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If you’re a frequent traveler at Incheon International Airport, you might think you know it all, but your experience at the airport can make or break your international trip.
And even if you think you’re used to traveling through airports, we’ve got some great tips for you. A lot of people think of airports and bus terminals as similar, but they’re wrong.
While an express bus can arrive just before departure and be ready to board, an airplane requires you to check in at the airline counter and get a boarding pass before departure, a process that can vary slightly depending on the airline, airport, and route.
For international flights, check-in counters typically close one hour before the flight departs, so it’s a good idea to arrive at the airport at least two hours in advance to account for unpredictable variables.
If you arrive at the airport late, you may miss your flight, which could result in a same-day cancellation or need to reschedule your reservation with a penalty.
If you have a ticket that can’t be rebooked, you’ll have to buy a new ticket, which is not uncommon.
If you’ve purchased a round-trip ticket and one booking reference includes a round trip or multiple legs, missing one leg will automatically cancel all legs.
Many people think that if they miss the outbound leg, they’ll just have to buy the return leg separately, but when they try to check in on their return, they’re surprised to find that their reservation has been canceled.
Hopefully you can buy a new ticket and get back, but if there’s no room, you may have to fly the next day or even later.
Not only can arriving late and missing your flight be costly financially, but traveling itself can be stressful, so it’s important to arrive at the airport with plenty of time to spare.
Being active in several travel communities, I’ve seen a lot of people miss their flights, which is why I always try to get to the airport at least three hours before departure.
Some people think it doesn’t matter what time the check-in counter closes, since boarding passes are often issued on mobile these days, but self-bag drop or automated baggage drop services usually close an hour before the flight.
Some people ask if arriving 30-40 minutes early is enough, even if you’re not checking a bag, which is a very dangerous idea. It’s important to arrive at the airport early to give yourself plenty of time before your flight departs.
You’re probably already familiar with the items you shouldn’t send in your luggage, such as lighters and batteries, but some people do send valuables, cash, and important medications in their luggage.
Sometimes luggage can get lost or misplaced, and you may not receive it until a few days later, or not at all.
Airlines offer compensation to help you buy clothes or supplies in these situations, but we don’t recommend sending cash or medication in your luggage.
In particular, we recommend that you bring medications for chronic conditions like high blood pressure or high cholesterol on board. If you send an important medication like high blood pressure medication in your baggage and it gets lost, it can cause you a lot of problems, including constant anxiety while traveling and not being able to enjoy alcohol freely.
At Incheon Airport, there is a pharmacy next to the departure gate, but hypertension medication is not available without a prescription and only supplements with similar effects are sold.
Fortunately, there is an Inha University Hospital Airport Medical Center in the basement of Terminals 1 and 2 at Incheon Airport, where you can get checked out and prescribed medication, but it can be time-consuming, so it’s best to arrive at the airport with plenty of time to prepare.
Before you travel, you should also check the rules regarding sporting goods and oversized luggage. Oversized sporting goods, such as bicycles and golf bags, must be checked into the oversized baggage area differently than regular luggage, and these rules vary by airline.
In economy class, you’re usually not charged extra if the combined weight of one sporting item and one checked bag doesn’t exceed the basic weight allowance, but this can vary from airline to airline, so it’s best to get the exact information ahead of time.
Travel insurance can be purchased at the airport, but it can be one and a half to two times more expensive than purchasing it online, so I recommend purchasing travel insurance online before you leave.
One of the most popular places to buy travel insurance is MyBank Travel Insurance, where the process is simple and quick, and you can get discounts just by using your phone number, without having to register as a member.
These same benefits can be extended to friends and family as well as yourself, and coupons can have extended validity periods.
One thing to keep in mind when traveling is that you can’t buy travel insurance once you’ve left the country, and if you try, you won’t be able to use it after your departure date, so it’s best to buy it before you leave.
Buying data roaming or a cell phone at the airport can also be expensive, so it’s a good idea to plan ahead.
Airports are expensive places to rent, so everything tends to be overpriced. It’s also a good idea to bring small items like neck pillows and locks.
Once you’ve gotten your boarding pass and dropped off your luggage, you can enter the departure hall. You’ll usually use the departure hall close to the check-in counter, but if you search for Incheon Airport departure hall on Naver, you can see a screen that predicts the departure hall congestion by time of day.
This is just a prediction, so it may differ from the actual situation. If the line is too long, you can try moving to a different departure gate.
If you have the Incheon Airport SmartPass app installed and registered in advance, you can get through the departure gate more conveniently and quickly.
Since Incheon and Gimpo airports are different, a Smartpass created at Incheon Airport can only be used at Incheon Airport, not Gimpo Airport.
Once you enter the departure hall, you will go through security and immigration, but even if you are traveling for the first time, it shouldn’t be too difficult as you can just follow the person in front of you.
Once you’ve cleared immigration and are in the duty-free area, you’re physically in Korea but on paper you’re already in a foreign country. This means that you can’t withdraw cash from an ATM, and you can’t exchange foreign currency without cash.
Therefore, you should exchange your foreign currency before you enter the departure hall, and it is recommended that you do so at one of the many bank exchange offices located throughout Incheon International Airport.
Airport currency exchanges offer very little in the way of preferential exchange rates, so it’s slightly more beneficial to exchange money in advance at a local bank.
Airport duty-free shops tend to be expensive due to high rents, so we recommend ordering your duty-free shopping online in advance and picking it up at the airport.
However, the pick-up process can take a while, so be sure to allow plenty of time. Among online duty-free shops, Lotte Duty Free has the longest and most crowded lines, so you may want to consider using Shilla or Shinsegae Duty Free.
You can shop duty-free, lounge, eat, etc. until it’s time to board, and then head to the gate.
As mentioned in recent news, driving to the airport instead of public transportation is often cheaper, even when parking fees are factored in.
However, airport parking can be scarce during peak travel periods, and you could end up wasting time looking for a parking spot and missing your flight.
If you’re driving to the airport, it’s a good idea to factor in the time it takes to get from the parking lot to the terminal.
Finally, there are some people who miss their flight despite getting to the airport early. This is often the case for night flights or early morning flights, where people arrive at the airport tired from work, get checked in, and then try to catch some shut-eye in the duty-free area and miss their flight.
If you’re sleepy and tired at the airport, it’s a good idea to sleep near the boarding gate where there are a lot of people, so they can wake you up in time for your flight.
This post is based on flying out of Incheon International Airport.
These are surprisingly easy mistakes to make when traveling for the first time, so be sure to check and prepare carefully if you don’t want to ruin your trip.
