Overnight Check-In at ICN
Mar 7, 2019, 10:56 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: Houston, TX, USA
Programs: A3 Gold
Posts: 297
Overnight Check-In at ICN
I’m considering taking the 7am flight ICN-MNL after spending a couple of days in Seoul. I prefer this flight because I get to possibly fly one of my last flights on a 744, and I prefer to get into MNL early.
Does OZ allow for overnight check-in so I could be airside? Does the airport have a landside and airside hotel to stay in? My main concern is the need to leave Seoul early and having to rely on a taxi to take me to ICN. Is there a 3AM bus or train service to ICN?
Mar 7, 2019, 11:09 pm
#2
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: Gangnam-gu, Seoul, Korea
Programs: KE Skypass Morning Calm Member, OZ Club
Posts: 2,352
Depending on where you stay, buses do start that early. For instance, the bus near my house in Gangnam starts at like 3:30 AM.
But TBH you do not need to be at the airport THAT early for this flight. You can do web check in. You can then use the web check in line that no one really uses. Koreans/Asian travelers in general still wait in the regular line. Not to mention Asians regular check in time closes like 40 mins before departure and you can still make it.
At that time the airport is DEAD. No wait for security that early. All the US flights and the airport picks up around 9 AM for departures so everyone would arrive as you are taking off.
if the flight is at 7 I’d get to the airport at like 5:30-6. So you’d have to leave Seoul at 4:30ish.
There is an airside Hotel AND also a capsule hotel landside. Capsule name is a little misleading as they’re just small rooms even with bathroom and shower.
But TBH you do not need to be at the airport THAT early for this flight. You can do web check in. You can then use the web check in line that no one really uses. Koreans/Asian travelers in general still wait in the regular line. Not to mention Asians regular check in time closes like 40 mins before departure and you can still make it.
At that time the airport is DEAD. No wait for security that early. All the US flights and the airport picks up around 9 AM for departures so everyone would arrive as you are taking off.
if the flight is at 7 I’d get to the airport at like 5:30-6. So you’d have to leave Seoul at 4:30ish.
There is an airside Hotel AND also a capsule hotel landside. Capsule name is a little misleading as they’re just small rooms even with bathroom and shower.
Mar 8, 2019, 2:25 am
#3
Join Date: Dec 2015
Posts: 108
I took the ICN-MNL flight before, and actually the OZ counters do not even open up until I think 6AM (don't quote me on that time because I'm not 100% sure). Getting to the airport earlier, if you need a boarding pass, would be worthless. At that time, though, security lines can be very long and there is no time to do anything but run to the gate to catch the flight. I don't know if there's some special provision OZ makes for this, given the early flight, but when I took it I saw none. Horrible situation if you're looking for a leisure morning before your flight. In my opinion, OZ and the whole airport operations start way too late. They should be a minimum of an hour earlier. It is better than it used to be in that there is one passport/security section that is now open 24 hours, but if you get there at a time when lots of people have already checked-in, it may be near impossible to know that for someone who's not familiar with ICN operations, as people start queuing up at the areas that aren't yet open, and which I believe open at about 6:30 AM. No airport workers to go around and inform the passengers that another area is open and retarded signage that you can't read until after you've already wasted your time waiting in some long queue.
In short, ICN is complete amateur hour for the very early departures. Best to know what you're doing and check ahead of time with OZ if you want an early flight to be sure what time you should arrive, and what the procedure will be.
In short, ICN is complete amateur hour for the very early departures. Best to know what you're doing and check ahead of time with OZ if you want an early flight to be sure what time you should arrive, and what the procedure will be.