Background
After spending 5 nights in Seoul, my flight back to Taipei was in Business Class on Asiana Airlines’ A350 from Seoul Incheon (ICN) to Taipei Taoyuan (TPE). We made it past security about an hour and a half before my boarding time, so we headed to the Asiana Business Lounge (East) which was right after clearing passport control, and on the way to our gate.
Asiana Business Lounge (East) Entrance
Access and Location
The Asiana Business Lounge East at Seoul (ICN) is located in Terminal 1 next to Gate 11 and is quite easy to find. Right after clearing passport control. you’ll see the signs to the lounge and I took the escalators up to the lounge. There are two other Asiana Business Lounges in Terminal 1, called West and Central. West is near gate 43, and Central is near gate 26.
Entrance to Lounge
Reception of Lounge
Directions to Business Suite Lounge vs Business Lounge
There is the Business Lounge, and also the Business Suite Lounge in the “East” section. The Business Suite Lounge is for First Class passengers on Star Alliance flights and those who are Lifetime Asiana Club Platinum, Diamond Plus, or Business Class Asiana Club Diamond Plus Members.
For the Business Lounge, access is granted to those who are:
- Business Class passengers
- Economy Class Asiana Club Diamond Plus members (with a 24-month membership) plus one guest
- Asiana Club Diamond members plus one guest
- Star Alliance Gold members plus one guest
- Economy Smartium passengers taking an Asiana Airlines A350 long-distance flight (to the U.S., Europe, or Australia)
- Priority Pass members when flying with Asiana Airlines and Star Alliance-operated flights.
The Lounge
They have automatic gates at the entrance to the lounge, and you scan your boarding pass then the gates open for you to enter. We arrived at the lounge around 8 AM.
Hightops at the Entrance
There were hightops at the entrance with space and that is where we decided to sit, as the rest of the lounge was full. After passing the hightops, are the restrooms and shower rooms. I tried using the restroom, but there was a line for the men’s room as all the urinals were closed off which was annoying.
Shower Rooms
Hallway with Restrooms to the right
Continuing down the lounge, you’ll arrive at a large seating area and a bar. I liked the natural light of the space, and if it was less crowded it might have been more enjoyable. At the bar, there are alcoholic options, plus a coffee maker.
Bar Area
Lounge Seating and Bar Area
Heading to the back of the lounge, you’ll pass an array of seating, with private booth-like seats to the left and then more open areas of sofa-style seats.
Private Seats
More Seating
Towards the back is the buffet area with dining-style seats. It was quite full over here. I find it kind of a design flaw to have the buffet area all the way in the back, as if you wanted to get any food when it was crowded, your seat could be on the other side of the lounge.
Dining Area Seating
Food Selection
The food selection was more on the basic side like a domestic lounge. I would have expected a bit more for a business class lounge, especially because I visited the nearby Matina Lounge after this with Priority Pass and it had much more food options.
There were 4 hot dishes, which included dumplings, fried rice, sausage, and scrambled eggs.
Hot Dishes
There were also some cereals, pastries, sandwiches, salads, and instant ramen.
Cereal and Pastries
Cold Sandwiches and Salad
Instant Ramen
Since it was so crowded at the lounge we decided to do some shopping in the main terminal, which is pretty nice. We also stopped by the Matina Lounge which had a better food selection.
The Verdict
Overall, I was disappointed with my visit to the Asiana Business Lounge East in Seoul (ICN). While the space itself looked modern and sleek, the facility was too crowded during my morning visit, and the food selection was mediocre at best. The fact that there was a line for the men’s bathroom was annoying as well. It might be a more enjoyable lounge when it’s not too crowded.
Have you been to Asiana Business Lounge East in Seoul (ICN)? How was your experience? Comment below!
Cheers,
Ty
Have any questions? Comment below or email me at takeofftotravel@gmail.com. I’ve also started working with a travel agency, Fora Travel, and can assist in booking hotel stays or planning trips. You can also view all my other posts here! Thanks for stopping by!
When at ICN, I usually visit only the Matina lounge. Much better food.
Totally agree! I stopped by the Matina Lounge and the food was way better. Thanks for reading!
The typical plan for *A Gold or PP flyers in ICN is to get food at Matina, then relax at the OZ lounge. The seating at the OZ lounge is better (when not packed, which it usually isn’t), but the food is currently the best it’s ever been post-pandemic, which should tell you something. If you’re *A Gold, the Singapore lounge has better food, though the hours are pretty limited.
Thanks for reading and sharing! Sounds like the right way to do it, the food at Matina was much better!