I selected Korean Air for the journey from Atlanta (ATL) to Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam (SGN) because Korean Air is one of the few airlines that has international first class on many of its intra-Asia flights. The 90,000 Korean Air miles I used for first class to ICN would also cover the cost of first class from ICN to SGN.

When the attendant in the Korean Air First Lounge (see prior post) notified me that the slightly delayed flight to SGN was ready to board, I made my way to Gate 6 to board KE flight 683. The five-and-one-half hour flight was scheduled to depart ICN at 6:20pm and arrive SGN at 9:35pm.

Korean Air has six first-class, full-flat seats on the A330-300 in a 2-2-2 configuration.  I had seat 1A, a window seat on the left side of the plane.  Access to this seat was by a narrow passage between the bulkhead and the front of seat 1B.

After the 777-300 I found the first-class seat on the A330-300 to be quite a let down.

There was a half  ottoman under the video screen.  The ottoman couldn’t be any larger and still allow acces to the seat from the passage next to the bulkhead.

With the windows on the left and no console, there was only a very narrow ledge on the right on which to set drinks or anything else that you may want to keep close at hand. There is a wider shelf in the passage from the aisle, but that is hard to reach when seated.

Seat 1B.  The first-class seats on Korean Air’s A330-300 seem cramped to me.

This A330-300 seat was really just a business-class seat and not a particularly outstanding business-class seat at that.  The first-class seat on the Korean Air 777-300ER is my idea of a first-class seat.

On the A330-300, seat controls and the video remote were mounted on the armrest on the right.

The only storage space is under the armrest.

At least at ICN, unlike ATL, I got a glass of champagne before departure.

Taxiing from the gate I could see the windows of the Korean Air lounges.

After takeoff the flight attendant served drinks and then diner which was the only meal on the flight.

Korean Air provided slippers on this flight but no amenity kit.  There were razors and dental kits in the bathroom however.

The in-flight video features were standard for Korean Air. 

I was glad when we landed at SGN Tan Son Nhat airport.

The Final Analysis

The first class seat on the A330-300 was disappointing as was the lack of an amenity kit. Service, however, was outstanding as usual on Korean Air.  The total trip from ATL was a real pleasure.