Korean Air Business Class, known as Prestige Class, features lie-flat seats with direct aisle access on the airline’s Airbus A350-900.
I recently flew Korean Air’s A350 from Hong Kong to Seoul on flight KE2012. After checking out of the Andaz Macau, where I had such a pleasant stay, it was time to continue with the next part of this APAC trip. Below is what the experience was like.
Booking
I booked this flight for just 15,000 Alaska Airlines Atmos points. Considering this was a Business Class flight with a lie-flat seat, 15,000 points was an excellent deal.
Korean Air Check-In at HKG
Checking in for the flight KE2012 at Hong Kong International Airport (HKG) was a breeze. At check-in, I was invited to the Plaza Premium First Lounge before the flight.
Up until the day of departure, I kept thinking I had booked Cathay Pacific. As a oneworld Emerald elite, I was already looking forward to spending some time in one of the Cathay Pacific First Class lounges. It wasn’t until I arrived at the airport that I realized, “Wait a minute, I booked Korean Air, not Cathay Pacific.”
Since Korean Air is a member of SkyTeam alliance, my oneworld Emerald status wasn’t going to help me here. So, I made my way to the Plaza Premium First Lounge instead.
Korean Air Airbus A350 Prestige Class Cabin
The Korean Air Airbus A350-900 has 28 Business Class seats arranged in a staggered 1-2-1 configuration. This gives every passenger direct aisle access. I was seated in 10A, a window seat toward the rear of the cabin. A pillow and blanket were already waiting at my seat. Korean Air also provided slippers, headphones and a bottle of water.
The seat itself was comfortable and had more than enough room. It measured 22 inches wide and converted into a 77-inch fully flat bed. The seat controls were within easy reach, and I had direct access to the aisle without needing to step over another passenger. For a flight of this length, I couldn’t have asked for much more from the seat.
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Meal Service
Since this was a late-night flight, meal orders were taken before takeoff. A light meal was offered, and the choices were limited. I selected the grilled barbecue chicken breast with mashed potatoes, but I was later told that they had run out of it. I went with the Chinese Szechuan beef with kai lan instead.
As we passed 20,000 feet and continued climbing, hot towels were distributed and tablecloths were placed on the tables in preparation for the meal service. The food was well presented and delicious. The beef was perfectly cooked, tender and flavorful, while the kai lan paired well with it.
The chicken may have been my first choice, but the Szechuan beef turned out to be a very good replacement.
Flight Path From Hong Kong to Seoul
The flight covered approximately 1,340 miles (2,156 km).
After leaving Hong Kong, we flew over the South China Sea and toward the Taiwan Strait. Our route continued near Taipei and across the Philippine Sea before turning toward Shanghai, crossing the Yellow Sea and approaching Incheon.
Sleeping in Korean Air Prestige Class
After the meal, I converted the seat into bed mode and managed to get about an hour of sleep. The lie-flat seat was comfortable, and so was the blanket. Of course, an hour wasn’t enough to properly test the bed, but it was more than enough for this short flight.
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Arrival at Seoul Incheon
Our flight KE2012 landed at Seoul Incheon International Airport at about 5:00 a.m., approximately 25 minutes ahead of schedule.
Final Thoughts
This was a short flight, but I enjoyed my experience in Korean Air Business Class aboard the Airbus A350-900. The seat was comfortable, the Szechuan beef was delicious, and the flight arrived ahead of schedule. For just 15,000 Alaska Airlines Atmos points, it doesn’t get much better than this. This was certainly one of my best award redemptions for a flight of this length.
What do you think? Would you consider 15,000 Atmos points a good deal for this flight?
Kayode is the creator behind Travel With Kayode, sharing practical tips on points, miles, premium travel, hotels, and destinations around the world. His goal is simple: help travelers get more value from every trip and experience more for less.
