Background/Routing
After more than 3 weeks on the road, it was time to start our journey back home. This report will cover the short hop from Fukuoka to Incheon on OZ, which operates 2x daily service on the route. We picked the afternoon flight since we weren't in a rush to get to Incheon and it would leave a full morning to explore Dazaifu (太宰府). The routing continues as:
Flight routing
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6OZ133 - Business - Fukuoka → Seoul - Airbus A330-300
- 7
The tourism bonus for this report will be Takachiho (高千穂) and Beppu (別府) for those interested.
Pre-Flight
We returned our rental car at 12:30 and took the shuttle bus to the international terminal.
We were dropped off a couple minutes later in front of the airport.
Heading inside, we checked the board and found OZ would be using G for check-in.
They apparently don't open up check-in until 2h before departure, despite the board here stating 3h.
We wandered around the airport to kill some time. Like a lot of other modern airports in Japan, there is abundant usage of windows to provide natural light.
We didn't attend, but the Hakata Gion Yamakasa was on-going and representative floats were on display in the airport.
FIDS today with Korea being a popular destination.
Check-in/Security
The counters eventually opened and we were checked in quickly with lounge invitation cards being provided for the Lounge Fukuoka. With boarding passes in hand, we went to the security checkpoint and were quickly approached by staff telling us to use the priority lane.
Security and immigration were a breeze and we were quickly airside into the newly renovated side of the airport.
The new terminal is very nice and modern, though on the dark side.
We headed off towards the lounges.
Lounge Fukuoka
The Lounge Fukuoka is upstairs and accessed through a construction site.
Upstairs, we handed over our lounge invitation cards and headed in.
The lounge is not massive, but clearly is new and has plenty of seating areas with large glass windows providing tarmac views.
Miniature gardens are imbedded throughout the seating areas.
The buffet area with a good diversity of hot and cold food.
Non-alcoholic drinks.
Alcoholic drinks.
My offering.
As mentioned, the lounge has great tarmac views with a JX A330-900neo preparing to return to TPE.
BC B738s arriving and departing.
The highlight of my visit was catching not one, but two of the JH E175s! An airline dear to my heart since it has a large presence at Nagoya-Komaki. You can find those reports here.
Our OZ A333 arriving from ICN as a CX A333 taxis in.
The plane heading to the gate is our signal to wrap things up and head down shortly.
Boarding
Reaching the gate, it was announced boarding would be delayed for 10 minutes due to late arriving aircraft so we did another loop of the shopping area before returning.
We joined the business class line and were soon scanned through.
Our plane today would be HL7746, a 19 year old A333 that has a C30 (2-2-2) and Y260 (2-4-2) configuration.
Warm welcome from the crew as we were shown to our seats to the left.
The cabin features the original angle lie-flat seats also found on CI's A333s.
Seat Tour
The IFE screen is what you would expect for a ~20 year old hard product and was not active on this flight for some reason and just had the moving map playing, which was totally fine for me.
A random collection of open storage compartments for smaller personal items.
Seat back contents.
Along the arm rest are the seat controls and IFE remote.
A Swiss Army knife of small trays for drinks.
No USB ports, only 110V outlets on the front of the console.
Reading lights and privacy divider over the shoulder.
Pre-placed on the seat are the slippers and headphones.
Push Back and Taxi
View of the cabin as boarding wrapped up. The J cabin would be 50-60% full.
The FAs came through and distributed menus taking orders on the ground given the short flight time up to ICN. They also gave our son the origami kit, which we spent the time waiting for push back to build several.
At 15:00, the jet bridge retracted and we initiated push back with a HX A320 and BX A321 down the road.
The classic safety video played, which looks to have been stitched together over the years with all sorts of hard products visible in the clips.
A wave goodbye from our ground crew and away we go.
GJ A320.
We pulled off to the side and the pilots announced we would hold for 5 minutes due to ICN ATC. Another BC B738 landing.
Take-off from Fukuoka
Now it is our turn to take off on Runway 16L at 15:24.
Goodbye FUK.
We make a sharp u-turn to head north passing into the clouds.
Goodbye Kyushu.
The short run up to ICN is expected to take 62 minutes, but we completed it in only 58 minutes.
Meal Service
The menu for this flight, which is a snack service given the short flight-time (<60 minutes). The bar menu is fairly expansive, but wines are reduced to just a single red and white option.
The bifold tray table deploys from the arm rest.
Crossing Tsushima as food was delivered.
No linens are laid, and the tray is delivered with the pre-ordered drinks.
The snack service was a hot Roast Beef Croissant Sandwich served with a salad. It was actually quite good and our son almost finished the entire thing.
Some fruit and wasgashi.
Coffee and tea were then offered.
Crossing over Busan.
Cabin mid-flight.
Trays were cleared as we started our initial descent. The FA asked me if I wanted more drinks, which were quickly brought out along with some mixed nuts.
Like Japan, it is always nice to see such green landscapes in the summer months as we slowly descend into Incheon.
As the last service items were cleared, the crew noticed my son hadn't finished his apple juice so returned with it in a paper cup for him to have for landing.
The large Daesan Petrochemical Complex signaling the airport is near.
Connecting flight information is shown including a map, which is a nice feature.
Clearing the sea wall.
The solar fields.
We touch down on runway 34L at 16:22.
Maybe, maybe not. We'll see.
The long taxi back takes us around T2.
The remote stands that are still always occupied despite the new terminal.
Reaching T1.
We follow an OZ A359 to our gate.
AC B789 taxing by.
OZ A359 taxing by.
KE A380 arriving.
We hold to let this OZ A321neo push back.
A OZ B772 pulls into a gate in parallel..
It is a long wait for the jet bridge to engage.
Last look at our seats on deplaning through 1L.
With a 4h layover, there was little to worry about in terms of connection, but given how slow security has been at ICN we wanted to hurry to try and beat the other arriving aircraft.
Signage is good at ICN and following the green signs towards transfer security is hard to mess up.
I'll leave of this series here as we head into the security check-point. Thanks for stopping by and feel free to check out the Takachiho (高千穂) and Beppu (別府) bonuses below.
Flight Information
Asiana Airlines, OZ133
Equipment: Airbus A330-300 [HL7746, delivered July 2006]
Departure: 15:00 (ATD: 15:24)
Arrival: 16:20 (ATA: 16:22)
Flight time: 0:58
Oh wow, great planespotting pics from the lounge! Those cabins have seen better days and just look so tired in 2025, but as you mention it's more than enough comfort for a 1h flight and I'm sure they're well maintained. The biggest problem I have with older seats like this is when the motors or mechanisms are broken or if the cushioning has been crushed too much over time. But if they're well maintained, I have no issue with older seats.
That's fantastic service you typically would only see on Asian carriers! Reminds me of JAL crew packing up en entire meal for us that my son hadn't been able to eat as he was sleeping.
Awesome tourism bonus!
Nice! It looks so tranquil--a private onsen, oh how relaxing!
Thanks for sharing!
Hi Kevin, thanks for stopping by!
With the A330s all heading to retirement post-merger, save money and run them into the ground^^ I don’t imagine broken seats are as prevalent as we see on US carriers, cabin maintenance is usually must better on Asian carriers. NH/CX/BR also use dated products and seat condition is always good.
I have always found the soft product on OZ to be slightly better than KE.