Anyone flown with Korean Air?

[nicolemodesti]

We are planning our trip home to Australia for December and looking at flights. Usually we fly with Emirates or Singapore Airlines but am shopping around this time as we are also organising our wedding while there with family,so need to save a few pennies to have a big knees up. Korean Air is offering good deals and the reviews are mixed. Plus you have an included stopover, in Seoul, on the way back. Our boy shall be 3 when we fly.

My parents have just been here with us and flew with Royal Brunei but found the 2 stops a bit of a drag, which we did with Emirates too and a small child. Another option is Malaysian Airlines who I flew with years ago but am unsure what they are like now, especially with small child. Also used to fly with JAL.

Just wondering if anyone has used this airline? Or any other alternative airlines?

[legalalien]

I've flown Korean with a 3 year old, it was fine although not as good as Singapore obviously (have never flown Emirates). You get what you pay for! The airline meals weren't crash hot (although my SIL swears that the bim bim bap is great - to each her own), so pack snacks!

To be honest, the stop over in Seoul on the way back is a bit of a nightmare. Trick is (i) to assume that you won't enjoy the free buffet dinner, and head straight for the restaurant (your 3 year old is likely to look at the buffet as though it is poison); and, given that you're paying for three seats (I assume), make sure that you demand two rooms in the hotel, and one of you can share the room with the three year old. We didn't do this the first time and the "rollaway bed" was more like a chair and completely unsuitable for a three year old to sleep on.

But Seoul airport is OK, and there is a children's room with a sort of bouncy castle where you can while away several hours waiting for the flight back....

[ad2000]

.... for the last 8 years I have been convinced that the meal I was offered on Korean Air was called 'Biff Bam Bong' - admittedly I had had a sleeping tablet and was woken up by the legend of 'omelette, beef or biff bam bong' by the lovely air stewardess... I am sad to see it is called bim bim bap legalalien..... I have been dining out (pardon the pun) on that story for years...

I flew with Korean Air before I had children and so it was a regular, 'get on, have a drink and watch a film type affair.' Did exactly what it said on the tin though and was at the time the cheapest on offer. I enjoyed the transfer and the novelty of a different airline.

Having done that journey down under a couple of times, with various airlines, the hardest was with my 18 month old to NZ - it was with Cathay Pacific, who were great, but it was stressful as he didn't have a paid for seat, was too big for bassonet (sp?), but on quieter legs we got 4 seats to ourselves. Having own seat is very good!

Good luck with the trip and what you decide to do. Enjoy!

[nicolemodesti]

Thank you both for your responses! Still looking and trying to decide. Always hard not to go with the airline you know (as well as pay top money for) although do need to save some money for the wedding extravaganza!And 3 seats works out cheaper with Korean. Great tips re food and whichever BBB it may be plus the rooms.

[Norfolkvillas]

I know that sometimes it really pays off to travel on a 'tier two' airline - Not sure of exact UK-Oz routings, but Qatar, Etihad, Evaair and Air New Zealand are all meant to be excellent alternatives to the big names on these long haul routes. In general, the newer an airline's fleet, the better the in-flight experience. I've always found the info on airlinequality.com really helpful, and once you've decided on an airline, www.seatguru.com is worth checking out to ensure you don't get a seat next to the loos / galley etc

[Sanne Panne]

I flew it twice but on a different route (Los Angeles - Seoul) and they were great. You don't get that sense of indulgence but otherwise it ticks all the boxes.

[amydown]

I'm from Korea originally and used to fly with Korean Air for trips back home (12-hr). Once you get over the language barrier, it should be a comfortable journey like many say above. They are the largest airline in Korea and well established in the far east.

We now fly with Asiana Airlines (the second largest airline in Korea after KAL) for trips back home just because the mileage terms are better but they are also regarded as being more friendly back home. If they fly to Austrailia, they could be another option. I flew on my own with D when he was 13m old and just started seperation anxiety. He wouldn't go to anyone but me so the stwardesses were feeding me meals behind the curtains with D in the sling! Admittedly in business class but they really do go the extra mile every time we fly with the little one.

[nicolemodesti]

Thank you all and shall check out the valuable web sites provided.

Need to get a move on with booking!!

[legalalien]

Don't forget the always engrossing www.airlinemeals.net

see http://www.airlinemeals.net/browse.php?id=2122&start=1&x=1 (I love it that people take the time to do this)