Korean Air

They gave me a seat in the second to last row on the Korean Air flight from SFO to Seoul. I sat next to a young girl named Kitara and introduced myself as her new friend for the next twelve hours. The stewardess in their shiny aqua marine shirts and khaki pants formed a huddle in the waiting area as they studied the choreography of flight before we boarded. They were preparing to provide us with their signature “Excellence in Flight” service. There was a striking uniformity and it wasn’t just because they were all wearing the same uniform. I sensed their intense commitment towards creating the perfect experience for us, while keeping that stiff ribbon that resembled a pair of chopsticks clipped to the back of their tight bun.  With shiny aqua marine shirts, khakis, a scarf so stiff that its ends stuck straight out like a propeller attached to the side of their necks we were in for a very pleasant and courteous voyage.

There was a blanket, a pair of fresh head phones and a small light blue sack with a pair of slippers and toothbrush kit inside waiting at my seat. There was a USB charging port on the console in front of me and an A/C plug under my seat for charging.  The bathroom had l’Oreal handcream and wall to wall mirrors like an all you can eat buffet. We got a fresh hand wipes with peanuts as soon as we were cruising and soon after the first of two meals and a snack. I chose the traditional Korean boiled veggie and meat combo with steamed rice, little Kim Chee veggies, seaweed soup and oranges for dessert. And we got real metal forks and knives (!). They came by periodically with a fresh tea or coffee pot, and or a wine bottle in each hand like we were at a little flying cafe. When I started to feel hungry it was time for either a brownie or a steamed dim sum bun. The wine, movies, and all the food was included as part of their service. As left the plane I saw on the floor in first class a pair of slightly nicer slippers. I was totally impressed with coach.