Flights to South Korea: How to Get the Best Price

South Korea is well-connected by air to most major world cities, with Incheon International Airport serving as one of Asia’s busiest aviation hubs. Finding a good fare requires knowing when to look and which options to compare.

Main Entry Airport

Incheon International Airport (ICN) — the principal international gateway, about 60 km west of central Seoul. It serves direct flights from over 60 countries and handles roughly 70 million passengers annually. Two terminals: most airlines use T1, while Korean Air and some SkyTeam partners use T2. The two are connected by a free shuttle train.

Gimpo Airport (GMP) — handles domestic routes and limited international services to Tokyo Haneda, Osaka, Beijing, Shanghai, and a few other nearby cities. Useful for connecting to or from Japan or China without using Incheon.

Gimhae Airport (PUS), Busan — serves some international flights, mainly regional Asian routes. Worth checking if you are heading to southern Korea rather than Seoul.

Airlines

Korean carriers:

• Korean Air — the national carrier, serving routes from all major world regions
• Asiana Airlines — second major full-service carrier with wide route network
• Jin Air, Jeju Air, Air Busan — low-cost carriers mostly serving intra-Asian routes

International carriers with strong Seoul routes:

• Japan: ANA, JAL
• China: Air China, China Southern, China Eastern
• Southeast Asia: Singapore Airlines, Cathay Pacific, Thai Airways
• Europe: Lufthansa, KLM, Air France, British Airways, Finnair
• North America: United, Delta, Air Canada

Booking Tips

Book early for peak periods: April (cherry blossoms), September–October (autumn foliage), and the Chuseok/Seollal holiday periods see fares rise substantially. Booking 2–3 months ahead for these dates is advisable.

Check stopover routing: Routing through major Asian hubs (Tokyo, Hong Kong, Singapore, Bangkok) can offer significant price reductions on long-haul routes from Europe, Australia, or North America. The additional journey time is the trade-off.

Consider flying into Busan or Daegu: For trips focused on southern or eastern Korea, flying into Busan (Gimhae) or Daegu airports — when international connections are available — can save the Seoul transfer time.

Compare on flight search engines: Use flight comparison tools to check multiple booking options at once. Searching a range of dates across a ±3-day window often reveals significantly better fares.

Getting from Incheon to Seoul

Once you land at Incheon:

• AREX Express Train: 43 minutes to Seoul Station. Comfortable, reliable, runs frequently
• AREX All-Stop Train: 66 minutes, stops at intermediate stations, costs less
• Limousine Bus: Comfortable coaches to hotel districts throughout Seoul; journey 60–90 minutes depending on destination and traffic. Useful if staying far from a metro station
• Taxi: Available from the arrivals level. Cost approximately KRW 60,000–80,000 to central Seoul depending on destination and traffic. Kakao T app works from the airport