Last month I flew Korean Air’s inaugural A380 flight from JFK to Seoul Incheon. I took these videos from my seat while I was watching the nose camera displayed on the personal T.V.
The first video is departing JFK. It almost looks like a mid February white out, but it was just fog and rain. The second video is landing at ICN, where it was also very foggy. Enjoy!

Ok. Enough travelling for the moment. Let’s take a break and look at some airfares. Without which we won’t be able to plan another trip. This is another installment of “Where The Good Fares Are”

I search for international airfares using a random set of dates and somewhat random city pairings. I see relative value in these fares. They may be good for mileage runs, checking out different airlines, positioning or hell… even leisurely travel. Not an all inclusive list. I found all the fares today on Orbitz (where Planereality has an affiliate agreement) using January 11, 2012 through January 18, 2012. I used the “search 1 day before/after” function in Orbitz.  Fare listed include  fees and taxes.  You may want to do the same.  Labor Day Weekend fast approaching.  No hurricanes please.

ECONOMY CLASS

JFK-Dublin $540 Delta – search for fare

JFK-Berlin $647 Air Berlin – search for fare

EWR-Oslo $708 SAS – search for fare

IAD-CDG $699 Air France & Continental search for fare

LAX-Madrid $781 Iberia – search for fare

SFO-Beijing $939 Air China – search for fare

BUSINESS CLASS

LAX-Shanghai $3453 Air Canada – search for fare

Boston-LHR $2858 Virgin – search for fare

JFK-Madrid $2721 Air Europa – search for fare

After the pageantry and speeches, it was finally time to fly. Each coach seat had a pillow, blanket, headphones, slippers and a toothbrush. I immediately began fussing with the brand new touch screen televisions. The purser came by and welcomed me on board by name.

The JFK-ICN inaugural flight was scheduled for 12hrs and 44min of flight time. We taxied and had virtually no wait for take-off, a miracle in itself at JFK. At 3:46pm (1hr and 46min past schedule) we were airborne. After I got over my disappointment of not having access to the upstairs bar, I began to enjoy the flight.

As soon as the pilot let the flight attendants know they could do so, the FA’s passed out pajamas to the children on board, set up a few bassinets and drew a curtain between the cabin and galley, in order to prepare for service. After 50 minutes, beer, wine, juice, soda, peanuts and a sanitary towel were offered.

Korean Air’s A380 boasts the fewest number of seats (301) in the coach cabin (and overall) vs. other A380 operators. I found this very evident in the amount of legroom I had in 36C. Also, the seat never got uncomfortably hard, like my experience with ANA’s new economy seats and was sitting on 2 pillows by the end of the flight. Much more on the best seats in the next post.
The coach cabin was bright, but not in a negative way. It was refreshing and clean looking, very un-complicated.

Dinner consisted of Korean Bimibap and seaweed soup. This is what I was offered and not sure if there were more choices. It’s delicious stuff and oddly, bimibap was exactly what I was served when I flew Korean Air Business Class.

After dinner, the show, aka duty free sales, started. It was quite chaotic. There were 4-6 fa’s in each aisle, shuffling to & fro, passing goods back and forth and speaking loudly to each other. When that concluded, the lights dimmed and I slept. I woke to an fa offering me water and banana or bread. When I woke up again, the cabin lights were on, there were 4 hours to go and the 2nd meal service was commencing.

Airline food used to, and probably still does, get a pretty bad rap. I think it’s improved considerably over the last decade. However, when people talk about “airline food” and the images that are conjured up, they were referring to the piece of chicken served on this flight. Not exactly edible. The other option was creamy pasta with vegetables. Water and OJ were offered before our 5pm arrival at foggy ICN.

The service on Korean Air has never disappointed me and this flight was no exception.
I will post some pictures of the rest of aircraft shortly.

big windows huh?

push back

note the CX tail

22R

smiling; novel concept

great stuff; where can i buy it?

“it’s ice”

2nd meal service

mid cabin

rear cabin

korean’s other a380; the 1st delivered: HL7611

New routes and new aircrafts are always a treat to be a part of. The launch of the Korean Air A380 from JFK to Seoul (ICN) was one of the latter as Korean Air has been flying the aircraft within Asia for a few weeks. Of course, each airline’s “personality” is bound to show in the context of the celebration and/or ceremony before and after the flight. For instance, when I flew the Air France A380 inaugural from JFK to CDG, there was champagne in the terminal, a band on board, special menu and small orchestra upon arrival; among other things.

This A380 launch was NOT that. But that was OK, that’s not what I expected and I don’t suspect that reflects the Korean Air culture. This was very much about business, recognizing integral, internal (and external personnel) and promoting Korean Air as the first Asian carrier to fly the A380 across the Pacific from New York.

I assigned myself seat 36C, but at check-in inquired as to whether there was any preferred seating for Sky Team Elite members. The check-in agent looked at me puzzled and said:
“Sky Team Elite… what’s that, what do you mean?”
I provided a brief explanation and then asked what was, apparently, a tougher question:
“Do coach passengers have access to the upstairs bar?”
Answer: “For this aircraft {as opposed to the other aircraft with a bar} I honestly have no idea”
At least he was honest.
What he did know was that I had access to the Prestige Lounge.

At check-in, each passenger was given a raffle ticket to deposit into a box at the gate for chance to win a free upgrade to Prestige Class. Actually, 2 names would wind up being drawn which made for 2 very excited passengers.

After some refreshments in the Prestige Lounge, I went to see the arrival of the A380. There were many photographers and members of the Korean press. Following the aircraft’s arrival, a few speeches were given by several Korean Air executives during which many people were recognized and received flowers including the pilots and flight attendants. (I wonder if they were able to bring those fresh cut flowers through Korean customs…)

Excitement was building and anticipation mounting throughout the ceremony which concluded at 2:10pm. The flight was scheduled for a 2pm departure, but nobody cared. Passengers could not get on this beautiful beast fast enough.

a few ground crew at the ready

spectators & passengers

cue water cannons

this water cannon set up a bit short

ke executives, faa personnel, jfk staff, port authority management

quick interview with pilots & then time to go

Made it back from my 24,000 mile journey in 1 piece although my body hates me right now and is having no problem letting me know it. A few weeks ago I wrote some tips on staying healthy during air travel. I followed them all, but this time it didn’t make a difference.

First up on the journey (after my 6am flight to JFK) was a visit to Korean Air’s Prestige Class (Business Class) Lounge. My ticket was economy class, but Sky Team Elite Plus status (Delta Gold) will give you access to this lounge in Terminal 1. There is also a 1st Class section to the lounge which uses the same entrance.
The lounge is attractively appointed with many tan and grey armchairs accented by wood trim and paneling. There was a quiet area, sleeping rooms and cubicles to work. The entire West side of the lounge is windows, providing a pretty decent view of aircraft movements. This is where I set up shop and noticed the carpet probably needs to be replaced. Also, power outlets seemed to be few and far between.

There was a self service food and beverage bar comprised of the typical libations, although the liquor was scarce. For food: small sandwiches, crackers, cheese, sun chips, peanuts and Oreos.
The Prestige Lounge is located to the right, just after the main security on the 2nd floor. The Lounge provides a very pleasant, uncrowded place to relax.

quiet room (with TV)

Check In
There are 2 adjacent areas to check in for Swiss Airlines flights at JFK’s Terminal 4. The first is the normal desk divided into lines for Business and Coach class passengers. The 2nd option is closer to the terminal entrance and is designated for First Class and Star Alliance Gold members. I chose the latter and was checked in through Zurich and on to Tel Aviv within minutes. The agent even let my +22 kilo carry on slide, but said ” next time you will have to check it”

Pre-Departure
After a quick tour of the First Class cabin, I found my seat, 4G and stowed my bags. The great thing about row 4, the first row of business class and 1 of only 2 rows in this mini-cabin, is that you have a shelf right in front of you in order to keep some of your belongings at your fingertips (not during taxi take-off and landing though)
Newspapers, water, juice, champagne, hot towels and menus were distributed while boarding was taking place. Business class passengers were asked to fill out a breakfast menu and indicated whether you would like to be woken for the service before landing. Here is the Business Class Lounge report.

Seats
You will notice a somewhat different staggered configuration for Swiss’ New Business Class product. Row 4 is 1-2-1, row 5 is 2-2-1.  Every K seat is a single, but some have the “bulkhead” on the aisle and some have the bulkhead at the window. Here is the diagram.  There is an air cushion within the seat and you can make the seat softer or firmer at the touch of a button
The most important aspect of Swiss’ new Business Class seats is the amount of foot space when you lie down. Much more space than most flat bed seats that typically provide minimal room for your feet.  This made for a very sound sleep.

Food & Entertainment
Each course of dinner was served at once in order to leave maximum sleeping time on this rather short 7 hour, 10 minute flight. The food was incredibly flavorful, although the portions were not huge.  I mostly listened to music, but there were plenty of newly released movies.   The music category was exceptional especially the  ”Greatest Hits” category which featured at least 20 artists from various genres and their most popular songs.

A Few Firsts For Me

• The personal television has a picture-in-picture function so you can surf other programming while still watching what’s being viewed
• The Captain came out to our cabin before pushback and briefed us on the flight, thanked passengers for their business and wished us sweet dreams
• A flight attendant asked me: “Did you like your meal” (simple, but a rarity)
• When the seat is in full bed position, there are seat controls in the shell of the seat, so you can sit up without having to get up to adjust the seat.

Disclosure: This trip was provided to me, in part, by Swiss International Airlines.

terminal 4 at jfk

hbjha

4k

5 d & g

5 d & g

5k

5 a & b

my view from 4g; note the shelf; newspapers would be distributed

plenty of space for your legs/feet

amenity kit; combs and shave kits available upon request

breakfast options

Not sure that I have ever taken so many pictures of an airline lounge, but there is a lot going on at the Swiss Airlines Business Class Lounge at JFK. The lounge easily makes my top 3 globally. Just like the First Class Lounge, Swiss Airlines’ Business Class Lounge is clean, elegant and very appealing. The lounge is located on the upper floor just behind the row 1 check in area. While the lounge is outside security it is a stones throw from the security checkpoint and there was virtually no line for business class passengers.

The lounge contains two main sections (both quite spacious) divided by a quiet zone room on one side and bathrooms on the other. There are self service food & beverage areas in both sections of the lounge. Pre-flight dining was served at 4pm. The meal was simple and delicious. There is a separate room with several internet terminals, a quiet room with massage chairs, an area to watch television and a few rows of tall tables with power outlets running the entire length.

Both the 1st Class and Business Class lounges are accented by stone imported from Switzerland. As you will see by the pictures, there is a wall of windows that overlook the tarmac.  The lounge provides a truly relaxing atmosphere to relax before your flight.

rear section

front section

internet stations

massage chairs inside quiet room

reading material

chicken piccatta, potatoes, pasta primavera

While I was not flying First Class to Zurich, I did have the opportunity to take a peek at Swiss International Airlines’ First Class Lounge at JFK.  It was clean, uncluttered and refreshing.  No gold trim here.  Everything one would need was at arms length and nothing was over-indulgent.  The lounge presented a classy, understated elegance that I am confident most First Class travellers would appreciate.  Food and drinks were self service and there is a separate dining room.  A shower room is also available.
I am still in Jerusalem and headed to Tel Aviv today. More flying tomorrow.

mixed nuts

Well… easily the best $130 I ever spent. My one-way flight from JFK to SFO was $130. As I mentioned here, the only question was, would I be lucky enough to get upgraded? The answer: Yes. No purchasing full fares, no certificates, no mileage redemption; just a plain, old-fashioned upgrade.

The seats were similar to the Business Elite seats on Delta’s 777 and 767 in appearance, but the controls were a little different and the seats do not have as much pitch or recline (but much more than typical domestic first). Less recline means the person in front of you is not sitting in your lap like the 777 and 767. I also found it much easier to get out of my window seat 4D during the 5 hour and 52 minute flight.

Surprisingly no menus were available. One of the selling points of airlines’ upgraded trans-continental service is multi-course meals prepared by world renowned chefs. When the FA comes by and asks me if I would like chicken, beef or pasta, “specially created” meals loose their luster. Is it beef tenderloin, stir-fry, wellington or tartare? I would like to know what I am eating (particularly if it is good) Needless to say, and most importantly, the food was delicious, particularly the polenta (even though it looked like hell) After the main course, passengers had a choice of a sundae or cheese tray.

With 1:45 flight time remaining, FA’s offered more drinks, the snack basket and then distributed warm chocolate chip cookies.

Service was most impressive, in large part because of Nicole’s flawless execution and ability to anticipate passenger needs. Lots of pics, enjoy. Thanks for reading Planereality

DL #127
757-200; N710TW
6.5 block time; 5:52 actual

blanket & pillow

lumbar controls

Here are a few shots from my layover yesterday at JFK. The angles from the Delta terminal were tough and the sun was doing weired things. Plus, I’m not much of a photographer. Anyway, these are the best of about 100.

I’m at Denver now, awaiting 777 service to ORD. Had an impressive breakfast coming over from SFO. I will post pictures of that flight soon. Help me decide who to fly next by voting on the right. Thanks y’all!

I don’t know what’s scarier, JetBlue rogue flight attendant Steve Slater’s reckless behavior this week or the fact that he just started following me on twitter.  None-the-less, I find it very ironic that in an industry which is bashed by the media more than any other for it’s treatment of consumers, especially for its rude employees, this one is set to write the newest version of JetBlue’s Code of Conduct.

Here are some of the most recent headlines:

“Steven Slater: From JetBlue Quitter to Latest American Folk Hero?”

“JetBlue Flight Attendant Gains Hero Status”

“An apology to JetBlue flight attendant Steven Slater”

“Stupid passengers take the blame for wild flight attendant”

All of a sudden, this week, its not the airline’s fault, but the passengers.  Bravo! 

Why the flip-flop?

In case you have not noticed, JetBlue and Virgin America are the darlings of the media as far as airlines go.  I can only imagine the headlines had this incident taken place on a United, Delta or American flight.  If this were the case, I believe the headlines would be in line with the historical level of scrutinization:

“Sue them, fine them, how could they!”