SKYHUB Lounge at Incheon Airport, South Korea: Terminal 1 Concourse Location, Food, Showers & Passes
Before this SKYHUB Lounge visit, my go-to at Incheon International Airport in Incheon, South Korea, was the Korean Air Lounge in Terminal 2.But on this trip to Shanghai, China, we were flying China Southern Airlines business class, so I tried SKYHUB for the first time.
It didn’t look particularly fancy, so I went in with fairly low expectations. It turned out to be better than I expected.
The food was tasty, and it wasn’t terribly crowded, so we could relax before our flight. Even if you’re not flying business class, you can buy a discounted lounge passand head right in. Here’s everything from the location and admission price to what’s on the buffet!
1. SKYHUB Lounge Location in the Terminal 1 Concourse
Location: 4th floor of the Terminal 1 Concourse, near Gate 115
Hours: 6:00 a.m.–10:00 p.m.
Last admission and food service end at 9:30 p.m.
Amenities: Light meals, alcoholic drinks, showers, work computers, a printer, and Wi-Fi
SKYHUB has several locations at Incheon Airport’s Terminal 1.The one I visited was on the 4th floor of the Terminal 1 Concourse, across from Gate 115.That’s the location this review covers.
The Concourse is a separate building reached by shuttle train after departure immigration. It primarily serves passengers departing from Gates 101–132.
Important: Once you take the train to the Concourse, you can’t return to the main terminal!
If your flight leaves from the Concourse, relaxing here is more convenient than visiting SKYHUB’s East or West location in the main terminal and then taking the train over.
With hours stretching from early morning into the evening, it works whether you need breakfast or somewhere to unwind before a nighttime flight.
2. SKYHUB Admission Prices and How to Get In
We got in through our China Southern Airlines business-class benefits. But SKYHUB isn’t just for business-class passengers: travelers with eligible credit card benefits or a separately purchased lounge pass can use it, too.
The walk-in price for adults is US$45. Personally, I don’t think it’s particularly good value at that price.
Instead, I’d definitely recommend using THE LOUNGE appto buy a discounted pass for $26!
Buy a Discounted Lounge Pass (Click Here)
These days, I’ve noticed Matina and other lounges shifting toward THE LOUNGE app for access rather than relying on a physical Priority Pass card. It’s so convenient: buy your pass in the app, show the QR code, and leave the physical card at home.
I used SKYHUB near Gate 115 this time, but there are eight participating lounges in total across Terminals 1 and 2!
You can also send a lounge pass as a gift. If your parents are traveling on their own and you’d like them to have somewhere comfortable to relax before boarding, a pass through THE LOUNGE is a thoughtful little treat.
3. Inside the Lounge: Seating and Amenities
The Concourse location isn’t especially large, but it tends to have fewer visitors than the main-terminal lounges, so it didn’t feel overly crowded.
The layout makes good use of the space, with more seating than you might expect!
There are lockers for carry-on suitcases and large backpacks, and floor-to-ceiling windows along one wall help the room feel open and airy.
There were also work computers and printing facilities off to one side. Handy if you need to check or print documents just before departure—one of those amenities worth knowing about before you need it.
Showers are available, too, though they cost extra. If you really need to freshen up, it’s nice to have the option, even for an additional fee.
As usual, we visited with our baby. There were plenty of high chairs and Pororo cups featuring the popular Korean children’s character, though I don’t remember seeing any baby plates.
4. The Food Buffet
Until this visit, I’d mostly used the Korean Air Lounge or Matina Gold at Incheon Airport, so I honestly wasn’t expecting much from SKYHUB. But the food here was good!
The renovated Korean Air Lounge looks polished and upscale, but its food doesn’t exactly wow me. Here, the buffet feels less fancy, but there’s plenty I actually want to eat.
The Korean food selection included boneless fried chicken, plus tasty tteokbokki—rice cakes in a spicy sauce—and jeon, savory Korean pancakes. There were cute Korean sweets, too, including bungeoppang, fish-shaped filled pastries, and yakgwa, honey-syrup cookies. Add bibimbap, a Korean mixed-rice bowl, salads, and yogurt, and you have a surprisingly well-rounded spread. I went back for several rounds.
Even the instant noodle selection stuck to the classics: Shin Ramyun, spicy Korean noodle soup; Twigim Udong, udon-style noodles with tempura bits; and Chapagetti, black bean sauce noodles. Whoever picked these knows what they’re doing.
We didn’t eat too much because we had an in-flight meal coming, but if you’re flying a low-cost carrier, you could easily have a full meal here before boarding.
5. Drinks and Alcohol
Along with the usual coffee and soft drinks, there’s a good selection of alcoholic beverages.
You can help yourself to Ilpoom Jinro, a premium distilled Korean soju, and Kelly draft beer.
There’s also makgeolli, a lightly fizzy Korean rice wine, plus whiskey, vodka, and other spirits. If cocktails are your thing, follow one of the suggested recipes and mix yourself a drink.
6. How to Buy a Discounted SKYHUB Lounge Pass
More and more travelers seem to be visiting airport lounges before international flights these days. Still, some people assume lounges are only for business-class passengers—or that getting in will cost a fortune.
In reality, anyone can enter with a purchased pass, and it doesn’t have to be expensive. Making a lounge stop part of your preflight routine can be a fun way to kick off a trip.
SKYHUB and Matina are especially good value at $26 for up to three hours, with enough variety on the buffet to make a proper meal of it!
Once you add up the cost of an airport meal and a café stop, that price doesn’t seem so high. If you’d like to eat at a relaxed pace and unwind before departure, it’s worth trying.
Buy an Incheon Airport Lounge Pass (Click Here)
You can even buy your pass on the way to the airport or after you arrive!