Star Alliance Lounges at Incheon Terminal 1

Incheon Terminal 1 has four lounges worth knowing about: the Asiana Business Lounge, Singapore Airlines’ SilverKris Lounge, the Matina Lounge, and the SkyHub Lounge.

If you like open, airy spaces, Asiana Lounge is the most spacious. If you’re there mainly for the food, Matina is the strongest pick. If you want a balanced experience of food and ambience, SilverKris is the move. And if you’re flying late at night or in the early morning, SkyHub matches that timing best.

Matina and SkyHub are both accessible via The Lounge Members access, a paid program, so they tend to get extremely crowded — with wait times to enter at most popular hours. If you’re flying Star Alliance business and have the choice between Asiana and SilverKris, I’d personally pick SilverKris.

SilverKris Lounge at Incheon operates on three time windows: 06:15-11:00, 13:45-16:25, and 08:50-23:30. The hours appear to be aligned with Singapore Airlines’ Incheon-Singapore flight schedule, so they occasionally shift depending on the day’s flights.

In terms of size, SilverKris is much smaller than the Asiana Lounge. But the food and drink quality is on a different level. The menu is varied, the food is consistently good, and there are dedicated staff for the bar and the coffee station, which makes for a more comfortable experience than the typical self-service setup. As a small bonus, SilverKris serves laksa and kaya toast — two staples of Singaporean cuisine — which always feels like a nice preview when you’re heading to Singapore.

Our son is a picky eater, so he only had bananas and milk that morning. My husband and I, on the other hand, had a full early breakfast. My favorite item on a previous visit had been the tuna tataki, but that had been replaced with salmon this time around — a small disappointment. We tried the shakshuka, sausages, chicken salad, and an Indian curry, all of which were good. There are a few Korean items on the menu as well for travelers who prefer something more familiar. The menu rotates periodically.

The cocktail list is one of the small pleasures of this lounge. There are a few Singapore Airlines-themed cocktails — the SilverKris Sling, the Kris Club — along with mocktails like the Kris Fizz and Kris Babe. I’ve been working through them on each visit. Last time I had the SilverKris Sling, which tasted very juice-forward. This time I tried the Kris Club, which I liked much better. And of course they serve the classic Singapore Sling, which is worth trying at least once.

While we were eating, I remembered something I’d been meaning to do: stop by the Asiana Lounge next door, possibly for the last time.

Asiana, a Star Alliance member, is being merged with Korean Air over a two-year transition that started in 2025. By 2026, Asiana is expected to move to Incheon Terminal 2, and its Star Alliance membership will end, which most likely means the Asiana Business Lounge in Terminal 1 will close along with it. Since our next trip is booked in Singapore Airlines economy, this felt like the last realistic chance to see the place before it disappears.

The Asiana Business Lounge has three sections — East, West, and Central — and the total space is genuinely vast. The downside is that all Star Alliance passengers are funneled here, so it’s also the most crowded, and the food is the weakest of the Terminal 1 lounges by some margin.

I first visited in 2023, and at the time I remember thinking, *is this really a business class lounge?* Two years later, the menu hasn’t really changed, and the quality has held flat. With the merger looming, I suspect they’ve stopped investing in it. The drink selection is decent but there’s no dedicated bar staff like at SilverKris. What it does have is the most seating variety, the best view of the planes outside, and the kind of open, airy feeling that the smaller lounges can’t really replicate.

So if I had to choose between the two, I’d still go with SilverKris. But walking through the Asiana Lounge knowing it’s probably about to disappear gave the visit a slightly bittersweet quality.

Incheon to Taipei on Asiana Business Class (OZ711, A380)

Once boarding time rolled around, we headed to the gate and I let our son watch the plane for a bit. The aircraft for Incheon to Taipei was an A380-800 — a four-engine, double-decker giant. It’s the kind of plane that burns so much fuel and needs such high passenger loads to break even that airlines have struggled to make it work, and it’s gradually being retired across most fleets after 2030. I’d never flown on a double-decker before, so I was honestly a little excited.

Asiana’s upper deck on this aircraft is split between Business Smartium and Economy. There are 66 business class seats in this configuration, which is generous. Asiana’s fleet skews older, and on most short and medium-haul routes you end up on an A330 with their “slide-style” recliner seats — the ones that tip backward at an angle rather than going truly flat. The A380, though, also serves long-haul routes to the US, so the seats on this flight were proper staggered fully-flat business seats.

After getting up at 5 a.m., our son fell asleep during taxiing. As soon as the seatbelt sign came off after takeoff, I reclined his seat fully so he could keep sleeping. Since he hadn’t eaten in the lounge, I’d been hoping he’d at least try the in-flight meal, but he was out cold for the entire flight.

I’d already overeaten at the lounge and was planning to skip the meal myself, but eel donburi was on the menu, so I decided to try it. The scallop salad was actually quite good. The eel donburi was decent without being memorable. The dessert looked nicer than it tasted. As business class meals go, it was on the underwhelming side, but for a two-hour flight it felt about right.

A two-hour flight in business class is mostly takeoff, meal, and prep for landing. There’s barely time to lie down. The Incheon to Taipei leg ended quickly. With so many business seats on this aircraft, the cabin felt a bit closer to premium economy than to a proper biz cabin. But the A380 itself was the experience I’d come for, and getting to fly it once before it disappears entirely was a small bonus.

EVA Infinity Lounge at Taoyuan Airport

On the return leg, our connection at Taipei Taoyuan was only about two hours, so we headed straight to the lounge.

Taiwan has three full-service carriers, which is unusually generous for a country its size: China Airlines (SkyTeam), EVA Air (Star Alliance), and Starlux (Oneworld). All three are well-regarded. Since I was flying Star Alliance, I went to EVA Air’s lounge.

EVA Air operates four lounges at Taoyuan, arranged by access tier.

The Garden is EVA’s top-tier lounge, reserved for Diamond cardholders in their Infinity MileageLands program. The Infinity is the business-class lounge — open to Royal Laurel, Premium Laurel, and Business Class passengers, as well as Star Alliance partners in First or Business class. The Star is for elite frequent flyers, including Gold cardholders in EVA’s own program and Star Alliance Gold members on partner airlines. The Club is for EVA’s Silver-tier cardholders.

For me, that meant The Infinity. All four lounges are conveniently located on Level 4 of Terminal 2, alongside the food court area, so finding it was easy.

Walking in, my first impression was honestly mild surprise — for a full-service airline’s business class lounge, it felt a little dated. And the location was strange. No windows facing the planes, just an inward-facing view of the airport interior from a portion of the seating. I’d expected the prime airport real estate that FSC lounges usually get. Instead, it felt closed-in on all sides, and the relatively tight seat spacing added to that feeling.

We weren’t particularly hungry — we’d eaten well on the Asiana flight — so I didn’t try most of the food. Our son hadn’t touched his in-flight meal, though, so we set him up for dinner here. The menu was actually more varied than I’d expected for such a tight space, with a solid range of Taiwanese dishes and a decent dessert spread.

He ate the Taiwanese-style braised pork over rice and beef noodle soup, along with the pickled daikon side, and ate enthusiastically — which is rare for him. Across our entire Singapore trip, the second-best meal he had was here at the EVA Infinity Lounge, after only the satay at Lau Pa Sat. He’s a kid who mostly survives on fruit and yogurt while traveling, so seeing him eat real food was a small win.

My husband and I weren’t hungry, but I did try the make-your-own bubble tea station, and I loved it. I really like bubble tea but find that ordering from a shop usually means committing to a full-sized drink I won’t finish. Being able to mix exactly the amount I wanted was perfect. There were also pavé chocolates on the dessert table that looked excellent — the kind of thing you’d pair with wine or coffee — though I was too full to enjoy them properly.

After his big dinner, our son had a yogurt, then a Häagen-Dazs ice cream, then a shower before the flight. I didn’t get a photo of the shower facilities, but I’ll note: even though EVA had more shower rooms than SilverKris, SilverKris’s were noticeably better in terms of design and comfort, particularly when bathing a child. The EVA staff, on the other hand, were attentive, circulating regularly to clean and maintain the facilities. The lounge is clearly well-managed even if the design feels a bit tired.

Overall, would I say I disliked the EVA Infinity Lounge? Not at all. The actual space is smaller than SilverKris, but SilverKris feels more open thanks to the windows and ceiling height. The shower count favors EVA, but the actual shower experience and the kid-friendliness favor SilverKris. The food menus are both varied enough that either choice would be fine. For a business-class lounge at a full-service airline, the EVA Infinity Lounge feels a little underwhelming, and a refresh would do it good. Then again, compared to Incheon’s neglected Asiana Lounge, it’s still in noticeably better shape.

Taipei to Incheon on Asiana Business Class (A330-300)

The aircraft for the return flight from Taipei to Incheon was a 10-year-old A330-300. The outbound had been the A380 with full-flat seats; this time we were on the slide-style recliner. I’d known going in that the A330 was the more likely aircraft for shorter routes, but I’d been hoping for another A380. A small disappointment.

The 2-2-2 seat layout meant our son and I sat together, and my husband took the seat behind us. Unfortunately, the passenger directly in front of our son turned out to be very sensitive, and we had a rough flight because of it. Our son wasn’t crying. He was watching cartoons relatively quietly. But he occasionally said things like “we’re going up!” during takeoff, or laughed too loudly at something on his screen, and the passenger in front of him visibly bristled every time.

I kept trying to keep him quiet, even handing him candy to slow the talking, but there’s only so much you can do with a small child on a two-hour flight. Toward the end I was just grateful it was a short flight. This was my son’s twelfth time on a plane and the first time we’d had this kind of situation, and I was so flustered in the moment that I didn’t think clearly. In retrospect, I should have asked the flight attendants to mediate.

I was still too full from the lounge to eat anything substantial, and the meal options for this short flight didn’t really appeal anyway. I left most of it untouched and had a small glass of wine. By the time we landed at Incheon I was completely drained — partly from the long routing, partly from the stress of the flight, and partly from sheer tiredness.

Final Thoughts on Asiana Business Class

For some context on my baseline: I’ve flown FSC business class about five times with Asiana — Jakarta-Incheon round-trip, Bangkok-Incheon one-way, and now Incheon-Taipei round-trip — and three times with foreign carriers, on Thai Airways from Incheon to Bangkok and Singapore Airlines from Taipei to Singapore round-trip. All of these are short to medium-haul, so my comparison set is limited. But even with that caveat, the gap between Asiana business class and what other carriers are doing on similar routes felt pretty clear by the end of this trip.

Business class as a category is rapidly evolving — with newer seats, better in-flight entertainment, and more thoughtful service across most airlines I’ve tried. Asiana feels increasingly stuck with older recliners, dated IFE, and a service experience that’s quietly getting worse. With the Korean Air merger on the horizon, this is most likely the last Asiana business class review I’ll ever write.

Klook.com

Flight Review: Incheon to Singapore (SQ605)

Our aircraft was an A350-900, 6 years old. It was a Wednesday, so I hoped for some empty seats — no such luck. Completely full.

Our son was exhausted from the late hour and fell asleep during taxiing. Shortly after takeoff, the meal service began. I’d wondered when they’d serve food on a midnight departure arriving at 5 AM — turns out, right away. The choices were beef or Korean kimchi fried rice. I ordered the kimchi fried rice, but it was just okay, so I only ate a bit. The in-flight meal on the Singapore to Incheon return flight was japchae rice, and it was delicious.

Browsing the in-flight entertainment, I was reminded how impressive Singapore Airlines’ selection is — tons of movies and shows. Plus, KrisFlyer members get free Wi-Fi. The in-flight experience really is top-notch. If it had been a daytime flight, I would’ve watched a movie, but I was too tired. I just checked which terminal we needed for our Malé connection and went to sleep.

Red-eye flights feel like time passes quickly when you sleep through them. We arrived at Singapore Changi Airport before 5 AM, a bit earlier than scheduled. Groggy and exhausted, but there was something I really wanted to see — the waterfall at Jewel Changi!

On my previous Singapore trip, we had an early morning departure and couldn’t visit Jewel. It was one of the things I’d been most looking forward to, so missing it was a real disappointment. This time, with a 5.5-hour layover, I was determined to see it.

There was one problem with this plan. Google Maps shows Jewel Changi as “open 24 hours,” so I naively assumed everything would be operating. But Jewel is essentially a shopping mall attached to the airport — technically outside the terminal — and at 5 AM, nothing was open. Only a luggage storage counter. I went to check the waterfall anyway, and sure enough… the unlit, empty waterfall sat in complete silence. I’d even filled out an SG Arrival Card and cleared immigration for nothing. With nothing to do at Jewel and nothing happening at the airport that early, we just went back inside to find a lounge.

I finally got to see the Jewel waterfall on our return trip from the Maldives, catching it just before closing time — barely 20 minutes. Next time I’m in Singapore or transiting through, I really want to see Jewel during the day.

Changi Airport Lounge Guide (Priority Pass / The Lounge Members)

Terminal 1

• Marhaba Lounge: PP, The Lounge Members (24hr, showers available)
• Plaza Premium Lounge: PP, The Lounge Members (24hr, good food quality)
• SATS Premier Lounge: PP (24hr)

Terminal 2

• SATS Premier Lounge: PP, The Lounge Members (24hr, showers available)
• Ambassador Transit Lounge: PP, The Lounge Members (24hr, showers available)

Terminal 3

• SATS Premier Lounge: PP (24hr) Check app before entry as partnerships may change
• Marhaba Lounge: PP, The Lounge Members (24hr)
• Ambassador Transit Lounge: PP, The Lounge Members (24hr)

Terminal 4

Blossom Lounge: PP, The Lounge Members (24hr, jointly operated by SATS and Plaza Premium)

Terminal 4 requires shuttle bus from other terminals and has a separate duty-free zone. Recommended only for T4 departures.

SATS Premier Lounge Review (Terminal 2)

Changi Airport has 4 terminals, with Terminals 1-3 freely accessible via a circulating train. Walking from Terminal 1 to 2 is also doable. With our long layover, we didn’t necessarily need to use the Terminal 2 lounge, but at the time, I assumed Changi would be like Incheon, where Terminals 1 and 2 are far apart and require a bus. So I automatically thought we should use Terminal 2’s lounge.

Since our Singapore-Malé flight (SQ432) departed from Terminal 2, we chose between SATS Premier Lounge and Ambassador Transit Lounge. We picked SATS — I can’t remember why.

The SATS lounge was consistently crowded regardless of the hour. Exhausted from the early morning, I grabbed a coffee to wake up and got breakfast for my son, who’d missed the in-flight meal.

The food selection wasn’t extensive: bread, fruit, salad, cereal, plus a few hot options like curry, noodles, potatoes, and meatballs. There was also self-serve laksa.

I’d had amazing laksa during my Singapore trip and wanted to try it again, but this wasn’t quite the same as that unforgettable bowl from Lau Pa Sat. After a leisurely breakfast, we still had hours to kill. I wanted to nap on the sofa, but the SATS lounge chairs have low backs — really uncomfortable for sleeping while seated.

I tried getting my son to sleep on the sofa too, but he was too uncomfortable. He kept saying he was tired but couldn’t fall asleep. I even grabbed an airport trolley thinking he could sleep there, but that didn’t work either. He’d eaten, looked around at everything, but couldn’t sleep and was getting bored. So I deployed the emergency tablet cartoons earlier than planned. Thankfully, it worked, and we survived the long layover. A 5.5-hour airport wait with a toddler is definitely pushing it.

Having a lounge helped us survive the early morning hours, but those low-backed chairs made napping difficult. On our return trip, we used the SATS lounge again and tried the showers — they were dim, cramped, and honestly the worst lounge showers I’ve ever seen.

I later learned that the other Terminal 2 lounge, Ambassador Transit Lounge, has higher-backed chairs better for resting and much nicer shower facilities. The food seems similar. The Lounge app says both charge for children over 2, but some blogs mentioned Ambassador Transit is free for children under 6.

If I ever need a Terminal 2 lounge again, I’ll definitely choose Ambassador Transit over SATS. And with a long layover, since moving between terminals isn’t difficult, I might just go to a different terminal entirely. Based on reviews: Terminal 1’s Plaza Premium, Terminal 2’s Ambassador Transit, and Terminal 3’s SATS seem to be the best options.

Finally, boarding time approached, and we headed to the gate for our 10:50 AM flight to the Maldives.

Flight Review: Singapore to Malé (SQ432)

Time to actually go to the Maldives. The Singapore-Malé 10:50 AM flight (SQ432) was also an A350-900, 7 years old. Arriving at the gate, I could immediately tell — packed again. People of all nationalities gathered together. True to the Maldives’ honeymoon reputation, there were far more couples than families. I’d hoped for some empty seats, but no chance — completely full.

Singapore to Malé is 4.5 hours. My son fell asleep again during taxiing — probably the effect of being up since 5 AM.

Like before, the meal came shortly after takeoff. For the first time in my life, I chose fish for an airplane meal, and it was surprisingly good — it somewhat shattered my prejudice against fish as an in-flight option. While eating lunch, the clouds outside the window were so beautiful I had to take photos. The Maldives can have sunny days even in the rainy season and rainy days in the dry season, but September — when I visited — is technically the rainy low season. Seeing such gorgeous clouds on the way made me hopeful for clear weather throughout our trip.

I watched the live-action Lilo & Stitch movie on the in-flight entertainment, and before I knew it — we’d arrived! Malé Airport! The airport is so small that planes don’t connect directly to the terminal. We descended stairs from the aircraft and took a bus.

After immigration and baggage inspection (the Maldives is Islamic, so alcohol is prohibited), we exited to find dozens of resort staff holding name signs. We just needed to find the Cora Cora Maldives representative, and from there, everything would be handled for us. The real vacation was about to begin.

Final Thoughts

Without direct flights, I’d tried to maximize vacation time by booking a post-work overnight departure: 6 hours of flying, an early-morning layover, then another 4.5-hour flight. Including travel to the airport and waiting at Incheon, nearly 21 hours had passed. The Maldives is that far. Exhausted from just traveling, I thought, “I could never do this again.”

But after just 4 nights at the resort, I now constantly find myself wanting to go back. Maybe not every year, but once every three years would be wonderful.

Singapore Airlines takes slightly longer than Sri Lankan Airlines to reach the Maldives from Korea, but it’s still shorter than other options — that’s why I chose it. Maybe my expectations were too high after an amazing (but brief) business class experience? The economy seat pitch felt narrower than expected, which was a bit disappointing. Then again, without that business class comparison, I probably would’ve felt differently.

Objectively compared to other full-service carriers, the crew service is excellent and the food is decent. Free Wi-Fi and an impressive entertainment selection make the in-flight experience genuinely positive. With Asiana joining Korean Air and leaving Star Alliance sometime in 2026, maybe it’s time to get better acquainted with Singapore Airlines.

Klook.com

아시아나 자카르타 인천, 비즈니스 기내식 메뉴

내가 탔던 자카르타 인천 아시아나 뱅기는 비즈니스 석이 1 2 1 배열이었는데, 자카르타 올 때 너무 오랜만의 해외여행이라 창문 밖 구경하고싶다고 남편과 자리를 떨어져서 앉았었는데, 돌아갈 땐 그래도 붙여서 잡았다.ㅋㅋ

자리 앉자마자 샴페인 한 잔 마셔주고, 기내 면세 쇼핑을 했다. 평소 같으면 가성비 떨어지는 기내 면세 쇼핑 따위 절대 안 하는데…. 공항 들어올 때 체크인 카운터에서 대기가 너무 길어져서 출국장에 늦게 들어왔고 결국 시간이 부족해서 부모님 선물을 다 못 샀다. 기내 면세지만 급하게 살만한 거 없는지 찾다가 영양제 하나 구매!

승무원 분이 새벽에 아침 식사 때문에 깨워도 되는지 묻길래 당연히 ㅇㅇ! 메뉴는 양식과 한식이 있는데, 한식이 버섯 채소죽으로 너무 심플하길래 양식 선택했는데, 한식 시켜도 됐을 것 같다. 양식은 메인 메뉴를 고를 수 있는데, 불고기와 크레이프중에 나는 크레이프, 남편은 불고기로 선택!

출발하고 원래는 아이패드로 일기를 마저 쓰려고 했는데, 긴 이동에 너무 지치고 피곤해서 다 때려치고 그냥 바로 양치하고 취침모드로 들어갔다.

눈 감았다가 뜨니 밥시간…. ㅋㅋ 밥 먹어야 하니까 일어나긴 했는데 비몽사몽에 입 맛이 하나도 없다.. 과일과 요거트, 그리고 감자, 라따뚜이, 소시지 등이 들어가 있다. 원래 아침을 먹지 않는 편인데 먹으려니 심지어 양식..ㅋㅋ 잘 안 먹혀서 먹다가 말았다.
다른 자리에 한식 메뉴로 선택해서 죽 먹는 사람들이 은근 있던데.. 나도 그냥 죽으로 먹었으면 훨씬 속도 편하고 잘 먹었을 것 같다.

남편은 소고기 불고기 먹었는데, 같이 딸려 나온 비빔 고추장소스로 여행 내내 못 먹은 한식의 맛을 보더니 야무지게 싹 비웠다….역시 한식ㅋㅋ 고추장 체고,,

역시 비즈니스…. 누워서 오니까 밤 비행기여도 피곤함 별로 없이 인천공항에 도착했다. 누워서 오는 게 이렇게 편하다니…. 처음 타 본 아시아나 비즈니스는 굉장히 노후된 느낌에 생각보다 좋진 않았지만, 누워서 오는것이 얼마나 편한지를 알게됐다.

남편은 우스갯소리로 이제 이코노미는 안탄다고 하지만 그게 가능하면 얼마나 좋은 삶일까. 퍼스트, 프리미엄 이코노미 이런건 바라지도 않으니 비행기에 앉아서 자다가 목 꺾이고, 허리아프고 이런것만 없어도 여행의 질이 훠얼씬 올라간다.

발리 & 길리 트라왕안 6박 7일 여행 끝, 발리 쇼핑 목록

빠르게 인천공항 나와서 집까지 버스로 갈지 공항철도로 갈지 고민하다가 버스 정류장 딱 나왔는데 나오자마자 집 근처 지하철역이 찍힌 공항리무진이 서있는 것!!

정말 아무런 정보 없이 나왔는데 ㅋㅋㅋ 심지어 2분 후 출발하는 버스였다. 바로 티켓 구매하고 무사히 버스 탑승! 출근 시간이라 걱정했는데 차도 별로 막히지 않고 금방 도착했다. 4월 중순인데 한국은 왜케 추운 건지. ㅋㅋ 발리 갔을 때도 생각보다 덥지 않아서 옷이 애매하다고 생각했는데, 한국 오니까 더 추움…ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ 발리 여행 출발할 때는 따뜻했는데 ㅋㅋ…. 여행 가있는 동안 비가 겁나 많이 오더니 갑자기 추워졌다고 한다.

집에 도착하니 아기호건이 놀고 있었다. 이 떄 당시에 아직 배밀이하고 분유 먹던 시기라 포동포동…. 도착하자마자 자카르타 공항에서 한국보다 더 비싸게 주고 사 온 나이키 아기 샌들을 호건이에게 신겨봤다. 커엽..

내 소소한 발리 쇼핑 리스트! 자카르타 공항에서 산 나이키 아기샌들, 발리 공항에서 산 초콜릿, 자카르타 공항에서 산 각종 과자와 커피, 문둑에서 산 커피, 로비나 편의점에서 발리 공항보다 몇 배 비싸게 주고 산 아락ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ 각종 편의점에서 산 컵라면들. 저 중 내 기념품으로 남은 건 컵라면 2개와 문둑 커피 2개 뿐…. 나머지는 모두 선물로 돌아갔다.

호건이를 일주일 넘게 못 봐서 내가 약간 분리불안이 오긴 했었지만. 그래도 아마도 이제 앞으로 10년 이상은 못 갈 남편과 둘이 다녀온 해외여행. 길리도 발리도 다 너무 좋았다.
길리는 나중에 꼭 호건이도 같이 다시 한번 다녀오고 싶고, 발리는 진짜 다양한 컨셉으로 갈 수 있는 곳이 많고 각각 모두 다른 매력이 있어서 왜 발리 한 달 여행을 가는 사람이 많은지 충분히 이해가 갔다. 나는 못 가본 곳이 너무 많고, 거의 필수 코스인 곳들도 못 갔기 때문에 앞으로 적어도 3~4번은 더 가봐야 발리 여행을 다녀왔다고 얘기할 수 있을 듯하다. 지금은 너무나도 찍먹도 안되는 수준…!

다음 여행을 위해서 또 열심히 돈 벌러 가야지,,ㅎ
미루고 미루다가 여행 다녀온 지 1년 된 시점에 겨우 마무리를 지은 길리 트라왕안 & 발리 여행 후기 끝!

Asiana Business Lounge Experience (Incheon airport)

You can check in at Counters A-C in Terminal 1 of Incheon Airport. Business class passengers have access to the Asiana Premium Check-in area, located beyond Counter A. When I arrived, there was no queue, allowing for immediate check-in before proceeding to immigration. Unfortunately, Incheon Airport doesn’t offer a business class fast track for security and immigration.

After clearing immigration, the reality of traveling finally hit me. Both my husband and I love spending time at the airport before flights, even though we don’t shop at duty-free stores. This visit felt particularly special as it was our first time at the airport in three and a half years since our last trip to Nha Trang, Vietnam in 2019, including our postponed honeymoon due to COVID-19.

With about 2.5 hours until boarding, we decided to have lunch at the lounge. While there’s a saying that Korean food sells best at Incheon Airport (as Koreans love having spicy Korean soups like kimchi stew or yukgaejang before international flights), we opted for the lounge dining experience this time.

several Incheon Airport lounges(Terminal 1): Asiana Business Lounge, Asiana Business Suite Lounge, Korean Air Lounge (partner), Singapore Airlines SilverKris Lounge, Oneworld Lounge, SkyHub Lounge, and Matina Lounge. We headed to the Asiana Business Lounge.

The Asiana Lounge operates at different times depending on location: East (05:00-22:00), Central (06:00-22:00), and West (06:00-00:30). It’s important to check these varying hours before your visit.

We chose the Central lounge, closest to our departure gate. Despite its spacious layout and numerous seats, all single seats were occupied, indicating how busy it was.

The food section, while more limited compared to other Terminal 1 lounges, offered various salads, fruits, sandwiches, bread, about four hot food options, porridge, soup, and instant noodles. We enjoyed chicken, spaghetti, and beer for lunch, and the alcohol selection was decent enough that I could savor some sake while waiting for boarding time.

Incheon to Jakarta: Asiana Airlines Business Class Experience (OZ761)

The Asiana flight OZ761 from Incheon to Jakarta operates once daily, taking seven hours. Flying on an A350-900, the business class configuration was 1-2-1, with middle seats alternating between together and separated arrangements. I chose a window seat, though it meant being separated from my travel companion.

After receiving welcome champagne, I spent time gazing out the window until takeoff. I’ve always enjoyed watching scenery from transportation vehicles – it brings a sense of tranquility.

The meal service began shortly after takeoff. Despite having eaten in the lounge, I couldn’t pass up the inflight dining experience. The menu offered Western and Korean options – I chose Western. For drinks, I selected a medium-dry sherry (Sandeman) as an aperitif, Columbia Crest Grand Estate Cabernet Sauvignon 2019 to pair with the steak, and Taylor’s Port wine for dessert.

The meal progression included:

• Appetizer: Couscous chicken breast salad
• Main: Black truffle beef tenderloin steak
• Cheese course: Tête de Moine, blue cheese, and Camembert, Fruits
• Dessert: Häagen-Dazs vanilla ice cream

The food quality exceeded my expectations, though the portions were quite generous, leading to slight overindulgence.

After dinner, the cabin lights dimmed for sleep time, but I was too full to recline. The entertainment system showed its age with poor screen quality, so I spent time writing travel notes while watching the flight map.

Later, the familiar aroma of instant noodles wafted through the cabin – a beloved tradition on Korean carriers. Despite the temptation, I was still too full from earlier meals. The seven-hour flight passed quickly before we landed in Jakarta.

This marked my first business class experience, and I was impressed. Both Korean Air and Asiana are known for excellent crew service, and the ability to lie flat made a significant difference in comfort. Comparing this to a 2018 LCC flight to Bangkok, where a 5-hour journey left me with severe back pain, the business class experience felt completely different – no fatigue at all. While the price difference between business and economy is substantial, I finally understood why people choose business class. It made me dream about always traveling this way and motivated me to work harder!

Sapphire Plaza Premium Lounge Experience (Jakarta airport)

Returning to Jakarta Airport after our Gili Trawangan and Bali adventure, the surroundings already felt familiar. While waiting to check in for our return flight, we encountered a delay due to a band group ahead of us discussing oversized musical instrument baggage. Despite arriving over three hours early, we had less than 90 minutes after clearing immigration.

For our night flight, I headed to the Sapphire Plaza Premium Lounge to shower before departure. The shower facilities had a short queue due to high traffic. Unlike some lounges, this one doesn’t accept Priority Pass or The Lounge app access. Prices were IDR 319,680.00 for shower facilities and IDR 807,386.25 for three hours of lounge access – relatively expensive. Fortunately, our Asiana business class tickets included complimentary lounge access.

The shower facilities were clean and well-maintained, providing all necessary amenities including toothbrushes, towels, and hairdryers. The lounge itself impressed with its high ceilings and sophisticated atmosphere. It even featured a children’s play area with toys – perfect for families traveling with young ones.

Having missed dinner, we turned to the lounge’s food offerings for our evening meal, which turned out to be surprisingly good. The spread included salads, fruits, sandwiches, and desserts – notably, the watermelon and melon here were the best we’d tasted throughout our entire Bali & Gili Trawangan trip.

While the food selection wasn’t extensive, the lounge featured a cooking station. Browsing the menu, I spotted “Noodle soup (local dish) with beef balls” and exclaimed, “Oh! Bakso?” The staff confirmed my guess. Intriguingly, they served the Bakso noodles with a mix of rice noodles and egg noodles, and I added some sambal sauce like you would with Thai noodles – the slight spiciness was exactly to my taste. They also offered bread, cakes, some fried items, and even taro and cassava chips (similar to those we enjoyed at Munduk Moding Plantation Resort). For drinks, there was a centrally located bar with a bartender, where my husband and I enjoyed Carlsberg beers while relaxing until boarding time.

Although the lounge didn’t offer an extensive food selection, the cooking station was definitely a highlight, and the fruit quality was excellent. The facility itself impressed with high ceilings and spacious layout, creating a serene, uncrowded atmosphere. The shower facilities were immaculately maintained, and there was even a dedicated kids’ room.

My only regret was not being able to enjoy the lounge longer, as we were delayed by the lengthy Asiana Airlines check-in process. While the lounge doesn’t accept Priority Pass or Lounge Key, and I might hesitate to pay the full price for access without my complimentary business class lounge voucher due to the value proposition, I was generally satisfied with the overall experience.

While the food selection wasn’t extensive, the cooking station was a highlight. The overall ambiance, with its spacious layout and calm atmosphere, enhanced the experience. Though I wouldn’t recommend paying the premium price for access, the lounge delivered a satisfactory experience for business class passengers.

Jakarta to Incheon: Asiana Airlines Business Class (OZ762)

Our return journey on Asiana Airlines business class flight OZ762 maintained the same premium 1-2-1 configuration, and we chose middle seats together this time. The Asiana Airlines business class experience began with a welcome champagne, followed by the crew taking our breakfast preferences for the early morning service. The menu offered Western (choice between bulgogi and crepe) or Korean (mushroom vegetable porridge) options.

Exhausted from our travels, I took full advantage of the Asiana Airlines business class flat-bed seating and went straight to sleep after takeoff. I woke up just as breakfast service began, though my appetite was minimal in my groggy state. I chose the crepe, which came with fruit, yogurt, potatoes, ratatouille, and sausage, but couldn’t finish it. My husband opted for the bulgogi beef and thoroughly enjoyed it with the gochujang sauce, satisfying his craving for Korean flavors. Observing other passengers, the Korean porridge option seemed popular – probably a better choice for an early morning meal.

The Asiana Airlines business class experience, particularly the flat-bed seating, made the overnight flight remarkably comfortable. While my first business class journey showed signs of cabin age and didn’t quite match my dream expectations, the ability to lie flat transformed the journey. My husband joked about never flying economy again – if only that were possible!

Our journey to Bali and Gili Trawangan via Jakarta, though requiring extra travel time compared to direct flights, proved highly satisfying. Gili Trawangan left such an impression that we hope to return with our future children. Bali’s vast size and diverse attractions helped me understand why many opt for month-long stays. With so many unexplored areas, I’m planning at least 3-4 more visits, and I wouldn’t mind taking the Asiana Airlines business class Jakarta route again.