anabolism

We're flying ICN-HKG-SYD-CHC in January 2010. CX cancelled our ICN-HKG flight in the most recent cutbacks, and moved us to the earlier flight, 8:50 AM from ICN. This is rather early for me (especially since our positioning flights LAX-NRT-ICN arrives at 8:55 PM, and I don't think 12 hours allows enough time to clear immigration/customs, get to a hotel, check-in, unpack, sleep, get up, shower, get to the airport, clear immigration/security, etc.).

My TA suggested putting us on the 3:15 PM ICN-HKG flight, which is only 55 minutes to connect to the 7:05 PM HKG-SYD flight (which connects to the only SYD-CHC flight). She says it is a legal connection. It'll be rushed, and no lounge time of course, but if safe sounds better than an 8:50 AM flight.

Should I be worried about a 55 minute connection in HKG?

sxc

45 minutes is a legal connection in HK. It should be fine, however, there is a 11.55 pm flight to SYD in case you miss the connection, and on some nights there is also a 9pm flight.

If you are booked on the same ticket, you should have no problem with CX getting you on the later flights to SYD.

anabolism

It's not so much the HKG-SYD flight I'm worried about, since as you say there are two others, but the SYD-CHC connection. The two later HKG-SYD flights misconnect SYD-CHC. But I notice there is a legal HKG-SYD-CHC connection on QF one hour later than our HKG-SYD flight, so if we have a problem perhaps CX can put us on QF (which should be fine since we're on ax xONEx).

I'm glad to hear that 45 minutes is a legal connection in HKG! Thanks for the info.

salfcl

You may have to get assistance from CX ground staff if the queue for security is long. In my situation, the security personnel would not allow me to get to the front of the queue even though I showed them my flight was leaving in 35 min. I wouldn't make it to the gate if I remained in the queue. They told me to get a CX staff to help.

christep

If you have your onward boarding pass then go to the transfer point that's near gate 27 or thereabouts. There is never a queue.

anabolism

If time is tight, should one request assistance from CX ground staff before heading to the security line (such as immediately after getting off the plane), or wait and see if the line is bad? If the latter, are there CX staff near the security line?

Thanks for the tip.

norse_aztec

I don't know if class of service matters (I think not), but my experience has been that if the inbound flight to HKG is late and the connection is tight, then there will be CX agents with signs waiting as you get off the jet bridge that will escort you through security to your next flight.

yg_miles

HKG is one of the only airports where I am quite comfortable with short connections. The airport is well run and does and excellent job of managing tight connections and will usually have staff meeting people at the gate to help expedite them if the connection is especially tight.

I once had a connection where I arrived at the furthest gate, cleared customs passport control / and health check (which you won't need to do), got bags I had left at the baggage storage, checked them, cleared security/passport control again in 19 minutes! I ended up with time for dinner in the lounge on a ~1 hour connection. I would never think of doing that in that amount of time in most airports.

If you chose to take the earlier flight the Hyatt Incheon is excellent and very close to the airport.

scubadu

I agree with most of the other posts here. HKG is very well run and I certainly think that 55 minutes is doable if everything is going your way.

What always makes me a bit uncomfortable about these types of connections, on international flights, where the "stakes" are high for your next connection, which is sometimes the last flight of the day, is not the arriving airport ops but rather the chance of your flight being late on arrival in HKG.

If your arriving flight is greater than 55 minutes late inbound then it won't matter whether 45 minutes is a "legal" connection or not...

Regards

anabolism

How tight does it have to be for this?

Wow! It must have been an off hour or you have HKFV card -- it often takes me 19 minutes just for immigration (which, as you note, I won't have to do.)

Thanks. We'll want to stay close in any case. We're staying in Seoul for a few days in June and will stay in town to sight-see then (when it's not winter). This time, it's all about the connection.

Yes, this is a concern, especially since we're connecting twice: at HKG and at SYD. There's a QF flight HKG-SYD that's one hour later than our CX HKG-SYD flight and still a legal connection for the SYD-CHC flight, so my plan is that if the ICN-HKG flight looks to depart late, I'll ask CX in ICN to switch us to that.

KACommuter

I think this all depends on whether you have check-in luggage. I agree that HKG is one of the few airports in the world where I would risk a 55 min connection. If you hit a 20 min delay on your ICN HKG inbound flight CX will have gate staff to help you to make your onward flight, but luggage may be another matter. And you have yet another connection after that.

rascally14

My Aug 11th connection was missed. JFK-HKG-TPE

We were 2 minutes late getting in.

I flew into Gate 4 at HKG and needed to depart gate 21, which is the first gate in the very long gate atrium, (20-80 gates or something like that - the one with the subway underneath.)

Before I accepted my ticket at purchase, I questioned the transfer time and I was smuggly told that the 55 minute connection would not have been made if it wasn't likely I would make my next flight.

Stupid me.

The CX staff who met us as we disembarked in HKG held up signs that we would be accommodated on the next flight to TPE. He was firm that the luggage would not make it while I physically could.

It turns out that as the last poster suggested, the luggage was the issue. 53 minutes was NOT long enough to get the luggage to the next aircraft. A large group of us were booked on other flights to TPE and KUL BEFORE WE ARRIVED. In other words, he had time to make up a sign and have the new connections already handwritten down as to our new flights. I was totally annoyed and recalled the smug airline agent with contempt.

Also, when minutes are important, it matters if one is on the back of a huge plan that can take up to 3-8 minutes to get off if seated in the rear...but this does not affect luggage.

The next flight that we were put on was canceled and another aircraft took its place. Thank goodness I had prioritypass for the added 3 hours. We ended up leaving gate 7 after mass confusion as the electronic departure boards were not updated in time.

Bad day for HKG connections on CX. Pretty shameful service actually.

I have flown CX at least 5 time previously with no issues. Each time was a generous connection in HKG.

I'm not dissing CX as I really love to fly with them, I'm just relating this relevant negative HKG transfer experience to the ops q.

christep

I would whinge at CX about that if true - seems totally out of order to me. There are plenty of tales here of people and their luggage making 20 minute connections, never mind 55.

(Note to others, be aware that this is Post #1 from this poster...)

QRC3288

That seems strange to me...gates 4 and 21 are EXTREMELY close to each other. 2-3 minute walk. Even closer if you're driving luggage around on the tarmac. There are only three gates closer in the whole place (I think 1, 2 and 3). Maybe they had a last-minute gate change? Otherwise that should be no problem at all

rascally14

Beware of my first post? If it's true?

Thanx for the cold welcome megaposter.

QRC3288 - Huh? Gate 4 and gate 21 are not 3 minutes apart. 8-10 minutes min. after going down the very long hall and through the transfer security. I gave a very specific location for gate 21 (which is used by CX for many of its TPE flights) as I've been there half a dozen+ times. Besides, it's a luggage issue, not a body issue so insisting they are EXTREMELY close as you choose only applies if one has no luggage....and the op likely has luggage.

And yes, CX certainly dropped the ball on the arrival of that Aug 11th. arrival. I was peeved off royally...

But whatever, my first and last post in this fairly hostile environment for newbies.

Oh gee..newbie...he must have lied...

...although I've been enjoying and reading flyertalk for years.....