the like), as well as several cold dishes, including salad, salmon, cheese, fruit, etc.

Buffet

Buffet

Buffet

After hanging around for about an hour the lounge attendant found us and informed us it was time to head to the gate. We were escorted there at a snail’s pace (unlike our escort, I try not to wear heels at airports), and made it to the plane right as boarding was finishing up.

Escort to the plane

Our plane

Our plane

Like any Asiana first class experience, the highlight was waiting for us aboard.

Introduction
United Global First Lounge San Francisco
Lufthansa First Class San Francisco to Munich
Le Meridien Munich
Lufthansa First Class Lounge Munich, Swiss Business Class Munich to Zurich
Swiss First Class Lounge Zurich, Swiss First Class Zurich to Bangkok
St. Regis Bangkok
Thai Airways First Class Lounge & Spa Bangkok
Thai Airways First Class Bangkok to Hong Kong
Ritz Carlton Hong Kong
Exploring Hong Kong
United Club Hong Kong and Thai Airways Royal Orchid Lounge Hong Kong
Asiana Business Class Hong Kong to Seoul Incheon
Hyatt Regency Incheon Airport
Asiana First Class Lounge Seoul Incheon
Asiana First Class Seoul Incheon to Frankfurt
Sheraton Frankfurt Airport
Lufthansa First Class Terminal Frankfurt, Lufthansa First Class Frankfurt to Seattle
Four Seasons Seattle

---

Overnights at Incheon are always a toughie for me. On one hand I like to go into the city whenever possible, and the Park Hyatt Seoul is nothing short of spectacular.

Unfortunately it really is a haul from Incheon Airport to the city, though. The first time I visited (maybe five years ago) my dad and I made the mistake of taking a cab from the airport to the city, not realizing how far it was and how expensive cabs are in Seoul. It cost us close to $200USD.

Given that we were landing at 5:50PM and that customs can take a while, I figured it would be 6:30PM before we’d be out of the airport. Then it’s another 90 minute bus ride to the Park Hyatt, so we would have made it there at 8PM. Our flight the following day was at 12PM, so we would have had to leave by about 8AM. I decided it wasn’t worth it, so we just booked the Hyatt Regency Incheon Airport. I stayed at the Hyatt Regency Incheon two years ago, so feel free to check out that review.

While revenue rates at the Hyatt Regency Incheon Airport are regularly upwards of $250USD per night, it’s only a category two hotel, making it 8,000 points per night. So just like last time I decided to use points for the stay.

The shuttle runs to and from the airport every 20 minutes, and we just happened to catch it right as we made it to the outside of the airport. The hotel is only about a five minute drive away, so we were there in no time. We seemed to be the only ones on the bus that weren’t Korean Air pilots.

Bus

Once in the lobby we headed straight for check-in, where a friendly agent helped us in no time.

Lobby

Lobby

At check-in I asked about the possibility of an upgrade to a deluxe room, which is basically a triangular room that’s a lot more spacious. I had been upgraded to it last time, though apparently the hotel was fully committed this time around.

Anyway, we were assigned a room on the 12th floor.

Hallway

Room

The room was a decent size, especially for South Korea, with a bed, large table with two chairs, and seat with ottoman. It’s worth noting though that the bed was really firm. I mean REALLY firm. Like, I’m pretty sure the Flinstones have more comfortable beds in Bedrock.

Room

I was happy to see that they finally upgraded the TVs to flat screens since my last stay.

Room

Desk

Seat and ottoman

There’s really nothing other than the airport in the hotel’s vicinity, so our view was of construction and the airport in the distance.

View from our room

View from our room

One thing this hotel deserves a lot of credit for is their Diamond amenity. Diamond members are supposed to get a food and beverage amenity at international properties, and many properties are really cheap about the amenities. The Hyatt Regency Incheon, on the other hand, offers a bottle of wine, a box of pralines, and some fruit. Compare that to the Hyatt Regency Mainz, which offers just four rotten apples, or the Grand Hyatt Bali, which offers a bowl of fruit (otherwise those are two fantastic hotels, but that’s one area in which they lag).

Diamond welcome amenity

The bathroom was separated from the bedroom by glass, though it had blinds that could be adjusted for privacy. There was a shower/tub as well as sink and toilet.

Shower

Sink

Toilet

The Regency Club is located on the 11th floor, and the facilities and food spread are actually reasonably nice. The issue is that the lounge is overcrowded and understaffed, so it’s not really a nice place to relax or get any work done. I think the main issue is that aside from the hotel restaurant there’s nowhere to eat in the vicinity, so just about everyone was trying to make dinner of the club lounge spread. As soon as a new dish was brought out, all of it was gone within a matter of minutes.

Regency Club

Regency Club

Self serve wine selection

The spread was pretty decent consisting of sushi, fruit, nuts, chips, cheese, meats, etc.

Evening spread

Evening spread

Evening spread

I think the lounge can best be summed up by a maybe eight year old boy that was in the Regency Club. He stood in front of the spread and then asked the waiter “where’s the dinner food?” No “dinner food” here!

Would I return? I dunno, I guess if I had to. Frankly in the future I’d try to schedule a stopover long enough so that I could comfortably go into the city (ideally for at least two days). Other than that I’d try to avoid an overnight in Incheon as much as possible, since there’s not really anything to do around the hotel. I’d rather have a 10 hour layover during the day, as Incheon Airport actually has some airside transit hotels that are convenient and fairly nice. And you can’t beat not having to leave security during your layover. Just for comparison purposes, here’s a picture of the transit hotel room I rented for eight hours at Incheon Airport about five years ago:

You can’t beat not having to leave security!

Introduction
United Global First Lounge San Francisco
Lufthansa First Class San Francisco to Munich
Le Meridien Munich
Lufthansa First Class Lounge Munich, Swiss Business Class Munich to Zurich
Swiss First Class Lounge Zurich, Swiss First Class Zurich to Bangkok
St. Regis Bangkok
Thai Airways First Class Lounge & Spa Bangkok
Thai Airways First Class Bangkok to Hong Kong
Ritz Carlton Hong Kong
Exploring Hong Kong
United Club Hong Kong and Thai Airways Royal Orchid Lounge Hong Kong
Asiana Business Class Hong Kong to Seoul Incheon
Hyatt Regency Incheon Airport
Asiana First Class Lounge Seoul Incheon
Asiana First Class Seoul Incheon to Frankfurt
Sheraton Frankfurt Airport
Lufthansa First Class Terminal Frankfurt, Lufthansa First Class Frankfurt to Seattle
Four Seasons Seattle

---

After a 15 minute walk from the Thai Airways lounge we made it to gate 17, where boarding was well underway.

Our plane to Seoul Incheon

Our gate

Asiana 722
Hong Kong (HKG) – Seoul Incheon (ICN)
Friday, March 23
Depart: 1:30PM
Arrive: 5:50PM
Duration: 3hr20min
Aircraft: Airbus 330-300
Seat: 4H (Business Class)

Once aboard we were directed to the far aisle, where we were seated in the second to last row in business class. Asiana uses their old longhaul business class product for the route, so it really can’t be beat for a three hour flight around Asia. The seats are angled flat with large entertainment screens.

Business class cabin

Our seats

View from our seats

Seat controls

Within a few minutes of settling in we were offered pre-departure beverages, with the option between water, orange juice, and champagne.

Pre-departure beverages

That was quickly followed by hot towels.

Hot towel

Within about 20 minutes the boarding process was complete and the doors were closed. Before we pushed back the captain came on the PA to advise us of our flight time of 2hr40min, anticipating an on-time arrival in Seoul Incheon.

Cabin

After pushback we taxied to the runway where there was a bit of a queue for takeoff.

Terminal

Taxiing to the runway

Cathay Pacific Airbus 330 landing

After holding short of the runway for about 15 minutes we were airborne with a rather abrupt “jerk” of the joystick.

Climbing out

I started playing around with the entertainment system, though unfortunately I had seen most of the movies. In the end I settled on “Jack & Jill,” which I hadn’t seen before. It’s a comedy starring Adam Sandler. I like comedies and I think Adam Sandler is funny, so it can’t go that wrong, can it?

Well, it was a friggin’ trainwreck. At least the first 20 minutes before I decided I just couldn’t take it anymore. Someone please tell me this move is a bad joke.

Entertainment system

About 15 minutes after takeoff the flight attendants came around the cabin with menus for lunch, which read as follows:

About five minutes after distributing menus the flight attendants came around to take orders. The only aspect of Asiana service that frustrates me is that they take away the menus as soon as they take meal orders. I can understand they maybe don’t want people to keep the menus, but I always like to reference the menu as I’m eating since I rarely remember what exactly the description was. And there’s often a language barrier with Asiana flight attendants, so they’re not any help in describing food either.

As the flight attendant took my friend’s order he asked if he could do the western appetizer and dessert, and then the Korean main course, which was met with a blank stare. She said she’d go ask the purser if that was alright, which I found a bit strange, given that the cabin was maybe 1/3 full, so I assume they had a decent amount of food catered.

Either way, the meal service was really impressive for a flight of under three hours.

The first course consisted of a chicken and apple salad along with a side salad. Both were delicious.

Starter and salad

After the starters and salads were served, the flight attendant came around with the breadbasket.

Bread

The flight attendants first cleared all the starter plates and then served the main courses.

My steak was delicious, as is usually the case on Asiana.

Steak

And my friend enjoyed the Korean Bibimbap as well

Korean Bibimbap

After plates were cleared the fruit and cheese plate was brought out, which was delicious.

Fruit and cheese plate

And that was quickly followed by the dessert, which consisted of tiramisu.

Tiramisu

And the meal was finished off with some pralines, which is pretty rare for business class.

Pralines

On the whole I’d say Asiana’s regional business class meal service is on part with the first class meal service on many airlines.

I also have to say that the crew was really friendly. They were constantly smiling, and also attentive and sincere. There is a bit of a language barrier on Asiana compared to the likes of Cathay Pacific and Singapore Airlines, but they more than make up for it with the effort they put into everything.

After a smooth touchdown and quick taxi to the gate, we headed straight for immigration where there were no queues, and then to the shuttle for the Hyatt Regency Incheon.

Terminal

Baggage claim