13 hours in Korean Air 747-8 business class (it wasn’t enough)

13 hours in Korean Air 747-8 business class (it wasn’t enough)

Perhaps the worst thing about this entire Korean Air 747-8 business class review is knowing that it’s going away relatively soon(ish).

It was the best long-haul premium experience I’ve ever had on a Korean airline, yet they still feel the need to scrap it. How dare they!

Just for clarification: it’s the 747-8 they are scrapping. Their long-haul international business class product (Prestige Class) will live on of course. Just not on the best aircraft ever made, that’s all.

KE35
Seoul, South Korea (ICN) – Atlanta, GA (ATL)
Tuesday, September 3, 2024
Aircraft: 747-8
Registration: HL7638
Duration: 13 hours 2 minutes
Seat: 12B (Business Class / Prestige Class)

Korean Air 747-8 (HL7638) side view
Korean Air 747-8 (HL7638) side view illustration by NorebboStock.com.
KE035 flight track
Our route from Seoul to Atlanta today as KE35.

My full review of Korean Air 747-8 business class (Prestige Class) from Seoul to Atlanta

What you’re about to read is an obnoxiously detailed (and fun!) review of what it was like to fly from ICN to ATL in the upper deck of a Korean Air 747-8.

If you recall for my last 747 upper deck experience (Thai Airways 747-400 business class), I ain’t never one to turn down a ride up top on the Queen. As disgusting as that sounds.

My arrival at ICN

I arrived at Incheon Airport at 6:10am on another KE 747-8 from Singapore. That was also in business class, but on the lower deck. It was the perfect appetizer for this 13 1/2 hour upper deck long haul to Atlanta.

Inside Terminal 2 at ICN
Welcome to Terminal 2 at ICN! Given the size of the Boeing 747-8, I’m willing to bet at least one of these people is going to be on my flight to Atlanta this morning (whether they like it or not).

The first order of business was grabbing a quick shower at the Korean Air Lounge. Eating wasn’t necessary considering that 1). I ate pretty good on the flight up from Singapore, and 2). I was dealing with a minor stomach bug (which was being a total a**hole and ruining my trip).

Korean Air 747-8 parked at gate 267 ICN
The mighty Korean Air 747-8! HL7638 was assigned to ATL duty on this day – something I was highly appreciative of (even though they didn’t care to ask my opinion).
Gate 267 ICN airport
Déjà vu like a mofo. 3 months prior I took a flight to Seattle that departed from this exact same gate. It’s kinda like flying Southwest Airlines twice and getting the same 737 both times.
Korean Air Seoul to Atlanta prestige class boarding pass
No you guys, the boarding pass for upper deck business class passengers isn’t any different than what it is for lower deck passengers. It should be. But it’s not.

The boarding process for KE35 to ATL

The boarding process started exactly on time. Passengers / families needing extra time got to go first, and then they let loose with first class and business class (together).

Korean Air 747-8 forward boarding door
The forward boarding door? Don’t threaten me with a good time!
Korean Air 747-8 lower deck business class cabin
This is the lower deck business class cabin – which I got to experience on a flight up from Singapore just a few hours prior. But on this flight? I’m just passing through on my way to bigger and better things.
Korean Air 747-8 stairs to upper deck
The stairwell leading to said “bigger and better things.” As shocking as it may be, you’ll hear no angelic harp music while ascending these stairs. It’s still one hell of a spiritual experience though.
Korean Air 747-8 upper deck business class cabin
The upper deck. For those of you who are thinking that this looks a little small and claustrophobic, you’re wrong. It’s the pinnacle of long-haul air transport IMHO.

Seat overview

The Prestige Class seats on the upper deck are just the same as the ones on the lower deck. The only difference is that there’s fewer of them, resulting in a far more intimate experience. Colors and textures are unmistakably “Korean Air.”

Korean Air 747-8 upper deck business class seats
Yeah! These are the exact same seats you saw in my Korean Air 777-300ER business class review. Not only are they comfy, they pair excellently with bibimbap.
Korean Air 747-8 business class window seat
It also the exact same seat you’ll get in Japan Airlines (JAL) 787-8 business class. Long story short, the Japanese (and the Koreans) know what’s up.
Korean Air 747-8 business class upper deck window seat space
They don’t call this Prestige Class for nothin’. What am I gonna do with all this space??
Korean Air 747-8 business class upper deck window seat width
Wait. Don’t answer that. Despite the seat being a little narrow, I can assure you that it is as every bit as prestigious as they claim it to be.
Korean Air 747-8 business class seat privacy panel
Pro tip for solo travelers: raise the seat divider / privacy panel before the person in the adjacent seat sits down. It’s less awkward that way.

These seats are a lot more private than what you saw in my Korean Air A380 business class review. They’re just as functional though, with the usual 110V Power outlets, USB ports, and storage bins.

Korean Air 747-8 business class video screen
In typical Korean Air form, the video screen is unreachable. It is large though. And bright.

Amenities

Even before sitting down, I knew I was in for a pretty good time. I hadn’t even had a chance to dig through the amenity kit before a cheery flight attendant came by offering champagne, water, or orange juice. It almost seemed as if she wanted me to try all three.

Korean Air 747-8 business class amenities
You’ll find a blanket, amenity kit, noise canceling headphones, slippers, and a bottle of water waiting for you at your seat. Unless somebody else nabbed it all before you got there. Sucks to be you if that happens.

The departure

Our gate departure was 12 minutes late (at 9:32am). Our taxi time to runway 15R took 7 minutes longer than scheduled (it was 17 minutes total). Takeoff happened 19 minutes late (at 9:49am). And you know what? I didn’t even give a sh*t. I was too comfortable to care!

Korean Air 747-8 upper deck prestige class cabin
“ALL ABOARD!” How cool would this be if this was an 1850’s style train review?
Korean Air 747-8 pushing back from the gate at ICN
“Ladies and gentlemen, we would like to welcome you onboard the Bibimbap Express, with nonstop service to Atlanta.” The most notable thing about that announcement is the fact that I wasn’t really feeling much like bibimbap.
Korean Air 747-8 (HL7637) at Incheon Airport
Just one of many Korean Air 747-8s parked here at the Incheon Airport this morning. This is the one I flew in on from Singapore just a few hours prior.
View of Seoul while taking off from ICN in a Korean Air 747-8
People talk a lot about how a soul can leave a body – but here’s a pic of my body leaving Seoul. Later y’all!

In-flight entertainment

The most important thing to know about the in-flight entertainment in Prestige Class on Korean Air: The use of the remote control AND your spectacles will be required.

This is the result of the video screen being completely unreachable from a seated position. It’s really far away from the seat.

Korean Air 747-8 business class in-flight entertainment main menu
The main menu (and a personal reminder of how culturally out of touch I am considering that I don’t recognize most of these movies).

The fact that I didn’t recognize most of the movies and TV shows should be of no concern to you. I may be out of touch with the current times, but I was still very much impressed with the amount of content available.

Korean Air 747-8 business class in-flight entertainment remote control
Just as it is in Singapore Airlines 777-300ER business class, the use of the in-flight entertainment remote control is pretty much required (unless you’ve been blessed with abnormally long appendages).
Korean Air 747-8 business class noise canceling headphones
Noise canceling headphone review: A little tinny. A lot boomy. They a’ight.

I listened to “Jet Airliner” by the Steve Miller Band (twice) while watching the clouds go by on the external camera. “But my heart keeps calling me backwards, as I get on the 747-8…”

The first meal service

In general, I consider the food in Korean Air business class to be good – but not excellent. I always enjoy their wide variety of Korean and western choices though, and the offerings on this flight were as interesting as ever. It was really hard to decide!

Korean Air 747-8 business class menu
The menu for today’s flight. To bibimbap…or not to bibimbap? That is the question.
Pre-drink service snack
The “pre-drink service” (not the appetizer): Oven dried tomato with olive. More ITA Airways than Korean Air IMHO, but 맛있다 nonetheless.

The appetizer (smoked salmon with balsamic dressing and vegetables) was next. Are they ashamed of their Korean roots or something?

The Korean style main course
That’s more like it! This is the main course: Korean style chilled acorn chili and rice soup served with ‘Bulgogi’ beef and side dishes. Kimchi too!

The side dishes consisted of steamed white rice and pickles. The mystery beefy pickle dish (which I assume was the “Bulgogi” beef they were talking about) was the best:

SANspotter eating rice with chopsticks
Since this is a Korean airline, I do believe this properly qualifies as muckbang. Who says white boys can’t eat rice with chopsticks?

Three separate items were offered for dessert: a fruit and cheese plate, fresh fruit, and ice cream. I attempted everything except the ice cream.

Seat comfort

The combination of having a window seat on the upper deck of the 747 made for a very cozy and comfortable sleeping experience. These are very private lie-flat seats – especially the ones along the windows. Ain’t nobody gonna see you drool.

Korean Air 747-8 business class blanket
Is it really any surprise that the blanket is thick, soft, and ultra cuddly? You gotta hand it to the Koreans – they know a thing or two about staying warm when the temperature drops.
SANspotter sleeping in Korean Air 747-8 business class lie flat seat
If you listen closely, you can actually hear me purring. This is an excellent seat for sleeping!
Korean Air 747-8 prestige class upper deck lie flat seat
The sharply curved walls here on the upper deck makes it a more intimate (and cozy) sleeping experience IMHO. Your boy SANspotter is knocked out.
Korean Air 747-8 business class midflight snack
After a solid 4 hours of sleep, I rang the flight attendant call button and ordered me up a plate of cookies. The sheer novelty of it was too great to resist.

The business class lavatory

There are actually two lavatories on the upper deck of the 747-8. Both are located at the very front of the cabin (near the cockpit door). RIP to the pilots who were forced (against their will) to listen to us make disgusting noises for 13+ hours.

Korean Air 747-8 business class upper deck lavatory
Don’t expect much wiggle room here in the upper deck lavatory. Sit down, shut up, and do your business!

The second meal service

The cabin lights came on approximately 2 1/2 hours prior to landing in Atlanta. I wasn’t even expecting much for this second meal service, but it ended up being just as substantial as the first. Those flight attendants worked hard on this flight.

Basic salad with no dressing or vegetables
The menu simply referred to this as “Salad.” They weren’t lying.
Pre-landing meal main course
The main course: Roasted chicken thigh with pesto cream sauce served with potato and vegetables. Arguably the most “Atlanta” thing on the entire menu.
SANspotter eating pre-landing meal in Korean Air 747-8 business class
“Shoulda had bibimbap.” Not that this wasn’t delicious or anything, but I had one last chance to eat proper Korean food for a while and I blew it.
Fresh fruit plate for dessert
For dessert: Seasonal fresh fruit. Given the fact that this is the same combination of fruit that I’m always served in business and/or first class anywhere in the world tells me that the stuff is in season all year long. Just sayin’.

The descent and arrival into Atlanta

By the time they began the descent, we were still just a few minutes behind schedule. And I’m sorry to report that it was gloomy all the way in. Atlanta didn’t exactly put on her best for us this morning.

View of engine and wing from upper deck of Korean Air 747-8
Here we go! Looks like it’s gonna be an overcast arrival into ATL this morning.
Frontier A321 taxiing at ATL
ATL’s most interesting flight of the day has arrived! I’m talking about us of course…certainly not that Frontier A321.

For all you stats and data nerds out there, we touched down on runway 09R at 9:57 AM. Taxi to the gate (F1) took just six minutes. I shot exactly 1.2 GB of video footage all the way in. My heart rate was slightly elevated at 60 bpm (according to my Apple Watch).

View from the window while pulling up to gate F1 at ATL
Here’s a picture of the most interesting flight of the day pulling up to gate F1. And again, just for clarification, I’m talking about us. Not Ozzy the Orca over there (who’s doing an awfully good job of photo bombing the end of this review).
Korean Air 747-8 upper deck business class open overhead bins
What a ride! Yeah, I know that’s what she said, but there was nothing left to say at this point. What an incredible experience.
Walking down the stairs on a Korean Air 747-8
One small step for man… (*sigh* – I’m really gonna miss this).
Korean Air 747-8 parked at gate F1 ATL
You know it was a good flight when you run back to the gate to take a picture of the aircraft after clearing customs and immigration. So long HL7638. How does that sappy Céline Dion song go again?

Pros and cons

All I’m going to say is that this was probably my best Boeing 747 experience ever. Yeah, United 747-400 upper deck business class was pretty cool, but the service on this flight was nothing short of phenomenal.

Pros

  • Seat privacy is excellent. I didn’t even hear a peep from the person sitting next to me for the entire 13 hours.
  • Any window seat on the upper deck will be especially cozy thanks to the curved walls. You’ll also get a very deep storage compartment that other passengers won’t.
  • The variety of food choices is excellent.

Cons

  • Couples traveling together may not like these seats all that much. If you are traveling with someone, I recommend getting seats in the center section (on the lower deck) – and not ones along the windows.
  • Anyone who has trouble seeing things in the distance might have an issue with the video screen being so far away.

Comments (2)

  1. David

    October 9, 2024
    • Scott (SANspotter)

      October 9, 2024

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