Star Alliance members Lufthansa and SWISS currently sell business class tickets from Sweden to Seoul for a decent price. Starting at SEK 18,431 (~€1,623), you can fly from Stockholm to the Korean capital while enjoying a lie-flat seat on the long way East. In addition, you also have an increased baggage allowance, priority services and lounge access before and between flights.
Our availability calendar highlights all possible flight dates at the lowest price for trips up to 28 days. It will forward you to Lufthansa or Swiss with your selected flight dates.
All itineraries include a change of planes in either Frankfurt, Munich or Zurich both ways. Flights within Europe are European business class flights, on which you benefit from better service and an empty seat next to you. Long-haul segments see you sit in Lufthansa’s old business class (lie-flat-seats in a 2-2-2 pattern across all planes) or Swiss’ slightly better product.
Generally, Travel-Dealz writers and readers are not big fans of the Lufthansa business class, even though it is definitely not bad. One reason for that is that the service is too inconsistent: From extremely friendly and quick to unfriendly and slow – everything is possible with Lufthansa, even in business class. Regarding the seats, they are mostly fine, though not really on-par with the competition anymore. That’s why the airline is now slowly installing their new Allegris seats.
With SWISS, it very much depends on the specific seat, as SWISS has a throne seat in every row. While the double seats share a platform in the middle, the throne seat has its own platform on each side, which you won’t have to share with anyone. Those seats thus offer privacy and comfort to an extent that the other seats cannot compete with. Therefore, you may be disappointed if you don’t get one of the throne seats, even if the other seats obviously also have a very high standard. In the future, SWISS will have a new business class, called “Swiss Senses”, which is basically Lufthansa’s Allegris cabin, but in red.
Search & Book
According to the fare rules, these flights are on sale without a distinct sales or travel period. You need to stay at least eight days in South Korea to get the lowest. Availability is fairly good throughout the year.
Google Flights has some accuracy issues when previewing these flights. Because of this, you may also want to consult Lufthansa’s best price search. That comes with the added bonus of letting you purchase tickets directly from the airline, which we recommend for premium fares.
Why is booking with an airline better than with an online travel agency?
More often than not, online travel agencies offer lower fares than airlines do. We still recommend booking with the airlines directly. There are two main reasons for that:
Better Customer Service
In case any problems like delays, cancellations or missed connections arise, you can communicate directly with the airline. The airline has to take care of you because you have a contract with them.
If a travel agency issues your ticket, you may have to reach out to them first. You also depend on your OTA to forward information like flight changes instead of receiving them directly from the airline. In many cases, you may get a prime exhibition of responsibility shifting rather than problem-solving.
This especially applies to premium tickets. You don’t want to spend more than €1,000 to wind up with some budget OTA’s telephone hotline in case anything goes wrong.
Baggage and Other Fees
Economy fares not including hold luggage are industry standard by now. In most cases, travel agencies charge much higher baggage fees than the airlines themselves. If bags are not included in your fare, airlines are often the cheaper alternative.
This also applies to other things like food services, insurances or priority treatment. In almost all cases, you pay less for additional amenities when booking on the airlines’ website.
Miles & Points
Both airlines issue tickets for all flight segments in booking class P. However, flying with Swiss is more adventageous with some Star Alliance frequent flyer programs. Here is what a trip via Zurich earns you:
- 15,892 Miles on Singapore KrisFlyer
- 12,714 Award Miles + 2,544 PQP on United MileagePlus
- 12,714 Miles on Aegean Miles+Bonus
- 12,714 Points on SAS EuroBonus
- 12,714 Miles on Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles
- 12,714 Miles on Asiana Club
- 12,714 Miles on Avianca LifeMiles
- 12,714 Miles on Copa ConnectMiles
- 12,714 Miles on Ethiopian ShebaMiles
- 12,714 Miles on EVA Infinity MileageLands
- 12,714 Award Miles on LATAM Pass
- 12,714 Miles on TAP Miles&Go
- 12,714 Miles on Thai Royal Orchid Plus
- 12,714 Miles on Egyptair Plus
- 11,790 Miles on Air Canada Aeroplan
- 8,900 Miles on ANA Mileage Club
- 6,014 Award Miles + 480 Points on Miles&More
You would earn the following for flying Lufthansa via Munich:
- 24,400 CV Points on Vistara Club Vistara
- 15,250 Miles on Singapore KrisFlyer
- 12,200 Award Miles + 2,440 PQP on United MileagePlus
- 12,200 Miles on Copa ConnectMiles
- 12,200 Miles on Thai Royal Orchid Plus
- 12,200 Award Miles on LATAM Pass
- 12,062 Points on SAS EuroBonus
- 11,382 Miles on Air Canada Aeroplan
- 8,540 Miles on ANA Mileage Club
- 6,014 Award Miles + 480 Points on Miles&More
SAS and its loyalty program EuroBonus will exit Star Alliance on August 31, 2024. You have to be back in Sweden by that day to earn the EuroBonus points mentioned above.
Destination
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
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