Last couple flights from my impromptu planespotting session last Sunday are in the works! One of the long-haul arrivals I got to see that day at the In N Out was the afternoon Korean Air 747-8I from Seoul. Korean Air is both a longtime operator of the 747 and a longtime player in the Los Angeles market, having flown there since 1972, when it inaugurated flights from Gimpo Airport to the biggest city on the West Coast. Over the intervening 53 years, the Korean flag carrier has deployed the DC-10-30, the MD-11, every variant of the 747 it’s operated (747-200/SP/300/400/8I), the 777-200ER and -300ER, the A330-200, the 787-9 Dreamliner, and the A380-800. Currently, KE flies twice-daily between its international hub at Seoul-Incheon and Los Angeles, with both flights (KE17 in the morning and KE11 in the afternoon) operated by Boeing’s last passenger 747 model.
Server: Solo
Airline: Korean Air
Aircraft: Boeing 747-8I
Origin: Incheon International Airport, Jung-gu, South Korea (ICN)
Destination: Los Angeles International Airport, Los Angeles, California (LAX)
Flight Number: KE11
Route: RKSI-KLAX
Seat: 18A (Prestige)
Time En Route: 10 Hours 19 Minutes
Boarding at Terminal 2 at Incheon in the evening. Thanks to our Delta SkyMiles status, we got access to the luxurious new Korean Air lounge, where we had a delicious dinner.
Taxiing by Incheon’s midfield satellite terminal as we head to Runway 34L for departure. The Prestige business class suite here on the upper deck is stellar, with the impressive privacy offered by the suite itself complemented by the seclusion from the main deck.
Taking off for Los Angeles. One of the nice things about our particular seat is how it’s halfway down the passenger hump, giving an excellent view of the massive wings and engines.
Viewing Incheon International as we pass through 15,000 feet. We’ve got the seat mostly reclined so we can settle in for the slightly over 10 hours of flying across the Pacific.
Finally ready to fall asleep as we leave the coast of Honshu behind us. Our second dinner of the evening was on the lighter side, consisting of traditional Korean *bimbimbap*, while we passed on the post-main course cheese platter. Time to get some shut-eye!
Briefly waking up over the middle of the North Pacific. Sleeping has been quite easy, although the lack of a mattress pad has made our seat a bit harder than it would otherwise be. Fortunately, mattress pads are coming to the Prestiges suites in the near future, so this hopefully won’t be a problem down the line.
Final descent over Santa Monica in the early afternoon, with Brentwood and Pacific Palisades in view to our left, and the 10 Freeway below us. The burn scar from the fires at the start of this year is still visible, an ugly gash marring an otherwise picturesque descent.
Landing on Runway 24L. Fortunately, the rain has stopped, allowing for a good look at ground traffic, although there is still some standing water on the runway, making for some spectacular effects when over 300 tons of aircraft rolls through them at over 100 knots.
Taxiing to the main Tom Bradley International Terminal. The rain and cloud cover has sufficiently cleared enough for the moment that we can see the outline of thr mountains in the distance.
Deplaned at Gate 156. The Prestige suites on Korean Air’s 747-8I are, as usual, top-notch, although they’re starting to show their age compared to newer airframes in the KE fleet. Still, flying in business class on the Queen of the Skies is hard to beat, and we’d definitely recommend traveling with KE in it if possible.