Review: Korean Air First Class Lounge Incheon Airport

Due to my weekly First class flights, I had the chance to experience quite a few first lounges worldwide. The best first class lounges overall IMHO remain The Pier at HKG, JAL at Tokyo Haneda and Qantas in Sydney. I know there are quite some haters out there but I keep in mind that I pay for my flights.

Nice to see you enjoyed your experience. I visited the new Korean Air business class lounges at this terminal. Both were absolutely crap (except for the decent frosted relaxation rooms and shower rooms). Not sure how they’re fine with such mediocrity at their newest terminal (which I didn’t enjoy either — reminded me of PEK T3, architecturally stunning but dysfunctional — but I’m glad you did).

What would you say are the top 3 airports (and/or airport terminals)?

Was there in May. Not worth showing up early for the lounge but loved the personal luggage tag! Lucky - did you get one?

Only 2 whiskeys and 1 cognac (even if it's XO)?! That is an incredibly poor selection, shameful for a 1st class lounge.

Lucky, is the new KE first class lounge better than the OZ first class lounge in your opinion?

Also, Is it just me that thinks the way the bananas are packaged is disgusting?

Lacklustre and dry - the terminal and the lounge. Not an airport I enjoy visiting.

I was there in the new terminal in July. Absolutely stunning. I stayed at the Priority Pass lounge though but it did the job. I truly felt like I was in a huge mall and not at an airport. Loved it!

Was there back in March shortly after opening and my expectations were met. Wasn’t thinking I was getting a CX style lounge. But also, the presentation of food in the air was much better than what I’d have on CX the following day. I’d much rather be impressed with service in the air than service on the ground.

Does terminal 2 have the same awful carpets in the arrival area like terminal 1? The carpet in terminal 1 sucks when you have a wheel bag.

Cheap £20 prosecco in a first lounge !? Ouch

T2 is definitely an impressive bit of interior design. Not to rehash an old argument but T1 has live music, too. KE lounges aren’t the best in the world, but there are lots of plugs. My single biggest gripe is that water is served in these teeny tiny jeju brand cups. By the time I leave, I’ve usually acquired a tower of the things. I’d kill for a faucet. Or even a bottle.

I was there last week, it’s smaller than previous lounge. However there’s lounge next to first class serves same food ,more bathrooms,more showers,more massage chairs. You can use both lounges.
Was also in Asiana lounge, serves really good food (except CX lounges in HKG) most first class airline lounges.

ICN airport is better than LAX, FRA,HND,NRT,BKK,HKG in my opinion. Easy to find gates, fast service thru immigration ,security area and transportation to the cities.

The sit down made to order steak was made sous vide, best lounge meal I've ever had. I ended up ordering the steak twice. However, they needed about 15-20 minutes each order.

I agree that the lounge itself was not impressive but the made to order steak really made the visit worth it. Must try!

@Endre

Girl, please, you're more fake than Kim Kardashian's face.

I have a feeling that had the lounge been a bit bigger, and had more food options, it would be considered a much better lounge. But as you said, it is an improvement over the one in T1...

And the new terminal is very lovely, architecturally speaking.

@Lucky, or anyone who answer,

Can first class passengers still get the engraved luggage tags? If so, is that done at this lounge?

@ Lucky.... while you likely have addressed in previous articles what would be your top ten lounges at this point and time? Just a list and not any elaboration on why what lounge was ranked where it was ranked. I see links to your previous reviews and will read through those I haven't yet read.

Great review as usual, Lucky, but a disappointing lounge. Certainly not what I would expect for an airline with such a good reputation for their onboard first class product.

Is the adjacent 'million miler lounge' Lucky mentions considered a level above or below the F lounge?

Does the lounge have a smoking room? The old, admittedly mediocre lounge does.

@ Lucky
I’ve been to this lounge earlier in the year and I think there are two things you forgot to mention. First, there’s another separate “massage” room that’s connected with the miler lounge that has about six additional awesome Panasonic massage chairs. And second, more importantly there are 2 or 3 relaxing private rooms that are gigantic with sofas, 65 inch OLED TVs with sound systems that you can use. I think you may have missed the rooms as the doors may have been closed and it is located towards the right as soon as you enter the lounge.

@ Christian -- Nope, I didn't see any smoking room.

@ JYK -- Hmmm, wasn't aware of those, thanks for the heads up. That's good to know.

@ Mike jones -- Yep, I believe it does. :-/

@Michelle yes you can get a tag here.

Overall I agree with the review. I guess you could say it has a good hard product but average soft. It's surprisingly empty for how small it is... I'll show up a little early for it.

Excellent Review which brings back happy memories !! I was in that lounge this past June for less than one hour. For an infrequent flier like myself, it is quite a treat to enjoy such facilities.

If I'm not wrong this is already the 5 days' round the world trip happening in July.
With such a significant team (7,8 persons) aren't there more trips that could be reviewed?. Just being curious... When I see facts in a review that were prereviewed, prepared, arranged, and bought/redeemed, all of them generating the same articles I get a bit confused.

Korean is such an overrated airline. Let’s not forget that on some of its aircraft the first-class seats are identical to the business-class seats; the only difference is the food and wine. I’ve never once seen a Korean lounge that was impressive nor competitive compared to other airlines. At this rate, China Eastern is offering a better product for Delta than Korean..

Wow, I’ve had a million times more liquor choice in just about any sub par or contract lounge worldwide. International first class...... very disappointing

You missed out the entire a la carte dining lucky..................

@FNT
Korean Air is not overrated airline.
Just took a trip from LAX - FRA-ICN
Flying 747-8I. Lufthansa ‘s first class seats do not compare to Korean air ‘s.
8 open seats vs 6 closed suites. Not to mention worst first class meal I ever had.

@Mike jones makes a valid point about airport carpeting. Who wants to drag a wheelie or 2 across carpet? Feels like you've just hit a sand trap! Hate it, hate it, hate it!

@FNT Delta Diamond:

I couldn't agree more. Their F hard product is middle-of-the-road, at best, as it varies way too much across aircraft and they try to push J seats as F. That's nonsense and they should be professionally embarrassed by that. We give BA F a lot of flack as being "a really good J product" - which is a fair assessment, but I'd still take BA F over the pathetic showing KE has on some of their planes.

I've always found the in-flight soft product to be good, but the service is incredibly impersonal. And the thimble-full of water/champagne you get whilst in the air is laughable. I should NEVER have to ring a call button to get a refill after two small sips. Who drinks shots of champagne?

Beyond that, their lounges are terrible at out stations. At their hub, they're almost as good as a middling J lounge for most other competitive airlines. I don't get why so many people have boners for KE when they're clearly "meh", at best. I actively avoid them now which is a shame because they have real potential to be a really great carrier but it's like they just don't care and laurel-resting is perfectly okay.

Yes, there is variation in their product in F class, but their enclosed suites are really nice. The soft product in F class is also really good overall. The experience of flying in their enclosed suites ranks them with the best of the best overall in F class, if you ask me.

In J class, the hard product can be inconsistent as well, but their apex suites are really great. Good food and service there as well, even if it isn't the best, it's still better than above average.

Do agree that their lounges are really weak, both at home and abroad, and is an area this airline can really work on to make the overall experience better.

Every Single @Endre Comment:
- Starts of by stating the product he flew
- Mentions that he paid for this ticket
- Ends by saying there are haters

Just to be clear, I don't dislike you, @Endre because you pay for first class tickets(congrats) but do you have to write the same comment on every review? Is that necessary?

@Sir BoonBuckle

Where is the proof that he/she pays for their tickets?

That lounge entrance suggested a posh private clinic, acres of white. Sterile and reminiscent of the so called lounge at the back of KAL’S 380 top deck.

Sure, the new terminal looks pretty but is service in shops etc any better that In T1? Last time thru Incheon I lost any chance of lounge time thanks to inept shop staff shuffling me from one cash terminal to another just to purchase a few last minute items for the kids. Queue city.

Looking forward to your take on the 789.

I need to spend more time in this airport. Two times I've just walked through and exited, knowing this airport is supposed to be amazing. The next time I'm there I want to try the Korean Cultural Experience Center.
I love that the lounge color scheme matches that of the airplane interiors. It reminds me of architecture I've seen in pictures of TWA lounges.

I like the luggage lockers, I think that's a great idea. I don't know how common they are in lounges but seems like a great idea.

@Sir BoonBuckle, @Julia: I don't know why to be bothered by someone who's clearly a troll.
You should just go with the flow.
Also, I'm glad that he/she made again to pay for first class tickets. Not long ago he/she was struggling and was even telling us about tickets in business class, and we get worried about his financial status.

@Leeza1 good point. I would say he only flew those paid business class tickets, because those planes did not have a first class cabin service? Oh, the shame and anger he must have had to endure.

Those giant trees are stunning! What a beautiful new terminal.

Is that liquor selection is geared toward Asian businessmen? Basically 3 whiskeys. 😉
And yes, very cheap sparkling selection considering how little they probably go through.

@julia
True, I should have said "supposedly pays for first class tickets", my bad

No answer on the luggage tags?! also do they have buggy service to the AC?

I felt exactly the same way you did. I flew SIN-ICN-IAD in KE F in February. The flights were fantastic with great service. I thought ICN Terminal 2 was beautiful. The KE F lounge was fine, but nothing to write home about. I preferred spending time in the terminal.