Asiana gives first class ambience to business accommodation

By Kim Da-ye

Staff reporter

Asiana Airlines has consolidated its position as the world’s premiere first-class carrier in terms of customer service, garnering a string of awards from the international press including the “Best Flight Attendants in the World” and the “Best In-Flight Service in the World” distinctions made by Business Traveler Magazine.

Korea’s major airliner now wants to apply a first-class standard to its business class seats, newly installing full flat bed seats called “OZ Quadra Smartium” on selected routes from June.

The effort is most visibly present in in-flight meal menus created by celebrity chef Edward Kwon and a wine lineup selected by award-winning sommeliers.

The revamped seats are all about providing the utmost comfort for passengers. Full flat bed seats, which are usually featured only in first class seating, will help long-haul travelers sleep during the journey.

The new seating configuration also guarantees passengers more privacy than before. The seats are arranged in a staggered layout.

Because no seats are placed right next to each other, passengers have direct access to the aisle and do not need to disturb others when they walk around the plane or go to the restroom. The carrier says it is the first domestic airliner to try such a layout.

The number of seats in the business class areas for Boeing 777-200ERs has also been reduced from 32 to 24, and the distance between seats, known as the “seat pitch,” grew by 15 inches.

Furthermore, each seat is equipped with a rotating dining table and a cocktail table right next to the bed seat, on which customers can put their laptops and newspapers. Passengers can also store their shoes, plug in a power adapter and connect a USB stick in the multi-functional storage attached to the seat. Asiana Airlines says such facilities will offer the best in-flight office environment.

Such innovation does not come cheap. Asiana Airlines plans to invest a total of $15 million by next May on four Boeing 777s, which will be used for long-haul flights between Korea and America and Korea and Europe. The first-class-like seating is currently available on three routes: Seoul to and from Beijing, Seoul to and from Los Angeles, and Seoul to and from San Francisco.

Extra flavor

What spices up the airline’s business class further are the in-flight meal menus prepared by Edward Kwon, the former chef of the seven star hotel Burj Al Arab of Dubai, who signed a deal with the airline to upgrade its catering services.

One of the “Top Ten Young Chefs” chosen by the American Culinary Federation in 2003, Kwon has wowed the likes of former U.S. President George Bush and Madonna, according to the airline. Some creative dishes that will be introduced by Kwon include “Peas, Bacon and Chicken Breast with Orange Cream” and “Slow Cooked Chicken Breast with Onion Puree.” The brand-new menus for all classes and routes will be unveiled in August this year on the airliner’s European routes.

The airliner also regularly invites top sommeliers from all over the world for “strict evaluation” of the in-flight wine lineup. The latest event was held in April at the Incheon International Airport. A total of 22 local and foreign wine producers participated in the event and the sommeliers blind-tested 868 selections.

Overhaul of the fleet

Asiana Airlines plans to invest $6.7 billion to bring the environment-friendly Airbus 350WXB to its fleet as well as spend $70 million to upgrade the interiors of 16 aircrafts over the next three years.

“We believe safety and good customer service are our most-valued strengths, so we have mid- and long-term investment plans, under which we will change our airplane lineup,” said the airline in a statement.

The airline plans to switch to Airbus 321, Airbus 330 and Boeing 777 from Boeing 737 and Boeing 767. The Airbus 350XWB will become its signature model with the carrier investing $6.7 billion to procure 30 of them from 2016.

The Airbus 350XWB model provides a large interior space in comparison to other models with the same external size. Built with new materials, the aircraft will be lighter, boosting its fuel efficiency by 20 to 30 percent.

Furthermore, by upgrading 16 mid-size and large aircrafts’ interiors, a total of 31 airplanes out of 50 the airliner owns for international routes will now have personal audio-video on demand (AVOD) system and cocoon seats. The recent investment cost Asiana Airlines $70 million.