KoreanAfter receiving a negative COVID antigen test result, I happily joined the check-in line.
At that point, the only counter with passengers was for my flight. There weren’t many travelers, so the line moved quickly.
Since entering the U.S. can be quite strict, a staff member asked several security-related questions while we waited in line — things like whether anyone had asked us to carry items in our luggage on their behalf. They also handed out forms to fill in personal information and details about where we’d be staying in the U.S.
After receiving my ticket, I headed to passport control. Due to COVID, only one immigration lane was open, and the process was entirely automated — baggage check and exit immigration took less than five minutes. Absolute legend… I hadn’t expected it to be this empty, so I ended up with over two hours to spare before boarding.
With more than two hours to kill, I decided to spend the time watching planes. Since Terminal 2 is exclusively used by SkyTeam members like Korean Air and Delta, every aircraft in sight belonged to one of those two carriers. It was a sight I hadn’t seen in a long time, and it made me happy.
Boarding
My assigned seat was 48A. It was originally a different seat, but while waiting to board I noticed empty seats all around me — front, back, and sides — so I immediately reassigned myself. The load factor was around 50%, with visibly empty spots throughout the cabin. The seat itself was clean, with a pillow and blanket already set out.
Even in economy, there was a fairly large AVOD screen. The route information for ICN-SEA was displayed, showing a flight time of approximately 10 hours.
In-Flight Meal
Not long after takeoff, the first meal was served. Being the chicken lover I am, I went straight for the chicken option. Interestingly, the water was Evian and the ice cream was Häagen-Dazs — surprisingly upscale. Since I hadn’t eaten at the airport, I made sure to finish every last bit.
The cabin after the meal. It seemed a group of Korean passengers were seated nearby. Some started lying down, and I stretched out across the empty seats next to me. It wasn’t a full lie-flat, but it was far more comfortable than sitting upright.
The amenity kit included earphones, a hand sanitizing wipe, earplugs, an eye mask, and in-flight slippers.
The view looks like Siberia, but this is actually over Japan.
Flying toward the international date line and gaining an hour at a time, the sun quickly set into a beautiful golden hour.
