emmakc1977

Hi Guys, just looking at flights for our reccie trips and Korean Airlines seem quite cheap.

Has anyone flown with them? The travel agent (from the net) has told me that it's a 10hr 50 min flight to Seoul and then a further 9 hr 40 min flight from Seoul (this doesn't sound long enough)? We're flying to Brisbane?

Apparently on the way back we stop at Seoul over night (hotel all thrown in with dinner etc) and the flight from Brisbane is 9hrs 40 then Seoul to UK is 11 hrs 50 mins.

All this for the wonderful price of £659 adults and £565 for kids

Could you let me have any info on what they are like to fly with and whether they have got the times wrong? I want to make sure I'm getting as direct a flight as possible!

Thanks ems

emmakc1977

OK should have searched before I typed - people have the general consensus that they are blooming awful! now wonder they are cheap lol

louie

Keep looking! Having looked at the threads myself 'cos we're doing the same thing, I'd say they were mixed. The safety issues seem to be fairly old, nothing this century.

Food seems to be quite good if you like spicy stuff, not so good for western style. Seat pitch is good. Entertainment not so good, on demand from London to Seoul but overhead from Seoul to Oz. Hotel on return gets mostly good reports.

Asda Travel are doing October for £619 until 22 June so we need to decide quickly.

I'd like to see something of Seoul on the stopover if possible but I gather the city is 1.5 hours away. Has anyone done this or know if it is possible? Does the hotel offer any tours?

Next cheapest (discounting China Eastern) seems to be Emirates at £769 or so. They stop in Dubai and Bangkok. Is three 7 hours ish flights better than two 11ish ones? Is it worth paying £300 more for the two of us to avoid Korean?

I'd value your thoughts. Thanks.

Louie

mickandtrace

Hi

In April we flew with Emirates and it is approximately 3 x 7 hour flights. To be precise. 6 hours and 20 minutes to Dubai - Dubai to Singapore 6 hours 30 minutes and Singapore to Brisbane 6 hours 45 minutes. Hope that helps anyone.

maccy124

family flew back to the uk on them last week and said they had a great hotel to stay in overnight and did it in 2 10 hour flights. Thought the airline was great fr the price and had no problems with them. Hope that helps.

jad n rich

This airlines often discussed, rare to get feedback from anyone whos been on them but son did a quick trip with them for a wedding last month.

Main problem, no entertainment on 3 out of 4 of the flights, one movie playing (sometimes in korean language) on the 80's style screen at the front of the cabin. I would imagine on V long flights with children that would be a major problem

Food good if you do like asian food, of course having lived in Oz for several years he is well accustomed to asian food, not sure a young UK child would be that forgiving.

Another point, well complaint from fellow aussie passengers not him, was the other passengers, lets just say if you fly a foreign airline you need to embrace the culture and habits of fellow passengers who may be from a more rural culture than your own. He survived, but he has my humour, others whinged

From his experience I wouldnt travel with them as I have children to consider and a journey of that length is a nightmare at the best of times, but young adult looking for a cheap(er) flight OK.

sunshine23

Hi,

Just a quick reply. We had to get to austrlia very quickly once so did not have a great choice of airline and ended up with korean airlines. Had been offered them on previous trips and refused to fly with them. Found them really good (would fly with them again). Only thing that was not good was the entertainment on the plane, but all planes are being upgraded.

Hotel in korea is excellent, we stopped at the Hyatt and it was one of the best hotels that we have stopped in. 3 course meal was thrown in.

For the sake of 20 hours on the plane I would use them after all the main aim is getting to Australia.

Sunshine23

iPom

I flew with a child and a newborn to Australia a few years back with Korean Air ... the service was excellent, the flight was great, the food was interesting, with a 'western' dish offered as well as a local dish. The entertainment was varied and fine... I think with kids I listened to the comedy radio (mainly American and some BBC) for much of the time and music.
I suppose that if they're upgrading their fleet, you might get an older plane if you're unlucky and this might make the facilities seem dated.

The one overwhelming feature was their incredible kindness and devotion to our children. So much attention lavished on them all the time. When we waited at the airport for an hour to connect, once again, children were showered with attention.
Korean people seemed lovely, genuinely friendly and adore children.... it was a great flight. I'd travel with them again.

C&R

iPom and other posters - good to hear your views on this.
I have noticed alot of Asian airlines [bar Singapore Airlines] get a knocking on here. Great to hear your positive review.

louie

Thanks for your responses everyone.

Having checked the flights were available before I posted yesterday, I was pretty much decided that the saving was enough to make the decision for us. Two hours later, not only no flights for the days we wanted, neither were there any for several days either side. Very odd.

So we've gone with Emirates, £746 p/p with three legs (Gatwick/Dubai/Bangkok/Sydney) in October. They also fly direct from Dubai to Sydney but it costs about £80 more and we decided we'd prefer the break.

stuckinblighty

Bumping this thread because ive been looking for flights and they see to come up as the cheapest everytime
Just spoke to a travel agant and they seem to think that they are improving all the time ,upgrading their planes etc.

Any more opinions/experiences ????

Ta

Lee

sals

Can't speak for korean airline but have you checked out Qatar airways we are booked with the them for Jan, (admittedly one way and only to Bali as we are going there first and booked each leg spereately so Jetstar was cheaper for Bali to Brisbane) but only paid £370 ea one way Manchester to Bali and heard excellent things about them. Just a thought

Simon.and.Kate

We flew with KA this year (booked through lastminute.com). And I had no problems at all.

We've flown with BA/Quantas and Austrian Air before.

The inflight systems where great, and had touch screens with alot of on demand films that you could start, stop, preview, or pause as you wish. That was only on one of the 2 legs though (UK to Korea)- the other (Korea to Sydney) was on a smaller plane without "headrest entertainment", but that's usually the same with the other airlines too.

Airplane food is like marmite - love it or hate it. KA was average I'd say. My only grumble was they didn't come round with the drinks trolley offering a range of drinks - they just came round with trays of water and juice. They would fetch you a beer or a coke if you buzzed them though.

The stop over in Korea on the way back was great - and the hotel opposite the airport was the nicest I've stayed in.


I've always taken the approach that unless you go 1st Class and pay a fortune, they're all the same. I've always 'worried' about going for the cheapest prices, only to find them just as good as the others, and with us £400-£600 better off for a pair of tickets - that's money I'd much rather put to use whilst in Aus!