To celebrate its 25th anniversary, Oneworld has opened its first-ever dedicated lounge experience in Seoul, South Korea. The leading airline alliance tapped global aviation ground services provider Swissport and the crew behind the award-winning Aspire Airport Lounges to bring the project to life.
Gerhard Girkinger, Oneworld vice president of customer experience, delivery and membership, notes: ‘The new Oneworld lounge is an exciting next step in our vision of making travel bright. Together with Aspire, we have combined refined fixtures and finishes, digital technologies, and warm and ergonomic settings to create smart and memorable travel experiences.’
Oneworld Alliance Lounge opens at Seoul Incheon Airport
Located in Terminal 1 of Incheon International Airport, the new lounge covers an area of 555 sq m and can accommodate up to 148 customers. It’s no more than a ten-minute walk from the furthest Oneworld Airlines’ departure gates, and it’s available to eligible Oneworld Emerald and Sapphire customers departing from Seoul on Oneworld flights, as well as first and business class customers travelling with member airlines.
The lounge features spacious, comfortable seating arrangements for customers to unwind, work, or dine. Inspired by South Korean culture, the design incorporates subtle nods to the colourful Lantern Festival, in the form of glass art, and the traditional Gat hat, by way of a welcoming bar. In addition, the lounge’s signature ‘mood light’ changes colour depending on the time of day to set a suitable ambience.
Jochem Straatman, D/DOCK art director, adds: ‘It was exciting to transform the highly dynamic but digital Oneworld brand into a tangible and sophisticated 3D space for the first time. We have created an engaging lounge with its own distinct Oneworld identity, designed as a vibrant integration of smart digital technologies to boost connectivity and fun.’
Tatiana Otani Nishi, D/DOCK interior designer, mentions: ‘Through careful design, with features reflecting its South Korean location, we have delivered a modern and original premium lounge experience which makes travel feel easy, comfortable and enjoyable.’
Seven Oneworld member airlines – American Airlines, Cathay Pacific, Finnair, Malaysia Airlines, Qantas, Qatar Airways, and SriLankan Airlines – operate more than 60 weekly flights to Seoul, connecting the Korean capital with over 900 destinations worldwide through the Oneworld member network.
