Hello from Seoul Incheon Airport (ICN), as I continue my review trip to South Korea and Japan (okay, I fell a little behind in publishing this due to the amount of news the past couple of days, but let’s continue full steam ahead)! I arrived from Vancouver in Korean Air’s Boeing 787-10 business class, and am departing for Sapporo in Korean Air’s Airbus 321neo business class.
In this post I wanted to talk about Incheon Airport, South Korea’s largest airport. If you look at lists of the world’s best airports, Incheon pretty much always ranks, typically in the top three (for example, Skytrax ranks it as number three, not that I put much weight on those results).
I’m curious — does everyone else love this airport, or am I the only one who thinks it’s kind of overrated? Let me first share my thoughts on Incheon Airport, and then I also want to acknowledge how highly subjective airport opinions can be.
Why Incheon Airport doesn’t impress me much
I don’t want to suggest that Incheon Airport is bad. Quite to the contrary, it’s a solid airport. I just don’t think it’s anywhere close to being the best in the world, personally. I don’t mind transiting the airport, but it’s not an airport I’d voluntarily spend more time in than I have to.
Incheon has two terminals, and they do offer very different experiences. Terminal 1 is the old terminal, and to me, is totally unremarkable. It’s clean and sterile, but the architecture isn’t amazing, and I don’t think there’s any “wow” factor to it.
Meanwhile Terminal 2 is the newer terminal, as it opened in 2018, and it has gorgeous design and architecture. However, architecture alone typically doesn’t give an airport great scores. I mean, several airports in China have amazing architecture, yet don’t make the list of world’s best airports.
What don’t I love about Incheon Airport?
- It’s not the airport’s fault, but the lounges are pretty lousy, and I’d say Korean Air’s are among the worst hub lounges you’ll find of any well respected airline
- For those without lounge access, the food and drink options aren’t impressive, with few sit-down options; there are some basic food courts and Dunkin’ locations, but not much beyond that
- I’ve consistently experienced long immigration lines at Incheon; this time around, I had to wait for almost an hour
- I don’t think the terminals are well designed in terms of passenger flow, getting between gates, and crowding in the central parts of the terminal, due to there not being enough “spokes,” especially in Terminal 2
Again, let me emphasize that I’m not trying to trash the airport. I think it’s solid. I just don’t think it’s the best, and it’s the highest rated airport that I’m not interested in spending more time in than I have to.
Now, to be balanced, let me state some things I believe the airport does well:
- The airport is quite clean, including the bathrooms
- There’s free Wi-Fi that’s easy to connect to
- While perhaps a bit of a gimmick, it’s cute how there’s a Korean culture zone, where you can even try on clothing and see performances
- There’s “transfer lounge,” which has some comfortable seating, and a room where you can stretch
For those who do love the airport, I’d love to hear what I’m missing, or how your impression differed from mine.
“Best” airport rankings are highly subjective
I’ve shared what I consider to be the world’s best airports. I don’t claim that anyone else should agree with me, but those are the airports I most enjoy traveling through. I guess what I’m realizing is that the airports on my list are also places that I really enjoy spending time, regardless of whether or not I have lounge access.
For example, at Hong Kong International Airport (HKG), you can drop me off at the Sky Bridge and leave me… forever. Just let my family know where they can find me, please. 😉 The airport also has beautiful architecture, so much natural light, and some of the world’s best lounges, like Cathay Pacific’s The Pier Lounge.
At Singapore Changi Airport (SIN), The Jewel is simply on a completely different level. Even airside, the airport has everything from a movie theater, to a butterfly garden. I’ve also never waited at immigration, there are some world class lounges, etc.
Doha Hamad International Airport (DOH) has improved so nicely in recent years, and is probably now my favorite airport. The design is amazing (like The Orchard), the lounges are phenomenal, the shopping is endless, and the variety of sit-down restaurants and cafes is basically unrivaled.
People could easily transit any of the above airports and have a vastly different experience or impression. For example, Doha Hamad is a heavily banked hub, and if you’re passing through with a short connection during one of the busiest periods, and you end up arriving at and departing from a remote stand, you’d understandably probably not be very impressed.
Similarly, if you’re just briefly transiting Singapore Changi Airport Terminal 1, you’d probably wonder what all the fuss is about.
Bottom line
I’ve traveled through both terminals at Incheon Airport in recent months, and while they’re pleasant enough, I don’t really want to spend more time at either airport than I have to. Terminal 2 has much nicer architecture than Terminal 1, but still, I find the airport lacking when it comes to amenities that really give it the edge.
What’s your take on Incheon Airport — do you think it deserves to be ranked among the top three in the world, or is it a bit overrated?
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