BOS-PUS question
 

Hi all, I'm fairly new to this forum and I am looking for some advice.

I am looking potentially to fly from BOS to PUS at the end of March. It seems like my options are fairly limited. I can fly NW, with a switch at DTW and NRT. I can fly KE, but I have to transfer somewhere in the States to get to ICN, then do an airport switch to Gimpo. I am guessing I must also be able to fly some Japanese or other Asian carriers, and Japanese would seem to be the best simply because I am taking the least amount of detour with them.

That said... does anyone know if it's worth the trouble trying to find a flight directly to PUS, or should I just fly to ICN and then take the train over to Pusan? Is there some sort of particular way to fly that will be cheaper than others?

Sorry for all the questions.

Getting to Asia is not straightforward from BOS as there are no non-stop flights to any Asian hubs. But you should definitely be able to get to PUS with 2 stops. If you're willing to fly from JFK, you can get to PUS in 1 stop. If you're willing to fly into ICN, you can get there from BOS in 1 stop. I'm not sure whether the latter is a good idea or not.

I assume you're flying coach. Doing a search on Orbitz for a random week in March shows the cheapest ticket at $1239 right now. Routing is BOS-SFO on UA, SFO-ICN on SQ, overnight in ICN, then ICN-PUS on OZ. Consolidators may have better fares. PM me if you want the name of the consolidator that I typically use.

The highspeed rail (based on TGV technology) from Seoul to Busan takes about 2:45 with 2-4 trains an hour. Ticket cost about 45,000won ($44) one-way.

The train between ICN and Seoul Station is being built; right now, there's a coach that runs every 15-20 min, takes an hour and 13,000 won ($13).

And there are a few flights a day ICN-PUS. The KE flights leaves at 8:05pm. That probably give you too much time for a transit from the US, but it saves you from the coach transfer and/or the train ride.

Yeah, I'd expect two stops if I want to fly to PUS, but I just wonder if it's better/easier if I just take the train. If the train is 3 hours, what I can do is to stop in Seoul first for a day or two, then head down, then head back up. I guess I'll get to see more of Korea that way. Trying to transfer between Incheon and Gimpo after a 16 hour flight is a little much, and the ICN-PUS flights don't seem to work too well. It's really a shame that PUS is so poorly served, relatively speaking.

Getting to Pusan is always a nightmare from Incheon, and getting worse rather than better. Most of the country lives in Seoul, and there is not enough regular traffic to support the flights from ICN to PUS. Most people connect through GMP, or take the train up. With more and more Asian destinations served direct from PUS, it becomes easier to avoid ICN entirely.

From ICN, there are both morning and an evening flights, everyday on Korean Air, but the morning flight is not everyday on Asiana. If you can time your arrival, it does make connecting a lot easier.

Getting from Incheon to the train station in Seoul is easy, even in the brain dead state of having just flown 16 hours. There is direct bus service that is fast and cheap, and everything is well marked in English. The KTX train ride is nice, with some wonderful scenery along the way. The upgrade to first class is nice, but not really necessary. If you want a real train experience, take the local (Mugunghwa) train down. Much slower, but a really interesting slice of Korea.

Living in Pusan, I do not recommend that you ever fly NW. NW flies NRT-PUS, but the level of service is much lower than on any other airline. Japan Airlines will get you directly into Pusan, with a change in NRT or KIX.

I usually fly JAL for the service, even in coach. It is possible to fly KE LAX-NRT, and then connect to KE NRT-PUS, but you may have a hard time getting KE to realize that.

Long haul to Incheon, you have the choice of Asiana for safety, or Korean Air for service. Myself, I fly Cathay Pacific, and connect in Hong Kong. Indirect and insane, but it allows a stop in a great city, and is a lot more comfortable in any class.

As always, your mileage may vary.

MM9U, living in Pusan for the last ten years or so.

Change at KIX. That way, you'll at least have something to do if the layover is extended compared to NRT. ICN - PUS flights are very limited but if they fit your schedule that is a viable option. The KTX is only nice in first as it's got the narrow TGV type cabin.

Transferring between ICN and GMP isn't actually that bad; they're on the same side of the city and connected by a highway, so you don't need to go into central Seoul and can also avoid its nightmarish traffic jams. Buses leave every few minutes and the trip takes around 30 min.

Transferring between ICN and the Express Bus Terminal in Busan is not that bad either. ;) Benefits include no need to touch your luggage until Busan, far better views of the mountains and valleys than from the KTX and the unique chance to eat a Kimchi stew next to Korean farmers and truckers at one of the Soviet style highway stop complexes. If you are lucky you might just get to experience dusk or dawn against the wonderful mountain landscape. ^

Hey, thanks, this is great and useful info. It's surprising how terrible it is when you want to go to anywhere other than Seoul. You'd think the second biggest city will get more access, but noooo.

I'll look into the various options and see what I come up with. I noticed that KE doesn't seem to think I can fly any other way than through ICN-GMP. Maybe I'll go to a Japanese travel agent and see if JL can work some magic for me.