Star Alliance - New Star lounge and etc. in ICN

Had a chance to visit the ICN airport (a very nice airport BTW) and a visit to the Silver Kris lounge.

Basically, SQ is running the sole Star lounge in ICN, and other carriers are paying for the access. (Friends at ANA tell me it's $36 a pop, net price to the airlines http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/eek.gif )

It is a VERY nice lounge considering SEL is far from being SQ's home base airport. Nice touches include lockers to lock your bits and pieces away, on-line computers with huge (17") LCD screens (very nice to look at, might take one home http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/tongue.gif) and a bar with a bartender in the J class lounge.

Supposedly it has showers although I must have missed it.

Food selections include some warm savoury snacks and dim sum. The usual good drinks selection also.

It looks to me as if Star airlines managed to get their act together for the new airport, as they managed to secure a check-in island or two solely for Star airlines. (Island K, used by AC, LH, NH, SQ, UA, TG) And as the check-in desks are Common User, it means when LH's flight has already left AC can use the same desk for checking in AC passengers later on in the day.

It is a very impressive airport, very airy and modern. Shame about the distance from the city (almost 2 hours travel on the bus, taxi is 60000 won (approx USD50) which is about 3 times what it previously was ex-Kimpo airport)

If you arrive in ICN and you're going to a hotel, the KAL Limousine bus , which goes to all major hotels in Seoul, has comfortable biz-class style seats (3-abreast) and costs a whole lot less than taking a taxi. (10000 won, approx USD8)

Any other questions about the airport, feel free to drop me an email.

Can you put in this info in The Global Lounge Project????!

The link is under my name!

Dorian

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Dorian:

I've already put it in, can't remember whether it was under ICN or SEL...

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif

Echo what was said earlier, although on an XF ticket on UA I was directed to the business section of the lounge...it sounded more like a problem with the checkin agent not giving the proper entry slip (they carefully collected them, even from people using *G to get in) at the FC check in.

Lounge is kind of a horse-shoe arrangement on the second floor. Toilets were -all- out of order due to burst pipe on Tuesday.

Only problem I saw is that there were no easily readable departure monitors, and they don't announce flights--in fact I couldn't find any around. Honestly, for the first 2 weeks or so I would think it would be better to announce flights while everyone is getting used to things.

UA loads were dire--on Tuesday the ICN-SFO flight had 7 in first (at least 2 of them were employees), 20 in biz and 40 (!) in coach. Flight attendant thought they were going to lose the flight...had good service on the flight, and finally got to experience the suites. They're worth the 20k extra miles (regular F isn't worth it without the beds)..

jl

jamiel:

You didn't miss anything going to the Biz lounge. The First Class lounge has exactly the same snacks and probably the same drinks... it's just smaller, has leather chairs and possibly better service. No fundamental difference of any sort.

This seems to be the general policy of SQ's lounges: Build a big lounge, cut off a small section for First Class but keep the snacks and etc the same. Seen this done at NRT and LHR as well...

This is probably why UA would have paid the same amount to SQ for you to use the Biz lounge compared to the First lounge. (apparently the two lounges cost the same to the airlines)

Thanks for the report stargold.

Just wondering if anyone knows if this $36 chargeback is in soft or hard dollars. Does any real cash actually change hands between the carriers?

Yeah, at least some real cash will have to change hands.

In many countries the airlines will have to charge and realize the income, and render the value-added taxes on it.

For example--every SQ pax who uses the AC lounge at YVR has to be paid for, and AC has to collect GST on the fee.

From a bookkeeping point of view, it is much simpler to cut cheques for the services, and let the figures balance each other out.