Today I used CALT (aka 'City Airport'), the city air terminal in Gangnam. I've never checked in at CALT before, because I've never stayed nearby in Seoul. But I was just around the corner at the Grand Intercontinental, so I thought I'd give it a try.

I'm flying KE, but it turns out you can check in for a number of airlines there. KE has 4 or 5 check in counters, including SkyPriority First and Business. It took all of about 60 seconds to check in. Then up to the second floor where you can pre-clear immigration exit formalities before boarding a bus to ICN. Note: you don't clear security here and you're not held in a secure area after pre-clearing immigration; it's just a stamp on your passport and boarding pass.

Buses leave for ICN every 15 - 20 minutes. Note about the buses: I bought my ticket at the Intercontinental when I checked out. That ticket doesn't reserve a seat on the bus. I got in line for the 7:05AM bus, but couldn't get on because i was sold out. I had failed to go to the Information Desk to reserve a seat on the bus. I got a reservation on the next bus at 7:25AM. Little traffic, made the airport in 6o minutes.

Here's where it gets good. When you get to the airport, if you pre-cleared immigration at CALT you can bypass the horrendously long security line at ICN. (This morning the 'regular' line was at least a few hundred people long before it even got to the switch back section.) If you've precleared immigration at CALT, you can use the special line for diplomats and flight crews. Note: it's NOT well marked. I had to ask someone, who looked at the stamp on my boarding pass from CALT, and they pointed me to a door to the left of the main security lines. There were all of 5 people in that line!

The total time from arrival at ICN to the airside of security and immigration was twelve minutes! And most of that was walking. Note that the bus from CALT drops you off on the Asiana side of the terminal, and the clearance is there, so if you're flying KE, you have to walk back to the KE end once through.

There's a similar set up on the other side of the river at Seoul Station, where you take AREX rather than a bus to the airport. But as I've never used it, I don't know if the procedures are the same, and you can only check in for KE, OZ and Jeju there.

Over all, I was amazed at how well this all worked today. This is a great way to speed through ICN, which can have really long security lines.