Asiana Business Class. (Flight check: Seoul-New York).(Brief Article)

First Impressions: I arrived late to Seoul's Kimpo International Airport, convinced I would miss my flight. So my relief was great when the friendly attendant breezed me through check-in and directed me to the Asiana Business Class Lounge.

As Seoul is the carrier's hub, its lounge was truly impressive. Best bet: the showers. And although there were only two, everyone used them quickly and fairly. I also liked the Korean snacks, wide range of multilingual reading material and comfy, stylish chairs. Unlike in many lounges, the front desk was staffed with personnel who appeared to be keeping close tabs on my luggage left in the up-front storage area, leaving me free to get a shower. 5/5

Boarding: Boarding was orderly and smooth: Premium-class passengers were ferried to the front of the line and graciously led to their seats. 5/5

Seat Comfort: My seat--up top on a 747--was part of a 2-2 configuration and featured lots of room in the seat pocket and even more storage space in the nifty compartment adjacent to the window. There was plenty of lumbar support, and when I extended the leg rest to its fullest position, I was able to easily approximate a reasonable sleeping position, thanks to 50 inches of pitch and a seat that reclined to 135 degrees. So much so that despite my resolve not to sleep during the flight--a jet-lag avoidance exercise--I actually snoozed for almost the entire flight. Some half-dozen movies were offered, most of them somewhat outdated. 4.5/5

The Flight: Service was warm and detailed: drinks were offered continuously upon boarding and before takeoff. And even though we left about 30 minutes late, the captain regularly updated us as to our status.

Meals were served twice, and featured both Asian and Western dishes such as spareribs glazed with a sweet and sour sauce, accompanied by rice. The bathrooms were clean and stocked with a nice supply of soap, lotions and perfumes, which were augmented by the distribution of hot towels. Just before landing, Asiana's flight attendants invited the entire cabin to participate in a 10-minute stretching/light-exercise session intended to revive and restore circulation, accompanied by a kitschy--though fun--video. 5/5

Arrival: Despite the late takeoff, we managed to get into JFK almost on time, thanks to favorable winds. Premium-class passengers disembarked first, and I got through customs and received my luggage very quickly. 5/5