Jaunted - Tag: Seoul Travel

Seoul: Foreign Grocery Friday: The French Fry-Encrusted Corn Dogs of Seoul, South Korea

JetSetCD — 2011-12-09T12:10:14-05:00

When we travel, one of our favorite things to do is to pop into a local grocery store and check out the food products and candies we'd never find anywhere else. So we're trying out this new feature, Foreign Grocery Friday, where each week we'll feature some of our (and your) favorite overseas treats. Got a recommendation? Let us know!

American amusement parks and state fairs could learn a thing or two from the way South Korea has mastered hot dogs. They're available in every way, including spiral cut, wrapped in bacon, stewed in a curryish chili paste, and nearly tempura-ed with vegetables. Even some rice cakes, like Ddeokbooki, imitate hot dogs. Still, our personal favorite remains the infamous french fry-coated corn dog.

These deep-fried snacks usually figure into visitor's breathless descriptions of Seoul, a little like this: "The palaces! The shopping! And the ice cream cones...they were this tall. And and and the corn dogs were covered in french fries!!"

Korean Air's Latest A380 Commercial Has Us Reaching For Our Credit Card

kjb — 2011-09-21T08:42:42-05:00

If you’ve been paying attention to the comings and goings of the A380, you’d know that Korean Air recently got their very first big birds. The carrier is already shuttling happy passengers back and forth between New York-JFK and Seoul-Incheon International Airport, and there are plans to send similar planes further and farther.

We’ve been lucky enough to experience some A380 fun before—thanks Lufthansa—but unfortunately the in-flight duty free shop and the three onboard bars of Korean Air's A380 elude us.

Incheon: Korean Air's Very First Airbus A380 Makes Its Debut Flight from JFK to Seoul Today

JetSetCD — 2011-08-09T11:38:20-05:00

Right now there is a giant Airbus A380 parked at New York-JFK Airport. So what, right? There are A380s at JFK all the time now...but this one is special. This A380 is big and blue and taking off for a direct flight to Seoul-Incheon International Airport at 5:20pm today. It's flight KE 82 (if you want to track it) and it's Korean Air's first Airbus A380 as well as the first A380 to make scheduled flights from the US to Asia.

It's a big deal for sure, not only for the airline and the airports, but also—hugely—for the passengers hopping onboard today and on future flights. Korean Air's first A380 is ridiculously spacious, with unique features we've been drooling over for some time. Onboard are 12 Kosmo First Class suites and 301 Economy Class seats on the first level, with 94 lie-flat sleepers spaced six feet apart on the upper level. Oh—and there's three bars on board: a hosted Celestial Bar, there are self-serve bars located in First Class and at the front of Prestige Class. Plus plus a duty-free shop.

Mini Duty-Free Shops Onboard Korean Air A380s is the Best Idea Ever

JetSetCD — 2011-04-15T09:36:58-05:00

Have you ever gone shopping in South Korea? It's an experience, to say the least. And when you combine one of the country's favorite pastimes with discounts on luxury items as you find in Duty-Free, pardon our French but shit gets real. Real awesome. And soon you'll be able to indulge in duty-free shopping over South Korea—and indeed most of the rest of the world—as Korean Air is installing the world's first in-flight duty-free shops onboard their Airbus A380s.

Korea is crazy for duty-free; indeed there are entire malls in Seoul where you need to have an international trip planned in order to make a purchase, which you then can't pick up until you're safely inside the airport and headed out of the country with the goods. And these malls and special duty-free store levels are gorgeous places where big brands create their own mini luxury environments, so why not translate this success to something that fits on a plane?

Seoul's Incheon Airport Once Again Beats Every Other Airport in the World

JetSetCD — 2011-02-18T09:22:03-05:00

A shot inside Seoul's Incheon Airport

It feels as though there is always a new list of airport rankings that comes out, giving top marks to the spick-and-span airports of Asia while America's don't even merit Top 20. Well, there is another ranking list out, and it does stick to this, except that US airports do get recognized in categories like "Best Airport 15-25 million passengers," where BWI takes first place. The rankings have been released by the Airports Council International, which compiles their data on airport service annually thanks to a passenger survey of 300,000 customers from 153 airports, with criteria including "cleanliness, check-in efficiency, comfortable waiting areas and clear signage."

Here are the other big winners this year:

Seoul: The First Duty-Free Louis Vuitton Store is Coming to Seoul's Incheon Airport

JetSetCD — 2010-12-07T08:33:48-05:00

There is no airport we've been to thus far that has more focus on duty-free shopping than Seoul, South Korea's Incheon International. Not only is there what seems like mile after mile of top luxury brands offering their products in mini version of their regular store, but there's even malls in the center of Seoul where you can go to purchase duty-free items and later (even weeks later) pick them up at the airport. We have a friend in Seoul whose family will even take short international flights just for the purpose of getting duty-free deals. That's dedication.

Incheon Airport has proved itself to be such a moneymakers for big brands that Louis Vuitton who just do not do airport stores, has given in and will open their first airport location here. LVMH prez Bernard Arnault personally swing through the airport earlier this year to check out the prospects, and apparently all met with his approval. Although there's no opening date set, the airport is already taking about increasing flights to China just because of the demand the LV duty-free shop will create.

Seoul: Foreign Grocery Friday: Pocari Sweat Across Asia

JetSetCD — 2010-08-27T15:31:00-05:00

Once you've sipped your first Pocari Sweat, you'll never go back. That is, back to thinking it's gross because of its name or weird because it's a completely clear sports drink. Tasting Pocari Sweat is a right of passage for travelers. We snapped the pics here of a Pocari Sweat vending machine on the ground of Seoul, South Korea's Gyeongbokung Palace.

The taste: If you aren't daunted by the name of the drink and you actually allow the clear liquid over your lips, you'll discover that Pocari Sweat tastes nothing like you imagine it would. It's not salty-sweaty, it's not watery and it's not super syrupy either. The taste is lightly citrus and is best likened to those Gatorade waters, if they were only available in a grapefruit flavor.