There are two main international departure terminals at Seoul Incheon International Airport. There’s the main terminal where Asiana and Korean Air depart from and the satellite terminal (Concourse A) where the majority of other airlines depart from. Korean Air has a First Class Lounge and a Prestige Business Class Lounge in the main terminal and a mixed lounge (KAL Lounge) in the satellite terminal. This review is for the main terminal Prestige Business Class Lounge.
This lounge is located at the far east end of the main departure terminal. The lounge is located on the fourth floor but the entrance is located on the third floor (main floor). The posted hours states that it’s open from 6:30 AM to 11:55 PM but in actuality, it’s open a lot earlier than that. Upon my arrival on KE12 from LAX (4:30 AM), I made my way to the lounge and found it was open. This lounge is only open to business class passengers on SkyTeam operated flights and SkyTeam Elite Plus members.
The other reviews in this series include:
- I’m booked on the Vietnam Airlines A350!
- Don’t be like me and screw up an award booking
- Korean Airlines SkyTeam Lounge at LAX
- Korean Airlines A380 business class from Los Angeles to Seoul
- Korean Airlines Prestige (business class) Lounge at Seoul
- KAL Lounge at Seoul Satellite Concourse
- Vietnam Airlines A330 business class Seoul to Hanoi
- Hilton Hanoi Opera
- Vietnam Airlines Lotus Lounge at Hanoi
- Vietnam Airlines A350 business class Hanoi to Paris
This is not a Priority Pass lounge. If you’re looking for a Priority Pass lounge, you can try the Asiana Business Class Lounge in the main terminal or the Asiana and KAL Lounges in the satellite terminal.
As you enter the lounge, you will be greeted at the central reception desk. Like the Asiana Business Class Lounge, the Korean Air Prestige Lounge is separated into two sides (on either sides of the reception desk). However, both sides offer the same food and amenities. The lounge itself is one large room, divided by small partitions to create individual spaces. For seating, you can use either the armchairs, tables or the long bar table located facing the ramp and runway. Electrical outlets are plentiful throughout the lounge but you will need an adaptor for your 110V plugs. Wi-Fi was provided free throughout the lounge (not password protected).
The lounge is open, bright and airy but not as well decorated as the Asiana lounge. The Asiana lounge is a little more elegant and upscale whereas the Korean Air lounge is more bare and simple. Despite not being a Priority Pass lounge, I found it to be quite busy (if not busier) than the Asiana lounge.
Amenities-wise, there’s a locker storage located in front of the central reception desk. The lockers are large enough to store your carry-ons and roll-aboards and can be programmed with your own personal lock combination. There are also showers suites, an enclosed smoking room and a dark TV room.
No computers are provided but there is a single copier/fax machine that you can use. There are no sleep rooms or spaces where you can lay down and rest. It’s sitting room only at the Korean Air Prestige Lounge. Flight announcements are made from the lounge but only for Korean Air flights so everyone else will have to monitor the flight information boards located throughout the lounge.
Food-wise, there’s a main buffet area featuring hot and cold dishes. In the morning time, there were some salad dishes, Korean congee, a selection of cereals and pastries and random hot food items such as sausages and stir-fry vegetables. Cup o’ noodles were available all day. For drinks, there’s a soda machine, espresso machine, beer dispenser and tiny containers of water. Not much was provided in terms of alcohol. The lounge was kept clean with employees busing tables and refreshing the buffet area.
Overall, the Korean Air Prestige Lounge at Seoul Incheon main terminal is a decent lounge and an adequate place to relax before your flight. There is nothing special here and I’m actually surprised it’s not as nice as the Asiana Business Class Lounge. The space was a little cramped and the amenities were a little sparse but the food was tasty (though not varied). I’m also glad the lounge was open earlier than the posted hours to accommodate the arrival flight from Los Angeles.
