Cathay Dragon 666

Mixed DYKWIA-attitude premium flyers with families with kids/infants at the same line? LOL, disaster waiting to happen.

If there is an airport that doesn't need premium security line it is HKIA. It is already very efficient. The premium lines might not be that much faster depending on how lax the "premium" qualification is. If Cathay allows Silver-Gold-Diamond, that means One-World equivalent too, that is a significant number of flyers.

I can see the "Taiwan situation" happen at HKIA. Taiwan situation is the Economy boarding line are always shorter than the "Priority" boarding line. I can see the "premium" security line will be longer than the non-premium lines.

garykung

The wait time in a specific POE depends on many factors.

In general, the lower risks the POE faces, the faster the service.

Wrong.

1. It is not a matter of entitlement. Instead, Children under 11 are not eligible strictly due to the fact that they are not required to obtain IDs. Hence, no fingerprint on file.

2. Cross Boundary Student (under 11) are eligible to use e-Channel at both Lo Wu and Lok Ma Chau Station if their travel document have been registered (Again - the registration is needed because the Department does not have their fingerprints on file).

BN(O) Passport is not eligible either, as it is also a proof of Hong Kong's right to abode.

Joking right?

Maybe the line requires some kind of passes issued by the airlines.

So no pass=no line.

triplefives

At SFO there is a premier line at the INTL terminal which actually ends up taking slower than the regular line at night (I'm not referring to the TSA precheck line). HKG definitely doesn't need this given it's one of the fastest security checkpoints in the world.

24left

I think many would agree with this view, and there are those who feel this is just a nice source of revenue for HKIA and not an effort at improving speed or efficiency.

triplefives

My fiancee travels with me to the US. She has an ESTA so she's entitled to use the US Citizen line. We've noticed a marked increase in the amount of time taken to pass through customs since inauguration. I don't think it's any surprise given the confusion within Trump's administration but if there is any time to get GE, it is now.

cxfan1960

Please keep on topic. Thanks.

cxfan1960
CX CoMod

Cathay Dragon 666

Just though more about this. The only real "quicker" screening is go back to the old days. No need to take laptop out of bag, keep belt on pants, items in the pocket. Offering premium pax security, and with HKIA being such a major airport with large amount of premium flyers, won't speed up the process HKIA already has.

USA already offers Pre-check that does that. Hong Kong can offer something similar to make it a true upgrade: a premium pax security line that also enhances the speed by the above mentioned.

Also, limit what "premium" means. If all major alliances can offer any elite tier members this "premium" line, it's going to be a nightmare.

ashsong

To tell the truth I've never taken my laptop out at ex-HKG security screening. They always ask me, but I just go right through the door with my laptop in my cabin suitcase. Not once have I been asked to open it after it goes through the machine...

Such attempts at other airports have all failed.

Could it be that my laptop has a really small battery?

CX30616

Not only the departure immigration, but the arrival immigration is extremely bad IMO... Arrived in CX636 which lands around 00:15, and the immigration line is extremely long and they only have 5-7 counters opened... The first time I spent more than 1:30 for immigration and the second time I spent nearly 1hr for that... Dont they even consider to open more counters? Or some premium fastlane? I really don't understand this.

(Their e-channel is also hard to use... I have to try many times for the machine to reading my passport and even once the staff cannot resolve my issue and asked me to use the normal counter...)

jagmeets

Perhaps ask them to re-enrol 'because the bar-code sticker they put on the back of the passport is damaged'?

BD1959

Reviving an old thread ....

Transiting HKG in September and have about 7 hrs. Have a midnight(-ish!) departure - which probably coincides with a lot of departures to EU for early morning arrivals. I'm thinking of spending some time downtown (weather permitting) and am wondering about how much time to allow to get back.

I'll be arriving and departing in J (QF arrival, CX departure):

1. Is Security Screening still as efficient as everyone was talking about here a year ago?
2. If not, does the Priority Screen lane still exist at T1 (since most were convinced here it wasn't really required)?
3. If it does exist, is it worthwhile - and what allows access: J BP or "special invitation"?
4. If "special invitation" - how is this obtained without actually checking in (since I will already be checked-in and have BP)?

Finally, I'll be travelling on both UK and Australian passports ... any particular preference/benefit as to which to use to enter/exit HKSAR?

Regards,

BD

QRC3288

Most of the comments refer to airside to landside, not transit. But yes HKG is very efficient. At times various transit checkpoints can get to be a bottleneck, but in the off chance a line is crazy, just bear in mind all transit checkpoints take you to the same place...departures. There is only one area for departures all connected: upstairs. Arrivals is downstairs. Thus, transit is just going from downstairs to upstairs. You've got a few misconceptions below have a look at the answers.

Just to clear up some misconceptions
1.) There is only one terminal at HKIA airside. "T2" is just checkin counters and irrelevant to transit pax. Transit = go downstairs (arrivals) to upstairs without clearing immigration. No need to think about terminals.
2.) And priority screening referred to here is for landside to airside pax (aka people originating in HKG). It isn't related to transit pax.
3.) Regardless, there actually never has been priority screening. I have no idea what happened to it but I haven't seen it at HKG like this thread was discussing. Anyway, it is 0% needed for pax originating in HKG. I could argue it would be helpful at transit, when on occasion there are lines. "Very long lines" by Hong Kong standards is 5-10 minutes. If you wait 15 minutes that is a crazy travesty and unheard of. Just to set expectations straight, it's a very convenient airport.
N/A
If you're transiting, you don't enter HK!

BD1959

Just to clear your misconceptions QRC3288:

>>> have about 7 hrs

>>> I'm thinking of spending some time downtown (weather permitting)

... so I *am* thinking about entering HKSAR ... sorry this wasn't clearer.

Regards,

BD

QRC3288

Ah that explains things.

Hopefully the answers above suffice. Landside security at HKG is frankly better, consistency wise than anywhere in the world, IMO. (Don't get me started on people saying Changi is best in the world. Most like Disneyland? Yes. Most convenient for consistency for biz travelers? HKG in a landslide IMO) An excruciatingly long HKG security wait would be 5 minutes, and goes without saying there isn't that silly "do security at the gate" thing which can waste time in a bottleneck. There is no priority at HKG and none is needed.

A weakness of the airport, finally being rectified, are visitors without HKID or HK Frequent Visitor status (these groups can go through the e channel). Exit immigration for visitors was more annoying than long, but the wait could be 10-15 minutes on a bad day. What's worse about it is the line isn't really organized. This is being fixed because visitors with the more advanced embedded e chip passports can just use a machine at exit, no need to talk to a human being. I am not familiar with UK or Aussie passports. I know the US and Japanese passports are e chip enabled and visitors can exit using the machines. So if one or the other is an old passport, enter on your newer one to save 5 minutes at exit immigration.

As I said in the previous post, just one airside terminal. CX's counters are at "terminal 1" anyway but regardless all flights depart from same area.

kaka

The only think i would recommend is if you have a gate1-4/21 departure, youd have a much shorter walk going thru security before 12mn.
the security by the wing shuts at 12mn n u’ll have to go to the far end by the qf lounge.