jagmeets

Hey Guys - thanks for all the responses - points well taken - will re-think for a day or two..HNL or maybe even KOA..think there's stuff to do there, that the lady's going to like.. and we'll have close to 3 hours...

Will report back on how things go.

cxfan1960 - sadly there's no 884 on the day i'm looking to fly.
cx828 - this is a part of a longer trip and i've been unable to find anything that works with JL's codeshares

jagmeets

Folks

Need to bring back an old thread, and apologies for not reporting back, back then!

[the connection back then had gone through super smooth, had booked on to HNL, so had a fair bit of time after the CX arrival - CX got in a few minutes early, 15min wait at immigration, breeze through customs and a very pleasant stop at the empty AA IFL]

Issue this time around:
Need to get to ROC as early as possible on a Saturday this May after a day's work here in SIN on the friday.

Looking at SIN-(CX716)-HKG-(CX880)-LAX (arr 2150) with 2 connection options on to ROC.

1) LAX-(dep 2350, arr 0550)-ORD-(dep0835, arr 1110)-ROC
giving me 2 hours to make the TBIT-T4 transfer, just meeting the MCT.

2) LAX-(dep 0015, arr 0500)-DFW-(dep 0545, arr 0800)-ORD-(dep0835, arr 1110)-ROC
giving me an extra 25 minutes to make the connection.

#1 is better in that i get time for a shower, meal at ORD while #2 has a bit more time to make the LAX connection (and gives a few miles more, for lesser $ ) while being fairly tight for the connections in DFW/ORD.

Connections via CX to SFO dont work and CX to JFK while making for a decent option via DL, comes at a much higher price (and i'll need a Canadian transit visa for CX888).

CX legs will be in biz while the AA legs will be coach, on separate tickets. Will try to travel with a carry-on only, but might have to check-in a bag unless i can figure out an alternative for the liquids i need to take along.

Thoughts?

Thinking of booking Option #1 if #2 is a fallback in case I miss my connection. Would CX help me if i misconnect - seems that AA would, if i was transferring from an AA flight - not sure about CX.
http://www.aa.com/i18n/agency/Bookin...tkt_policy.jsp

garykung

Can you do CX 714 > CX 806 > AA 3992 (SIN>HKG>ORD>ROC) instead?

CX 714 can be substituted by CX 650 (but tight connection)?

CrazyJ82

Not sure that meets jagmeets's requirements. In May, would that connection time in ORD work? Also, s/he wants to get in as early as possible on the Saturday. Although I tend to agree that shorter, less complex routings are better. OP, you might want to balance the need for a Fri workday/early Sat arrival against the multiplying possibility of something going wrong as you start adding connections.

jagmeets

HKG-ORD-ROC doesnt get me into ROC till 1910.

Yup - i wish i could get out earlier..but tough on that particular day..

A part of me actually wants to give SIN-HKG-LAX-DFW-ORD-ROC a shot, just to see the expression on the SIN checkin agents face when i try to tag bags all the way through

garykung

If you can't get out earlier, I strongly advise against taking CX 716 due to domino effect. Also AA 3992 runs 1435-1710 on Saturday. You are well within MCT. ORD's customs is definitely better than LAX. FWIW - adding LAX-ORD may not save that much time as you think due to chronicle AA hub problems.

DFW is always under WX. Going through DFW will only increase your chance for misconnect.

If the agent does not know how to do that, they may simply tag SIN-HKG-LAX only (as you have to re-check in your first U.S. destination anyway).

Guy Betsy

I honestly wouldn't even try to check your bags all the way through as you have got to retrieve your bags at LAX anyway. Then recheck your bag at LAX for the rest of the AA flights. With a multi - tag, ie 2 bag tags needed ... your bag is most likely to get lost after LAX and especially at DFW. Do not assume that flights will run on time. DFW is infamous for misconnects and baggage getting lost.

Why can't you fly SIN-HKG-ORD-ROC. Even with the latter arrival, you will arrive much more refreshed than doing all the transits !

jagmeets

Thanks guys -appreciate!

garykung: thanks! I had not realized that AA3992 leaves 35 minutes later on Saturdays, meeting the MCT, though i think that a 1720 arrival would still be a bit late for me (explained below).

Guy Betsy: thanks for the insight on DFW - transitted there just once and was stuck at the size/taxi time/potential gate distance, add the bad track record on baggage and I'll definitely be trying to avoid DFW. Guess i'll keep the "5 segment bag tag" section of my collection vacant for now.

Thing is, scheduling wise, I need to be at a function in ROC by 7PM and have to atleast try to fit in a visit to a relative before that. (the try is important, Asians would understand, just as my relatives wont understand why i cant be leaving SIN a bit earlier)

Hence the convoluted options via LAX, which could have AA 4089 (1200-1435) as a backup for the ORD-ROC segment.

garykung

Sound like you have no option at all (I even tried SQ SIN-EWR FWIW). In that case, #1 then.

But a quick reminder - due to arriving flights in the evening for TBIT, you need to add additional time for Customs and immigration, as well as security (even you have Priority).

Shuttle-Bored

Bump. Anyone got any recent experience of connecting CX to AA (and vv) at LAX? Will be connecting on to LAS - outbound we'd have about 2.5 hours, inbound 1.75:

CX884 Cathay Pacific HKG 12:55 LAX 11:20
CX7781 American Airlines LAX 13:55 LAS 15:05 0
CX7510 American Airlines LAS 10:05 LAX 11:20
CX885 Cathay Pacific LAX 13:05 HKG 18:55 +1

Will be in business, and both OWEs (if that makes any difference whatsoever!). Will be booked as a single ticket.

sxc

What specific questions about the transfer do you have?

Shuttle-Bored

Any insight on how immigration is coming off CX884, ease of transfer etc would be helpful.

77W_12A

Click on my profile for a pic that I just uploaded from my 884 arrival. It was a madhouse.

I think the best time to avoid a long queue is to take 880. I chatted with an immigration officer once and they told me the CX flight is the last one to arrive usually, but I would imagine it's not a great flight for connections.

avm2806

4 sectors can't be done on one bag tag, so that will require manual tagging - very risky for luggage... max is 3... Keep that in mind while building connections

sincera4565

Since this thread has been bumped, I would ask my question about LAX transfer here. My family (HKG passport) is going to visit the States during May. We are going to leave HNL and head back to HKG via LAX (so it will be HNL-LAX-HKG)

We are on AA162 and will arrive LAX at 2055 and depart from LAX at 2355 on CX883. Here is a few questions that I am not sure:
1) I believe 3 hours would be enough even for non-US citizens, is there anything I should be aware of?
2) At HNL, I would ask the counter to send our baggage all the way to HKG. However, do I need to pick them up at LAX?
3) What will be the process in LAX? I assume it will be Landing->Exit terminal->Security Check in Int'l terminal->Take off. Is there anything that I miss?
4) None of our party has any OW status but I am in green status in MP. Would this be any helpful to have this status? I am hoping to make this as smooth as it could be for my parents.

Thanks!
-Pete