shelanman

Due to the vagaries of codeshare availability, I have an award booking with an actual stopover that is fairly short.

I have LAX-ICN and then, same reservation, but booked later as an "additional destination" of GMP-HND.

But there's only 4h between arrival at ICN and departure at GMP. Looks like that's a makeable connection if everything goes OK. But, what will happen to me if LAX-ICN is late and I miss the next segment? If this was one flight, LAX-ICN-HND all booked together, the airlines would protect me in the case of a delay and move me to the next available flight for the connection.

Will the airline still protect me if the ticket has a 4 hour "stopover" in Seoul? Or am I going to be stuck paying a change fee and fare difference if LAX-ICN delays cause me to miss the GMP-HND?

jsloan

Intra-city transfers should still be treated the same as intra-airport transfers, if purchased as part of the same ticket. I suspect that Asiana staff are familiar with people needing to make ICN-GMP transfers. This is probably a better question for their forum.

shelanman

Thanks, jsolan. The part I'm specifically concerned about is the difference between something booked as a single "one-way" LAX-ICN/GMP-HND vs what I have, which is effectively a "multi-city" LAX-ICN (stopover) GMP-HND.

I will also check out the Asiana board as you suggest.

jsloan

If you’re on a single ticket, you don’t have a stopover, even if it was booked with multi-city search and you had to pay extra miles. On an international ticket*, anything less than 24 hours is a transfer (connection), not a stopover.

If both legs are on Asiana, I suspect that helps also.

* excluding travel wholly within North America

shelanman

Thanks, that's precisely the piece of information that I was looking for!

WineCountryUA

Will move this to the OZ forum as it related to OZ operations

WineCountryUA
UA coModerator

mikesaidyes

A lot has been said, but nothing has been actually answered haha. 4 hours is way more than enough to transfer between the two airports. To get to GMP you MUST enter Korea landside - pass immigration, collect your bags and enter Korea. Take the limousine bus to Gimpo Airport. The train is technically faster by distance between ICN T1 and GMP but when you add in the ten minute walk each way to the train platform, waiting for train etc- bus is better. The bus is right outside T1 Arrivals and will drop you off at GMP International Departures door. Can pay by card.

That expressway from ICN to GMP has no traffic as it exists only for ICN airport.

If IRROPS exists - they can handle it at ICN and perhaps even put you on ICN-NRT if you don't wanna wait for the next GMP-HND.

That being said - you can get to GMP and check in for your flight to HND with just 40 mins to spare (minimum check in time) and be TOTALLY OK. GMP is a TINY airport - no security wait, just five gates, VERY EASY. Even if you arrive 45 mins before - you'll be bored.

I recently arrived at GMP at 7:18 AM and check in closed 7:20 AM aka "busy morning departure times". No security wait. No immigration lines. We still sat around for like 15 minutes waiting for boarding to be called.

evergrn

We're flying AC from ICN->YVR departing at 3.30pm, but I've yet to book TYO->Seoul and I'm faced with 3 choices. Wondering which one I should go with:

1). OZ to ICN arriving at 11.30am for $360
2). OZ to GMP arriving at 11.20am for $260
3). KE to ICN arriving at 11.45am for $300

I'm tempted to go with (2).
I've never entered Korea. I can only extrapolate my HND>NRT experience.
But I'm thinking:
1:00 pad for flight delay
1:00 gate to landside/curb
1:00 wait for bus + bus travel time
1:00 amt of time to arrive at ICN prior to departure.
That's total of 4hrs, which is still barely less than my transit time.
But is this accurate? And I'll be kind of screwed if AC changes its departure time.

(1) turns me off due to the price. We're a party of 4, so that adds up.
(3) would prevent me from using Star Alliance lounge at NRT. But it's a worthwhile option if KE will through-check bags to AC (does anyone know?)

I guess I would want to go with (2) if you think my above math seems safe and sound, but would consider (3) if KE can through-check to AC.

mikesaidyes

99.999999% of the time - the Tokyo flights are on time. There are very rarely delays like you hear of in the US for these mainline, business heavy flights. They're very reliable. That being said, if you're worried about any problems - just book OZ into ICN at 11:20. There's tons to do in the airport - free showers for connecting passengers, Korea Traditional Culture Experience, shopping, good food etc. Free nap room too.

You can also fly KE if you want, they check bags to other airlines even across alliances: https://www.koreanair.com/mobile/glo...-check-in.html

Personally, GMP and HND are much better airports for their simplicity and ease of access - but if you're worried about a layover issue, just stick to ICN. The MCT for GMP-ICN flights for international by the way is around 3 hrs for both KE and OZ. So 4 hrs is technically more than enough.

evergrn

It's good to know KE will through-check bags to AC even on separate tix.

Do you think assuming 1hr to go from gate through immigration/carrousel/customs to landside is a pretty conservative estimate? And do you think allowing 1hr to purchase bus tix, wait for the bus, then the drive time to ICN is also a fairly safe estimate? Flying OZ into ICN would be the safest option, but it's also $400 more than going to GMP.

mikesaidyes

GMP is a TINY airport with literally 5 international gates. You can be through immigration and bags collected within 30 minutes, no lie. The bus stop is a 30 second walk from the exit of arrivals to the outside of the terminal. There are also like four buses that go from GMP to ICN, so you shouldn't wait more than a few minutes at all.

You'll be fine. Especially if you're sold this on one ticket you'll be protected. And for 400$, I wouldn't have even considered ICN or GMP, that's a huge price difference.

evergrn

That's all very reassuring info. Thanks! I'm leaning with going for the GMP flight then. I sure hope that OZ doesn't change flight times... this is for next summer. It will be separate tickets unfortunately. Flying AC from ICN.

Sorry to ask more questions, but these are all express buses that take care of your bags and make no stops (like the Limo buses that go btwn HND and NRT)?
If you don't have to wait more than a few minutes for these buses, and I understand that it's a 20-min bus ride to ICN, then we're talking ~30min from getting past customs at GMP until you're at ICN, correct?

mikesaidyes

Yup you're correct. Bags go under the bus, you get a claim ticket, and no stops from Gimpo to Incheon Airport - there's literally nowhere to stop haha.