velivolus

I want to do my return trip in one day and the only really convenient route I have found for this is:


on PG:

VTE 11:40am > BKK 12:55 pm

in Bangkok connect to CZ:


BKK 3:35 pm > LAX 6:10 pm. (with layover in CAN)


Because of the timing of the flights I think this is only doable if I can check the luggage through but PG on their website does not list CZ as an interline partner.

However, through email correspondence with PG I have been told they can check my luggage through all the way to LAX.

I don't know exactly how this works, having never checked luggage through multiple flights before. Should this still be OK if there is no interline agreement, or could it lead to complications for me if my suitcase was lost/misplaced?

One other question, about China Southern:

In the most recent review I read on Skytrax, the reviewer said the stop in Guangzhou is actually more complicated. The reviewer wrote: "What they don't tell you is they cram you on a tiny plane and send you off to Urumqi or Wuhan first. You actually have to enter China." I could not find any other review which confirmed this. As others described it, they waited for their connecting flight in CAN and there was no problem. Which description is accurate?

Thanks for your help.

Mabuk dan gila

PG can interline luggage with most, if not all, legacy airlines at BKK. I don't know about CZ in particular but would be really surprised if they couldn't so I would tend to believe them if thats what they said by e-mail.

As for the review on connecting at CAN. Sounds like someone had a bad experience but while CAN will not make my top 10 preferred places to connect list, it's not that bad. No worries.

aBroadAbroad

As this is an airline specific query, your post should do better here in the Other Asian Airlines forum.

You might want to check FlyerTalk's China forum for information about connections/transits at Guangzhou: http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/china-613/

Good luck, and safe travels!

Moderator, Asia Forum

dsquared37

According to below PG has an interline agreement with CZ. And their CS has told you it can be done (but when dealing with PG that's never a guarantee of anything!!!).

[KVS Tool 7.7.1 - Reference: Interline Agreements [IET]: PG]
You might want to place both of your itins into your checked baggage. Also have a copy of your connecting itin to show the check in desk. Also be at the counter early. While I can't speak of VTE specifically I do know that check in tends to be outsourced with only 1 or 2 PG staff on hand so this could take a bit.... or it could be done in 5 min.

dvs7310

Your luggage question has been answered, but as for this one... all of the 3 major Chinese carriers have some odd routes that stop in western or southwestern China between their hub and an international destination (maybe CA doesn't anymore, forget), however these are only a few routes and not on key routes like hub to BKK, etc. Even the odd routes that have the intermediate stop are not that big of an issue as most passport holders are allowed 24 hours to transit in China and this allows entering and departing from different airports (the 72 hour waiver does not). Flights that have an intermediate stop will be noticeable on ExpertFlyer or KVS because there will be a 1 in the stops column if you search BKK-CAN, none of CZ's BKK-CAN flights have this. By the way if you're aware of China's geography, you'd realize that there is no way they are going to transport you to Urumqi en-route anyway, that is WAY out of the way, and Wuhan would make no sense either. Kunming is a more common stop point on the way between CAN or PVG to somewhere else.

While CAN is one of my least favorite airports to use for transit, it is modern and not difficult at all. Lines for INT-INT transit can be long at times and having a visa so one can just enter China and walk upstairs to International Departures is faster during those hours. If you have Skyteam Elite Plus to get into the lounge it will make the experience much more palatable.

m.y

CZ operates some long haul routes via secondary cities like CAN-CSX-FRA, CAN-WUH-SFO/SVO, PEK-URC-IST, however, both CAN-LAX and CAN-BKK are non stop.

velivolus

Thanks for the replies, and thanks dsquared for the KVS tool interline agreements. For some reason they don't have CZ listed on their website among agreements, though now it is clear they have one.

Is there a way to verify my luggage has been properly transferred when I am in Bangkok, or is this a pretty seamless process I don't need to concern myself about?

Another thing I'm wondering, since they can check through my luggage does that mean they can check me through as a passenger as well, and issue the tickets for my entire trip in Vientiane?

DVS, thanks for the further info about CAN. I have never connected there so I am not familiar with the process, but what you said got me thinking. Since I made a trip to China last year, I still have a Chinese visa with about a month's validity left. Are you saying that since I have one, I can use this to my advantage to bypass the transit lines and go right up to departures? Wouldn't I need to fill out the entry form and go through immigration? Not sure what is best to do. In a previous thread I saw someone mention that when they connected at CAN, a China Southern representative actually accompanied them--I'm assuming to expedite the process so they could make it to their connecting flight on time.