Star Alliance member LOT is currently selling premium economy tickets to Seoul for only £746 (~€870). To get this price you have to spend at least 24 hours in Warsaw on the outbound trip, as a way to avoid the UK’s departure tax. Another overnight stay is necessary in some cases on the inbound flight to get the best fare, too. As Warsaw is a beautiful city with low prices, that shouldn’t be a huge downside, though.
Sadly, it’s not as easy as usual to find these flights, as the Warsaw stopover requires booking through LOT’s multi-stop search. More on this, in the Search & Book section.
LOT’s website shows “ECONOMY” in the first step after you’ve selected the flights. This, however, is simply a bug on the website. On long-haul flights, you’ll be seated in premium economy. This becomes clear, once you select your seats.
After flying economy class, 2 hours from London to Warsaw on a Boeing 737 MAX 8, you’ll spend 26 hours in Warsaw. So, on the next day, you’ll board a Boeing 787 and take a seat in premium economy for the 11-hour flight to Seoul. On the way back, it’s the same thing, just that you no longer need to spend a night in Warsaw, but can directly continue to London after a short layover.
Search & Book
Regarding the fare rules, the only restriction mentioned is that you need to stay at least 6 days (or a Sunday) at your destination before flying back, and that you must book at least 90 days before departure. We’ve found available dates scattered throughout the year.
As mentioned before, finding these flights is not as easy as usual. Here’s how to find them:
Time needed: 5 minutes
How to book LOT flights to Seoul with a stopover in Warsaw
- Find available dates on Google Flights
First, you’ll have to see which dates are available. The easiest option is Google Flights, which displays the available dates on its calendar for any trip length that you want.
- Enter those dates in LOT’s multi-city search
Once you’ve found the dates that suit you best, go to LOT.com and enter the dates in the multi-city search. Remember, there are 4 segments. Warsaw-London, London-Warsaw on the day after you fly to Warsaw, Seoul-Warsaw and Warsaw-London either the day of your flight from Seoul or the day after. Also, remember to select “premium economy” as the travel class.
- Select the correct flights
You’ll be shown various flight options. However, you need to stay 24 hours in Warsaw in the outbound flight to get this price.
- Ignore the “ECONOMY” in the first booking step, select your seats, and book as usual
From there, the booking process becomes quite regular. You simply have to ignore the bug that displays “ECONOMY” instead of premium economy in the first flights overview. After entering your personal data, simply select the seats for your flights – that’s where you’re sure that you’re actually in premium economy.
Mileage
The long-haul tickets are issued in premium economy class R, while the flights between London and Warsaw are issued in economy class Y. Here’s what the entire trip should get you:
- 12,102 Award Miles + 200 Points on Miles&More
- 11,428 Award Miles + 1,304 PQP on United MileagePlus
- 11,428 Miles on Asiana Club
- 11,428 Miles on Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles
- 11,428 Miles on Aegean Miles+Bonus
- 11,428 Miles on Air Canada Aeroplan
- 11,428 Miles on EVA Infinity MileageLands
- 11,428 Miles on Copa ConnectMiles
- 11,428 Miles on Ethiopian ShebaMiles
- 11,428 Points on SAS EuroBonus
- 11,428 Miles on Singapore KrisFlyer
- 11,428 Miles on Thai Royal Orchid Plus
- 11,428 Miles on TAP Miles&Go
- 11,428 Miles on Avianca LifeMiles
- 11,428 Miles on ANA Mileage Club
- 11,428 Miles on Egyptair Plus
Destination
Hotel prices in Seoul usually start at roughly €30, but can quickly jump to €65 if you want to stay in a nice location. Whichever category and hotel you opt for, make sure to get the best price! Our recommendation is to search on booking.com, or even on our own Travel-Dealz hotel search:
Information & Tips for Seoul
Seoul is the capital of South Korea and with 11.8 million inhabitants and a metropolitan region of around 25.6 million also the largest. The city is an important cultural and economic center in the Asian region.
Flights to Seoul
Flights to Korea are unfortunately not as cheap as to China or Southeast Asia, but there are – especially if you are flexible – some bargains that are definitely worth it.
For flights to Seoul, one should usually be prepared to pay between 400€ and 500€ for a good deal. Often there are also bargains in Business Class, especially from LOT.
You should avoid the school holidays, especially the summer holidays. During this period, airfares quickly rise to more than 700€ and partly reach heights of up to 1.000€ for a direct flight in economy. Good deals are not to be expected during this period.
Best Time to Travel
The best time to visit Seoul is from March to May or from September to November. Thanks to comparatively mild temperatures and plenty of sunshine, these months are best suited for tourism.
From the Airport to the City Center
International long-haul flights usually arrive at Seoul-Incheon Airport. The express train to the city centre departs every 30 minutes and takes 40-45 minutes and costs approx. 6,50€. For a taxi you pay between 47€ and 70€.
→ All Dealz for Seoul
Information & Tips for South Korea
South Korea, officially Republic of Korea, is a country located on the Southern part of the Korean peninsula. It is one of Asia’s fastest developing countries and features stand alone traits such as language, culture and cuisine. Especially Korean food (Teriyaki) and music (K-Pop) get more and more popular in Europe and North America.
Visa & Immigration
Citizens of the European Union, Canada, America and Australia get 90 days of visa free stay upon arrival. If you’re not from one of these countries or planning on a longer stay, this official website for foreigners travelling to Korea might be of help.
Currency
Korea’s currency is the Korean Won (KRW). €1 equals roughly KRW 1,300. You can exchange currency in cash or withdraw it by using your credit card at various ATMs. The most used banknotes are KRW 1,000; 5,000; 10,000 & 50,000. Paying with credit card is possible is many hotels, stores and restaurants, not unlike in Europe.
→ All Dealz for South Korea
Cover Picture: © LOT.com