Korean Job Discussion Forums

driftingfocus · Joined: 08 Feb 2007 Location: Boston, MA

Does anyone have any experience with Asiana Airlines?

I'm flying my boyfriend in in two weeks, and we need to buy his ticket. Korean Air is about $50 more and at less convenient times, but Asiana is at better times and cheaper, so if that airline is fine, we'd prefer that one. I just think I remember hearing something bad about them, but I could be mistaken.

cruisemonkey · Posted: Thu Jun 26, 2008 11:16 am Post subject:

On Asiana, the flight attendants are prettier Wink

(ane their planes are a different colour).

Sapa · Joined: 05 Nov 2007

i was looking at reviews for them the other day, can't remember where but there are loads of websites dedicated to airline reviews. just search google - asiana airlines review

Sapa · Joined: 05 Nov 2007

forgot to say, the reviews were all really positive.

crsandus · Joined: 05 Oct 2004

I can't really compare to Korean Air but my flight on Asiana in 2005 was good. I also agree that the flight attendents are attractive. I wish NorthWest had the same seats where the headrests can fold out those wings for sleeping.

xtchr · Joined: 23 Nov 2004

Their website for foreigners living in Korea is pretty much useless (unless they've overhauled it recently, i.e couldn't use a foreign credit card to book tickets etc) but their in-flight service was fine. No problems at all.

spliff · Joined: 19 Jan 2004 Location: Khon Kaen, Thailand

Both airlines are pretty much the same I would think. Lot's of Koreans.

mrgiles · Joined: 09 Jul 2007 Location: Seoul

all in all, asiana's better than korean air. there's not a massive difference though, and u do get a pretty good bibimbab on korean air, and they have those funny scarves that make them look like there's a horizontal wind eternally following them around.

Ya-ta Boy · Joined: 16 Jan 2003 Location: Established in 1994

I've flown both and never noticed any difference to speak of.

driftingfocus · Joined: 08 Feb 2007 Location: Boston, MA

Siesta · Joined: 01 Feb 2008

If you go to their website you can choose the country and language.

http://flyasiana.com

mrsquirrel · Joined: 13 Dec 2006

Pretty sure they code share with Korean air on some flights as well.

You may well end up on a Korean air flight anyway

last goodbye · Joined: 13 Aug 2006

I have flown both and Asiana is better... still a lousy airline, but Korean Air really bites... true about the stewardesses..

sojourner1 · Posted: Thu Jun 26, 2008 7:35 pm Post subject:

I flew Asiana 2 days ago from Chicago and it was skimpy on the food and drink. The lightest of any international flight out of the 2 dozen or so long flights I've taken. We went very hungry and thirsty, but the flight arrived 1.5 hours early. It didn't help us to arrive at 3:30 AM Seoul time as nothing was available and our drivers were in a big hurry as to not allow us to do anything such as get breakfast, but deliver us to an office that didn't open for hours.

Asiana's stewardesses are all very pretty, but wearing drab brown conservatively styled uniforms. Service is mediocre at best, but not rude one bit like common on US based carriers. It's not Thai Airways where it's colorful, liberal, and where you get more than enough gourmet food and red wine along with a shot of XO cognac at the beginning of the flight. There were no in seat video screens like on Thai Airways despite The Asiana site saying that traveler class gets them. It had the old washed out muddy looking projection TV where the headphones didn't work on one side. Seat pitch is no better than on NW, because it's an old Boeing 747 once flown by a US based carrier like NW.

Check this page out in the following link. It's a big deception. It's not nearly this good, but they get you around the world as it's only transportation instead of an experience, albeit, very uncomfortable.
http://us.flyasiana.com/Global/US/en/homepage?fid=INFO13130

Mr. BlackCat · Joined: 30 Nov 2005 Location: Insert witty remark HERE

I used Asiana a couple of years ago. My experience was pretty negative. I called a few weeks in advace to reserve an aisle seat but was told that they don't take advance requests. I tried again the next day, but was told the same thing. Odd, seeing as every other non-discount airline I've ever used does this.

I arrived in Chicago via AA (was able to request aisle) very early, so I went to Asiana's desk to check in. It wasn't even open yet and I was 2nd in line. Once it opened I asked for an aisle seat, but when I got my seat assignment it didn't seem to be an aisle. I confirmed that it was an aisle, and he assured me it was and waved me away.

Three hours later, I boarded the plane. It was NOT an aisle seat. It was smack dab in the middle of 3 seats. I was warmed to see the adjoshi who tried to bud in front of me in line earlier had a comfortable aisle seat with an emergency exit. When I brought this to the attention of the flight staff, they pretended not to understand me and shooed me away (not that I expected anything to get fixed, but I just wanted to register my complaint). I spent the entire 13 hour flight stuck between a snoring Korean teen and a Korean man who wanted to practice his English the whole time (but didn't want to actually stand up to let me by for bathroom runs). I'm a pretty big guy, so this was particularly excruciating.

My headphone access was broken and every time they came at meal time they were mysteriously out of the Western option, even though there were only 3 other Westerners on the plane that I could see (not that I hate Korean food, but the portions were...well, disproportionate. Plus, the Western food actually had fruits/vegetables). I realize Koreans can eat Western food, too, but I didn't see many of them doing this.

They did put on a traditional Korean fashion show and one attendant who serviced my general area was nice and, well, hot. I just don't take too kindly to being lied to by both the call center (twice) and the desk representatives (twice). It's better than crashing obviously, and I've had worse experiences on other airlines, but it was very unpleasant.