LH PUS-ICN-MUC-ATH rtn (Z/C), Feb '08

[N_Architect]

This is my first trip report, and I have to admit it probably won’t be a very good one, as many photo opportunities were missed during the trip and the photos taken are not so good, either. However, as it is always nice to enjoy reading the experiences and viewing the trip report photos of other fellow SQTalkers, this attempt is another small step in contributing to the forum. I hope many more similar contributions will follow from my part as time goes by (and as I travel more extensively).

Been ‘home’ (that is ATH, Greece) in Dec. ’07 for something less than two weeks (SQ Y), the time certainly wasn’t for another visit so soon. Living and working in South Korea and being single at the same time, however, occasionally forces you to see things from a different perspective. Frequent getaways are relaxing and mental stamina recharging. Beautiful Japan is nearby, vibrant Hong Kong is also not so far away, unique Singapore takes a bit longer but surely is also worth a visit.

Having made no plans for Lunar New Year this time, I suddenly realized I just couldn’t be left alone here in Gyongsangnam-do (the province of South Korea where the city of Busan is located). I had to ‘escape’, in one way or another. In combination with a stomach problem that has given me quite a bit of fatigue and misery in the last few months, I decided to go home and see family, friends and my doctor for acupuncture treatment combined with good ayurvedic medicine.

Based on seat availability and on the departure/arrival times, and taking into account that I wanted to maximize my stay in Europe and not waste a day here just waiting to catch the next available flight, flying SQ (my first choice) from ICN was not a good option, hence was immediately ruled out. Just seventeen hours prior to departure, I quickly made up my mind and booked Z/C on LH to fly PUS to MUC via ICN, with a codeshare connection thereafter to ATH. With the corporate rates that we seem to get, it didn’t turn out too bad, the final LH fare being approximately 22% cheaper than SQ C. Quoted as well my Kris number to credit the miles to SQ, and was ready to go the following morning!

[N_Architect]

PUS-ICN-MUC-ATH

Part 1a – Outgoing journey: PUS-ICN-MUC-ATH

Sector: PUS-ICN-MUC
Date: 2008-02-05
Carrier: Deutsche Lufthansa AG (LH)
Flight number: LH719
Class: Business (Z)
Seat number: 4G
Aircraft: A340-300
Aircraft name: Not recorded
Aircraft call sign: Not recorded

Lufthansa started this route (PUS-MUC with an hour’s plus stop in ICN) in the first quarter of ’07. It currently operates on alternate days (i.e. three times a week from PUS, four from MUC). The ICN-MUC service will become daily from summer ‘08.

Checking-in for our flight at Busan International Terminal was carried out by Asiana staff. With no queue, the longest check-in I have gone through in the last two years I’ve been in Asia. The whole procedure took more than fifteen minutes (for the record, the shortest check-in is repeatedly SQ Y internet check-in at ICN). Female agent at economy class desk who offered to check me in was probably a recent recruit, hence little bit slow and not so confident at times, although careful and polite.

One teenager male Y pax who came to check-in at a desk next to me was three (3) kilos overweight and without any delay was asked to kindly remove same and take onboard. [Two trips ICN-SIN-ATH rtn with SQ Y in the last 9 months, 10-12 kg overweight each time, and I have always been greeted with a smile and NEVER been asked to remove any excess baggage during check-in – that’s why I love the Singapore girl…].

Visited the business class lounge, operated by Asiana. Fairly small but warm place with two pc’s for internet use. More internet-browsing terminals were located just outside the lounge for public use. Lounge seating capacity around 48-50 pax. Drinks, light snacks available.

My seat was in the forward business cabin, behind the First Class section. As this small cabin consists of only two rows of seats, proximity (aft side) to galley can indeed be noisy and bothersome, as I found out. Nevertheless, I enjoyed the more ‘private’ feeling this cabin offers, even though storage space in overhead lockers can be limited. LH FAs were polite and attentive, offering to take my raincoat for storage in a small closet upon boarding. Wine was offered, but (sorry to disappoint) I do not drink wine at all, so I never really pay attention to this feature.

Seat mate was a young Scandinavian engineer, not very talkative, he got absorbed in movies after we took off from ICN. As I don’t usually watch movies or TV series on board, I never really pay too much attention to this feature as well. From the limited experience and exposure I have and have had respectively, all I can say is that the LH AVOD is slightly inferior to the SQ and EK products in such long-haul routes.

The flight from PUS to ICN lasts about 40-45 minutes. At ICN, all pax are requested to disembark the aircraft for about an hour and a half. After visiting the TUMI store to check on the, as proved out-of-stock, suiter case (which I had found 20% more expensive in Changi T2 a month ago), I went to the SQ SKL, this being my first visit there. From outside (i.e. when you walk in the duty-free shops and walking towards the gates) the lounge seems much larger in the overhead first floor. Of course there is also the lounge area for First Class pax (as recent photos from fellow SQTalkers have shown), which I did not see. It was around lunchtime, and the lounge was fairly busy. Following my return to the aircraft, the 11-hour flight to MUC started with no considerable delay.

Unfortunately I did not record menu details, however (and if my memory serves me well) I can briefly recall the following:

Starter: Salmon OR salami with feta cheese salad.
Main course: Beef tenderloin steak OR shrimps with fried rice (really nice) OR Korean bibimbap.
Desserts: Cheese dish, fruits, vanilla crème in raspberry syrup (lovely).

More details on the menu in the return leg travel report, later on.

The seats were the standard LH lie-flat Recaros, and shortly after lunch I changed to my pajamas outfit in trying to get some sleep while listening to music from a small but beautifully designed mp3 player (Samsung YP-W3L) I had brought with me, having left the iPod at home for a change.

Overall, the flights were a nice experience and the product seemed quite good.

[N_Architect]

PUS-ICN-MUC-ATH (ctd.)

Part 1b – Outgoing journey: PUS-ICN-MUC-ATH (ctd.)

Sector: MUC-ATH
Date: 2008-02-05
Carrier: Aegean Airlines (A3)
Flight number: LH5918 (codeshared)
Class: Business (Z)
Seat number: 6F
Aircraft: A320-200
Aircraft name: Kinesis (the Greek name for the word ‘motion’)
Aircraft call sign: SX-DVI

Had to check-in again at a LH service desk in MUC T2 upon arrival in order to get a boarding pass for the leg to ATH. Luggage already checked-in in PUS would go uninterrupted to ATH. Very diligent LH female agent promptly asked for my SQ KF Silver card in order to register the miles to my SQ account accordingly.

Aegean Airlines (A3) is the second largest operator in Greece, after Olympic Airlines. They offer good and reliable service. A3 is owned by Vasilakis Group, that also control exclusively Hertz car rental and SAAB car dealerships in Greece.

Boarding commenced on time, however with all (C and Y) pax boarding together (no separate announcement for business class passengers). No separate bus for business class passengers, as well. Aircraft had first seven rows dedicated to business class, all rest for economy. As you may well know, in inter-European flights, the middle of the three seats on each side of the aircraft is usually left free in the business class cabin (photos to follow on the return leg trip report).

Flight time to Athens from Munich was 2hrs 25mins. Hot dish served, but I did not eat at all, so cannot report anything here. Arrival at Athens International Airport just before 2300hrs, with separate bus waiting for business class pax only and the front Y rows impatient ‘cannibals’ rushing as usual and invading the business class cabin in order to get out of the plane quickly. Furthermore, our ‘priority’ luggage arrived well later than many Y pax items. The classic “Welcome to Greece” way, once again, was present…

[N_Architect]

ATH-MUC-ICN-PUS

Part 2a – Return journey: ATH-MUC-ICN-PUS

Sector: ATH-MUC
Date: 2008-02-11
Carrier: Aegean Airlines (A3)
Flight number: LH5917
Class: Business (C)
Seat number: 2F
Aircraft: A320-200
Aircraft name: Kinesis (the Greek name for the word ‘motion’)
Aircraft call sign: SX-DVI

Checking-in on a busy Monday morning, I avoided the ultra-long Y queue (serving all A3 departures, domestic and international) and proceeded directly to the boarding gate after buying few magazines. Aircraft departed on time, however again no separate announcement for business class pax was made and hence all pax boarded the available buses.

Time for the first set of photos:

Looking out Athens International Airport from seat 2F before departure on a cold winter Monday morning


Leg space in A3 Airbus A320-200 business class


Taxiing for take-off at Athens International Airport


…still taxiing for take-off…


…and suddenly guess what’s round the corner (9V-SVA, if my eyes are not mistaken)


9V-SVA had arrived earlier that morning (shortly after 7am, SQ348)


After take-off from Athens International Airport


Still going up to reach altitude for MUC


Flying over the Adriatic Sea, near Dubrovnik, Croatia


Dubrovnik airport seen near the bottom left corner

[N_Architect]

Return journey: ATH-MUC-ICN-PUS (ctd.)

Part 2b – Return journey: ATH-MUC-ICN-PUS (ctd.)

Sector: ATH-MUC (ctd.)

Breakfast served on the A3 flight to Munich was classic continental breakfast with omelet, bacon, bread, butter & marmalade, together with Greek strained yoghurt. Sadly, I passed as I had too much to eat the night before and upon waking up in the morning I had a quick bite in the tasty spinach pie my mother had made. With the MUC-ICN-PUS leg coming up and my stomach in a considerably better condition (but still needing good care) I had to be cautious and not overstretch myself.

Onboard A3 A320-200, business class cabin


Onboard A3 A320-200, business class cabin, additional view


Onboard A3 A320-200, business class cabin, additional view


Onboard A3 A320-200, over Austria, heading to Munich


Onboard A3 A320-200, over Austria, additional image


Disembarking SX-DVI at MUC after landing


The LH MUC Business and Senator Lounges are located on the first floor of T2. They share a common entrance, where you are welcomed and then advised to go either way, depending on the boarding pass / *G card etc. you may have. The First Class lounge is located in a different area, not far away from the Sen/Bus lounges.

LH MUC T2 Business Lounge



Next: sector MUC-ICN-PUS with photos of LH A340-300 C cabin.

[jjpb3]

Very nice TR, N_Architect. Looking forward to reading the next installments.

[lee_apromise]

Did you enjoy the P-circling apparoach when you arrived in PUS ?

[N_Architect]

P-circling approach

Well, I didn't understand what he was doing, originally, to be honest. Hence I was quite confused.
I suspect KE pilots have different approach when coming from GMP, right?

Also, do I correctly think that he did the same approach (P-circling) to ICN when coming from the Yellow Sea / Dalian area?

[N_Architect]

Part 2c – Return journey: ATH-MUC-ICN-PUS

Sector: MUC-ICN-PUS
Date: 2008-02-11
Carrier: Deutsche Lufthansa AG (LH)
Flight number: LH718
Class: Business (C)
Seat number: 15K
Aircraft: A340-300
Aircraft name: Not recorded
Aircraft call sign: Not recorded

Leaving the LH MUC T2 Business Lounge I proceeded to passport control and then headed straight towards gate H32. A couple of minutes wait, and we started boarding. In a while, I was entering the LH Airbus A340-300. My seat was 15K, starboard side, in the second row from the aft bulkhead of the main Business Class cabin. Plane was full (at least in Z/C) as everybody was coming back to Korea following the short Lunar New Year holiday break.

LH A340-300 Business Class cabin during boarding


LH A340-300 Business Class cabin, additional image


Leg space (huge) with LH blanket (great) and N_Architect pajamas kit


ICN airport, 0750hrs, and what do my eyes see again far ahead?


I took this one after taking-off from ICN, heading to PUS


One more photo while ‘en route’


Ditto


Next: Full flight menu, and arrival in final destination, Busan with a special note on the persistingly obnoxious 'photography prohibition enforcements'.

[jhm]

Thanks for the trip report so far, N_Architect! Your handle makes sense now!

[SQflyergirl]

Kalimera! and thank you for sharing

[9V-JKL]

Thanks for Sharing N_Architect!

I'm curious that since the TV screens are below eye level, is it difficult to watch over a long period of time? and do you get reflections from it during a day flight with the sun coming in?

[KeithMEL]

Great work so far and thank you so much for sharing!

[lee_apromise]

Well, I didn't understand what he was doing, originally, to be honest. Hence I was quite confused.
I suspect KE pilots have different approach when coming from GMP, right?

Also, do I correctly think that he did the same approach (P-circling) to ICN when coming from the Yellow Sea / Dalian area?

If you landed on 36R then it is straight in approach but you you landed 18L, then your pilot did P-circling approach due to mountains. Korean Air pilots say it is quite difficult to do P-circling and guess what, the first LH flight into PUS did P-circling haha.

[N_Architect]

Many thanks to all...

...for your warm comments.

9V-JKL, on the screens issue: I watched almost half a movie and (personally) did not have difficulty in watching over that period. Thing to note (to me, anyway) is that you can have the screen totally vertical or tilted (it tilts few degrees) and the difference in optical view / quality is almost non-existent. The screen looked fine to me, could be larger of course, but still, viewing is ok. Furthermore, on screen reflections, I did not observe great difficulty at all in viewing, but again I have to stress I did not watch movies/TV for a prolonged period of time and also under strong sunlight coming from the windows beside me.

While I was in Greece last week, I was talking to a very close friend, who usually flies business/first in domestic and international journeys. During our conversation regarding my outward leg from PUS to ATH, and while I was describing the LH C product, the very first thing he asked me was about the IFE AVOD feature. He said it is one of the most important things for him onboard, as he is always bored and wants to watch movies continuously, especially when flying long haul. So I can understand the people who pay attention to this.

Another observation (again, personal opinion) is a difficulty I observed when flying SQ Y on the 772. When the person seating in front of you tilts the seat back, then you simply cannot watch any video, as the available tilt of the screen on the back of the seat is not enough to give you a good angle of view. Therefore, and as these flat screens have a very narrow field/angle of view, it is impossible to see clearly and everything appears almost black. The problem is rectified only if you tilt your seat backwards in a similar manner as the pax in front of you has done. Of course this problem was non-existent here, as I am also sure is likewise on SQ J/C, however I just mentioned it as it came to my mind.

lee_apromise, on the approaches to PUS: many thanks for your explanation.