From the US to Korea!
 

Hey there!

My husband is a US Solider, and was able to get command sponsorship to live in S.K. I am leaving in 6 days after not seeing him for half a year.

My passport is a British passport, and it still has my maiden name on it. I called Delta and asked them if I was still able to board and they said yes, as long as I bring my marriage certificate, which is fine.

I'm more worried, over anything and everything, about the tickets and finding my destination. The army just gave me a confirmation number to type in a machine at the airport that prints my tickets. I'm scared that the plane wont have room for me, or are the tickets already booked.

Also, I'm flying from Southern Indiana, to Chicago, to LAX, to Seoul, to Daegu. Besides where I live, they're pretty big airports. Since It's been years since I moved from England to the US, I don't remember the whole process... Will the gate number be on my ticket? Will it be hard finding my gate? Etc...

Also, does my luggage go straight through where I am, to my destination?

Sorry for the questions! The closer I get to the big day, the more nervous I become! It's a 24 hour flight, and I've never flown alone!

The gate number should be on your first segment but the gate numbers for your following segments can change upon arrival. So when you arrive to each airport, make sure you check the departures information.

The luggage should go from your origin-destination if it's checked luggage. However, you never know if the grounds crew will mess up with the luggage placement....

Hi, and welcome to FT!

if you can give us more detail as to the carriers involved (it's not likely to be Delta for each of your segments), flight numbers, we can give you more precise advice. I'm not one of the Korea or Delta experts but there are plenty of FT'ers that are.

In principle though the entire process should be quite smooth. Additionally there should be no reason why your bags shouldn't make it all the way to your final destination in Korea as long as a) there is an interline agreement between Delta and the other carrier in Korea (which in all likelihood there is) and b) you make sure that the counter folks in Indiana tag your bags all the way to Daegu. Finally if you have concerns that you have no ticket with Delta, I would suggest that you go online onto Delta's website and check your itinerary using the code the Army gave you. If that seems daunting, alternatively you can try calling Delta reservations. What will also help is that you can also look at the other forums (Delta, and whichever Korean carrier you are flying) to get an idea of what the flying experience will be like (good, bad, and unfortunately ugly) based on your fellow FT'ers experiences.

It's a long flight but you will do fine. The only bad part of flying simply is that you might get terribly bored on the LAX/SEL sector. Any advice? Try to get an aisle seat (you can reserve the seat in advance when you are on line or calling Delta using the code). I happen to need the toilet a lot, easier if I don't get stuck by the window and have to climb over my fellow passengers to get out.

Good luck and welcome to FT!

Incheon Airport is big, but nice with lots of English signage and helpful English-speakers. I'm not sure if you'll clear customs and immigration there or at your final destination. If you haven't already done so, check out your new post's website or AFK's website for some helpful information on making the transition. (disclaimer: I'm not military, just a contractor).

Welcome to FlyerTalk, lauraallover. You've come to the right place to have these questions answered. You'll have a great trip!

The tickets are likely already booked. There's no such thing as a paper ticket anymore -- at the airport, you'll get a boarding pass for each separate flight. Your tickets are stored in the airlines' computer and all your different flights are linked to the confirmation number the Army gave you.

However, and this is important: You should ask the Army for all the details -- the name of the airline operating each of your flights, all the flight numbers, and each flight's departure & arrival times. I'm worried because you said you're flying Delta from Southern Indiana to Chicago, but Delta does not fly that route. Maybe you're flying Delta to Detroit? or American to Chicago?

As people have already said, there will be a gate number printed on each of your boarding passes. But sometimes those gates change, so make sure you check the TV monitors in each airport after you arrive to make sure. It's no problem to find the gate. Each airport has plenty of signs showing you where to go, and there are lots of airline employees to ask if you get lost.

The only airline that flies from Seoul to Daegu is Korean Air. According to their website, your luggage will only go as far as Seoul. Then you'll have to re-check in for your flight to Daegu. We should ask someone in the Korean Air forum here on FlyerTalk how this works after we confirm your airlines, flight numbers and times.

Hope that helps!
David

Are you sure you are not flying into Seoul Incheon airport and flying to Daegu from Gimpo Airport? If so, you will need to collect your bags and take the train to change airports.

If not the train from ICN-Gimpo then you can take the Airport Limo(bus).

If my memory serves correctly, there is no flight between Seoul-Gimpo Airport and Daegu Airport anymore. She must be flying from Seoul-Incheon Airport to Daegu Airport.




Your statement is correct. Her luggage will only be checked to Seoul-Incheon Airport. Once she arrived at Seoul-Incheon Airport, she should pick it up and take it to the domestic check-in counter which is island A on the third floor for checking her luggage to Daegu airport.




Daegu Airport should be small, I guess. :D Welcome to FT, and hope you a nice stay in S Korea.

I've been in a lot of third world airports and English has always been fine for figuring out what to do.

The code numbers you were given are the usual way ticketing works these days--I haven't had a physical ticket in many years. They work fine, you should have a seat although overbooks are still a part of air travel.

Your bags should be checked as far as Inchon. Beyond that it depends on interline agreements and what Korean rules are on clearing Customs. In the US you always reclaim your bags at the first city you land in and clear customs at that point then recheck them. They're tagged to your final destination but they come out on the carousel at the port of entry.

While I've been in plenty of other countries my destination has always been the city I landed in so I don't know what the general pattern is on this.

If it's Korean Air it will be from Incheon. Not sure why but they fly to Daegu from Incheon and not from Gimpo.
A friend of mine missed her flight because she thought that *all* domestic flights leave from Gimpo and didnt bother to check. I am not sure about Asiana flights, but someone told me they leave from Incheon as well. Not sure what the logic behind it is.

Anyway carefully check which airport your flight to Daegu will leave from! There might be exceptions that leave from Gimpo

Yes, Korean Air only flies between Incheon (not Gimpo) and Daegu, and Asiana doesn't operate Seoul-Daegu line (It only has flights connecting Jeju-Daegu).

Finding directions shouldn't be difficult as the staff is very helpful and kind. Don't worry too much and hope you enjoy your long long trip to Daegu and have lovely reunion with your husband.