Incheon Airport Opens Departure Gates 30 Minutes Early Through Oct. 11

Incheon International Airport is opening its departure gates 30 minutes earlier than usual from September 23 through October 11, spanning Chuseok (Korea's biggest holiday, held on the 15th day of the 8th lunar month, when families gather to give thanks for the year's harvest much like American Thanksgiving) and the back-to-back National Foundation Day and Hangeul Day holidays. The Immigration and Foreign Policy Division under Korea's Ministry of Justice says the change is meant to cut waiting times, since daily passenger traffic at the airport is expected to top 220,000 during the period. If your flight leaves in the early morning, arriving in line with the new opening times can help you avoid the longest queues of the holiday season.

According to Incheon International Airport Corporation, daily traffic during the Chuseok holiday period from September 24 to 27 is expected to average about 227,650 passengers, higher than during last year's Chuseok holiday. Congestion is expected to continue into early October, as the National Foundation Day holiday on October 3 (marking the legendary founding of Korea's first kingdom by Dangun) and Hangeul Day on October 9 (celebrating the creation of the Korean alphabet under King Sejong) overlap with China's National Day holiday. The Ministry of Justice is also deploying up to 47 percent more immigration officers than usual to shorten wait times. Since SkyTeam carriers such as Korean Air and Delta use Terminal 2 while most other airlines use Terminal 1, checking which terminal is printed on your boarding pass before heading to the airport can save you an unnecessary trip between terminals.