Background:
This series covers a trip to Manila over Labor Day weekend. Please refer to Part 1 for the background. As a reminder, the routing is:
Part 1 – LAX-ICN [OZ 203, Boeing B777-200ER, Economy] – Here
Part 2 – ICN-MNL [OZ 701, Boeing B777-200ER, Economy] – Here
Part 3 – MNL-ICN [OZ 702, Boeing B777-200ER, Economy] – Here
Part 4 – ICN-LAX [OZ 204, Boeing B777-200ER, Economy] – You are here
This report will cover the flight from ICN to LAX. The report will be a little bit light because I had a sinus infection and wasn’t feeling well. The bonus at the end will be of Manila.
Pre-flight:
After clearing transfer security, I went to the OZ Business Lounge. The standard hot food was out: noodles and fried rice. The lounge was really crowded at this time since all the flights to the US were getting ready to depart. I just rested my eyes and took a shower.
I just stayed in the lounge until 45 minutes to departure and then left. The waiting areas at ICN.
FIDS with my flight highlighted.
Boarding was delayed and didn’t start until around 20:05 for our 20:20 departure. My boarding documents.
My OZ B772 waiting outside.
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Asiana Airlines, OZ 204
Equipment: Boeing B777-200ER [HL7732, delivered May 2004]
Departure: 20:20 (ATD: 20:52)
Arrival: 16:00 (ATA: 16:01)
Flight time: 11:09
Priorities are strictly respected and priority passengers are sent down and into the plane. There were newspapers at the end of the jetbridge.
Entering, the FAs greet me and check my boarding pass. They direct me through the galley and to the right. Log jam entering the first Y cabin.
My row.
Seat pitch is good and we will have the new Y cabin with large IFE screens.
The fold down footrest and power outlets in between the seats.
The IFE in the newer Y cabins. There is also a coat hangar and USB port.
Pre-placed on the seat were pillow and blanket.
Shortly after boarding, head phones and slippers were handed out by the FAs.
My newspaper, complete with KE ad.
Our airplane registration before the two people fill in these two seats. The plane went out pretty close to 100% with no more than 5 empty seats.
We took off around 21:00 and meal service started up after leveling off. The option was a Korean ssambap or a Western meal. I went for the ssambap and a Pocari Sweat to try and rehydrate since I wasn’t feeling well. Sorry for not taking pictures without covers. The tray on the right had the beef and rice. The bowl contains the lettuce and peppers. It’s served with a dried Pollock soup and some sweets in the back of the tray. The meal is pretty good, but I don't find ssambap very easy to eat on an airplane since you have to make lettuce wraps with your food.
The lavatories are well stocked with amentities and are of above average cleanliness. I found the crew on this flight to be not as attentive as other OZ flights. They were pretty non-existent mid-flight and didn’t come through hourly with drinks like on every other flight I have taken on OZ.
The IFE is above average in size and quality, but the quantity is quite poor and its hard to find enough things to watch on multiple long haul flights.
I tried to sleep as long as I could. I woke up as we approached Seattle.
As always, OZ does breakfast service 2.5 hours before arrival, which is just painful. The options were fish and rice or chicken and noodles. I went with fish and rice. My meal as delivered. This looks very similar to what Numero_2 had on his second tray on ICN-CDG (Here).
The main. It tasted like it looks in this picture, not so great.
A potato salad and dessert.
Another drink service was done prior to arrival…
…along with the famous OZ exercise video.
Standard approach into LAX.
My plane arriving (photo courtesy of Ms. NGO85 from the park next to In-N-Out).
We had a short taxi into our slot at TBIT and were quickly deplaning.
Down to immigration we go. Welcome to the US!
Global Entry is empty so I’m quickly out and into the baggage claim.
Bags were circling quickly and I was out of the airport within 30 minutes of touching down at LAX, very nice perk after being sick all flight.
My reward is finally completing the OZ Diamond (*G) qualification.
***BONUS***
Old Town Manila.
Manila Cathedral.
Palacio Del Gobernador.
Fort Santiago.
Thank you Michael.
"The report will be a little bit light because I had a sinus infection and wasn’t feeling well." -> Despite this you had a glass of Cass draught in the lounge. :P
You finally got Ssambap on the 4th flight. ! ^^
"The meal is pretty good, but I don't find ssambap very easy to eat on an airplane since you have to make lettuce wraps with your food." -> It's not easy but it's fun.
"This looks very similar to what Numero_2 had on his second tray on ICN-CDG (Here)." -> The only difference is salad and dessert are in a switched position. ^^
I'm not sure that OZ best deals are worth if you are earning miles on a different FFP...
"It's not easy but it's fun."
- So is fondue ;) But I prefer the ease of bibimbap mixing^^
"The only difference is salad and dessert are in a switched position. ^^"
- They must have gotten that dessert on discount^^ It's sad that the menu hasn't changed in the 6 months between our flights. Any bets on how many times I get bibimbap on my next OZ trip in a couple weeks?
"I'm not sure that OZ best deals are worth if you are earning miles on a different FFP..."
- TK gives the same mileage earning. They will give 70% miles for the deeply discounted OZ fares. Not sure about other FFPs... NH always has $600 fares to SE Asia ex-LAX, but they are 10% mileage earning so I never take them. Even at the 70% earning level, a $500 ticket is still 5 cents/mile.
Thanks for stopping by Clement!
Thank you Michael for sharing this FR despite your condition. It sucks to be sick when you are flying but at least it happened at the end of your trip when you return home rather than at the beginning or middle of your trip. I also became sick on my last leg JFK-SFO. Actually it started from HEL-JFK with a sneezing attack and that should have raised a red flag.
Kudos to OZ for handing out slippers in Y. It's always a nice perk that sets the airline apart.
Beautiful bonus as usual. Your really captured the colonial feel of Old Manila.
Hope you are feeling better now.
"It sucks to be sick when you are flying"
- I actually felt bad for the lady next to me, who got stuck next to the guy coughing up drainage all flight.
"Kudos to OZ for handing out slippers in Y. It's always a nice perk that sets the airline apart."
- As far as I know, its the only airline that hands them out in Y. CX doesn't even give them in J.
Thanks for stopping by Adan!
Thank you for sharing this FR with us!
"The report will be a little bit light because I had a sinus infection and wasn’t feeling well."
- Oh :(. This flight was done roughly a month ago but still hope you are feeling much better today!
Really sucks to feel like that on a flight :(, and you still shared this FR with us.
Glad you got the newer Y cabin this time. Slippers are really interesting, don't see too much of that in Y today.
"Sorry for not taking pictures without covers."
- No need to apologize at all :).
A lot of great pictures throughout the FR, thanks for sharing.
"My plane arriving (photo courtesy of Ms. NGO85 from the park next to In-N-Out)."
- Wow, impressive!
Absolutely fantastic bonus from Manila, stunning pictures.
Hope you're feeling well, have a good one and see you later.
"still hope you are feeling much better today!"
- It's been a battle. It started after the YYC trip, then got better after antibiotics in time for MNL, but then got reaggregated.
"Glad you got the newer Y cabin this time."
- For LAX, we will be switching to 2 A380s a day so it will no longer be a guessing game when taking B772s.
"Wow, impressive!"
- I got some good ones on a trip to LAX last weekend to pick up my brother, I'll try and add them as a bonus to my next ex-LAX FR.
"Absolutely fantastic bonus from Manila, stunning pictures."
- The pictures make it look nicer than it actually is ;) It really wasn't a very clean city. Not sure if I'd put Philippines on my list of places to return to on vacation.
Thanks for your comments Rl777, see you!