Virgin Australia flies its five flagship Boeing 777-300ERs on routes from Australia (Sydney, Melbourne, and Brisbane) to LAX. While Virgin Australia doesn’t offer a true 3-cabin first class, they offer “The Business” which on the 777-300ERs consists of a relatively new product that many have raved about. Here’s my full Virgin Australia Business Class review. 

Booking Virgin Australia Business Class seats

I originally tried booking two business class seats with Delta Sky Miles early last year but after I saw that such a booking would only be possible 2 weeks from departure time, I decided to transfer SPG points to Virgin Australia Velocity to book them. This was made extra easy by a special transfer promotion that allowed me to receive a 20% transfer bonus that stacked on top of the 25% SPG standard transfer bonus.

Availability for two business class seats wasn’t great at all but I was able to eventually find two seats on VA1 about one year in advance and I promptly booked those for 95,500 miles plus around $80 USD in total fees. Considering the price of these tickets at the time ($8,000+), that was exceptional value.

Virgin Australia 777 business class cabin

As soon as we entered the cabin, I noticed how sleek the business class seats looked. The seats are arranged in a reverse herringbone 1-2-1 configuration allowing direct aisle access for each seat and high levels of privacy. There’s a section of 24 business class seats in front of the plane and then a smaller section of 13 business class seats behind the bar.

Business class has two lavatories in the front and one in the bar area. The ones up front are more spacious with benches to assist with you changing but overall nothing too lavish.

• You can view the seat map in detail here.

These Virgin Australia business class seats are B/E Aerospace Super Diamond seats which in my opinion are some of the best business class seats available with great privacy and plenty of space to get comfortable.

Everything from the shell of the suite to the cushions and pillows have a polished look that emphasizes sleekness and privacy. The seats are also very comfortable and roomy with 23 inches of width and a pitch up to 80 inches.

The middle aisle seats are also excellent with a partition that can be lowered if you’re flying together. If you’re not flying together, the privacy is still optimal unlike some other 1-2-1 configurations that can place you very close to your travel neighbor.

The seats controls are controlled by the touch screen that’s built in to the side counter. The controls are very intuitive. The only thing that’s not clear is that one of your overhead lights is controlled by the touch screen while the other is controlled by the controller found in the storage compartment.

The seat tray table slides under the TV monitor but mine was never secured before take-off. So as soon as we took off, my tray flung out and scared the crap out of me.

To lock the tray in position I had to push it all the way in and then pull on the tray release which is found underneath the tray on the right side. It took a few attempts but I eventually got it right.

This tray table sits underneath an 18-inch touch screen which comes with a quality selection of movies and TV shows. I enjoyed the selection of the movies and also the quality of the screen. You can check what’s currently on here.

Virgin Australia business class legroom

There’s plenty of room for your legs/feet in the footwell. While you can’t store your bags under there, there’s enough room for you to store your shoes and other items. I also really liked the “hump” found in the footwell that functions like a footrest.

One of the only negatives about the seat is that there’s not a lot of space between the seat and the wall of the suite. This makes getting in and out of the seat a bit tricky unless you’re petite and/or have small feet. You can see how narrow the passage is in the photo below.

One of the highlights about these seats is that they have a lot of counter space which really comes in handy. Whether you need a place to put your drinks, laptop, work materials, camera, etc., there’s a decent amount of room for that. I put a lot of value in counter space since I like having a space for my big DSLR and laptop when traveling and so I loved all of the space.

The counter also houses two of the storage compartments.

The main storage compartment is the largest and you’ll find the in-flight entertainment controller inside.

It’s not a huge compartment that will fit your laptop but you can still store some personal belongings in it no problem. I put a GoPro HERO4 and gorilla pod in the storage compartment for scale.

This main storage compartment also has the ports for the headphones, a USB, and a universal power outlet.

The second storage compartment is much smaller and is better suited for storing flatter items like cell phones and passports.

Finally, there’s a third compartment that doesn’t open up very wide and I didn’t really find any use for it.

Another storage compartment is on the other side of the seat beneath the armrest and it houses the headphones and a bottle of water (I took them out for the photograph). This armrest can also be lowered and raised as you wish.

The Virgin Australia headphones were high quality. Not quite Bose quality but they had that distinct “sturdy” feel that usually comes with quality headphones as opposed to the lighter “cheap” feel you might get with United headphones for example. The headphones also did a decent job cancelling out background noise.

The amenity kit comes with pretty standard items: socks, eye mask, tissues, ear plugs, toothbrush, and various moisturizers by Hunter Lab, which are apparently pretty high-end in Australia (although I’ve seen amenities from REN Skincare in other reviews).

Virgin Australia also gives out pajamas designed by Julie Grbac, which I found very comfortable (though sadly I didn’t get a pic of them). Unfortunately, Virgin Australia doesn’t give out slippers, which would be convenient on such a long-haul flight.

Overall, for a business class amenity kit, the amenity kit offerings are very solid and much more comparable to a first class amenity kit, especially with the addition of pajamas.

Virgin Australia business class privacy

In my experience, privacy is what really distinguishes business class from first class (although with more and more business class suites that’s changing). These business class seats are very private due to the shell of the suite that extends so far out. You can get a sense of the privacy afforded by the photos below.

Getting ready for take-off

Before departure, we were given drinks and I went with champagne and water. Luckily, all of the glasses were taken off the tray before take-off since they would have been spilled on me given how the tray was never secured.

On our way out, we caught some views of some big birds, including a Singapore Airlines A380 and Qantas 747.

As usual, the take off from Sydney involved some pretty impressive views of the coast.

The dining experience

I really didn’t know what to expect for Virgin Australia’s dining have read somewhat mixed reports. But I thoroughly enjoyed the dining on board the 777.

It started off with some almond-stuffed olives and savory biscuits, which were excellent.

I also went with some Ayala Brut Majeur champagne.

Later on I tried out the Bellini which is a champagne cocktail that’s basically a mimosa but with peach nectar. I wasn’t crazy about that drink but I appreciated being able to try something a little different.

I really love the Opera House inspired salt and pepper shakers. I wonder how many people are tempted to take those home each flight?

I went with garlic bread for my bread of choice and while the slices were quite small, they were delicious.

Then came out the tomato and saffron soup. I really enjoyed the soup and Brad agreed it was great as well.

And for the main dish, I went with the chargrilled lamb cutlets. This dish was fantastic and on par with any first class dish I’ve had from airlines like Singapore, Etihad, Qatar, etc. I was very impressed by the quality.

And then came one of the best desserts I’ve ever had. If you’ve read my reviews, you know I’ve got a huge sweet tooth and along with that, high standards for desserts. The chocolate tart dish I ordered was outstanding and I seriously could’ve eaten a second one if I didn’t get myself under control.

Below is the full Virgin Australia business class menu for our SYD to LAX flight.

Virgin Australia business class mood lighting

After lunch/dinner, the mood lighting kicked in which is another cool feature of the Virgin Australia 777 business class cabin. It transitioned from pink to blue and then after that the “ceiling stars” came out adding a beautiful and relaxing touch to the cabin.

The sleeping experience

If you want quality sleep on this 13+ hour route, I think Virgin Australia business class is a perfect selection. I didn’t sleep but that’s because it’s very hard for me to get to sleep on any plane (not to mention I was preoccupied with the bar for a good portion of the flight).

The combination of the comforter, mattress pad, and pillows are a bedding trifecta that stands up to anything in other business class cabins and honestly even first class cabins. When I lay down, I got very comfortable very fast in the bed. Had I taken a sleep aid, I probably could have drifted off to sleep for several hours.

As turn down service began, a beautiful sunset could be seen through the windows.

I wouldn’t have noticed it but for another passenger patting me on the shoulder to tell me about it. People in this cabin seemed very friendly during this flight and I think it helped that the staff was also exceptional.

We had a flight attendant who made sure we knew everything there was to know about our seat and who was very attentive to our needs. When it came to service, it honestly felt more like a first class flight.

For breakfast, you fill out a card so that the crew knows all of your requests and preferences when it’s time for breakfast. You also get to choose if you’d like for them to wake you up if you are sleeping.

I went with the eggs, bacon, muffin, and a chocolate muffin. I have to say that I didn’t expect the eggs to be as good as they were but could have gone without the bacon. The decaf cappuccino was great, however.

The Virgin Australia 777 bar

One of the standout features of the Virgin Australia 777-300ER is the bar area. It’s super sleek in its design and lighting and honestly just a fun place to hang out and pass the time on this long-haul flight.

The alcohol selection is pretty good with plenty of whiskeys and wines to choose from. There’s also a Nespresso machine for your coffee needs.

The bar is not meant to be self-service but there is a button that you can call if you’re in need of service and no flight attendant is present.

There are only four bar stools but there’s also some seating in front of the bar where you can also find a number of reading materials, waters, crisps, and chocolates.

The large Virgin Australia centerpiece found in front of the bar is also pretty glorious.

The staff at the bar was very cool and attentive and was even volunteered to get some photos of us two goofballs while we tried out some different drinks. The staff is a large reason why we had such a good time hanging out at the bar and I can’t say enough good things about them.

As other people made their way into the bar area, we had a great time socializing for a couple of hours. In 2011, I flew from LAX to SYD roundtrip in the back of United economy near the lavatory and if you had told me that in 7 years I’d be having the time of my life knocking back drinks in an in-flight bar flying business class on that same exact route I don’t think I’d even been able to begin to process that. Nevertheless, this was one of the funnest flights that I’ve ever experienced.

After all that fun, it was finally time to begin to prepare for landing at LAX.

Final word on Virgin Australia business class

Virgin Australia business class is a very strong business class product that often has a first class feel to it. The dining, comfort, and service were all top-notch and on top of everything we had a great time hanging out at the bar. I never thought I’d have this much fun on a flight and although I certainly “felt it” for the next 12 hours or so, it was all worth it 100%.

The Pier First Class Lounge is a flagship first class lounge for Cathay Pacific at HKG — Hong Kong International Airport (not to be confused with The Wing which is another exceptional Cathay Pacific first class lounge at HKG). It’s one of the highly touted first class lounges in the world and we recently experienced it for the first time. This is my full review of the The Pier at HKG.

Airport check-in

We arrived at HKG for our short first class flight from Hong Kong to Bangkok on board the Cathay Pacific 777 about four hours early so we’d have plenty of time check out the Pier and also check out the new Amex Centurion Lounge at HKG (a review on that will come later).

Cathay Pacific had a dedicated first class check-in area which was completely empty when we arrived. Within seconds of arriving the staff helped us with our luggage and we were pointed to the direction of The Pier. The Pier is open from 5:30 am to 12:30am and is located on level 6 in Terminal 1, near Gate 63.

There was a helpful map near check-in that I took a photo of to help us find our way through the terminal. I honestly found it very easy to navigate Terminal 1 without the aid of a map but it always helps to have one just in case. I believe we could have walked to the other end of the terminal but the train was near us and we decided to just take it to the near gate 60 since that’d put us very close to The Pier. (The other first class lounge, The Wing, was very close to us at check-in.)

The first step was to go down a level and take a train over to near gate 60. The train, known as the “APM” (Automated People Mover), was very efficient and even though we’d just missed one, the next train came through very quickly.

Since this was only a couple of days after Chinese New Year, the airport and everywhere else was decked out with Chinese New Year symbols and decor which was pretty cool to see.

After getting off the train, we made our way toward the lounge and in the process passed up the Amex Centurion Lounge, which we would be returning to later on.

We soon found the escalator entrance to The Pier and took the escalator down to the actual lounge entrance.

The Pier First Class Lounge experience

After making our way down the escalator, we approached the check-in desk who promptly admitted us into the lounge. I found it odd that they didn’t ask us if we needed/wanted a quick overview of the lounge since most other airlines have offered that when entering a large flagship lounge containing numerous services and features.

Once we entered the Pier, the first thing that struck me was how elegant all of the corridors and furniture were. I could immediately sense that this was going to be a very high quality lounge just by the look and feel of the seating and decor found throughout the lounge. The entire place has a very distinct ambiance with some serious feng shui.

The Pier bar area

We first checked out the bar area, which was very impressive in terms of appearance.  Rather than being stuck at the end of the lounge, it sits in the middle of a large room, acting as a beautiful centerpiece to the room that’s well suited for socializing.The green onyx walls and walnut wood panels create a relaxing yet elegant feel to the area that you also find in other sections of the lounge.

There was a decent selection of spirits in the bar but it was still pretty early so we didn’t partake at that time.

The bar area was also surrounded by many different comfortable seating options that are spread out in a spacious manner.

The only slight negative to the lounge at this point was that the servers at the bar area seemed stand off-ish to me. Typically at flagship first class lounges I receive a very warm welcome from the staff but I didn’t quite feel that here.

After checking out the bar, we ventured to some of the other seating areas within the lounge which were just as elegant as the bar area. I probably put more value in the ambiance factor of airport lounges than others, but I think most people would still have to agree that The Pier nailed the relaxing concept they were shooting for when designing and building this lounge.

The Pier day suites

After checking out the bar and other seating areas, we decided to explore The Pier day suites, which are located adjacent to the spa. Only two of them were open which was perfect for us two, and they put me in the suite at the very end.

After they checked us in, we were led down a hallway and into the day suite corridors which are sectioned off with curtains from the hallway.

The curtains do a great job of dulling out any noises but the corridor is so quiet you can hear a pin drop.

The day suites are perfect if you’re looking for a place to nap/relax for around 1.5 hours, but they ask that you limit your time in them to 1.5 hours, so “day suite” is a bit misleading. When I think “day suite” I think an area to rest for a hand full of hours on a long layover but I don’t think that’s the case here.

Inside the suite, there’s a comfortable bench/bed best suited for one person.

The suites have views of the tarmac though my view was largely obstructed by a giant column, which you can see in the photos above. So try to avoid the very last suite if you want better views. Still, I was still able to see out a bit.

You can control the window shade and brightness of the lamps within the suite. My suite was very warm when I got in so I quickly turned off all of the lamps and lowered the window shade which helped to cool the suite down some.

These day suites are very quiet. So if you’re not there to sleep, you might not like the utter quietness of the area. After about 15 minutes of relaxing, I was ready to move on toward another area of the lounge since I had no plans of sleeping and it was just too still and quiet in there for me.

The dining experience

After the day suites, we moved on to the The Pier dining area. The dining area is pretty spacious with plenty of restaurant/diner style tables set up and a long bar.

The dining area was pretty empty when we arrived but after about 45 minutes to an hour, it picked up a lot and many of the tables filled up. We had to flag down a server in order to get a menu which again was something I found odd since servers at these flagship lounges are usually overly attentive and there were only like two other people in the dining area at the time.

We caught the dining area between breakfast and lunch so we were actually able to try out both.

For breakfast we split the Eggs Royale, which were good but we weren’t big fans of the sauce on the side which was a bit too heavy/thick.

About a half hour later we were given the lunch menu.

We started with appetizers including the Wonton with Noodles in soup. This soup had a distinct fishy taste to it that I think is common in “real” Chinese dishes (not American-Chinese) so that took some adjusting to get used to it but I ended up enjoying it.

The other starter we tried was the sesame chicken. I loved this dish but my mouth got hit with that strong tingly sensation which I attributed to Sichuan since I don’t think I have any food allergies to sesame seeds. Nevertheless, this was my favorite dish I tried at The Pier.

They then served us the main courses which consisted of beef cheek and spiced pork jowl. These dishes were satisfying but didn’t blow us away.

And finally, we finished up lunch with a couple of glasses of champagne.

Overall, the dining experience was solid at The Pier even though the service was a bit sluggish and I wasn’t crazy about the menu options.

Spa/bathrooms

The Pier has a spa but we didn’t try it out on this visit. I know that you can receive a 10 minute complimentary foot massage but I’m not a big spa person and so I just didn’t give it a try.

The bathrooms at The Pier are very nice. They are super clean with beautiful countertops and lighting.

A staff member who didn’t speak much English gave me a little bit of trouble (and was a bit rude to be honest) when I was trying to get a pic of the (unoccupied) shower room so I wasn’t able to get a pic of the shower itself but I did get a photo of the shower room below, which was very nice.

The Pantry

In addition to the dining area, there’s also a snack are called The Pantry. This is a small room with a table full of snack items like sandwiches, breads, pastries, and other small snacks along with drinks. Although I didn’t try anything from The Pantry, most of the items looked very fresh and tasty.

There was a good selection of different sodas along with jars full of random treats and desserts like red bean pudding, mango mousse, and fruit salads.

If you’re limited on time, I think The Pantry could offer you some solid snack/food choices but I’d try to set aside enough time to try out the dining experience given the quality of the menu items they are willing to serve.

The Library

There’s another small section of the lounge known as The Library which comes with an array of popular magazines, newspapers, and some random books. It’s a bit more expansive than an ordinary literature section at an airport lounge but I’m not sure I’d call it a “library” if I were asked to name it.

There’s also a work station area called “The Bureau” which houses six secluded work suites equipped with iMac computers.

Final word on The Pier

The Pier is one of the most elegant airport lounges that I’ve visited. Beyond the great ambiance of the lounge, it has some solid features like a great bar area, comfy and elegant seating areas, solid dining, and relaxing day suites. I may have just caught it on an off day but the service was definitely lacking compared to other flagship lounges which I found to be more attentive and inviting. Still, The Pier is a lounge that is worth going out of your way to experience if you have access and I would gladly return.

I recently flew on Korean Air’s first class in their A380 from Los Angeles (LAX) to Seoul (ICN) and had an overwhelmingly positive experience. The suites were spacious and comfy and the dining and service were on par with some of the best airlines. The Korean Air A380 is also tricked out with bars and a duty free shop making it a novelty worth experiencing. Here’s my full Korean Air A380 first class review.  

First class configuration

Korean Air’s A380 first class is in a 1-2-1 configuration with a total of 12 suites and is located on the lower deck of the A380. The remainder of the lower deck is economy in a 3-4-3 configuration while the entire upper deck of the A380 is configured with business class seats in a 2-2-2 layout.

Our first class cabin was half empty with only four other passengers in the cabins besides us, so we had a very quiet and private flying experience.

The A380 first class cabin

Initially, I wasn’t overly impressed with the appearance of the suites. Something about the color scheme just didn’t jive with me and from the outset, and it didn’t look like I’d have a lot of privacy in these “suites.” However,  most of my reservations wouldn’t last very long.

The first class cabin feels very spacious since the bottom deck of the A380 has plenty overhead space. There’s also plenty of aisle space and so it’s very easy to get in and out of your seat at all times. All this room creates a relaxing and inviting feel to the cabin.

The overhead storage bins easily fit my two carry-on bags, one of which is quite thick.

We made our way to our seats which were 3D and 3E, the middle seats in the back of the first class cabin.

I thought the actual seats were moderately comfortable. Nothing to rave about exactly but they didn’t have any glaring deficiencies that made them uncomfortable to me.

What I really loved about these suites is all of the leg room. I’m not a fan of business or first class seats that limit your space in a confining footwell so having all of this open space to rest my feet was a huge plus.

Privacy

Although the open Cosmo suites don’t fully enclose like the new Korean Air Cosmo 2.0 suites, they still are very private. You can raise the partition between the middle seats and also a side partition that both allow you to have better privacy.

You can see the difference with the side partition raised in the photo below. While not the most private first class experience, it works okay when sitting upright and feels very private when in a reclining position.

You can see just how private the view is in the photo below.

On our big round the world trips, we try to sit in conjoining suites at least once for the sake of trying out the experience. However, if I could’ve gone back, I would have chosen the window seats for this flight mostly because they just felt more private. With four windows to each suite, they also have a cool private jet look to them.

Even though you’re a bit far from the monitors, the TVs are 23 inches, so the distance really isn’t an issue. The TV screens are quality and I didn’t have any issue with the picture quality being reduced when I reclined into my seat. I enjoyed the in-flight entertainment and thought they had a decent collection of movies and TV shows.  

Like other A380s, the aircraft comes equipped with exterior cameras which are cool to view but only so entertaining when you’re flying over the ocean 99% of the route.

Korean Air first class storage compartments

The first class suites on the A380 come with plenty of storage compartments. Underneath the ottoman, you can fit your smaller carry-on bags or other items like shoes, blankets, amenity kits, etc.

On the side of the seat there are three additional storage compartments. One is very deep and can fit things like laptops but the other two are better suited for things like smaller electronics or passports.

Inside the middle storage compartment, you’ll find two USB ports and the headphone jack. (The universal power outlet is found on the outside of where the larger compartment is.)

Korean Air first class A380 seat controls

The seat controls for Korean Air first class are very intuitive. You have three separate tiers to control within the seat and the two arrows below those controls are for the privacy partition.

You can also easily move your seat into lie flat, dining, or the upright position for take-off.

The Korean Air first class pajamas were from Italian designer, Gianfranco Ferré. These pajamas were extremely soft and comfortable and probably my favorite pair that I’ve ever been given by any airline.

I ordered a size large and it was nice not to be swallowed up for once because so many airlines have ridiculously sized MC-Hammer inspired pajamas. I’m about 6’1″ and you can see that the large pajamas fit me perfectly.

The first class Bose headphones were high quality and a nice addition to the other amenities.

The amenity kit came with a set of lotions and creams along with lip balm and a dental kit. They also provide you with a face spritzer that I enjoyed from time to time.

We were also given some Korean Air slippers, which were pretty small and thin.

I’ve come to value slippers a lot on flights as it makes it much easier to make your way around the cabin when relaxing. I still shutter when I see others walking in and out of the lavatories with only socks on!

The dining experience

I felt that the hard product for Korean Air’s first class was pretty good but not enough to blow me away on any significant level. However, once the dining experience kicked off the first class flying experience bumped up to another level.

It started with some nuts and a glass of water. One thing I found odd was that they didn’t serve any alcohol, including bubbly, on the A380 before departure. Considering the quality of the bubbly poured out on this flight, it would’ve been nice to kick it off with some before we even took off. Still, other airlines like Qatar have done this so this isn’t unique to Korean.

However, as soon as we got up in the air, they came around serving Perrier Jouët Belle Epoque Rosé 2006, which is a premium champagne that costs a pretty penny. This was my first time trying out this bubbly and I fell in love with it and honestly liked it more than some of the other premium champagnes like Dom.

And then it was time for the dining experience to begin.

They started us off with appetizers consisting of asparagus with rolled salmon, which were very tasty.

Then came the garlic bread.

And then came the caviar. I’d never had caviar on a plane that came with such an elegant presentation.

I’m not sure how it happened but after not caring for caviar the first time I tried it, I actually enjoy eating it now. And it’s not like I acquired the taste by eating it everyday. I guess taste buds really do change?

Then came the creamy tomato soup, which was absolutely delicious.

After the soup came the salad. I’m not sure if it’s a cultural thing, but the salads on Asian airlines I’ve tried are very very small. Still, the dressing was tasty and I finished the salad very quickly.

Then it was time for the main dish. I had to go with the famed Bibimbap.

It’s a dish Korean Air is known for serving up. It requires you to do a little bit of work to put it together but it’s something I highly recommend. You’ll receive an instruction page when you get your meal so that you know what you’re doing.

They then served me up a barbecued beef tenderloin dish with port wine reduction. I tried it out and it was quite tasty and seasoned well but I generally try to avoid beef on planes.

Then they brought out seaweed soup. I tried out a few spoon fulls but after that, the seaweed flavor was just too strong for me to keep going.

So by the end I had a full tray with way more food than I could handle. The Bibimbap was great but watch out for the gochujang hot pepper paste! I definitely got carried away with it to the point that it almost ruined the dish for me because it was so freaking spicy.

For dessert, they brought out strawberry cheesecake and ice cream. I honestly wasn’t in love with the dessert dish but I also was so full by that time that it was hard to really enjoy anything.

By the time they brought around the cheese and crackers I was wayyy too full to try anything else so I just asked if I could take a quick photo of the cheese tray.

After all of that they came around and offered Korean Air branded toothpicks and dental floss.

All things considered, this was surely one of the best first class dining experiences.

The staff was also extremely attentive and helpful during the entire dining experience. The only drawback to the service was that the staff didn’t speak great English, especially compared to other airlines like Singapore. This made it a bit difficult to work some things out regarding the meals but overall it wasn’t a major inconvenience.

The Celestial Bar

One of the cool features of the Korean Air A380 is that is has a bar. It actually has three bars but the Celestial Bar at the back of the upper deck is the primary bar in the aircraft. It’s a beautiful bar and lounge area that’s a bit more spacious than I though it would be.

The bars are only available to first class and business class passengers.

While at the Korean Air Celestial Bar, you can grab something to read while you relax and enjoy the bar.

In addition to drinks, they also served up snacks that they keep out on the bar.

I liked these little colorful snacks that taste like sweet Cheetos.

There’s a special bar menu that they serve drinks from so your choices will be limited to that menu.

We made our way back to the bar for a second time at some point during the middle of the flight to check out some more drinks. We were the only ones in pajamas but without a care in the world.

Korean Air A380 duty free shop

If you follow the stairs down from the Celestial Bar, you’ll enter the Sky Shop, which is a physical duty-free shop in the sky. It’s pretty wild.

The Sky Shop had all sorts of different colognes, perfumes, and random things like multi-vitamins and probiotics. We didn’t purchase anything but it was sort of a spectacle to see a shop set up in the A380.

As mentioned there are two other bars on the A380. On the opposite end of the Celestial Bar on the upper deck, there’s a smaller bar area with a couple of seats where you can make your own drinks.

Brad served up a bloody Mary when we made our way to the bar.

There’s also a special first class bar on the A380 which is located just outside of the first class cabin on the lower deck. It also comes with some snacks and different alcohol options.

Lavatories

There’s nothing very special about the lavatories on board the Korean Air A380.

The bed

Unfortunately, I lost the photos of the bedding due to a memory card issue. However, I felt that the bedding was decent. The padding and pillows could have been a bit softer or fuller but they weren’t nearly as bad as some of those paper thin pillows some airlines are guilty of handing out.

Also between the pajamas and duvet, it was pretty warm in the suite but aside from that I was pretty comfortable.

The Korean Air First Class Lounge at ICN

When we arrived at ICN, the Olympic theme song played which I thought was pretty cool (the 2018 Winter Olympic Games were going on at the time so it made sense). After landing we went on to visit the Korean Air First Class Lounge at ICN, which was a decent lounge but not on par with top first class lounges.

Final word

Overall, the Korean Air A380 first class experience is special. The A380 loaded with bars and a duty free shop is a unique departure from your normal flying experience. While they are somewhat gimmicky, it’s great having an area to walk around in for a change of scenery and to and stretch your legs during the ultra long-haul flights.

And while the first class suites are adequate and spacious, it’s the quality of the dining and service that puts the Korean Air first class experience on par with other top airlines, in my opinion. I genuinely enjoyed almost everything we were served and felt that the attentiveness of the crew was top-notch. If it weren’t for some language barrier issues, the flight would’ve been virtually perfect in the service department.

I would happily fly the Korean Air A380 again, though I’m interested in trying out those Cosmo 2.0 Suites.