Asiana Airlines locks in seasonal Melbourne-Seoul flights

Asiana’s three-month trial between Melbourne and Seoul may be ending February 29, but it appears to have been a success for the Korean carrier, with now-seasonal flights officially returning from July this year. 

Taking wing four times a week from July 2 to September 2, OZ604 departs Melbourne every Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday at 11:10pm, touching down in Seoul at 9:15am the following day.

On the return, OZ603 jets off from Seoul those same four days at 10:10am and arrives in Melbourne at 9:40pm.

The Star Alliance member’s modern Airbus A350 is also making a welcome return, with the aircraft fitted with a 1-2-1 ‘Business Smartium’ class, giving 28 passengers the option to recline in lie-flat comfort during the 10 hour 30 minute flight.

Melbourne Airport Chief of Aviation Jim Parashos says Asiana’s return comes as “no surprise”, revealing January saw an average of “fewer than 10 vacant seats free on almost every flight”.

“This new seasonal service will coincide with Korea’s peak holiday period, so we expect it to attract even stronger demand,” Parashos adds.

Asiana Airlines' Business Smartium class.

On the ground, travellers will find Seoul a destination ripe for exploration, with everything from centuries-old palaces to futuristic plazas, historic villages and more food markets than you can possibly visit in one trip.

Asiana’s rebooted Victorian connection also gives it a key point of difference from rivals, such as Qantas and T’Way Air. That’s because almost all other departures from Australia take wing from Sydney, including Asiana’s own daily Airbus A380 connection.

A notable exception is Korean Air, which fired up direct flights to Brisbane earlier this month.

Of course, Korean Air may not be a rival for much longer, with a long-in-the-works merger proposed between the airlines expected to find a resolution in the near future.