If you’re a frequent traveller or just looking to get away on a little holiday in Korea from Australia or viceversa 2024 offers some great options. Travellers between Australia and Korea have more options to fly from Sydney to Seoul than ever before. In this post we’ll take a closer look at which airlines offer, as of spring 2023, direct flights between Sydney and Seoul.
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Which Airlines fly Direct Sydney Seoul Flights?
As of spring 2023 Australian and Korean travellers have quite a few options to choose from when travelling from Sydney’s Kingsford Smith International Airport (SYD) to Seoul Incheon International Airport (ICN). There are 5 operators flying regularly scheduled flights on this route. Three of them are full-service airlines, while two are budget carriers. Specifically, the airlines are:
- Asiana (South Korean)
- Korean Air (South Korean)
- Qantas (Australian)
- Jetstar (Australian)
- T’Way (South Korean)
The first 3 airlines of the list are the full-service carriers, while the latter 2 are the budget airlines. T’Way was the last of the bunch commence services on the route announcing the flight just a few of months ago.
The Budget Airline Options on the SYD-ICN Route
If you’re looking to save a few bucks, you might want to look at the low-cost airline options available. Before moving on to Jetstar and T’Way’s schedule here’s some food for thought:
- Jetstar operates the route with a much more modern Boeing 787-8 when compared to T’Way’s older Airbus A330-300. Simplifying the concept the newer composite material Boeing 787 is more comfortable.
- However T’Way includes in all its fares a checked piece of luggage which is definitely useful when travelling across such different climates in 2 different hemispheres.
Now moving on to the schedule of the Jetstar and T’Way Sydney-Seoul flights. The two airlines fly this route following a very similar schedule in terms of days of the week and time of day.
T’Way
- Flight TW502 operates every Monday, Wednesday and Friday. The T’Way flight departs Sydney (SYD) at 11:45 arriving into Seoul (ICN) at 21:30. Estimated flight time 11 hours 45 minutes.
- Flight TW501 operates every Monday, Wednesday and Friday. The T’Way flight departs Seoul (ICN) at 22:35 arriving into Sydney (SYD) at 09:50 the next morning. Estimated flight time 9 hours 15 minutes.
Jetstar
| Days | Flight Number | Departure Airport | Airport Code | Departure Time | Arrival Airport | Airport Code | Arrival Time | Flight Duration | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Wed, Fri, Sun | JQ47 | Sydney | SYD | 11:45 | Seoul | ICN | 20:15 | 10hrs 15min |
| Wed, Fri, Sun | JQ48 | Seoul | ICN | 21:50 | Sydney | SYD | 10:05+1 | 10hrs 5min |
| Mon | JQ47 | Sydney | SYD | 14:45 | Seoul | ICN | 23:15 | 10hrs 15min |
| Tue | JQ48 | Seoul | ICN | 00:50 | Sydney | SYD | 13:05 | 10hrs 5min |
The Full Service Airline Options on the Sydney to Seoul Flight
These other three options on the Sydney to Seoul route are a bit more expensive but you get the more relaxed and classic legacy airline experience when travelling with them. In this case there are 3 options, two flights are operated by Korean carriers (which are in the middle of a merger) and one Australian operator. In all cases you get a baggage and meal included in the fare. So let’s take a look at how the flights differ in terms of schedule.
Some notes regarding the operation of these three Sydney Seoul flights:
- Korean Air operates the newest equipments. The Korean flag carrier serves the route with its new 787-9 which features fully enclosed business class seats. Qantas uses an Airbus A330-300 while Asiana a Boeing 777-200ER.
- Out of the three airlines Korean Air is the only one that flies in and out of Incheon’s Terminal 2. Terminal 2 is reserved to KE and other SkyTeam airlines. This is a nicer terminal with more amenities and was the most recent Terminal to be opened.
All three airlines fly the Sydney Seoul route with following a comparable schedule. They all fly out of Sydney in the morning and return on an overnight service.
Korean Air
- Flight KE402 operates every day. The Korean Air flight departs Sydney (SYD) at 07:50 arriving into Seoul (ICN) at 17:45. Estimated flight time 10 hours 55 minutes.
- Flight KE401 operates every day. The Korean Air flight departs Seoul (ICN) at 18:55 arriving into Sydney (SYD) at 06:15 the next morning. Estimated flight time 10 hours 20 minutes.
Asiana
- Flight OZ602 operates every day. The Asiana flight departs Sydney (SYD) at 09:30 arriving into Seoul (ICN) at 19:00. Estimated flight time 10 hours 30 minutes.
- Flight OZ601 operates every day. The Asiana flight departs Seoul (ICN) at 20:00 arriving into Sydney (SYD) at 07:30 the next morning. Estimated flight time 10 hours 30 minutes.
Qantas
- Flight QF87 operates every day except Mondays. The Qantas flight departs Sydney (SYD) at 09:30 arriving into Seoul (ICN) at 19:25. Estimated flight time 10 hours 55 minutes.
- Flight QF88 operates every day except Mondays. The Qantas flight departs Seoul (ICN) at 21:00 arriving into Sydney (SYD) at 08:30 the next morning. Estimated flight time 10 hours 30 minutes.
