Lounge Review: Korean Air Lounges at Jeju (CJU) and Seoul (ICN)

1. British Airways “First Class” Lounge at SFO
2. Korean Air First Class San Francisco to Seoul
3. Korean Air Economy Class Seoul (Gimpo) to Jeju
4. Kensington Jeju Hotel (Seogwipo, Jeju Island)
5. Eating Jeju – the Ultimate Seafood Paradise
6. Korean Air Lounges at Jeju (CJU) and Seoul (ICN)
7. Korean Air First Class Seoul to Hong Kong
8. Hyatt Regency Hong Kong, Tsim Tsa Tsui
9. Conrad Hong Kong
10. Eating Hong Kong
11. Cathay Pacific Business Class Hong Kong to Tokyo (Haneda)
12. Japan Airlines First Class Lounge Tokyo (Haneda)
13. Japan Airlines First Class Tokyo (Haneda) to San Francisco
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Korean Air Lounge at Jeju (CJU)

We learned our lesson during our first pass through at Jeju International Airport (CJU) and stopped by the Korean Air Lounge before going through security. I used my Priority Pass lounge membership via the Chase Sapphire Reserve card to get access for myself plus a guest.

This lounge was pretty basic, and essentially was a private waiting room that had comfortable chairs, some drinks and snacks, and a bathroom. We grabbed a seat near the front of the room, which had multiple TVs mounted on the wall showing Korean dramas.

As we settled in, we enjoyed the nice views of the tarmac.

The drink selection in the lounge was limited to a handful of juices, sodas, and water.

There was also a limited range of packaged snacks too. Since I couldn’t read the packaging I essentially tried them all in an effort to find one that I liked.

   

The lounge was certainly nothing special enough to head to the airport early for, but nonetheless was a nice place to relax for the 30 minutes or so before heading to our gate. The main downside is that the lounge is land-side, which means that you need to budget sufficient time to clear security, which can vary based on the time of day and your luck.

 

Korean Air First Class Lounge at ICN

After landing at Incheon airport, we headed to the Korean Air First Class Lounge for the ~3 hour layover until our flight to Hong Kong. We had been to this lounge a couple times before, and nothing had really changed since our last visit. If anything, the food at the lounge may have gotten worse.

The lounge was actually the most crowded we’ve ever seen, and we had to grab seats near the very end next to the smoking room.

After dropping off my bags, I eagerly went in search for food, only to find a mediocre selection of finger sandwiches, fruit, and a couple hot dishes which included some tasteless fried rice and stir fry.

Luckily, there was a shelf full of the fool-proof, spicy deliciousness that is Shin Ramen.

I also indulged in some Haagen-Dazs ice cream, and even picked up a new trick from someone else who took one carton of each flavor, and then proceeded to empty them out into a separate bowl to form a heaping ice cream sundae (minus all the toppings).

We enjoyed views of the tarmac while we waited, which were mainly filled with Korean Air flights that came and went.

Overall, the Korean Air First Class Lounge at Incheon is one of the more disappointing First Class Lounges out there, especially since Incheon is considered Korean Air’s flagship airport. It would be nice to see some improvements made here to the food and beverage offerings in particular, but given Korean’s track record, I won’t be holding my breath.