jona970318

Haha, hopefully that won't be too bad and I hope KHI won't be a bad choice that I'll end up regretting...

77W_12A

It goes with the territory. Yeah, fares are fantastic, but you have to go through a bit more scrutiny. You must ask yourself, is it worth having to go through it?

I did it for a while, but I must say, after doing the turnaround, you'll feel exhausted the entire day. What I'll do is go to Healthland and get a two hour Thai massage.

MPC

Will there be high chance of being ssss ed if the CX ticket is from Dubai to US and return? I plan to buy the ex UAE ticket to US because of the big discount. Many thanks

antkleve

Yes, we had to go through extra security on a recent trip from DXB-JFK, not worth the hassle.

jona970318

wow! DXB as well!! that's really surprising!!

Global321

Not 100% the correct thread, but I do not think there is a correct thread for my question...

I arrive on a Bangkok Airways flight at 12:30pm.

Connecting on the Cathay Flight to Hong Kong at 9:30pm

I want to just hang in the lounge. (Day rate at the hotel is not available.)

In the past, I have gone from CX to CX... easy and simple. BUT, the CX agent had to get me through the connecting flight security. As I will assume no one from CX will be there, any chance, I can still use the connecting security?

(I am assuming I will have my CX boarding passes and lunge pass.)

Thoughts? Anyone do it?

SFO777

You should not have a problem. Just hang left after you enter the customs hall entrance to the terminal and tell security that you have a connecting flight. If no CS agent is nearby, they will call someone who can escort you upstairs to the departures level.

I arrived on UL departing on the same CX as you, but didn't have a BP. Airport staffer (not even CX employee) took my passport and flight info and returned 15 minutes later with my BP/passport and escorted me upstairs to departures.

Global321

Thanks SFO777. In your case, CX was there to give you the BP. While I plan to have my BP with me, there will be no CX folks around. (I am also hoping the entry card for the lounge prints. I believe it did last time.)

Last year, I was able to go the CX checkin desk in Bangkok and they were able to print my MLE-HKG-ORD boarding passes and lounge cards. I hope to do that again this time.

I will report back Saturday what happens.. hopefully from the lounge!

Global321

Here is the complete situation and resolution for those interested – Flying Bangkok Airways, Bangkok to Male, 9:30 am, landing at 12:30. Flying Cathay Pacific, Male to Hong Kong to the USA, at 9:20 pm.

Problem –
Cathay Pacific only flies one flight a day in and out. Check-in desk opens at 5:20pm (or 6:20pm, depending on who you ask.) You can check in online but cannot print boarding passes. That would leave me with 5 hours in no man’s land.

So the options –
There is a day hotel, but runs upward of $200. You can pay $50 - $70 for the privilege of hanging out in their lobby and pool. Personally, I would rather hang in the club with internet access, air conditioning, food and booze. So I needed to get a boarding pass and a club pass before landing.

My only chance would be at the Cathay Desk at BKK Airport. At the Bangkok airport I went to the Cathay Desk. I explained to the nice agent my dilemma. She was thoroughly confused by my being in BKK but flying Cathay Pacific out of MLE and wanting my MLE boarding passes in BKK. The first three times I asked the agent, I got “no’s”. Having done this before, I knew it was possible. I insisted and after two calls to a supervisor, success! She printed the passes and lounge passes.

At the Maldeves -
Got a strange look when I showed the agent for connecting flights my boarding pass from CX. They took my bp and passport to verify the bp. (They could not understand how I was able to get my bp printed in BKK.) It took 20 minutes to get it all verified, but all is good. I am sitting in the lounge now.

So the summary…
Yes, you can get your Cathay Boarding Passes in BKK for flying out of MLE, without flying Cathay out of BKK. I now have gotten them every time in BKK. (I have tried in HKG to get my MLE boarding passes… sometimes yes. Sometimes no.)

LausanneBoy

My apologies for reviving a (somewhat) old thread (sorry silly me did not see this was on a CX-specific board, but I suppose the same issue could happen on CX pax too). I am planning on doing the same thing (direct airside transit) very soon, arriving on EY and departing on UL.

I know that bringing in alcohol of any kind in any quantity past the customs is a big no-no for MLE, but how about having it in (checked) baggage while in airside transit without ever entering the Maldives? Is this permissible? Has anyone any experience with this? Really want to bring a little bottle of Blue Label for a friend but unfortunately this is the routing I chose have.

Any pax of EK652, MU713, BA2043 or any other direct flights that have a stop in MLE before continuing on to a 3rd destination have any experience/insight to share?

Many thanks in advance.

LB

Global321

I have not done it with checked bags. But let me add some thoughts, having passed through the Maldives many times now, sometimes stopping, sometimes not.

If you need to get your bag in the Maldives, obviously, you need to clear customs and two security screenings, so that wont work.

If you don't check your bag, you still need to clear security. They do an x-ray of your bag. So I don't think that wont work.

If you can check your bag through to your final destination (outside the Maldives) I would think you would be okay.

If you do it, please report back to our little thread here. It may not be that active, but it is great for info on Maldives customs and security.

LausanneBoy

I'm sorry but just to be clear, you mean they x-ray your bag for security (like everywhere else) or do they x-ray your bag for religious contrabands as well when you clear security?

Global321

They x-ray like every where else when transiting. Seems very casual.

The last time I was leaving the Maldive's we went through two bag screenings. The first one was more casual, the second one was very in-depth.

I could not say for sure what exactly they search for when they x-ray as I did not have anything in my bags that might cause a problem.

Global321

A few weeks ago, leaving BKK on Bangkok air, I was able to get the CX agent at BKK to print my boarding card and lounge card for MLE so I could spend my long layover in the lounge as opposed to waiting in the non-air conditioned outside terminal. (See earlier post.) CX counter is only open a few hours a day, in the evening.

My friend this week tried to do the same thing, but was told no at BKK. So he did have to wait outside with no wifi.

Yesterday I had no problems at BKK getting all my boarding cards from CX... BKK-HKG, HKG-MLE, MLE-HKG, HKG-ORD. In this case it was all CX flying.

So the point is, don't count on it 100% unless you are flying all CX.

Also - 3 of us last night were doing the same day turn. Great guys, father and son on an adventure.

amgsl55

Since the new arrival and departure time is around 1.5 hours at MLE, has anyone tried turnaround at MLE recently? What's your experience?