This was our return flight from Incheon to Singapore on Asiana Airlines’ A350-900, wrapping up our sakura trip. We had already reviewed the outbound Singapore to Incheon sector sector, so I will not repeat every detail about the aircraft, headrest, or in-flight entertainment here. This review focuses on what was different on the way home, and how the A350 felt after a week of flying Asiana’s older A330-300s between Seoul and Nagoya.
Check-in and boarding
We had an overnight layover before the return flight, so we stayed near Seoul rather than at the airport. By this point in the trip, we had also picked up an extra piece of luggage from shopping in Seoul, but check-in at Incheon was straightforward and the extra bag was accepted without issue.
Priority boarding was available through Star Alliance Gold, though there was otherwise nothing particularly notable about the boarding process.
The seat
It is the same 3-3-3 configuration in the newer A350-900 cabin. After spending the past week on Asiana’s ageing A330-300s between Incheon and Nagoya, coming back to the A350 was a noticeable improvement. The cabin felt fresher, the seats more comfortable, and the adjustable headrest (already covered in our previous review) remained one of the better economy headrests we’ve used.
In-flight entertainment and Wi-Fi
The in-flight entertainment system was identical to what we had on the outbound flight. The screen, interface, and content selection were all familiar by this point, so there was not much new to add here. It was perfectly fine for a regional overnight sector, but not a reason to choose the flight.
Food and drinks
Food was served twice on this flight. The first meal came shortly after takeoff. The options were bibimbap or noodles. We went with the bibimbap again. The rice was fragrant, and it was just as good as the outbound flight. Asiana’s bibimbap continues to be one of the better economy class meals you can get on any airline.
Closer to landing, a chicken pizza panini was served as a snack. It was served hot and was surprisingly decent for a pre-arrival bite. I would take this over the usual cold sandwich or cup noodle before descent.
Arrival
The in-flight stretching exercises made another appearance before landing, same as the outbound flight. Still a nice way to wake up before arrival.
Concluding thoughts
The A350-900 is clearly the better Asiana Airlines aircraft for economy passengers. After flying both the A350 and the older A330-300 on this trip, the difference was obvious: the newer cabin felt fresher, the seats were more comfortable, and the adjustable headrest made a real difference on a medium-haul flight.
If you are booking Asiana Airlines and have a choice of aircraft on your route, I would pick the A350 without hesitation. The overall experience is still economy class, of course, but it is a noticeably more comfortable version of it.
