With Korean Air and Asiana soon to join forces as the merger is in the final stages of regulatory approval, prices on many non-stop services often exclusively operated by KE and OZ are destined to go up. Not that in any way Korean Air was cheap before. So, to get to your destination in Europe particularly if away from main hubs it might be cheaper to fly a two-leg trip on a European airline. In many cases they are cheaper than their Korean counterparts. But which European Airlines operate flights to Seoul Incheon international airport?
Why Fly with a European Airline to Seoul Incheon Airport?
If you are looking to save some cash on your airplane ticket from Europe to Seoul, you might want to consider putting up with a stopover somewhere. The options are 2. You can either make transit at a European flying one of the many carriers in the region or do the same via the middle east. Both these options will, in most cases, help reduce the overall flight fare.
Generally speaking, the fastest option is making a quick stop within Europe before boarding a ULR flight to Seoul’s Incheon Airport. Because airlines charge lower fares for itineraries with a stopover this will result in a lower fare to those offered by Korean carriers or the hometown carrier which fly non-stop.
If you want to go even cheaper you could choose a Chinese carrier, but many Europeans might be a little more at ease with a more familiar experience.
But which European airlines offer flights to Seoul Incheon International Airport? From which cities?
Which European Airlines Fly to Seoul Incheon Airport?
Departure Country | Airline | Departure Airport | Arrival Airport | Flight Number | Frequency |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Germany | Lufthansa | Munich (MUC) | Seoul (ICN) | LH713 | Daily |
Germany | Lufthansa | Frankfurt (FRA) | Seoul (ICN) | LH719 | Daily |
Switzerland | SWISS | Zurich (ZRH) | Seoul (ICN) | LX123 | 3x Weekly |
France | Air France | Paris (CDG) | Seoul (ICN) | AF267 | Daily |
Netherlands | KLM | Amsterdam (AMS) | Seoul (ICN) | KL856 | Daily |
Finland | Finnair | Helsinki (HEL) | Seoul (ICN) | AY42 | Daily |
Poland | LOT | Warsaw (WAW) | Seoul (ICN) | LO98 | 5x Weekly |
Poland | LOT | Wroclaw (WRO) | Seoul (ICN) | LO2006 | 1x Weekly |
Hungary | LOT | Budapest (BUD) | Seoul (ICN) | LO2002 | 2x Weekly |
So, let’s start off by noting a few things. There is one big absent in this list: British Airways. The British carrier doesn’t at the momento cover the LHR-ICN route. It has been focusing much of its resources in the transatlantic flight sector. Another interesting thing to note is that LOT, Poland’s flag carrier at the moment operates flights not from one, not from two, but from three airports. One of which is Budapest International Airport, where LOT picked up some cheap slots after Malev went out of business.
My Recommendations for the Choice
If you are looking for the cheapest option, you are likely to find that with LOT. The other airlines will have occasionally special promotional fares, but the prices are a bit more consistent among them. For the other carriers there are a couple of things to consider when choosing one or the other:
- How complicated is the transit at the airline’s home airport?
- Which offers the best onboard experience?
Zurich, Helsinki, and Munich offer quite a simple transit experience, it isn’t over convoluted, and you can make even a reasonably short connection. On the other end of the spectrum is without a doubt Paris CDG. If you choose to transit here allow yourself ample time to do so.
As for the on-board experience. Air France, Finnair, and SWISS offer the most solid in-flight product. On the other end of the spectrum is Lufthansa, particularly if flying economy class. Their service is quite flat and doesn’t have a premium feel. LOT is also not a very premium focused product, but in that case, it is counterbalanced by the cheaper fares.
Also going totally off-topic, in recent months a low-cost carrier has also stated operating some flights from Europe to Seoul: T’Way.
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