Korean Job Discussion Forums

[kalbi]

Seoul's Incheon Airport (ICN) edges out Hong Kong and Singapore airports to be voted best 'in the world'. Your comments?????!!!!

http://edition.cnn.com/2009/TRAVEL/06/10/best.airports/index.html

[quote] SEOUL, South Korea (CNN) -- South Korea's Incheon International Airport has been voted the best in the world, according to a 10-month survey of airline passengers.

Incheon, located about 70 km (43 miles) from Seoul, often ranks among the busiest airports in the world.

It boasts a golf course, spa, private sleeping rooms, a casino, and indoor gardens that, according to the airport's Web site, offer "travelers an oasis of calm and tranquility permeated with the refreshing scent of pine."

It is no surprise then that the annual survey conducted by the British-based consultancy group, Skytrax, ranked Incheon the No. 1 airport.

The survey asked 8.6 million passengers at 190 airports to rate the facilities based on their experiences at check-in, arrival, departures and transfers.

Incheon edged out Hong Kong's International Airport and Singapore's Changi Airport -- but barely.

"At one stage, it looked possible there might be a dead-heat result between these top three airports," Skytrax said in a statement.

The annual survey also judged airports on individual categories.

Dubai International Airport in the United Arab Emirates came out tops for having the best duty-free shops, Hong Kong serves the best food, Helsinki-Vantaa in Finland is least likely to lose passengers' bags and Japan's Kansai International has the cleanest restrooms.

The top 10 airports, according to the survey, are:

1. Incheon International Airport in Seoul, South Korea
2. Hong Kong International Airport
3. Singapore Changi Airport
4. Zurich Airport in Switzerland
5. Munich Airport in Germany
6. Kansai International Airport in Japan
7. Kuala Lumpur International Airport in Malaysia
8. Amsterdam Airport Schiphol in the Netherlands
9. Central Japan International Airport Centrair
10. Auckland Airport in New Zealand[/quote]

[fustiancorduroy]

[Johnny_Bravo]

I think I prefer Hong Kong's but ICN is certainly world class, surely in the top 3.

[waynehead]

ICN is one of the things Korea really hit out of the park. It's definitely one of the world's best in my experience.

[diver]

It's a nice enough airport, but the bookstore sucks.

[SHANE02]

Somthings wrong if Auckland NZ is at #10. That airport is bloody hopeless. Staff, layout, all of it is poor.

ICN is great however.

[BritishinSuwon]

I couldn't agree more. Incheon is an amazing airport. It's the best airport I've been through, and I've travelled quite a bit.

[seoulsucker]

Never lost a bag, never had a delayed or cancelled flight, transportation to and from is a breeze, it's clean, modern, and efficient. The shopping is great, there's a great selection of food, smoking lounges, internet access, the works.

After 25 years of using O'Hare as my travel hub, Incheon is a wet dream.

[theotherlebowski]

I haven't been to any of the European airports on the list but I have been to Singapore, Hong Kong and Kansai. (Will get a chance to see the Malaysian one this summer.) I voted for Incheon as number one, but the other three are just fine and are a class above the ones I have been to in North America and England.

[GoldMember]

At the airport there are two counters that sell travel insurance. Samsung and company x. Company x won't insure non Koreans. Guess the Skytrax people are not aware of the insurance discrimination

[Robot_Teacher]

You know why? You can actually rent a bed in a lower level area! And take a shower! And it doesn't require reservations despite being cheap. I read this on this site and other sites so I'm going to take advantage of it if I have a morning departure as buses don't run super early.


How many other airports rents out beds and showers?

[ajgeddes]

[Ilsanman]

It's also one of the newest airports in the world, and at least partially based upon the design of HK's airport.

I liked Kansai a lot. Incheon needs better food and at more affordable prices.

[michaelambling]

Incheon airport is one of those places I'd like to take a brainwashed North Korean and say, "this is what democracy and capitalism provide."

I look forward to going back to ICN in a couple weeks.

[ducati]

Well, when you have two great airlines, Asiana and Korean, using it as a major hub, what do you expect?

The airport has more amenities than most small cities in the world.