Finding Cheap Flights to South Korea
To get the best price, book your flight 3 to 4 months in advance and aim for mid-week departures on Tuesdays or Wednesdays. Use Google Flights to track price trends and set alerts for your specific travel dates to South Korea.
- Set your departure window. Avoid peak travel seasons. Flights are significantly cheaper in late February to early March (end of winter) and late October to November (autumn), compared to the expensive summer months or Chuseok/Lunar New Year holidays.
- Use the Google Flights calendar view. Enter your home airport and 'ICN' (Incheon International Airport). Click on the date box to see a calendar view of prices. Green prices indicate the lowest fares for the month.
- Track the route. Once you select your approximate dates, toggle the 'Track prices' switch in Google Flights. You will receive an email alert the moment the fare drops or rises significantly.
- Check budget carriers for the final leg. If flying from within Asia, check budget airlines like Jeju Air, Jin Air, or T'way. If coming from further away, check for 'hacker fares' where you book two separate tickets (e.g., a major carrier to Tokyo or Taipei, then a low-cost carrier to Seoul).
- Is it cheaper to fly into Seoul (ICN) or Busan (PUS)?
- It is almost always cheaper to fly into Incheon (ICN) due to the higher volume of international flights. If your destination is Busan, it is usually cheaper to fly to Seoul and take the KTX train down.
- Which day of the week is cheapest to fly?
- Tuesday and Wednesday are consistently the cheapest days to fly internationally to South Korea, while weekends see the highest price spikes.