- Air India
- AI312 ~00:10-10:30, 787-8
- Korean Air
- KE498 19:50-06:05+1, daily
- Flight time
- ~6h45m, Seoul is +3.5h ahead
- Fares
- From INR 24,714 one way / USD 565 return
- Frequency
- ~13-14 nonstops a week
Seoul is one of the easier East Asian capitals to reach from India: two airlines fly Delhi to Incheon nonstop, and both are timed so you land with a full day ahead. Here is the honest picture of the nonstops, what they cost, and the connection routes that make sense from other Indian cities.
The two nonstops
Air India's AI 312 leaves Delhi Terminal 3 just after midnight (about 00:10) and lands at Incheon Terminal 1 around 10:30 local - a Boeing 787-8, about 6 hours 45-50 minutes. You clear immigration by late morning and are in Myeongdong by lunch. Korean Air's KE 498 is the evening mirror: Delhi 19:50, Incheon Terminal 2 at 06:05 the next morning, a 787-9, about 6 hours 45 minutes - and it went daily from October 27, 2026 (Travel Trade Journal). The return KE 497 leaves Incheon at 12:45 and reaches Delhi at 18:20. Between them the two carriers run about 13-14 nonstops a week. Keep in mind Seoul is 3.5 hours ahead of Delhi, so both flights "lose" more clock time than the flying time suggests - worth knowing before you promise anyone a call after landing.
What they cost
Air India's official page quotes economy from INR 24,714 one way and business from INR 72,590 (season and demand move both). Korean Air's own fare calendar shows November 2026 round trips from USD 565, with weekend dates rising to USD 1,000-plus. The rule of thumb: midweek departures booked 6-8 weeks out are the sweet spot; Friday nights and festival weeks are where the fares bite. Codeshares (Asiana on the Air India flight, Delta on the Korean Air one) sell the same seats - book whichever price is lower for identical metal.
From other Indian cities
There is no sensible train or road option between India and Korea - this is a flight route, full stop. From Mumbai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad or Chennai, you have two real choices. One-stop connections through Bangkok (Thai Airways), Singapore (Singapore Airlines), Hong Kong (Cathay Pacific) or Ho Chi Minh City (Vietnam carriers) typically take 11-14 hours door to door and often undercut the Delhi nonstop. Or fly domestic to Delhi and pick up the nonstop - worth it when the connection is clean (same terminal, 3-plus hours of buffer) but painful on separate tickets, because a late feeder leaves you buying a new international seat. Families and seniors should price the one-stop option with a single ticket before defaulting to the Delhi shuffle.
Arrival and onward combinations
Both flights land at Incheon, which sits an island-hop west of the city - the AREX express train to Seoul Station takes 43 minutes, and the full transfer picture (trains, buses, taxis, costs) is in our Incheon to Myeongdong guide. If Korea is more than Seoul for you, the natural pairing is Busan: KTX trains from Seoul Station run the length of the country in about 2.5 hours - our Seoul vs Busan comparison helps you decide whether to split the trip. And once you have the flights sorted, the 3-day Seoul itinerary turns the arrival day into a plan.
A Miranda House graduate and lawyer who traded courtrooms for slow travel. Cheshta travels with the batches we host ourselves, with a soft spot for travelling alongside elders.
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