A surprise twist of event got me to Seoul. I decided to head over to Seoul for a couple of days before flying back to Singapore from Taipei. As luck turns out, I managed to get Business Saver ticket back from Seoul Incheon on SQ. This is perfect as I did not want that many days in Taipei. Given the last minute decision and booking, we got economy tickets from TPE to ICN for around 325 SGD per person. It’s a little bit more than I expect to pay but at the very least I will earn over 900 elite miles from this flight which will come in handy for my KrisFlyer Gold. This is actually my second time on Asiana Airlines. I flew it from Singapore to Korea back when I was 14. I did not have a good experience previously. Let’s see how it is now.

Checking In

I arrived at the airport at around 11am. I took a taxi from my hotel to the Airport MRT station which cost 125 TWD and then took the express train to the airport which takes around 35 mins to the airport. This is the most efficient way. Asiana uses terminal 2 which is the main star alliance terminal at Taoyuan international airport. Their check in counters are at row 23. I have already check in online prior and upon arrival we had access to the business class counters on account of our Star Alliance Gold status. This was a lifesaver given how long the economy queues were. The staff were monotone and not willing to go the extra mile. 

There is no priority lines or fast track for security and immigrations at TPE. There was a long queue for security but the lines did move pretty fast. Furthermore, with the e gates here it was a breeze.

Boarding Process

Boarding is schedule for 1pm at gate C5. It is about a 15 mins walk from the lounge. It is already boarding by the time we arrive at the gate. We can board straight away since they have already start boarding business class passengers and Star Alliance Gold members. We were warmly welcomed by the crew at the door. One of the good perks in priority boarding is how empty the cabin is and you definitely do not have to fight for overhead compartment space. I love the warm and light tones of Asiana Airlines cabin. While on the ground the crew came over to offer arrival forms. We were slightly delayed and only push back around 1.40pm. After a fairly long taxi, we were airborne by 2pm. 

Asiana Airlines A350 Economy Class

The A350 is Asiana Airlines core fleet. Seats are in a 3-3-3 configuration. This is a two cabin aircraft. There is a total of 28 Business class seats and 283 Economy Class seats. The first few rows of economy class are known as Economy Smartium. These are seats with extra legroom. Some routes also comes with lounge access. The aircraft looks very new and we will be in one of the front few seats. We got a window and a middle seat on the right aisle. Asiana economy class seats measure 18 inch wide and offers 32-33 inch of pitch. 

Here are some pictures of the seats. They are actually really good and much better than expected. Compared to my previous economy class flight on SQ 787, these are more spacious. The seats are wider. The arm rest can be adjusted too. The padding on the seat is good and comfortable for this flight. It does feel weird without a pillow.

I do wish that this can be provided and they are only available upon request. The headrest can be adjusted and the flaps can be used to provide neck support. 

The leg room is very good for economy and I could stretch out under the seat in front of me. My knees are also not all the way against the back of the seat in front. The table flip out from under the screen. It is of a good size and could fit a 13 inch laptop. Do watch out for the seat groves and prevent your laptop for catching on when the seat recline. 

You can find a power plug between the seats in front of you.

The seat comes with a touchscreen screen. Below the screen you can also find ports for the headphones and USB ports. The In Flight Entertainment system is known as OZenter. It’s decent but not fantastic. You can expect everything to be KrisWorld or ICE. They do have a selection of TV shows and movies that is more than sufficient for a flight of this duration. 

Wifi is available but at a cost. While it may seems nice that they provide headphones rather than earbuds, these are poor in quality. I enjoyed watching a chinese film, The Italian Recipe during the flight.

Meal Service

The meal service started shortly after levelling off. Given the flight duration, it is nice that they have a proper meal service. So many other airlines will go without it or just do a drinks service. There is no menu but rather just one option. The meal consists of a hot dish and bento pack. Inside you can find a dessert, bread roll and a juice box. There is no choice for the hot dish. The hot dish was black pepper beef and spring onion sauce chicken. It was horrendous. 

Drinks is then offered with an option between soft drinks, juices or water. No alcohol are provided. I didn’t enjoy the hot dish. The portion was small and I wish that they have more than 1 option too. The jelly dessert was quite good. I would also prefer if the meal comes in a tray as it will prevent the sauce for getting on the table. 

Conclusion

This ticket was a little overpriced. I wasn’t expecting to pay this price for the flight duration. I did earn a huge amount of elite miles that will come in handy for my Krisflyer Gold status. We also benefit from lounge access and priority boarding. Asiana seats are lovely and the crew and friendly. They are not SQ caliber but above ANA in my opinion. I would love for them to polished their food and drinks offering. The food was horrendous and I am sure some booze won’t be too difficult to manage. The IFE is very lacking and in today’s context, I would expect complimentary wifi too even in Economy Class. Next up, Seoul!