Star Alliance to Open New Lounge

The alliance will step in at Incheon International Airport as outgoing member Asiana merges with Korean Air and joins SkyTeam.

A Star Alliance lounge. (Photo: AirlineGeeks | Tom Pallini)
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Key Takeaways:

  • Star Alliance will open a new branded lounge at Seoul Incheon International Airport (ICN) Terminal 1.
  • This move is to compensate for the loss of lounge access for Star Alliance passengers after current member Asiana merges with SkyTeam member Korean Air in December.
  • The new lounge aims to preserve a premium experience for eligible travelers at this important gateway, with further details about its design and amenities still to be announced.
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Star Alliance will open its own lounge at Seoul Incheon International Airport to fill a gap left behind by outgoing member Asiana.

Eligible travelers flying with a Star Alliance member carrier currently have access to Asiana business-class lounges in Incheon’s Terminal 1, but those spaces will not be available after Asiana merges with Korean Air in December. Korean Air is a member of SkyTeam.

Star Alliance said that, to preserve a premium lounge option for customers departing Incheon, it will open a lounge in Terminal 1 under its own brand. It was not immediately clear if the upcoming lounge will occupy the same space as one of the existing Asiana lounges.

“Incheon International Airport is an important gateway for Star Alliance, with several member airlines operating here,” Ambar Franco, vice president of customer experience at Star Alliance, said in a news release. “This partnership with [Incheon International Airport Corporation] reflects our shared commitment to delivering a consistently high-quality experience for customers. We are proud to establish a Star Alliance lounge at one of the world’s leading airports, and look forward to welcoming our member airline customers at the airport.”

Details about the lounge’s size, design, and amenities were not immediately available.

Star Alliance provides eligible travelers with access to over 1,000 airport lounges worldwide through its members, but it also operates six lounges under its own brand. They are located at LAX, Amsterdam Schiphol, Paris Charles de Gaulle, Ezeiza International Airport serving Buenos Aires, Rio de Janeiro/Galeão International Airport, and Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport in China.

Zach Vasile

Zach Vasile is a writer and editor covering news in all aspects of commercial aviation. He has reported for and contributed to the Manchester Journal Inquirer, the Hartford Business Journal, the Charlotte Observer, and the Washington Examiner, with his area of focus being the intersection of business and government policy.
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