Asiana Club - ICN lounge opening time/arrival from JFK

Does the Asiana lounge really not open until 5.00? The JFK flight, during daylight saving time, has a scheduled arrival 0f 04.20. Are F/C transit passengers expected to camp outside the lounge door for 30-40 mins (or more, if the flight is early), or does the lounge perhaps now open earlier for the JFK flight?

If they say they will open at 5AM, then they will open at 5AM regardless whether there are transit passengers or not and yes you are expected to camp outside the lounge.

While I've never arrived into the US at JFK, can a passenger (even a F/C US citizen) arrive on a 04:20 flight seriously be through immigration, customs, through security and over to a lounge by 05:00? If baggage claim and recheck is necessary and added in then I would doubt it.

EDIT: Ignore this. I'm becoming really bad lately about not properly reading / interpreting others' posts. I must be working too hard, can't even think straight.

I believe he's referring to arriving at ICN at 4:20a... as I'm on that flight later this year, I was wondering the same thing too... but I'm meeting my g/f and she's staying at the Hyatt, so I'll pop over and grab a shower and some food there before our 9a flight to ICN. But I'm guessing, true to tradition, if it says 5a, thats when it will open... not any earlier...

While I've never arrived into the US at JFK, can a passenger (even a F/C US citizen) arrive on a 04:20 flight seriously be through immigration, customs, through security and over to a lounge by 05:00? If baggage claim and recheck is necessary and added in then I would doubt it.

While I've never arrived into the US at JFK, can a passenger (even a F/C US citizen) arrive on a 04:20 flight seriously be through immigration, customs, through security and over to a lounge by 05:00? If baggage claim and recheck is necessary and added in then I would doubt it.

I think you are mistaken. The OP is talking about arrival into ICN FROM JFK. I don't remember immigration when transiting through ICN, but I did have to reclear security, which didn't take that long.

I supposed if the lounge doesn't open its door until 5AM, the OP can take his/her time getting off the plane.

LAX

In my experience, OZ221 has been arriving early.
And, yes, I've had to wait for the lounge to open.

I think you are mistaken. The OP is talking about arrival into ICN FROM JFK. I don't remember immigration when transiting through ICN, but I did have to reclear security, which didn't take that long.

I supposed if the lounge doesn't open its door until 5AM, the OP can take his/her time getting off the plane.

LAX
Great idea! I will be arriving from JFK in early April. Maybe I will recline my seat and grab some extra shut eye until I am shooed off the plane :)

Great idea! I will be arriving from JFK in early April. Maybe I will recline my seat and grab some extra shut eye until I am shooed off the plane :)

It can take a while for a packed B747 to deplane!;)

LAX

Last time I arrived on into ICN from JFK (flying F ;) ) I was out and about by 5am.....Cleared immigration just to get a stamp just to get rejected to reenter the secure area until 6.30am it was a long 1.5 hours before I could get back into the secure area to fly into HKG!

Last time I arrived on into ICN from JFK (flying F ;) ) I was out and about by 5am.....Cleared immigration just to get a stamp just to get rejected to reenter the secure area until 6.30am it was a long 1.5 hours before I could get back into the secure area to fly into HKG!

If you are in transit, why would you go through immigration try to get out of the airport ? If I am the officer, I would be wondering what the hell are you trying to do. Smuggling somthing from the US and drop off to someone who is waiting for you outside the security ?

At ICN they don't care. As long as you've filled out your arrival card and have a passport to stamp, they'll stamp it and I've never been asked a single question about why I'm going through immigration. If you're coming from a country that requires a visa or a country where they've had problems with overstayers, then maybe they'll question you. Otherwise, they couldn't care less if you're just going through for a passport stamp, for business, for a transit tour, or for whatever reason.

Same thing coming back, as long as you have your passport and boarding pass and haven't overstayed, they'll simply stamp your passport and you're on your way.

It's too bad other countries aren't as simple and painless in their immigration as Korea is.

As Fumitani says, immigration for outbound passengers is not open until 6:30 AM, and there's not a lot to do outside early in the morning, so I'd recommend staying airside and wait for the lounge to open.

If you are in transit, why would you go through immigration try to get out of the airport ? If I am the officer, I would be wondering what the hell are you trying to do. Smuggling somthing from the US and drop off to someone who is waiting for you outside the security ?


At ICN they don't care. As long as you've filled out your arrival card and have a passport to stamp, they'll stamp it and I've never been asked a single question about why I'm going through immigration. If you're coming from a country that requires a visa or a country where they've had problems with overstayers, then maybe they'll question you. Otherwise, they couldn't care less if you're just going through for a passport stamp, for business, for a transit tour, or for whatever reason.



Well I haven't entered Korea before. Also my bags were checked in all the way to Hong Kong so the only thing I had with me was my carry-on which only had a change of clothes. I was doing a 2 week long MR using on of those last CMB tickets.

The immigration officer asked me how long I was staying in Korea. I said 30 minutes and showed her my HKG boarding pass (which she didn't request) she stamped my passport and let me go. I went outside to smell some fresh air for 1 minute outside was -5c in Jan!. If you search you will find my TR also.

It's too bad other countries aren't as simple and painless in their immigration as Korea is.



Actually you are wrong about this one. Before 9/11 incident, US is the most simple and painless country, you don't require to show any ID, passport, and boarding pass in order to get into the terminal for departures even for international flights.

Korea or I should say ICN is rather bad for carryon items, they are not as simple and painless as other countries, as they will strip search your carryon at the gate, other countries already relax the rule, but not ICN. You are not allowed to buy any bottle drinks from the terminal or carry from the lounge onto the plane. This rule will definately drive me out of ICN, and transfer my flights throught NRT instead.

It's too bad other countries aren't as simple and painless in their immigration as Korea is.
I don't know if it's still true or not, but when I held Korean passport, they always harassed me when I exit the country.
It's not as simple and painless as you describe it to be; at least it wasn't for me.

Korea or I should say ICN is rather bad for carryon items, they are not as simple and painless as other countries, as they will strip search your carryon at the gate, other countries already relax the rule, but not ICN. You are not allowed to buy any bottle drinks from the terminal or carry from the lounge onto the plane. This rule will definately drive me out of ICN, and transfer my flights throught NRT instead.

Since when did ICN search bags at the gate except flights bound for USA?
ICN security check is before the immigration therefore there are no further security checks beyond the immigration.

I have been able to bring some of drinks from the lounge to every single flight I have taken out of ICN. Please get your facts right.

Sure, NRT has those x-ray machines that can differentiate between water and explosive liquids but seriosuly how many airports have that?

All Korean airports do not search passengers bags' at the gate. They have centralised security checks just before the immigration.

Actually you are wrong about this one. Before 9/11 incident, US is the most simple and painless country, you don't require to show any ID, passport, and boarding pass in order to get into the terminal for departures even for international flights.

Mhhh, but it is now 2009 so while what you say was true, A_Lee is still correct.
Australia still allows you into the departure area for domestic flights without ID or boarding pass. Handy when you have anytime Qantas Club access.

Actually you are wrong about this one. Before 9/11 incident, US is the most simple and painless country, you don't require to show any ID, passport, and boarding pass in order to get into the terminal for departures even for international flights.

Korea or I should say ICN is rather bad for carryon items, they are not as simple and painless as other countries, as they will strip search your carryon at the gate, other countries already relax the rule, but not ICN. You are not allowed to buy any bottle drinks from the terminal or carry from the lounge onto the plane. This rule will definately drive me out of ICN, and transfer my flights throught NRT instead.

Actually, I was talking about immigration (and customs if you'd like to include it as well), and not searches at the gate. However, I've found that ICN's gate searches for U.S. bound flights are pretty much the same as anyplace else. NRT may be an exception, I don't know as I haven't been there recently on an outbound flight to the U.S. But other countries in Asia that I've been to aren't really much better or worse. I thought it was a requirement the U.S. was placing on the airports, not their own doing, so unless they have some fancy machine that the U.S. approves to speed up the process, they're all going to be similar, and so it's not really an airport issue but a 'flying to the U.S.' issue.

I agree the U.S. was easier for outbound passenger prior to 9/11. But it was still a nightmare many times for inbound passengers, and continues to be, especially if you're not a U.S. citizen. If you combined the experiences of both the outbound/inbound, I'd still but ICN above USA airports prior to 9/11 (again, this is referring to immigration, not gate searches, which are common to all passengers whether transiting or not). Of course that's all in the past and now either inbound or outbound in the USA is a bad experience.

ICN and SIN are both very efficient, hassle-free and a pleasure to visit if you're passing through immigration and if you want to spend a bit of time outside the airport.

I don't know if it's still true or not, but when I held Korean passport, they always harassed me when I exit the country.
It's not as simple and painless as you describe it to be; at least it wasn't for me.

Just out of curiosity, how did they harasse you at the immigration? Was it because you were a naturalised ex-Korean?

Hi folks,

I'm flying to ICN on Sun/Mon ... and would like to wait a couple of hours for my colleague arriving on a later flight. Is it easy to get to a lounge (e.g. Asiana) having gone through immigration. i.e. can it be used as an arrivals lounge?

TIA
ND

Hi folks,

I'm flying to ICN on Sun/Mon ... and would like to wait a couple of hours for my colleague arriving on a later flight. Is it easy to get to a lounge (e.g. Asiana) having gone through immigration. i.e. can it be used as an arrivals lounge?

TIA
ND

I think the Star Alliance rules are pretty clear. Access to lounges is for departure only. In order to even get to the lounge after immigration you will need an onward boarding pass.
So no, you will not be able to access the lounge unless you are transiting.

There are quite a few shops and eateries at both the arrivals and departure level so it is not too bad to wait there.

I've been prevented from carrying a coffee bought beyond security onto non-US bound flights twice at ICN. There have never been any gate checks for these flights, but a roving security officer told me I couldn't board with the coffee both times. The rule (even if its just a "rule") is annoying.

I've been prevented from carrying a coffee bought beyond security onto non-US bound flights twice at ICN. There have never been any gate checks for these flights, but a roving security officer told me I couldn't board with the coffee both times. The rule (even if its just a "rule") is annoying.

Since when did they never have gate check for non-US bound flight ? You must not been to ICN for a few years.

Gate check for every single flights, every single pax no matter at the main concourse or concourse A.

I live in ICN. I have only notice at-gate security screening (once you go down the stairs), with the tables set up and a small team of screeners on US-bound flights. Haven't noticed anything while boarding flights to PEK, PVG, HKG, TPE, BKK, YVR etc.

Gate check for every single flights, every single pax no matter at the main concourse or concourse A.

Not on my flights.......

Gate check for every single flights, every single pax no matter at the main concourse or concourse A.

Not on any of my flights either. And I come through ICN regularly.

I live in ICN. I have only notice at-gate security screening (once you go down the stairs), with the tables set up and a small team of screeners on US-bound flights. Haven't noticed anything while boarding flights to PEK, PVG, HKG, TPE, BKK, YVR etc.

Isn't in the past thread you just mentioned about you got stopped about the coffee at the gate for non-US bound flights ?

I have seen gate check for my HKG and NRT flights.