Korean Job Discussion Forums

RachaelRoo · Joined: 15 Jul 2005 Location: Anywhere but Ulsan!

So I left south east Asia last night after an awesome between contract vacation month and I flew out of Ho Chi Minh ...
Now I really hate night flights but apparently there aren't any out of Bangkok or Vietnam or anywhere in SE Asia to Korea at a better time. Ever.

I tried to switch to a better flight time but was told that no such flight exists. I thought my travel agent just didn't feel like checking harder for me but at the airport in Saigon last night there were a total of 6 flights going to Korea - 5 to Incheon and 1 to Pusan - all between midnight and 1:15am.

I had the same problem last time I flew back from Bangkok.

Why do the airlines schedule all these flights at the same time to the same place? Is it just that Koreans won't buy tickets for daytime flights?

Tiger Beer, I bet you'd know....

Tiger Beer · Joined: 07 Feb 2003

As far as I know.. its popular with airlines because they can discount their tickets more to their passengers. Its an unpopular time to fly, and so the prices are lower.

It may be that Vietnam Airlines (if thats your airline) gets a better deal flying into Seoul on the red-eye, and can be more competitive with attracting tourists to its city that way.

I've also heard something about it being good for businessmen.. they can spend all day doing work in one city.. fly and sleep in business class.. and then wake up in the next city.

Those are the only two reasons I've predominately heard.. maybe others know more to add on this?

hogwonguy1979 · Joined: 22 Dec 2003 Location: the racoon den

there are 2 flights during the day from Bangkok to Seoul, one leaves at 7AM stops in Taipei before getting to Seoul around 3:30P the other one leaves BKK at 10:30A stops in HK and gets into Seoul around 7:45P. I usually take the second one as I hate the red eye plus its an easy connection from Samui

The only reason I can figure for all the red-eyes is they turn around the planes from the day flights to SEA and that means they go out late

okokok · Joined: 27 Aug 2006

It's because of the package tourists and the Korean businessmen who want to hop on a flight after work, and get back home early enough in the A.M. so that they can go straight to work from the airport.