KoreanKorean Air KE411 — Incheon to Auckland Review
I flew Korean Air from Incheon to Auckland for a New Zealand trip.
I had 20,000 miles about to expire, so without much hesitation I redeemed them for a one-way award ticket.
A round trip to the US, Europe, or Oceania normally requires 35,000 miles, but Korean Air was running a miles discount, so I managed to book for 30,000 miles.
Incheon International Airport Terminal 2
I arrived at ICN T2 by airport bus.
New Zealand requires an NZeTA (New Zealand Electronic Travel Authority), and I had applied just two days before departure. Mine was approved in under three seconds, but my mom’s still hadn’t been issued by the time we needed to board. There was a real risk of being denied boarding at the counter if it hadn’t come through, so we went through self check-in and bag drop entirely on our own — and thankfully made it to the gate without a hitch.
We safely made it all the way to the gate.
This was also my first time visiting the Matina Gold Lounge. The food variety was impressive, and the best part was the access to shower rooms. While the regular Matina Lounge had a wait, the Gold Lounge let us in immediately.
Boarding KE411
Boarding time arrived and we stepped onto the aircraft. Registration HL8390, a Boeing 787-9.
Amenities were minimal — just water, a pillow, and a blanket. Inside the pouch were socks and a toothbrush set.
The flight was nearly full, and this particular aircraft hadn’t yet been fitted with a Wi-Fi module, so no in-flight internet was available. Not that I needed it, but it’s always nice to have. There was one power outlet beneath the seat, and legroom was adequate.
The first meal was served shortly after takeoff. Since it was evening, the plan was to eat and go straight to sleep. I chose the Western option — it wasn’t bad at all.
I usually put on the flight map and just listen to music, but I was curious about the music selection and checked it out. The library was more up-to-date than I expected.
About two hours before landing, the second meal was served over Australian airspace — an omelette with various vegetables. The omelette was surprisingly good.
It had been dark the whole flight, but as we approached landing, the sun began to rise. The New Zealand landscape below was so exotic I spent a long time just staring out the window.
After landing, the first thing I did was connect to the internet and check the NZeTA app — and to my huge relief, it had been approved just an hour before we landed. The visa fee alone wasn’t cheap, and the anxiety of not knowing whether the permit would come through had been weighing on us. Now we could finally relax and enjoy the trip.
New Zealand immigration also used automated passport control, and getting through to the exit took less time than I expected. We had to immediately transit to a domestic flight to the South Island, so there was no time to explore Auckland — a bit of a shame.
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