Grrr...flying from Incheon to Busan

[MAN Flyer]

Most people would not imagine for a minute that a constantly growing award winning (I know, I know...) state of the art international hub airport, which is the pride and joy of a heavily export reliant country, with hundreds of daily flights from outside the country, would have not a single flight throughout most of the day from the aforementioned international hub to it's second city.

But, it's true. Not only that, but the countries two major carriers (both of who have their hubs at ICN) only have their only two flights per day at virtually identical times in the morning and evening, with nothing whatsoever in between:

ICN-PUS

OZ 0820 1930
KE 0855 2005

PUS-ICN

OZ 0650 1600
KE 0700 1645

And thats it !

I know there are loads of flights from Gimpo to Busan, but that caters for locals or people in Seoul and ignores any possible connecting pax arriving at Incheon during the day. If ICN was closed between 0900 and 1800 per day I would understand it, but it isn't.

It's baffled me for years this, and has reared its head again as I am going to Busan next week. I wish I could understand the logic behind this, but's its beyond me for sure....

[HUGE AL]

Same situation on the NRT-KIX route. Utilizing the domestic airports yields many more flights, but incredibly inconvenient on us foreigners.

[SQflyergirl]

Yeah one of our factories is in Busan - pain in the bum for those coming from outside Korea

[N_Architect]

Landing at ICN on SQ. September 2008.

...I wish I could understand the logic behind this, but's its beyond me for sure....

I heard once (when I was in South Korea, last year) that one of the reasons they let this happen was the unions. By having GMP open, apart from the 'safety' aspect regarding flights and the additional airport operation, they managed to provide jobs for so many people working in Seoul's second airport.

If this is true, it is good for the people, however with the volume of traffic to/from PUS increasing in the last few years they should do something to prevent causing such a discomfort to so many people flying through ICN.


The inter-terminal train ride at ICN.

When I was in Koje-do, I had the same issue, in the same way many other colleagues working there had as well.

The Scandinavians were taking OZ to PEK, then SK to northern Europe. However OZ stopped that daily flight after a while, don't know the status now. For myself, trying to fly to southern Europe, I had to take three planes in total as there was no direct flight to ATH from ICN.


The crews are trying hard but the inconvenience is still there.

A way to overcome this was if you would fly TG, ex-PUS to Europe via BKK. But sometimes the flight schedules were not so convenient or the route would get too long (admittedly having to go to Europe from Korea through BKK or SIN is a kind of long deviation).

Once I thought about flying ex-FUK on SQ, but again, it's not convenient. The more connections you add to your itinerary, the more you're destined to

Of course you also have LH that stops in ICN for an hour or so and then goes off to PUS. But again that's not daily (although there is naturally a daily service to ICN).


Taking off from PUS to GMP on BX.
MAN Flyer is right, if you have to get to Busan or nearby from abroad, it's a pain on the back with the transfer in Seoul.

[MAN Flyer]

A way to overcome this was if you would fly TG, ex-PUS to Europe via BKK.

I know about the TG flight. Over 5 hours on an AB6 ?. Not today, thanks....

Of course you also have LH that stops in ICN for an hour or so and then goes off to PUS. But again that's not daily (although there is naturally a daily service to ICN).

The last time I went to Busan I flew back on LH to MUC, stopping in ICN.

This time my intention is to fly in early and check in at the Incheon Hyatt (where I am meeting someone in the evening) before flying down to Busan for the day.

The problems are, by the time I have checked in, got changed etc there will be no more flights from ICN for 12 hours, so I have to go to Gimpo. Then, as the last flight back to ICN is 1645 I have no chance of making it, so I have to fly back to Gimpo and schlep back over to ICN. Staying at an Incheon Hotel but having to fly from and to Gimpo ?

It's a ridiculous situation that annoys many people who travel to Busan. I am afraid that as much I really like ICN, it can never considered a top class hub until they sort the lack of domestic connections out.

[Bon]

Isn't there a train that goes between the 2 airports?

[mosburger]

Isn't there a train that goes between the 2 airports?

It's not especially convenient, better to take a limousine bus or cab directly from the ICN terminal. Or even a bus all the way from Incheon to Busan.

[Bon]

That's a shame. I don't get why ICN doesn't have a direct train into the city like HKG.

[mosburger]

That's a shame. I don't get why ICN doesn't have a direct train into the city like HKG.

I think the link will be expanded later but at the moment it's more suitable for airport workers commuting to and from their jobs.

[MAN Flyer]

Well, the farce that is the difficulty of getting from ICN to PUS is even bigger than I first thought.

I ended up buying a ticket on KE, SGN-ICN-PUS, with a 2 hour connection at ICN. Decent enough timings, and easy connection, I thought.

Rock up at the KE checkin at SGN, hand over copy of my booking and passport and a minute later got only one BP back. I pointed out that I was connecting straight through to PUS and she said she knew that, but I had to checkin at ICN for that flight!!.

I said this cannot be right, I am traveling on the same airline on a straight through connection two hours after arrival. Sorry, but it is she said. Even though I was booked to fly KE straight through, they couldn't check me in for the domestic connection. Unbelievable.

As it goes we got in early so my quick nip to the Hyatt at ICN for a shower and change was a little easier that it would have been. Not for the first time I got a little side tracked doing emails, and a little cocky having got in early so left it a bit late going back to ICN from the Hyatt. Ah, not a problem I thought, there is a KE checkin desk in reception, I can checkin there while waiting for the bus to the terminal...

But, I forgot how unwanted us pax who want to fly from ICN to PUS are, and I was stunned to be told they told me that despite it being a KE checkin facility, they couldn't check me in for PUS, I had to do that at the domestic checkin at ICN.

I bumped into a customer from Singapore at the exhibition in Busan, and funnily enough one of the things he commented on was....what a PITA it is to get to Busan. So it's not just me who find this bizarre.

[HUGE AL]

Wow, MAN Flyer! Unbelievable!

[Pinkfloyd]

Well, the farce that is the difficulty of getting from ICN to PUS is even bigger than I first thought.

I ended up buying a ticket on KE, SGN-ICN-PUS, with a 2 hour connection at ICN. Decent enough timings, and easy connection, I thought.

Rock up at the KE checkin at SGN, hand over copy of my booking and passport and a minute later got only one BP back. I pointed out that I was connecting straight through to PUS and she said she knew that, but I had to checkin at ICN for that flight!!.

I said this cannot be right, I am traveling on the same airline on a straight through connection two hours after arrival. Sorry, but it is she said. Even though I was booked to fly KE straight through, they couldn't check me in for the domestic connection. Unbelievable.

As it goes we got in early so my quick nip to the Hyatt at ICN for a shower and change was a little easier that it would have been. Not for the first time I got a little side tracked doing emails, and a little cocky having got in early so left it a bit late going back to ICN from the Hyatt. Ah, not a problem I thought, there is a KE checkin desk in reception, I can checkin there while waiting for the bus to the terminal...

But, I forgot how unwanted us pax who want to fly from ICN to PUS are, and I was stunned to be told they told me that despite it being a KE checkin facility, they couldn't check me in for PUS, I had to do that at the domestic checkin at ICN.

I bumped into a customer from Singapore at the exhibition in Busan, and funnily enough one of the things he commented on was....what a PITA it is to get to Busan. So it's not just me who find this bizarre.

Man... I have been trying to find a sensible connection to PUS for some time now (both from SIN and KRS, Norway) and have not been able to (apart from LH who does the flight from MUC)... Now you have just re-confirmed how difficult it is as I thought I was doing something wrong!

[Kiwi]

SQ refused to check me in for an onward flight on SQ on the same ticket a few days ago. Bah!

[MAN Flyer]

Wow, MAN Flyer! Unbelievable!

Indeed. I have been going to Busan for a few years now, and getting to and from there is getting on my bloody nerves now.

Man... I have been trying to find a sensible connection to PUS for some time now (both from SIN and KRS, Norway) and have not been able to (apart from LH who does the flight from MUC)... Now you have just re-confirmed how difficult it is as I thought I was doing something wrong!

From Europe LH fly there from MUC, but even that stops in ICN both ways. From LHR you can fly OZ but only three times a week, and that entails a 6-7 hour wait in ICN for the return.

It's not like there is much going on down in the Southern part of South Korea, like heavy industry or the odd small ship building yard...

SQ refused to check me in for an onward flight on SQ on the same ticket a few days ago. Bah!

What route was that then ?

[Pinkfloyd]

Thanks MAN Flyer... Well I guess I'll just have to stick it out (with the waiting / transiting) when it's time for me to do that trip...