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Route guide

London Seoul

Heathrow (LHR) — Incheon International (ICN)

Eastbound
Distance
8,870 km
Duration
11h
TZ shift
8h east
Best side
right

Overview

London Heathrow to Seoul Incheon — main UK-Korea trunk. Long eastbound shift on an overnight; aircraft choice and jet-lag prep both matter.

Jet lag

8-hour eastward shift on an overnight — large enough that pre-flight schedule shifting (2 nights earlier bedtime) pays off. Arrival-day morning light at Incheon or Seoul is the lever; plan 4-5 days for full adjustment.

Estimated recovery

Without intervention ~8 days
With timed light + melatonin ~5 days

Estimates only — based on ~1 day per time zone east, compressed roughly 40% with a timed protocol. See how long jet lag actually lasts and why eastward is harder.

Build a LHR→ICN adaptation schedule

Best window side

Eastbound — for sleep, pick the window for shade. The view side varies by routing; glare management is the higher priority.

Typical economy row (3-3-3)

Left

Middle

Best · Right

The right window is the calmer pick on this route. For sleep, the window itself matters more than the side — see how to sleep on a long-haul. For the exact rows and seat letters on this aircraft, use the seat picker.

Cabin atmosphere

Korean Air A380 and BA A350-1000 are the comfort picks. 777-300ER is the driest of the three on an 11-hour eastbound.

Expected cabin humidity at cruise

This route's typical aircraft ~15-20%
Indoor air at home ~40-60%

Composite-fuselage aircraft (787, A350) run higher humidity than older aluminum-fuselage types. See what the A350 actually fixes.

What to pack for this route

Read before you fly

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