JoFMO

Hello,

I am contemplating to book myself a 90 minute connection in Incheon. Both flights are with Asiana but would be on a different ticket (TPE-ICN-SYD).

Can somebody give me advice if that could cause major problems for me?

Thanks

bobbybrown

It seems that MCT of ICN airport is 55 mins according to Korean air webpage. Different from American airliners, Asiana would be flexible and will allow your case. Also I guess there are some passengers who have same itinerary with yours. So it will be safe, I hope.

waribai

Thinking of booking LHR-ICN on BA and then ICN-FUK on OZ. BA flight arrives at 0825 and OZ flight leaves at 0930. Would that be sufficent connection time? Is it worth the risk?

jbfield

With baggage to re-check or without?

I expect the BA flight uses a gate in the satellite terminal meaning you'd need to take the train over to main terminal area (where the OZ flight will depart) and if needed go through immigration to get bags and get landside for check-in.

If no bags I assume you can try to use the transfer line in the main terminal, but I think you need to show a boarding pass to go this way (transfer desks seem to be after security screening which has always puzzled me).

If you get strong head winds during the BA flight you could find yourself arriving 30 mins behind schedule which leaves you with little to play with.
Not sure I'd do it on separate tickets, but obviously different people have different attitudes to risks.

mosburger

All non-Korean carriers are nowadays located in the satellite terminal so for all Foreign-Korean airline transits you should include maybe an extra 20-30 minutes gate to gate if hand luggage only. With checked luggage it's another story.

A_Lee

The waiting time between trains is only 5 minutes, and less than 5 minutes for the train to take you between the terminals. 15 minutes would be the absolute maximum extra time, if you just stood on the escalators going to/from the train.

The 1:05 connection time is a bit too risky in my opinion. If it was an OZ-OZ connection, then I'd probably risk it, but not on a connection involving two different airlines and a change of terminals.

waribai

Thanks...I think then I might give it a miss!

ryder1650

I have a 75 minute connection between EVA Air and Asiana at ICN coming up in a few days. Based on prior experience at ICN, though, this should be no problem. Probably won't be able to go to the lounge though.

waribai

I have done the transfer without boarding passes before which was no problem as we could show the security people our itinneary as we had a print out of it and explained to them we were going to collect our boarding pass anon. Yours should be no problem as you will probably have your bags checked thru.

My 65 minute connection in all probablility would need us to go landside...so I am rethinking my plan....Maybe I will take a later flight and use the transit hotel but...if we land at 0830 with BA and our flight with OZ is not till 1430,.can we check our bags in early with OZ i.e. 6 hours early and then head to the airside transit hotel?

jbfield

I can't speak for ICN, but my experience at OZ outstations has been no.
I took a ZRH-PVG-ICN last year, arriving 06:55, departing 12:00.

As PVG requires you to collect and re-check luggage even on international-international connections I had to pass immigration, get bags and then go back to check-in.

OZ staff were there, but refused to help, telling me they were only doing the 8:30am flight and to come back later. They didn't care that I was connecting from another flight (on the same ticket). In the end I paid for my bags to be stored at left-luggage and headed into the city, just in time for the museums to be opening.

Similar problem a few weeks ago connecting through LHR, but that was more about the staff not being there until a certain time before check-in rather than willingness.

OZ at ICN seem to have the universal desks (rather than flight specific), at least for J class. They might be more able to help you check in but I've always found them to work to the rules they believe they have to enforce.

A_Lee

That situation is common with many/most airlines at outstations. It is not at all unique to OZ. The situation at ICN, where OZ has their base, is completely different. It should be no problem at all to check in 6 hours early.

As for needing to pass through immigration and re-check in landside, if that's the case, absolutely the connection time is too short. Normally immigration is fairly fast on both the inbound and outbound, but it can get backed up at times on the inbound, with a 30+ minute wait being possible. Not very likely at the time mentioned for the arrival, but it just all depends on if a bunch of planes land at around the same time just prior to your arrival or not. No way would I risk that connection time under those conditions.

mosburger

Just to get back to this, wouldn't it be overtly optimistic to say you are able to walk from arrival gate to the train station at the satellite terminal in 5 minutes?

belfordrocks

Not really - Satellite isn't a huge terminal and there are moving walkways... YMMV though.

A_Lee

Absolutely one could if it was a fairly near gate. Even 2 minutes is enough for my typical gate I arrive at (TG), being I walk quite rapidly. If it's the furthest gate, and you don't walk at a fast pace, then yeah, it could be over 5 minutes. But that's not the point at all. I was responding to your statement, "extra 20-30 minutes". Whether you arrive at the concourse or main terminal, you still need to make your way from your arrival gate to the security transfer point, then up to the departures level and to your departure gate. Arriving at the concourse terminal only adds extra time for going down to the train station, waiting for the train, riding the train to the main terminal, and going up to the transfer security point. It has nothing to do with walking from your arrival gate to the area above where the shuttle train is located. That extra time should never be more than 15 minutes for even someone who's slow.

Total time, from the arrival gate to the departure gate could be 30 minutes for someone who walks slow and is at the far end both ways, PLUS whatever time it takes to get through security, which can vary a lot. So taking a random time for security of 15 minutes, and even if your plane "arrives" on time, meaning it lands on time, it might take 10 minutes from landing to arrive at the gate, and figuring you're required to be at the departure gate 10 minutes ahead of time, the total time for the transit is 65 minutes. Being that leaves absolutely no room for the plane being late, or for collecting your onward boarding pass if necessary, it's not a wise connection to make, IMHO. If it was OZ-OZ, then they'd likely look after you, but connecting from one airline to another, you're likely going to be on your own, and OZ won't hold up the plane just because you were late arriving.

beachfan

How about 1:10 from OZ F to OZ Regional Business? Will my bags make it? (itinerary is LAX-INC-HAN