Lounge access at ICN?

Old Feb 28, 2019, 8:37 pm
  #31  
 
Join Date: Feb 2016
Programs: DL DM, SPG Plat 100/LT Gold, Marriott Plat, National Executive Elite
Posts: 2,988
Originally Posted by wlau
It makes me wonder which lounge you went into!?!! There 4 lounges, 1 in concourse and 3 in T2. If you talking about lounge food, then you must went at the wrong time! I've done the 5am arrival 9/10am depart connection and 1pm arrival 8pm depart connection at ICN and the food quality and taste are very food, variety is limited but no worse than SkyClub. I suggest you try that greenbean salad, it's amazingly tasty and healthy. If you went at hours that don't align with meal times, then it's the same as DL SC. Put it this way, ICN's limited breakfast pastries are much tastier than the same from SEA, LAX, and SFO's equally limited Costco quality stuff.

NRT SC definitely does not have better food than KE's ICN lounge. NRT has chicken skewer + 2 other items.... that has been around for over a decade and never changed! The sushi is cucumber rolls and inari, both are cheapest thing they can put out. These items have been the same for over a decade! I am stunned it can be considered good while ICN is not. If you use Japanese standards, then NRT SC is nearly at the bottom. ANA's and JAL's lounges are infinitely better. KE lounge at NRT is mediocre and CI's lounge at NRT is a tad better than DL SC.

KE inflight food is not great for some because Korean cuisine is very very healthy, so a lot of rice and veggie, it doesn't satisfy the huge appetite of large American passengers. The bibimbap and rice cake that are common on KE flights are actually very good quality and tasty, albeit the portion is small. This is one of the reason 2/3 of the food cart are carrying these items. Most Americans can't differentiate between rice types...As an Asian, I can tell you even KE's inflight bibimbap's rice is very high quality, better than what we can get in the US. I think this is a case of some people not familiar with Korean cuisine.
None of the salads at ICN T2 seemed either properly refrigerated or presented in a way for many passengers to access in a sanitary manner.

The quality of the food at NRT is better than anything at ICN. The food at NRT is actually edible - the stuff at ICN is mainly not due to the quality of the products they use as well as a refill procedure that doesn't follow FIFP and doesn't keep what should be hot, HOT. Their pastries at ICN are the same if not worse than any other corporate made bakery product that is trucked in, unwrapped and left out to sit.

KE in-flight food in short haul J was equally awful quality. I didn't find it to be any more or less healthy than any other ST carrier but I did find the quality of the chicken and seafood served with it to be the lowest grade meat that likely was available for purchase.

In contrast, KE served Australian made dressing with the salads that were just a bowl of greens.

Finally, you speak of racist comments yet you just said Americans are large and have a huge appetite and that Americans can'take differentiate between rice types - two stereotypes and generalizations that are both unfounded and also disrespectful. KE served more food quantity-wise in short haul J than DL ever has to me on a flight of the same length - but I certainly don't attribute that to large or hungrier passengers from that airline's home country.
PeggyJM likes this.
btonkid12345 is offline  
Old Feb 28, 2019, 9:05 pm
  #32  
 
Join Date: May 2005
Location: SIN
Programs: Delta DM, DL MM
Posts: 230
Originally Posted by wlau
It makes me wonder which lounge you went into!?!! There 4 lounges, 1 in concourse and 3 in T2. If you talking about lounge food, then you must went at the wrong time! I've done the 5am arrival 9/10am depart connection and 1pm arrival 8pm depart connection at ICN and the food quality and taste are very food, variety is limited but no worse than SkyClub. I suggest you try that greenbean salad, it's amazingly tasty and healthy. If you went at hours that don't align with meal times, then it's the same as DL SC. Put it this way, ICN's limited breakfast pastries are much tastier than the same from SEA, LAX, and SFO's equally limited Costco quality stuff.

NRT SC definitely does not have better food than KE's ICN lounge. NRT has chicken skewer + 2 other items.... that has been around for over a decade and never changed! The sushi is cucumber rolls and inari, both are cheapest thing they can put out. These items have been the same for over a decade! I am stunned it can be considered good while ICN is not. If you use Japanese standards, then NRT SC is nearly at the bottom. ANA's and JAL's lounges are infinitely better. KE lounge at NRT is mediocre and CI's lounge at NRT is a tad better than DL SC.

KE inflight food is not great for some because Korean cuisine is very very healthy, so a lot of rice and veggie, it doesn't satisfy the huge appetite of large American passengers. The bibimbap and rice cake that are common on KE flights are actually very good quality and tasty, albeit the portion is small. This is one of the reason 2/3 of the food cart are carrying these items. Most Americans can't differentiate between rice types...As an Asian, I can tell you even KE's inflight bibimbap's rice is very high quality, better than what we can get in the US. I think this is a case of some people not familiar with Korean cuisine.
I went to the Prestige Lounge in Terminal 2 (I wasn't allowed in the other 2 lounges in that terminal because I was flying business, not first class, and the miler club lounge must be reserved for those million milers from Korean Airlines? (I'm a million miler on Delta but was told that I was only allowed in the Prestige lounge) The breakfast I chose on the KE flight was an egg dish, but it really wasn't good. (One bite was enough) I live in Asia and like rice and veggies, but not usually for breakfast. (and yes, I can tell the difference between different varieties of rice.) I didn't mind the quantity of food on the flight, what bothered me was the quality. I did try a pastry in the Prestige lounge in Terminal 2 and it was definitely not fresh, but looked better than most of the other items I saw. I will try the green bean salad next time, although eating green beans at 9 am isn't terribly appealing to me. Fortunately, I had a fairly short connection time, so I knew that I would get a decent meal on my Delta flight to DTW. But the lounge was very crowded and noisy and unless the food choices improve later on in the day, I would hate to think about spending a 10 1/2 hour layover there!
btonkid12345 likes this.
PeggyJM is offline  
Old Mar 1, 2019, 8:10 am
  #33  
 
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: Mid Atlantic
Programs: Delta Plat, one-time United Plat, Amex Plat, Marriott Plat, Hertz Prez Circle, Bus Pass
Posts: 1,237
Originally Posted by PeggyJM
I went to the Prestige Lounge in Terminal 2 (I wasn't allowed in the other 2 lounges in that terminal because I was flying business, not first class, and the miler club lounge must be reserved for those million milers from Korean Airlines? (I'm a million miler on Delta but was told that I was only allowed in the Prestige lounge) The breakfast I chose on the KE flight was an egg dish, but it really wasn't good. (One bite was enough) I live in Asia and like rice and veggies, but not usually for breakfast. (and yes, I can tell the difference between different varieties of rice.) I didn't mind the quantity of food on the flight, what bothered me was the quality. I did try a pastry in the Prestige lounge in Terminal 2 and it was definitely not fresh, but looked better than most of the other items I saw. I will try the green bean salad next time, although eating green beans at 9 am isn't terribly appealing to me. Fortunately, I had a fairly short connection time, so I knew that I would get a decent meal on my Delta flight to DTW. But the lounge was very crowded and noisy and unless the food choices improve later on in the day, I would hate to think about spending a 10 1/2 hour layover there!
On a ten and a half hour layover I would have been on the first train to Seoul station!
sdix and simplyben like this.
koreanair720 is offline  
Old Jun 5, 2019, 2:59 pm
  #34  
 
Join Date: Aug 2000
Location: OKC
Programs: DL DM/2.768MM, Global Entry, Titanium_Marriott, GHertz
Posts: 6,748
In a few days, I fly into ICN on DL from ATL then take KE #603 on to HKG after a 4 hour layover.

The reviews make me think the west lounge is better than the east, yet apparently the distance is so great that one should go near the departure gate esp since both have showers.

Recent flights of 603 have used both east and west departure gates so I may not know until relatively late where to go unless I am misreading the data.
Xeno is offline  
Old Jun 5, 2019, 3:01 pm
  #35  
 
Join Date: May 2004
Location: SDF
Programs: DL:360/DM/6 MMer; Bonvoy: Lifetime Titanium 10+M pts, 3100+ nights;
Posts: 1,441
Originally Posted by Xeno
In a few days, I fly into ICN on DL from ATL then take KE #603 on to HKG after a 4 hour layover.

The reviews make me think the west lounge is better than the east, yet apparently the distance is so great that one should go near the departure gate esp since both have showers.

Recent flights of 603 have used both east and west departure gates so I may not know until relatively late where to go unless I am misreading the data.
The ATL-ICN flight normally arrives around 4 AM. Only one club is open at that time but I can't remember which.
DL-Don is offline  
Old Jun 5, 2019, 5:44 pm
  #36  
 
Join Date: Aug 2000
Location: OKC
Programs: DL DM/2.768MM, Global Entry, Titanium_Marriott, GHertz
Posts: 6,748
Originally Posted by DL-Don
The ATL-ICN flight normally arrives around 4 AM. Only one club is open at that time but I can't remember which.
I was not paying attention because you are right. DL 27 arrives at 4 am and only the west Air Prestige is open then as the east does not open until 6 am. So now I need to see where might the DL flight arrive before worrying about where I depart.

Well yesterday and today 27 arrived early at gate 253 which is right by the closed east lounge.
Xeno is offline  
Old Jun 5, 2019, 9:07 pm
  #37  
Moderator: Hyatt; FlyerTalk Evangelist
 
Join Date: Jun 2015
Location: WAS
Programs: :rolleyes:, DL DM, Mlife Plat, Caesars Diam, Marriott Tit, UA Gold, Hyatt Glob, invol FT beta tester
Posts: 18,820
Originally Posted by Xeno
I was not paying attention because you are right. DL 27 arrives at 4 am and only the west Air Prestige is open then as the east does not open until 6 am. So now I need to see where might the DL flight arrive before worrying about where I depart.

Well yesterday and today 27 arrived early at gate 253 which is right by the closed east lounge.
FWIW the public showers appear to be open 24 hours

https://www.airport.kr/ap/en/trn/trnServiceMain.do

Lounge/Hotel/Rest > Shower

IIRC these are on either end of the main terminal area (near the SPC or L lounge depending which end) on the same level as the PP lounges.
Xeno likes this.
Zorak is offline  
Old Jun 8, 2019, 2:26 pm
  #38  
 
Join Date: Aug 2000
Location: OKC
Programs: DL DM/2.768MM, Global Entry, Titanium_Marriott, GHertz
Posts: 6,748
Unfortunately, I remain confused about distance. Since DL may arrive at 253 and KE may depart closer to the east lounge, how much of walk is it to the west lounge since it would be open for a 4 am arrival.
Xeno is offline  
Old Jun 8, 2019, 2:41 pm
  #39  
 
Join Date: May 2009
Location: Seattle, WA
Programs: DL Diamond 1.7MM, Starlux Insighter, Bonvoy Titanium, Hilton Gold, Hertz PC
Posts: 3,943
Originally Posted by Xeno
Unfortunately, I remain confused about distance. Since DL may arrive at 253 and KE may depart closer to the east lounge, how much of walk is it to the west lounge since it would be open for a 4 am arrival.
The distance between the two lounges isnt too bad. To put it in scale, Id say its roughly equivalent to half of an ATL concourse (e.g. the distance from the furthest gate to the Plane Train.)
Xeno likes this.
BenA is offline  
Old Jun 8, 2019, 2:46 pm
  #40  
 
Join Date: May 2009
Location: Seattle, WA
Programs: DL Diamond 1.7MM, Starlux Insighter, Bonvoy Titanium, Hilton Gold, Hertz PC
Posts: 3,943
And also, I wouldnt stress about the difference between the two lounges. They are broadly similar, just with a slightly larger buffet and a little more capacity in one, but you wont be missing out on any particular amenity by choosing one over the other and the decor is basically identical. Use whichever is more convenient for your flights gate assignment.

ICN T2 is a pretty low stress airport - its not like HKG where picking the wrong lounge means a dramatically different airport experience. Most of the gates and most of the lounges offer a broadly similar experience.
BenA is offline  
Old Jun 8, 2019, 3:08 pm
  #41  
 
Join Date: Aug 2000
Location: OKC
Programs: DL DM/2.768MM, Global Entry, Titanium_Marriott, GHertz
Posts: 6,748
Originally Posted by BenA


The distance between the two lounges isnt too bad. To put it in scale, Id say its roughly equivalent to half of an ATL concourse (e.g. the distance from the furthest gate to the Plane Train.)
That clears up what I seeing on a T2 ICN airport map.

My confusion was having flown out of HKG on KE into ICN then taking DL to ATL, my impression was that there was a lot of walking from the arrival gate to the abrupt turn to the right into a line for those flying DL to the USA then probably security and on to what I think was the East lounge.

In terms of choice of lounge, remember that on the outbound only the west is open at 4 am (DL arrival) and east does not open until 6 am.
Xeno is offline  
Old Jun 8, 2019, 4:37 pm
  #42  
 
Join Date: Apr 2011
Location: Treasure Coast, FL
Programs: DL Diamond, Marriott LT Plat, HH Diamond, Avis Preferred Plus, National Executive
Posts: 4,577
Originally Posted by RealHJ
You can use either KE lounge (main terminal or in the satellite, or as they call it "concourse").

KE lounges have really bad food and are overcrowded. Do have showers. You want to minimize your time there, though, as little sitting, no real food, very crowded. Just go there for the shower.
Had to chuckle at pointing out other airline clubs being crowded.
Cant remember the last time a SC wasnt packed to the gills.
apodo77 is offline  
Old Jun 19, 2019, 1:14 pm
  #43  
 
Join Date: Aug 2000
Location: OKC
Programs: DL DM/2.768MM, Global Entry, Titanium_Marriott, GHertz
Posts: 6,748
Perhaps this is mentioned upthread, but the KE West is by gate 249. DL app says 248 but that is a FC lounge.

BTW, there was almost no food to speak up at 4 am.

DL 27 was 30 minutes early but by the time I got through security KE West was up and running.

Last edited by Xeno; Jun 19, 2019 at 1:21 pm
Xeno is offline  
Old Jun 19, 2019, 9:37 pm
  #44  
 
Join Date: Jan 2012
Posts: 585
Originally Posted by Xeno
Perhaps this is mentioned upthread, but the KE West is by gate 249. DL app says 248 but that is a FC lounge.

BTW, there was almost no food to speak up at 4 am.
They usually start restocking the food about 5.15 to 5.30 AM in T2 Prestige West.
fpmurphy is offline  
Old Jun 19, 2019, 11:32 pm
  #45  
 
Join Date: Aug 2000
Location: OKC
Programs: DL DM/2.768MM, Global Entry, Titanium_Marriott, GHertz
Posts: 6,748
Originally Posted by fpmurphy
They usually start restocking the food about 5.15 to 5.30 AM in T2 Prestige West.
I walked around to try and stay awake, but I think it was more like 6:30 am before the signs were down and the lines formed.
Xeno is offline  

Thread Tools
Search this Thread

Contact Us - Manage Preferences - Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Terms of Service -

This site is owned, operated, and maintained by MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. Copyright © 2024 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. All rights reserved. Designated trademarks are the property of their respective owners.