I flew on Korean Air's Boeing 747 in business from LA to Seoul and the upstairs cabin felt like a private jet

Korean Air flies out of the Tom Bradley International Terminal, also known as Terminal B, alongside a dozen other major international carriers, like Qatar Airways, China Southern Airways, Japan Airlines, British Airways, and Australia's Qantas.

As Korean does not have a premium economy cabin, it has three separate lines for economy, business, and first — the norm for most carriers to elevate the experience for their highest-paying customers.

Travelers can also check-in online and retrieve their boarding passes that way — which I did. However, I still needed to visit the counter to check my luggage, which was well within the 66-pound weight limit.

I have had TSA PreCheck — and Global Entry for that matter — for more than five years now, and both are easily two of the best investments I've ever made.

I rarely spend more than 10 minutes in a security queue or at passport control, and I like not having to remove my laptop or shoes.

While very basic, the airline had plenty of seating and a few food options, like chicken, fruit, and mini sandwiches.

There was also a deck overlooking the terminal.

The Korean lounge was not far from the gate, though passengers will need to traverse a few walkways to get there, which took me just a few minutes to do.

British Airways no longer flies the 747, unfortunately — though others like Lufthansa and Air China still do.

It's not a surprise many 747s left the skies during the pandemic, though. The fuel-hungry quad-engines make the operational costs higher than twin-engine widebodies, meaning it was already inefficient to operate pre-pandemic.

But the sudden halt in travel in March 2020 was the nail in the coffin that sent the iconic plane to boneyards across the world — so it's a huge treat to fly on one in 2023 considering only a few of the passenger variant land on US soil every day.

Priority boarding is a huge perk when traveling on a giant double-decker aircraft. I was able to avoid the crowds, jetbridge queue, and overall stress of boarding. 

I was also one of the first people off the plane after landing despite being on the upper-level thanks to the flight attendants.

Like the A380, the 747 used several jet bridges to board the aircraft as it's more efficient, with economy passengers enplaning via a door closer to the middle of the plane.

The only way to access the second level was via this staircase as there was no jetbridge connecting upstairs to the terminal.

The upper deck layout differs from the lower level because it has fewer seats and no middle section.

The first floor sees business class in a 2x2x2 layout with 26 seats, according to Korean. Both sections have the seats all slightly staggered for added privacy.

The upstairs Prestige section felt extremely private and exclusive with just a few seats, and I was completely separated from the lower section.

An Apex Suite is a type of business class that allows airlines to pack in more people without sacrificing direct-aisle access for window seat passengers.

They are rare in the industry, though, with only a few carriers like Gulf Air and Japan Airlines using them.

Honestly, it felt more like a little hotel room sitting in seat 16J.

However, it's still not at the same scale as ANA's "The Room" business class, which comes with a full privacy door.

Some airlines, like Condor, have great business class products but lack storage space.

In my experience, the clutter can add up during long-haul flights, leaving the space feeling more cramped than it is.

Aisle seat passengers, however, do not have the same space, storage, or privacy as window seat travelers — and that is actually why I made sure to select a window seat when I booked the flight in June.

The adjustable seat is a generous 21 inches wide with a 180-degree recline and 75-inch pitch. 

While these perks are typical of most airline business class, I particularly liked the toiletries provided in Korean Air's amenity kit.

A USB port and a universal power outlet were also installed on each seat.

The tray table was easily big enough for a laptop and all of my meals. The storage bins on the side act as another tabletop space when the tray table is in use.

My biggest gripe with the TV was that the screen felt rather basic with simple widgets for movies and shows rather than customized images or a more complex design with clear Korean Air branding.

Plus, the 17-inch width is smaller than ANA's 24-inch TV in its "The Room" business class. Singapore's Airbus A350s feature 18-inch screens in its premium cabin.

Noise-canceling headphones were also provided, which worked perfectly fine. However, the port can also accommodate wired headphones if you prefer that like me.

When I tried to go to sleep, I used the remote to turn the monitor off so I wouldn't have a bright screen lighting up my dark little corner nook.

However, the remote would keep re-lighting up automatically without any input from me —  triggering the TV to turn back on as well.

I ended up just using my sweater to block the screen (pictured). This was an easy solution, though it was a little annoying that I had to do it.

Before pushback, the flight attendants came around with a tray of drinks and a snack, so I enjoyed a glass of orange juice and trail mix before heading out to the runway.

Considering this was an 11:30 p.m. flight, I was happy to see the flight attendants working hard to get everyone their meals quickly as they knew most of us wanted to sleep.

The bibimbap came with minced beef, vegetables, sesame oil, and "gochujang," which is a hot pepper paste.

The Korean-style porridge was served with green onions, radishes, and other side dishes.

I'm not sure if I was supposed to wrap it in the seaweed, but I thought it tasted really good this way.

The other options onboard my specific flight were seafood with broccoli and cherry tomatoes or beef Bourguignon with mashed potatoes and vegetables.

I've noticed that seared tuna is a popular appetizer for business class, with fruit being a common substitute for a sweet dessert. 

I visited the lavatory three times during the flight and each time the floors were void of any loose paper, the bins were emptied, and the toiletries were restocked.

This was a nice change from the gross bathroom I found on United Airlines' Boeing 767 in August.

When laying fully flat with my head on the pillow, my feet were not touching the end, so I felt I had plenty of space to spread out.

I did like the bed, but it was definitely smaller than the ones on both Singapore and ANA — both of which also provided a base layer over the seat for added comfort.

The partition was controlled by a simple button on the seat.

However, the staggered nature of the cabin means the seats are still private enough — though I'd definitely fight for a window seat if I were to ever fly Korean Air's Prestige cabin again.

I could have opted for the eggs, potatoes, and bacon option instead. Fruit and bread were also served.

Passengers could also request other refreshments throughout the duration of the flight, like a ramen bowl, chips, roasted chestnuts, or a cookie.

While the 747 offered major nostalgia, the product itself sold me. I particularly liked the staggered design and the innovative walkways and appreciated the ample storage space.

When standing at the front lavatory looking towards the back of the plane, I could see the curtain that separates the aft cabin galley.

This made it feel like that's all there was to the jet — just me, the flight attendants, and a few other passengers around.

Private jets like the Gulfstream and the Bombardier boast huge windows to create a sense of space and openness onboard — the same shining true for Korean's 747.

The 747 is massive, and its iconic little hump has been a hotspot for luxurious products over the years, like bars and lounges.

This means business travelers shouldn't expect to get any online work done when flying on the 747 to Seoul.

Currently, Korean only offers WiFi on its Boeing 737-8 and Airbus A321neo planes on short-haul routes, like between Seoul and Fukuoka, Japan, and Seoul and Osaka.

However, its website says it is rolling out WiFi for all of its planes, with one day all international flights having internet onboard.