United Airlines
Fare: $750 RT (Introductory Fare)
We travelled to South Korea via San Francisco on United Airlines. United currently has daily no-stop service to Seoul Incheon. The flight departs in the early afternoon and you arrive in Seoul late afternoon the following day. The flight is approximately 12 hours and 15 minutes going over and just over 10 hours and 40 minutes on the return flight. United uses the Boeing 777 on this route. Connecting service through Tokyo Narita is also available on United.
Asiana Airlines
Fare: $150RT
Asiana is one of Korea’s two domestic airlines, the other being KAL. The flight to Jeju Island is approximately 1 hour. You arrive on the north side of the island at Jeju City. The airport is modern and easy to navigate. Both Asiana and KAL have departures for Jeju every 90 minutes or so everyday. Asiana uses newer Airbus 319/320 on the domestic routes inside Korea. Asiana is a member of the Star Alliance, so you if you’re a United, US Airways or Lufthansa flyer, you can earn miles towards your Frequent Flyer program.
Ground Transportation
KAL Incheon Airport Limousine
Fare: $13 One Way to Downtown Seoul
Once you’re on the ground at Incheon, the trip to Seoul is approximately 60-90 minutes, depending upon where you are going in the city. There are several KAL buses that operate, depending upon your final destination in Seoul. Buses leave from the arrivals level every 20-30 minutes from 6AM to 10PM every day. The buses are very nice, air conditioned and comfortable. They are outfitted with seats similar to a business class seat on an airplane and have some storage space above each seat. Travel time into Seoul varies, but plan on at least 90 minutes. The driver will assist you with your luggage and place it in a compartment under the bus. Tickets can be purchased from the KAL Limo representative, who will be standing near the waiting line for the bus.
Jeju Airport Limousine
Fare: $6 One Way to Seogwipo
The airport limousines on Jeju are very similar to those in Seoul. The fare is $6 for just about any destination from the airport to your hotel on the island. The bus ride varies, based upon where your hotel is, but is usually 30-45 minutes if you are staying on the south side of the island near Segwipo. Less if you are staying in Jeju City near the airport. The buses are very similar to those run by KAL and are very comfortable and convenient.
Seoul Taxis
When you’re traveling around Seoul, it’s a good idea to have your hotel concierge or valet, write down the addresses you wish to go to in Korean. Be aware, that this may not be of much help. We had our hotel write down the address each time on their business card and many taxi drivers had trouble understanding where we wanted to go. Most Seoul taxi drivers do not speak English.
You will notice when you are in the cab, that there are stickers on most passenger windows that offer a free translation service to tell your cab drive any information. Of course, you would be relying on the fact that your cab driver has a cell phone to use this service.
Taxi fare is reasonable compared to many other large cities. If you are traveling with a group, you can request a larger taxi, which is usually a small van that seats up to 6 or 8.
Seoul Subway
The Seoul Subway system is similar to most other major metropolitan subway systems in the world. It is modern and very clean. Lines zigzag across the city and intersect frequently at various points, so it’s always good to make sure you check your route maps for your destination. Fares are extremely reasonable, from $0.50 to $3.00 for most areas of the city. All areas are well signed and all signs are in Korean, Japanese and English. Tickets are mostly available by ticket machines, so it’s always handy if you have plenty of local coins and currency to make your journey easier. Subway service via Line #5 to Incheon Airport begins in 2008.
