Originally Posted by
arabiamark
My situation is this: I arrive from HKG on CX in F at 8:15 pm. My AA connecting flight to CLT is at 5 am, also in F.
1. After clearing customs will I be able to recheck my bag for the next early morning flight? Recent threads on this haven't been totally clear.
Not sure. If the baggage re-check agents (immediately outside of the FIS area) do not want to check your bag, try bringing it up stairs to the main AA ticket counters and ask the agents there. Technically, I think you have to wait for day of departure to check bags given security reasons, but you might be allowed to do so given that you are connecting.
2. After this, at roughly 9 pm, will I be able to reclear security at T8 and be airside waiting for the 5 am flight? Based on what I've read I fear that I won't. There are also indications that they clear the airside of the terminal between certain am hours.
No. You will not be able to go airside, since your onward (departing) boarding pass is not for the same calendar day. The airside of T8 closes to passengers after the last flight of the evening until around 4am the next morning. Also, most of the terminal concessions will close for a few hours overnight, with the possible exception of Dunkin Donuts in the domestic arrivals area. If you take the AirTrain over to Terminal 1, I believe the land-side food court is open much of the night, and has places to sit.
Here's another idea.....given that you might be jet-lagged and still on HK time (where it will be morning at the time when you land), might I suggest that you either check or store your luggage (downstairs at arrivals, there is a facility) and head into Manhattan for a few hours to pass the time? NYC is a 24/7 city! There is always a lot to see, and plenty of 24-hour restaurants and diners that would love to serve your needs. Be sure to make use of LinkNYC, the fastest free municipal wifi in the USA. It is
astonishingly fast and available all over the city.
3. Assuming that I fortunately can clear security at that time, will I be allowed into the Flagship Lounge then? My understanding is that this is possible since my connecting flight is before 6 am the next morning. Also, there's some information that CX First Class makes one eligible for Flagship Dining. Would this be true also for an arriving passenger? Of course if I'm not allowed airside in the evening then this is all a moot point.
Moot point, I believe.
4. Next morning before the 5 am flight I would have some of the same questions about Flagship Lounge access and Flagship Dining. But the lounge only opens at 4:15 am right? So there wouldn't be much time to enjoy the lounge or the dining. Does Flagship Dining even have food put out at that hour?
Yes, you will be allowed access to the Flagship Lounge the next morning before 5am by showing your arriving CX First boarding pass, as well as your onward connecting boarding pass to CLT. You *might* be allowed access to Flagship First Dining, but my guess is
no--since CX pays AA to allow CX First passengers to use the service, and you would no longer be a departing CX passenger at that point.
Keep in mind that even though the lounge opens at 4:15, the hot breakfast items might not be on the buffet at
exactly 4:15. It might be more of a continental setup at first. I'm not sure. The last time I walked into the Flagship around 4:45am, they were just putting out the hot breakfast items, and I was the only person in the lounge for the first 20-30 minutes. But that was months ago...might have worked out the kinks by now.