- Introduction: Zipping To Tokyo Via Mongolia
- Review: American First Class Boeing 737 (MIA-LGA)
- Review: Chase Sapphire Lounge New York LaGuardia Airport (LGA)
- Review: Chase Sapphire Lounge New York Kennedy Airport (JFK)
- Review: VIP ONE Lounge New York Kennedy Airport (JFK)
- Review: Primeclass Lounge New York Kennedy Airport (JFK)
- Review: Turkish Airlines Lounge New York Kennedy Airport (JFK)
- Review: Lufthansa Lounge New York Kennedy Airport (JFK)
- Review: Air France Lounge New York Kennedy Airport (JFK)
- Review: Air France Business Class Airbus A350 (JFK-CDG)
- Review: Air France HOP Business Class Embraer E190 (CDG-FRA)
- Review: Hyatt Place Frankfurt Airport (FRA)
- Review: Primeclass Lounge Frankfurt Airport (FRA)
- Review: MIAT Mongolian Airlines Business Class Boeing 787 (FRA-UBN)
- Review: MIAT Mongolian Airlines Lounge Ulaanbaatar Airport (UBN)
- Review: MIAT Mongolian Airlines Business Class Boeing 737 (UBN-ICN)
- Review: Seoul Incheon Airport Transit Hotel (ICN)
- Review: Oneworld Lounge Seoul Incheon Airport (ICN)
- Review: ZIPAIR Full Flat Business Class Boeing 787 (ICN-NRT)
- Review: Hotel Villa Fontaine Tokyo Haneda Airport (HND)
- Review: TIAT Lounge Tokyo Haneda Airport (HND)
- Review: Cathay Pacific Lounge Tokyo Haneda Airport (HND)
- Review: Japan Airlines First Lounge Tokyo Haneda Airport (HND)
- Review: Japan Airlines First Class Airbus A350-1000 (HND-JFK)
During my trip to Japan via Mongolia, I visited the oneworld Lounge Incheon. For context, the oneworld alliance recently started opening up its own branded lounges, with the first location being at Seoul Incheon (since then, a second lounge has opened at Amsterdam Schiphol).
I was curious to see how oneworld’s product stacks up, given that it’s the last of the “big three” global alliances to operate its own lounges. So, how was the oneworld Lounge Incheon? I’m conflicted. The lounge’s decor is super modern, and, um, memorable, though I still can’t decide if I love it or hate it. Meanwhile the lounge’s food selection is roughly what I’d expect from a contract lounge.
In this post:
oneworld Lounge Incheon location
The oneworld Lounge Incheon is located in Terminal 1, which is where all oneworld airlines depart from. Specifically, the lounge is located near gate 28, on the fourth floor (one level above the concourse).
Gate 28 is located roughly near the center of the terminal, so it shouldn’t be more than a 10-minute walk to any end of the terminal.
When you’re near gate 28, you’ll see signage along the side of the terminal for both the oneworld Lounge and Korean Air Lounge.
Take the escalator up a level, and then make a sharp right turn, and you’ll see the entrance to the oneworld Lounge straight ahead.
oneworld Lounge Incheon hours
The oneworld Lounge Incheon hours are based on the departure times of all oneworld carriers departing from the airport, so you can expect the lounge will be open in the hours leading up to any oneworld flights. Currently the lounge is open daily from 7:30AM until 11:45PM.
oneworld Lounge Incheon entry requirements
The oneworld Lounge Incheon follows standard oneworld lounge access policies. This means that the lounge can be accessed by all departing oneworld first and business class passengers, as well as the alliance’s Emerald members and Sapphire members. Everyone can bring one guest with them, except business class passengers, who aren’t allowed guests.
The oneworld Lounge can’t be accessed through any other means — it doesn’t belong to Priority Pass, and you can’t buy access to the lounge.
oneworld Lounge Incheon seating & layout
The oneworld Lounge Incheon is 555 square meters (~6,000 square feet), with seating for 148 people. So it’s not a very large lounge, especially for late at night, when there are the most oneworld departures around the same time.
The lounge primarily consists of one large room, and I love the super high ceilings, plus the floor-to-ceiling windows, which give this lounge a spacious feel. As far as the lounge’s design goes, this isn’t your typical lounge with just endless rows of the same seats facing one another. Instead, the lounge has more types of seating options than I can count.
As you enter the lounge, you’ll first notice the bar area, with has some high-top seating.
Then there’s a little nook, with a long padded booth, plus some chairs.
There’s a communal table with some chairs that can turn, and a bench with some small side tables.
By the windows there are seats looking out at the apron, offering among the best views in the lounge.
The center area of the lounge has a huge curving couch, with plenty of other seating around it.
Near the buffet there are some dining tables, both in a small room next to the buffet, as well as along the perimeter of the buffet.
The design gets even stranger in the back of the lounge, with… well, however you want to describe this. I’ll just let the pictures speak for themselves.
As far as other features go, the lounge has two semi-private workstations, which is a feature that I appreciate. Each room has a door, so it’s ideal if you want to make a phone call, or just want some quiet.
The lounge also has a conference room, with seating for up to five people.
Lastly, the lounge has some lockers near the entrance, should you want to store your luggage while in the lounge.
As I said at the beginning of the review, I’m conflicted about the decor and design of this lounge. On the one hand, I appreciate that this isn’t just your typical, generic, boring lounge. But arguably this lounge is the opposite extreme. I also think a lot of the furniture is style over substance, as many of the chairs areas aren’t actually that comfortable to sit on.
oneworld Lounge Incheon food & drinks
The oneworld Lounge Incheon has a self-serve buffet. In addition to a pretty standard food selection, it’s my understanding that some of the options rotate throughout the day, with some food options reflecting the oneworld airlines that have departures around those times.
During my morning visit, breakfast was being served. To be honest, I found the food selection to be forgettable — it wasn’t bad, but it also wasn’t materially better than I’d expect at any third party lounge at the airport.
Cold breakfast options included yogurt, fruit, macaroni salad, cucumber salad, coleslaw, cereal, and bread rolls.
Hot options included scrambled eggs, assorted sausages, baked beans, potatoes, and Korean style noodles with soup.
As far as drinks go, there was a small selection of liquor, wine, beer, juice, milk, soda, and water.
Coffee was available from two different self-serve espresso machines, and there was also a selection of tea.
While the lounge doesn’t have barista coffee, later in the day there is a bartender on staff to prepare cocktails, so that’s a nice feature.
oneworld Lounge Incheon bathrooms & showers
The oneworld Lounge Incheon bathrooms are located in the back left of the facility.
The men’s room has three sinks, two stalls (with a bidet feature), and two urinals.
The lounge also has two shower suites, each of which has a sink, a toilet, and a walk-in shower.
Bottom line
The oneworld Lounge Incheon is the global alliance’s first lounge, with a memorable hard product but an unmemorable soft product. The lounge’s decor is unique and ultra modern and quirky, while the lounge’s food and drink selection is just average. At least the lounge has features like shower suites and semi-private workstations.
What’s your take on the oneworld Lounge Incheon, and what do you make of the decor?
Nothing special. Boarding Pass gave the option of ASIANA west lounge. Is it better do you know?? Thanks
Made the same experience. Design went over function (regarding seat comfort). In the evening, there were a few hot food options, but nothing tasty.
It certainly seems nicer than the Priority Pass lounges at ICN, but the scarcity of Korean food is downright criminal. Even the crappy lounges at least have yangnyeom chicken.
Everyone's going on about the design, but what's up with the ice cubes in the urinals??
Lounge looks amazing if you are doing acid. Amazing experience.
Who eats Cole slaw at breakfast? See first comment.
Surprisingly I also found the KAL lounges at ICN to be forgettable as well. I wonder why this is the case for a home airport and maybe a trend for lounges overall.
Like many other lounges, the food is very basic in the morning. It gets far better from lunchtime which is better than business class lounge of Korean Air or Asiana.
Was there a few days ago before flying INC-HEL. One of the last flights of the night.
Design is pretty wild. Although I do appreciate the change.
Two showers are not enough for a 140+ capacity, but that will have to do for now. Luckily, I only had to wait about an hour for my turn.
Didn't get to try the drink selection and/or bartender skills but there was a menu with some cocktails available.
Solid option in ICN when flying oneworld.
I have to agree the design concept is confusing with no specific brand alignment, perhaps the idea.
H4P got an exclusive at BA’s corporate event last week with confirmation that they intend to refurbish all the LHR lounges. I just hope they are not OW design concepts.
I think it looks cool, sad to hear the chairs are uncomfortable though, maybe they just need to be broken in? :)
How did you access the lounge? Is ZIPAir a OW airline?
I think they are owned by JAL, so they might qualify that way somehow?
That and his own status with oneworld, forgot to add that...
ZIPair is a subsidiary of JAL but it's not a member of OneWorld and JAL doesn't have any codeshare with ZIPair, so you don't get OneWorld lounge access when flying ZIPair.
You don't get any OneWorld or JAL elite benefit when flying ZIPair.
My guess would be a cheap reward ticket on JAL or Cathay. Check-in online or at the transfer desk, visit the lounge and then not take the flight. Depending on the program you might even get some points back if you undo the check-in and cancel the ticket.
@ Bob -- Long story short, I had also booked a cheap ticket on a oneworld airline for a flight out of Seoul Incheon. It's not usually something I do, but I wanted to check out this lounge and provide an unbiased review, rather than going to some sort of a media event, where you don't get the real experience.
Generally speaking - I find breakfast to be the worst meal to pick if you want to judge the quality of a lounge's food options. Especially in Korea, where breakfast just isn't that important. Like breakfast is underwhelming almost everywhere in Korea. So I'd say incomplete info on the food part here.