Asiana Business class review - Haneda Tokyo to Gimpo Seoul on an A330-300

I boarded my first ever Asiana flight at Japan's Haneda airport in Tokyo without high hopes. A week earlier I’d enjoyed a decent flight with ANA which wasn’t without issues and this short haul hop on an A330 wasn’t going to be much to write home about.

However, I was on a high as the night before Japan had been hit by the earthquake and supertyphoon of October 13, 2019 and so I was delighted when we were about to board only 2+hrs delayed when I had feared being stuck in Tokyo for many many hours. The next stop would be Seoul Gimpo airport in South Korea.

The flight

The business class was in a nice 2-2-2 formation with new bright décor and immediate friendly attentive greeting from the crew with a glass of sparkling wine upon boarding.

The seat was wide and comfortable with ample legroom for someone 6ft and over. The cabin decor was a 70s beige that felt so out of date it was verging on becoming post-retro.

I didn’t use the IFA much but it looked adequate, nothing more than that. Slightly better than the previously mentioned ANA flight but not much more than that.

However, the food was superb. I ordered a delicious bimbibap and there was a selection of good wines and spirits in board. The quality of service was excellent.

Overall

Based on the quality of this short-haul flight, which was vastly better than my London to Munich flight, which was a comparable distance, I would consider flying Asiana whenever it is an option, although as it is a South Korean airline that probably won't be very often.

  • Food and drinks 9/10
  • Service 9.5/10
  • Cabin comfort 8/10
  • Seat pod 10/10
  • Entertainment 5/10