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Old Jun 12, 2016, 4:00 pm
FlyerTalk Forums Expert How-Tos and Guides
Last edit by: GoSh4rks
Unofficial List of FFPs eligible for e-Channel as of January 21, 2017:

1. oneworld

American Airlines (AA) - Gold/Platinum/Platinum Pro*/Executive Platinum/ConciergeKey
British Airways (BA) - Silver/Gold/Premier
Cathay Pacific/DragonAir (CX/KA) – Green#/Silver/Gold/Diamond
Finnair (AY) - Silver/Gold/Platinum/VIP
Japan Airlines (JL) - Crystal/Sapphire/Diamond/JGC Card/JGC Sapphire/JGC Premier
Malaysia Airlines (MH) - Silver/Gold/Platinum
Qantas Airways (QF) - Gold/Platinum/Platinum One*/Chairman’s Lounge
Qatar Airways (QR) - Gold/Platinum*
S7 Airlines (S7) - Silver/Gold/Platinum

2. SkyTeam

Air France/KLM Royal Dutch Airlines (AF/KL) - Silver/Gold/Platinum/Club 2000/Club 2000 Skipper
China Airlines (CI) - Gold/Emerald/Paragon
China Southern Airlines (CZ) – Silver Card/Gold Card
Delta Air Lines (DL) - Silver Medallion!/Gold Medallion!/Platinum Medallion!/Diamond Medallion!
Garuda Indonesia Airlines (GA) - Silver/Gold/Platinum
Korean Air (KE) - Morning Calm/Morning Calm Premium/Million Miler

3. Star Alliance

Air Canada (AC) - Prestige 25K!/Elite 35K!/Elite 50K*/Elite 75K*/Super Elite 100K!
Air China (CA) - Silver/Gold/Platinum
Air New Zealand (NZ) - Silver/Gold/Elite
All Nippon Airways (NH) - Bronze/Platinum/Diamond/Super Flyer Club
Asiana Airlines (OZ) - Gold/Diamond/Diamond Plus/Platinum
Ethiopian Airlines (ET) - Silver/Gold
EVA Airways (BR) – Silver/Gold/Diamond
Lufthansa/Swiss International Air Lines (LH/LX)@ - Frequent Traveler/Senator/HON Circle
Singapore Airlines (SQ) – KrisFlyer Gold/PPS/Solitaire PPS
South African Airways (SA)– Gold/Platinum/Lifetime Platinum
Thai Airways (TG)- Silver/Gold/Platinum
Turkish Airlines (TK) - Classic Plus/Elite/Elite Plus
United Airlines (UA) - Premier Silver/Premier Gold/Premier 1K/ Global Services

4. Non-alliance

Hainan Airlines/Hong Kong Airlines/Hong Kong Express (HU/HX/UO) - Silver Card/Gold Card/Platinum Card*
Jet Airways (9W)- Silver/Gold/Platinum
Philippines Airlines (PR) - Classic#!/Elite/Premier Elite/Million Miler
Royal Brunei Airlines (BI) - Gold Elite
Virgin Atlantic Airways (VS)- Silver/Gold

Key:
  • # - Base level (non-status)
  • * - New levels not included in ID's list but should be qualified.
  • ! - Current name for the status levels
  • @ - Miles & More is also the FFP for Adria/Austrian Airlines/Brussels Airlines/Croatia Airlines/LOT Polish Airlines. They are not included in ID's list but should be qualified.

Note:
  • Please refer to Immigration Department's website for the enrollment eligibility (Select "e-Channel Service for Frequent Visitors"), as well as the hours and locations of the enrollment offices. As of October 2, 2018, airport hours are North Hall: 7:30a-11:00p and South Hall: 10:00a-6:00p, and Immigration Building, Wan Chai, M-F 8:45a-5p.
  • If your FFP is not included above, assume that you are not qualified to enroll "e-Channel Service for Frequent Visitors" through your FFP membership. You may be still eligible to enroll "e-Channel Service for Frequent Visitors" if 1) you are a visitor using either HKSAR Travel Pass or APEC Business Travel Card with HKG endorsement; 2) you have entered and exited via HKG more than 3 times within last 12 months of the enrollment;
  • If you are not qualified to enroll "e-Channel Service for Frequent Visitors", you may be still eligible to enroll e-Channel Service through a qualified travel document (Australian Passport/German Passport/Singaporean Passport/ROK Passport/Mainland Exit-Entry Permit with qualified endorsements/Macau ID);
  • Kingfisher Airlines (IT) is included in ID's list but excluded above as it has ceased operation.
  • Anecdotal reports suggest a physical (i.e. non-digital) FFP membership card is REQUIRED to enroll "e-Channel Service for Frequent Visitors" through your FFP membership.
  • Electronic FF cards are accepted.
  • E-Channel renewals/transfers onto a new passport involve taking your old sticker off your expired passport and transferring it to the new passport. New stickers are still issued for first time enrollees.
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Old Jun 25, 2016, 2:36 pm
  #46  
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Originally Posted by moondog
In other words, does HK immigration bill participating airlines on a per person basis?
I don't think they are billed at all. The entire concept of visitor e-Channel is to save costs on low-risk travelers.

Originally Posted by moondog
How do they account for people that quality based on 3 entries?
Record search. Researching 12 months of immigration does not take that much time.

Originally Posted by moondog
Why are entries apart from hkia excluded?
As you are supposed to qualify by other means (Macau/Mainland Residents) anyway.
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Old Jun 25, 2016, 5:49 pm
  #47  
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Originally Posted by garykung
I don't think they are billed at all. The entire concept of visitor e-Channel is to save costs on low-risk travelers.
If so, then why wouldn't every airline serving HKG participate? And, why do some participating airlines include bottom tier status, while others do not?
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Old Jun 25, 2016, 6:07 pm
  #48  
 
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Originally Posted by moondog
If so, then why wouldn't every airline serving HKG participate? And, why do some participating airlines include bottom tier status, while others do not?
Why so many whys after so long time in Asia?
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Old Jun 25, 2016, 6:17 pm
  #49  
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Originally Posted by HKtraveller
Why so many whys after so long time in Asia?
I'm simply curious about the mechanics of the program, in part because if we had a strong handle on this stuff, the value of this thread would be even greater. The xls in the wikpost already sets us apart from all other sources on the internet, but there is clearly room to further improve our knowledge base.
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Old Jun 25, 2016, 8:09 pm
  #50  
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"If someone flies to HKG three times, can he enroll at hkia upon arrival #3?"

See earlier post:

"In front of me, a familly of 4 have been kicked out because it was the third time they entered HK... in fact you need to have enter (ok, you just went thru immigration), but you also need to have left HK 3 times..."

Also:

" . . . eChannel enrollment is pre-immigration."

Have they moved it? I thought I saw it right behind immigration, before baggage claim.
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Old Jun 25, 2016, 9:11 pm
  #51  
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Originally Posted by 889
"If someone flies to HKG three times, can he enroll at hkia upon arrival #3?"

See earlier post:

"In front of me, a familly of 4 have been kicked out because it was the third time they entered HK... in fact you need to have enter (ok, you just went thru immigration), but you also need to have left HK 3 times..."

Also:

" . . . eChannel enrollment is pre-immigration."

Have they moved it? I thought I saw it right behind immigration, before baggage claim.
So, do departures also need to happen at hkia? The official I spoke with in Wanchai only mentioned "entries".
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Old Jun 25, 2016, 9:18 pm
  #52  
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I don't know the definite answer, just pointing out that someone else has already addressed the issue here. It doesn't sound unreasonable, though, that they're looking for three completed visits to HK.
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Old Jun 25, 2016, 9:22 pm
  #53  
 
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Originally Posted by moondog
So, do departures also need to happen at hkia? The official I spoke with in Wanchai only mentioned "entries".
No they don't. I know that as a friend of mine has successfully applied and she left overland at least once, but it has to be three completed visits..
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Old Jun 25, 2016, 9:27 pm
  #54  
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Originally Posted by 889
I don't know the definite answer, just pointing out that someone else has already addressed the issue here. It doesn't sound unreasonable, though, that they're looking for three completed visits to HK.
I shot off email to them, and will update upon their reply, but I personally fail to see how a ferry to Macau or Shekou would fall short wrt the "completion" requirement. The bottom line is that this system is needlessly opaque, but we have the means to define it clearly.
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Old Jun 26, 2016, 1:22 am
  #55  
 
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Originally Posted by moondog
Just out of curiosity, I'm wondering how this scheme is funded. In other words, does HK immigration bill participating airlines on a per person basis?
Originally Posted by moondog
If (airlines are not charged), then why wouldn't every airline serving HKG participate? And, why do some participating airlines include bottom tier status, while others do not?
I've been wondering the same thing. It would appear that there must be some cost component to the airlines. And, why would the scheme be set up to require that airlines "participate" at all if there was no cost to them? But, if there is a cost, I'm surprised that so many of them do. It's all a big mystery.

It would seem that if someone wanted to get to the bottom of it, they could make inquiries of the Immigration department. One should be able to get a hold of whatever relevant forms and materials are made available to airlines in order to "participate." I can't imagine that these would be secret.

I can see why the gov't would require 3 entries in a year in order to enroll: they probably calculate the cost savings of automated inspection going forward vs the initial cost of enrollment.
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Old Jun 26, 2016, 1:30 am
  #56  
 
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Location: Macau, Hong Kong, Shanghai
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Originally Posted by moondog
I shot off email to them, and will update upon their reply, but I personally fail to see how a ferry to Macau or Shekou would fall short wrt the "completion" requirement. The bottom line is that this system is needlessly opaque, but we have the means to define it clearly.
As long as the ferry is not the one from the airport it would do the job of completion. Taking the ferry from the airport is no entry into Hong Kong.
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Old Jun 26, 2016, 2:13 am
  #57  
 
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Originally Posted by Steve M
I can see why the gov't would require 3 entries in a year in order to enroll: they probably calculate the cost savings of automated inspection going forward vs the initial cost of enrollment.

I think I agree with garykung here that

The entire concept of visitor e-Channel is to save costs on low-risk travelers.
If someone landed and departed HKG without overstaying/other issues,than you can consider them as low risk,same applies to elite FFP members. Ofcourse it's not a faultless scheme,but it benefits the majoriry I assume.
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Old Jun 26, 2016, 2:52 am
  #58  
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Originally Posted by Steve M
I can see why the gov't would require 3 entries in a year in order to enroll: they probably calculate the cost savings of automated inspection going forward vs the initial cost of enrollment.
The entries by "air" requirement perplexes me a little, if we assume that the primary goal of the scheme is "efficiency".

This leads me to suspect that hkia is involved in the program in a material manner.
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Old Jun 26, 2016, 4:23 am
  #59  
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Originally Posted by moondog
If so, then why wouldn't every airline serving HKG participate? And, why do some participating airlines include bottom tier status, while others do not?
First of all, allow me to thank Liams for the hard work again. However, I believe that the current list is still not inclusive. For example, I cross-match Liams's list with the list from Australian Business Traveller and discovered that JL was missing. Since JL has a strong presence in HKG, I don't believe JL has been removed from the program.

Looking from the card book of Immigration Department (captured by Liams), it makes me puzzled as it seems that the Department allowed an AA basic member to enroll.

I will attempt to obtain the list from the Department and see.

Originally Posted by 889
"If someone flies to HKG three times..."
I believe what you have referred was a post that was almost 3 years old.

Originally Posted by Rami Tamimi
If someone landed and departed HKG without overstaying/other issues,than you can consider them as low risk,same applies to elite FFP members. Ofcourse it's not a faultless scheme,but it benefits the majoriry I assume.
A classic example is at the beginning, TSA PreCheck is offered to U.S. airlines elite members only (managed inclusion). It is not flawless, but at least reliable enough.

Also - enrollment for the use of e-Channel is not a guarantee of admission by the Immigration Department.

Originally Posted by moondog
The entries by "air" requirement perplexes me a little, if we assume that the primary goal of the scheme is "efficiency".
I actually understand why.

Except for Kai Tak Cruise Terminal and HKG, all control points are either connecting to Macau or Mainland.

Since plenty of those people qualify for e-Channel under other schemes, what is the need to include any non-HKG entries?
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Old Jun 26, 2016, 4:48 am
  #60  
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@Gary: I gather that you haven't passed through Shenzhen Bay or Huanggang on a busy day recently. MANY people don't have eChannel access.
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