Hello. I’m a travel blogger.
I’m sharing my travel experience from taking an early morning flight from Gimpo Airport to Jeju Airport in mid-December.
I woke up at 4 AM and caught the Airport Limousine Bus 6101 from my home to Gimpo Airport, arriving at 5:30 AM. My flight was scheduled for 6:10 AM, and since it was such an early morning, there were not many people at the airport.
Despite the empty seats at the gate, I was excited to begin my journey.
I had to re-register for biometric pre-registration at the entrance because I hadn’t done it in advance. Since I had registered at Jeju Airport on my return trip, I probably won’t need to do it again in the future.
My flight was at 6:10 AM, and there are flights from Gimpo to Jeju almost every 10 minutes, so you can catch a flight at any time. What surprised me even more was that I had booked a round-trip flight for just around 20,000 KRW.
I always feel good when I arrive at the airport. It’s a mix of the excitement of going somewhere and the feeling of starting something new.
I also took a unique photo of a restroom at the airport, which turned out to be a showroom-style bathroom provided by the premium bathroom brand Kohler.
Finally, the boarding process began. Domestic flights typically start boarding around 30 minutes before departure. Last-minute boarding is officially allowed up to 20 minutes before departure, but they often accept passengers up to 10 minutes before.
I found my seat, and luckily, I got a window seat. I had chosen a seat facing the eastern sky as I expected to see the sunrise during the early morning flight.
Unfortunately, the seat was quite narrow. With such seating, flying for more than 2 hours would be challenging. Domestic and international flights have quite a difference in seat comfort, but for a domestic flight, there doesn’t seem to be a compelling reason to upgrade to business class.
We took off right on time, and it only took 10 minutes from the entrance of the runway to takeoff. The flight from Gimpo to Jeju typically takes around 40 to 50 minutes of pure flight time. Considering the additional time for landing and taxiing to the gate, the entire journey usually takes around 1 hour to 1 hour and 10 minutes.
From here on, you’ll see the sunrise from the airplane. Domestic flights usually ascend to about 20,000 to 30,000 feet.
At an altitude of about 20,000 to 30,000 feet, the view of the clouds and the beginning of the sunrise gradually unfolds.
It was a lucky day, and while it wasn’t my intention, seeing the sunrise during the early morning flight felt like a stroke of luck.
At first, the clouds appeared to be like the sea, but upon closer inspection, they were just fluffy clouds that seemed like you could lie down comfortably on them.
We arrived in Jeju as the sun was rising.
In the distance, the sunrise was illuminating Hallasan. Jeju Island is a typical volcanic island and boasts a pristine natural environment. It’s well-known worldwide, and there’s every reason to be proud of it.
As we circled around Iho Tewoo Beach, we prepared to land at Jeju Airport. And so, the journey from Gimpo Airport to Jeju Airport on the early morning flight was coming to an end.
During the final landing, you may briefly wonder if it will be a smooth landing, but this moment reminds you that it’s the start of a new adventure.
Jeju Airport has various photo zones to delight arriving passengers.
Overall, here are some key points to consider:
- If you take a 6 AM to 7 AM flight from Gimpo Airport, you can witness the sunrise from the airplane. However, it’s essential to check the exact times according to the season.
- To see the sunrise on the flight from Gimpo to Jeju, it’s best to sit on the left side of the plane.
- Conversely, if you want to see the sunset, you should choose a seat on the right side.
- To catch an early morning flight, you may need to use a car or the airport limousine bus. Most limousine buses start running around 4 AM to 5 AM to accommodate the early morning flights.