Please help. On LAX-HKG now And About to miss connection in HKG
 

I may have gotten myself into a jam here.

Flying LAX-HKG on AA metal and had a 1hr connection time to make the HKG-CGK CX flight.

This is an AA Y ticket.

Leaving the gate @ 12:55am (20m late), and THEN After sitting on the taxiway @ LAX for I think over an hour due to the pilot saying something about too much weight to take off in the rain (seriously), we finally left.

We are looking at an arrival time into HKG @ 9:02am now and the CX flight leaves @ 9:20.

Sitting in J so getting off first work be a problem (used two SWUs for me and my girl).

The NEXT flight to CGK isn't until 3:55pm....but.....

CX 719 HKG 3:55p → CGK 7:50p
F5 A5 J9 C9 D9 I9 W9 R9 E9 Y0 B0 H0 K0 M0 L0 V0 S0 N0 Q0 O0



Will my EXP status get us on this flight even if they have to put us in First/Business/whatever their premium Cabin is?

I'm actually DOUBLY screwed because CGK isn't our final destination. I have separate tickets on Air Asia to get us to Bali for a week. :(

So I don't think AA/CX will get us to Bali by re-routing. :(

I could use DL miles to get us nonstop to DPS (Bali) but wouldn't AA cancel our return flight home if we skip a middle leg (HKG-CGK)?

They'll rebook you to CGK if it was in one ticket. The air Asia ticket is a loss. Shouldn't book separate tickets like that.

Some air Asia fares allow free changes!

If you end up considering the DL option, call AA and explain why you're going to miss the segment. I've skipped a middle segment because of IROPS before and had a phone agent preserve the rest of my itin. (It's possible an airport/lounge agent could do it too, although I'm not sure what actual AA employees you'll be in contact with there.)

I've never seen a policy written about this, but it was done for me without hassle as a Gold, so I don't think it's too big of a favor when they can validate a misconnect due to an AA delay.

I'm assuming everything here except the Air Asia bit is 1 PNR...

It was $2,100 to fly to Bali, and $870+$132 to fly to CGK and then Bali.

Yes, I knew the risks inherent here.

I think I booked a flexible Air Asia ticket. I'll look into it once we land in HKG.

I'd have done the same thing. So would a lot of people here.

I will do this if I have to.

And yes. Phx-LAX-HKG-CGK and the return is one PNR.

Where should I go once I get to HKG to get this fixed? Do the Pier or Wing First Class lounges have agents to fix things like the ADmiral'a Clubs in the US?

I've only flown DL to/through HKG sand only twice so I'm not familiar with the airport.

I'm assuming AA doesn't have staff or a lounge at HKG...

A chance CX will have an agent greeting you at the jetway.

Barring that, I would try to go to the gate of the connecting flight first. Then look for a service center. I don't think the lounge is set up for this.

I think my first step would with CX to see for sure what I could get rebooked on. (Or if I'd actually missed the first flight to begin with...maybe it's delayed too?)

Then I'd see what my Air Asia options were. Make original flight, change flight, buy whole new ticket along original routing, etc.

Finally, if you need AA personnel, I'd probably just call the EXP line.

agree on shouldn't book on separate tickets.

On the side note, I had similar situation, y fare VIP upgraded, LGA-DFW-HKG (HKG-ICN on separate ticket on CX), DFW delayed over 2 hours and waiting, no way to connect the flight the same day, I called EXP line, they actually offered to fly me direct to ICN "on business the next day". (DFW-ICN, instead of going thru HKG), and I agreed, even though it will be on 777 vs 77W. Or else, I might need to buy another ticket to ICN.
Well, that's history, AA tends to be very flexible during IRROP, not sure if I can say that anymore. my point is you don't ask, you don't get.

Sounds good. And if AA is on the same ticket, youll be protected.

A last minute CGK-DPS ticket on AirAsia is something like $90-150 depending on which flight you take (you'd need to maybe add luggage, etc.). Hmm, risk paying an extra couple hundred USD if things go pear-shaped or pay $1,000 extra guaranteed just to have one itinerary guaranteed? Jakarta's also not a terribly expensive city to spend a night in a decent hotel if it comes down to that.

When you're playing poker, always keep in mind the size of the pot you're playing for...

This sounds about right to me.

Correct. Most ground staff (CSA and PSR) functions are performed by a third-party contractor (the ladies who wear the peach-colored uniforms). However, there are a couple of directly-employed AA ground staff at HKG, mostly for CK and supervisory functions. Look for them as you deplane--wearing dark suits and AA/OW lanyards around their necks. They might be able to help you figure out the connection.

If you try at the CX lounges, expect sympathy but not much in the way of actual help. CX lounge receptionists do not really handle much in the realm of ticketing or reaccommodation, and definitely not on a ticket issued by AA. (For example, it is a big deal for them to do even just a seat change on a CX metal flight.)

How do you use DL miles to fly HKG-DPS nonstop? Is that a GA route?

Why not ask them if they will route you to DPS on the 10:00 flight. Will not hurt to try.

YES.

22.5k Skymiles for each.

I will ask.

Following this thread - am doing exactly this (except to TYO) in 3 days...hoping everything works out for you OP.

Last thing that I want to do is to call the EXP desk at HKG and get a clueless agent...

Tweet to AA to be rebooked!

Sorry. I don't use any form of social media.

So make an account and tweet them to get rebooked!

Yes GA do fly that route

See if the AA ground agent can put you on GA 857 to DPS, departing at 15:45 or GA 863 to CGK departing at 17:10.

I use twitter mainly to communicate with airlines. Just sign up for an account--no point in missing a potential rebooking option on principle.

I've actually had the CX lounge agents, both at HKG and at outports, help me quite a few times with rebooking flights. Granted, two notes: (1) I am a MPC Gold member as well, and (2) to your point, it seems like they don't do the ticketing or reaccommodation themselves, instead calling reservations to take care of it. That said, they have always been happy and willing to help. And I've changed seats on CX metal flights at the lounge many more times, each time taking about 20 seconds.

Yes, but I would never have booked a 1 hour connection. But it's already said and done.

CX will likely have an agent meeting you in HKG unless the flight is so late there is no chance of making the connection.

If you do miss it you should tell them at rebooking your final destination is DPS. They may put you on CX785.

:confused: :confused: :confused:

AA is much more likely to be willing to rebook the OP and GF on CX rather than GA.

Not sure why AA or CX would rebook to DPS since the ticket is only valid to CGK. OP cooked his goose by not giving himself a long enough buffer at CGK. (Not to mention, AirAsia will cancel the return if he's a no-show. Might try to change that ticket online, or use Skype to call and rebook a later flight from CGK to DPS.) Given late arrival, go through transit security and to the connections desk if not met by a CX agent coming off the plane.

If your choice is between a 1+ hour connection and a 5.5 hour connection, you book the shorter one and hope for the best.
But of course, then you don't go and purchase a separate ticket after that without understanding the not insignificant risks (compounded by the horrendous reliability of this flight -- ExpertFlyer showing average delay of 135 minutes)

It looks like same-say one-way fares from CGK to DPS on AirAsia are only US$40-50. So shouldn't be that big of a deal to rebook that. Definitely worth the risk given the substantial price differential vs. flying straight to DPS per the OP.

Because CX are often quite accommodating of these things. Whether they will be willing/able to do it on an AA ticket is another matter.

In addition, I believe that in certain unusual cases, in which pax have very quick connections, CX ground staff might have negotiated with the airport authority for permission to facilitate sterile arrivals escorts directly to connecting flights (bypassing transit security checkpoints), since passport control/entry is not required--ALL flights out of HKG are international flights.

I almost made use of this program on my last connection through HKG. I was inbound from Vietnam and connecting through HKG to Canada. There was barely an hour to connect and I was worried about making the connection. There were others on board who had only 15-20 minutes. When we came down the ramp to the arrivals level, an army of CX agents was waiting for us, and they whisked the 15-20-minute connectors off in an electric cart. I approached one of them and inquired about my 60-minute connection, and he said "oh, you have enough time to go through transit security and go upstairs to the gate."

I took that to mean that others might not have time to do transit security. In those cases, I hypothesize that CX agents would escort those pax on the ARRIVALS level to the gate of their connecting flight, up the arrivals ramp (against the normal flow), and directly onto the aircraft. Maybe they would do some kind of makeshift manual security check to replace the checkpoint security. Again, this is just my speculation....not confirmed.

AA has done this for me before. I didn't make my flight from ORD->PIT on a delayed LHR->ORD flight (2 hour delay), but my final destination was actually PHL on a different airline. AA rebooked me to PHL from ORD.

I don't know if it mattered, but I did make it to the gate 12 minutes before departure, but they already closed the door because they didn't think I could make it. I was not happy and let them know it in a calm manner. I don't know if that had an affect and they felt sorry for me.

It was a MR back when they did a DEQM from PIT.

I assume OP has bags checked to CGK? In that case I don't see the logic in booking a HKG-DPS flight on your own. I would not expect CX to forward the bags to DPS when you're ticketed (with AA/CX) to CGK. There are literally flights every 20 minutes from CGK to DPS so either plead your case with AirAsia or buy new tickets for cheap. There's a Sheraton close to CGK which usually has reasonable rates (especially if you have SPG points to burn) so that may be a good option for your overnight in Jakarta. Good luck and enjoy Bali!

And ignore the obnoxious posters above who said "I wouldn't book a one hour connection at HKG" or "of course I'd pay $1000 more to fly to DPS". 99% of reasonable humans (my wife and I included) would do exactly as you did. One hour connections are generally easy at HKG. AA's inability to ever operate a 77W on schedule is the problem. And that 1000 per ticket goes a long way in Bali!

If that's a legal connection in HKG, and the alternative is 5+ hours, I can see where I'd go ahead and do it. HKG is usually an easy airport to navigate.

That said, I might then leave a lot of extra slack on the Air Asia ticket. But who knows what exactly the options were: it's possible I might have just taken all of the risks knowing I'd have to improvise a solution if things went wrong. Guessing a new Air Asia ticket wouldn't break the bank anyway...

Looking forward to hearing what happened. Since the OP has gone quiet, maybe that's a good sign. He's on a plane without wifi...not spending a whole day in HK with wifi...

OP let us know what happened. Good luck.

If they hold the flight for you, you will be met at the gate and escorted. If CX have rebooked you, you may be met at the gate and provided with new BPs.

If you are not met at the gate at HKG, then go to the transfer desk (you're going to have to go through transit security in order to get up to departures, anyway, and the transfer desks are right there. CX has priority queues at transfer desks.).

Once you're rebooked on CX you can deal with Air Asia for the CGK DPS portion.

CX is accommodating when it is their fault. In the OP case it is AA that is fully responsible for LAX-HKG delay and the consequences. If the cost of HKG-CGK and HGK-DPS to AA is about the same (it is about the same distance wise) and the seats are available, I do not see a reason why not to reroute to DPS!

I think you'd have a better shot at asking for a favor if the 2nd PNR was also Oneworld and not an LCC.

Although OW rules no longer require 2-PNR protection like they used to, that's a scenario where the EXP desk could probably do you a favor and give you "old rules" treatment. With an Air Asia ticket, it seems a lot less likely. That's a much bigger favor to ask...from Oneworld's perspective, a whole new ticket...