Transferring to Garuda at ICN
 

anyone have any insight on what this process entails? Delta website is fairly vague and does not list Garuda as an interline partner when checking bags. Flying delta Atl-ICN ICN-DPS on Garuda and am wondering if the bags will go through to final destination or will I need to recheck at ICN? As far as lounge access goes, are all sky team lounges in play with myself as skyteam elite + and 3 of us traveling in J on delta and Garuda? Korean website says access to only skyteam elite + and 1 guest otherwise you must be traveling on Korean in prestige or FC. Will this leave Mrs. Donkeys out in the cold even though she is flying J on Garuda and arriving in J on delta?

Bags will go through, of course, as long as it is on one ticket. ICN is one of the best airports anywhere for connection. You can use the KE (SkyTeam) business (not first) class lounge as a J class passenger. Minor airlines like Delta and Garuda normally arrive in the satellite vs. at the main terminal. I think there is a KE lounge in the satellite also (as OZ has one there), so you can probably just stay in the satellite and never even take the train to the main terminal.

I thought DL was moving to new terminal with KE.

I haven't been but there's a reference in a press release:

Earlier this year, Delta and Korean Air co-located into the new, state-of-the-art Terminal 2 at Seoul’s Incheon International Airport (ICN), substantially reducing connecting times for customers.

https://pro.delta.com/content/agency...-venture-.html

For check-in, yes. But, from my experience, other than OZ and KE, other airlines get gates at the satellite, which is between the two terminals - one train stop away from either terminal. Not necessarily so always, but most of the time non-OZ/non-KE flights are almost always at the satellite, at least so it's been every time I've been there (so has been the case with DL, UA, TG, and MU at least from direct experience, while KE or OZ have never been a satellite gate).

May be it has now changed with T2. But the satellite is positioned between the two terminals, so it is clearly designed to be used by less important flights/airlines from both T1 and T2 check-in areas.

That is correct, and DL flights appear to operate out of T2, not the concourse, despite protestations above.. It is my understanding, however, that GA is still out of T1/Concourse, so the OP will need to take a train to his GA flight.

To the OP... maybe things have changed a lot with the new terminal (the thread on the KE board suggests not), but KE lounges are generally terrible and not worth too much bother. I suspect you will have access (you definitely would with DL, not sure about GA) and a shower might be nice, but be prepared to be thoroughly underwhelmed.

In regards to baggage transfer, I haven't transferred from DL to GA at ICN but did have a trip last year from SEA-NRT on DL and then on a separate ticket from NRT-DPS on GA. Even though my flights were on separate tickets, the check in agent in SEA knew exactly what to do and was able to through check my bags from SEA all the way to DPS.

On the way back to SEA via HKG, the GA check in agent struggled with figuring out the through check procedure but after consulting a supervisor, was able to successfully through check my bag all the way to SEA.

GA and DL will provide you lounge access if traveling in J (likely in KE lounges)....though you may have to seek out a pass from a GA agent.

GA ground handling and services absolutely suck, so good luck getting you bag checked all the way through if you are flying the same route home (I have failed multiple times from DPS...having to reclear security in ICN). DL can check you through all the way there.

However, GA J on-board service is among the best you will find. A very enjoyable flight.

Thanks for all the insight. We will be doing the same airlines on return so will deal with the baggage hurdle when the time comes. Have a 7.5hr layover in Korea so just want the lounge use for hanging out. Don't think we will have time to venture into Seoul.

GA doesn't seem to use ST lounges at a number of airports. Even at PEK they use an Air China lounge instead of the ST lounge, even though in the ST terminal.

The only airlines that go to the satellite terminal now are LCC's, with a few like one off's thrown in for good measure. Main carriers (especially ones in an alliance) get a main terminal, either T1 or T2. T2 is now Skyteam, with Air France, KLM, Delta, and Korean Air setting up shop there. T1 is all Star Alliance carriers and a few One World.

Anywho to the OP, once you get off your flight you can transfer and take the train to T1 to grab your Garuda flight. I don't think Garuda operates from the satellite terminal but I could be wrong, I haven't flown them in awhile.

Thanks. I have a soon upcoming short (90 min) connection OZ to KE (separate tickets) at ICN, so I've been researching the new set-up at ICN: surprisingly little info available about it online, at least when I searched in January. I did find that the satellite (or "concourse" as they misleadingly call it) is between the two terminals, so to go between T2 (DL) and T1 (GA I believe here for the OP) you take one train to "concourse," and then change to another train to the other terminal (sounds slow).

If anyone can confirm that at T1 there are KE check-in desks and vice versa (OZ ones at T2), BTW, that would be good to know for me - do I look for the transfer/check-in desk inside the secure area in the arriving terminal, or do I just show the ticket printout at security recheck and then have to get the BP in the departing terminal, then likely less than 60 min prior to departure (which will be hopefully fine, but as KE has no real functional online checkin for int'l flights, can't really do OLCI).

No KE check in at T1 (or ticket counter for that matter) same as no OZ at T2. You should be able to use a transfer desk though. I *believe* the train goes all the way through though so you don't have to switch.

Live in Seoul and used ICN in February and have used it regularly for the past seven years.

Delta check in, gates and all operations are in T2. You can not access it from T1 check in area.

Garuda check in is at T1, but a quick check of Flight Aware shows they use the 111/113 gates which are the Concourse.

So you will land at T2, follow transit signs. You will take the train to the Concourse gates. Presumably you will have to visit a transit desk to get your Garuda boarding pass along the way.

They should check bags through.

if not, you have to clear immigration at T2. Then take the shuttle bus approximately 20 minutes to T1, check in at Garuda counters. Can also take a train, but by the time you walk down to the station etc it’s going to be the same as the shuttle on the road.

Then check in at Garuda T1. Once you pass security there, take the train to Concourse gates.

The Concourse gates are bare. If you can, visit the lounges/restaurants etc at T2 before taking the train to Concourse.

You cannot move between T2/Concourse/T1 freely. You have to scan boarding pass to move fully in one direction at a gate before the train.

This is good to know. So does KE have transfer/check-in desk in T1 arrivals, and vice versa (OZ in T2 arrivals)? For a 90 min connection KE to OZ on different tickets, there is not enough time to go out now with this less efficient set-up at ICN. I thought just go through security recheck, then take train to other terminal and get boarding pass there. But if one can't board the train without the BP, and as KE online and app check-in is useless (it generates a pseudo boarding pass without a bar code or QR code that is completely useless), then there have to be 24x7 staffed KE check-in desks in T1 transit (arrivals) area, and vice versa, or else it makes OZ-KE connections at ICN very slow and difficult.