malcolmcampbell

I am flying glasgow - LHR - Bangkok - Siem Rep, all on one BA PNR and BA flight numbers. The last leg carrier is Bangkok airways. Can anyone advise if we have to go landside with all the joys of immigration and security or can we stay airside to change planes?
Any advice welcome

corporate-wage-slave

That is an international connection, and happily you are on one ticket. So you should be able to interline any baggage and therefore stay airside at BKK. If you have checked baggage and there is a problem at GLA (rather a high prospect I'm afraid) don't worry, allow them to tag to BKK, then at BKK get the Bangkok Airways staff at flight connections to rescue your bags and send them on their way. In fact you should do this anyway, the BKK baggage handling system is unique to that airport and all connecting passengers should check that the receiving airline is aware of your tags. There is a security check at BKK but you stay airside and there's no immigration. And possibly a lot of walking if you are unlucky. If HBO just connect in the usual way.

malcolmcampbell

thanks C-W-S - truly the fount of all knowledge

jdtravels

I always check at the transit desk when connecting through a Thai airport. Even if the baggage was 'tagged through', there's always a chance of it being dumped onto the baggage claim belt for some reason. (I was once told, connecting from KUL, that my bags were tagged through - luckily, on my way out of the airport for my long(ish) layover, I decided just to stop by the belt to make sure my bag was not there, but guess what, there it was going round on the belt...)

msm2000uk

One thing to add, is that you may have issues if you do not have an onward boarding pass.

The airline desks, when in transit, are after security. As such, make sure you have a paper printed copy of your itinerary - ideally from the Bangkok Airways website. Show this, when prompted, to the security personnel at the Transfer Security Checks.

BA tend to park closer to West Security, so look out for the signs when you land. Do not follow signs for Immigration - follow the blue Transfer signs.

M

malcolmcampbell

thanks everybody - very helpful!

Amarone

I have a couple of similar questions so hope no-one minds me using this thread.

I'm scheduled to arrive in BKK at 12.30pm on a QR flight. I'm going to buy a separate ticket to HKT probably on Bangkok Airways.

Will I be able to follow the blue transfer signs after arrival in BKK and presumably stay airside?

What would be the earliest flight experienced FTers would book to HKT given that I will have a bag in the hold from Doha?

Thanks

msm2000uk

If a separate ticket, you will need to collect your bag, and check-in at the Bangkok Airways counters. As such, you will not be able to follow the signs for Transfer Passengers.

You will need to follow the yellow signs for Immigration, having filled-in the double sided Immigration Form given to you on the plane by QR.

Once done, collect your bag, and take the lift up to Departures. You will find Bangkok Airways on Row F.

Depending on your class of travel on QR, you may be given a Premium Lane pass. If so, allow at least 70mins from walking off the plane, to reaching the Bangkok Airways check-in desks.

If you are in Y, and thus no Premium Lane pass given, allow at least 2 hours as a minimum - although this can be cut to 90mins depending on how quickly you walk, and which QR service you are flying on (due to other incoming Y-heavy flights).

One additional thing to note, is to see what time the Check-In counters will 'close' for your flights on Bangkok Airways - I'm not sure if its 60mins, or 90mins.

M

Sam Bee

Queue's at BKK have been horrendous of late, but most Bangkok Airways tickets have low or minimal change fees (check before paying). So you could get a flex ticket (often £70-£100 o/w) and if you get through immigration quickly get PG to put you on an earlier flight (they have 8-10 flights a day on the route). They have a 17:30 flight which you should be fine on, but you could feasable make the 14:35 if all goes well.

Bangkok Airways are very good and flexible in my experience, and i've done this en-route to Koh Samui when getting into BKK early with EY.

Frequentflyer99

I know that the quoted comment was not referring to transit, but just to reassure those transiting that having transited twice in the last week, there have not been any queues worth mentioning for internat - internat transit security, and on the first occasion I was through in 10 mins and on the 2nd in 2 mins. The transit process was actually very simple and painless (leaving aside the poor lounge choices and general gloom of the terminal facilities).

Sam Bee

Yep - sorry - I do of course mean immigration. I only seen to get extremes horrendous queues or no-one at all. Transit i've always done pain free.

South London Bon Viveur

I've been through BKK twice in the last couple of weeks and it was fine, albeit (1) I had Priority Lane access and (2) I was not arriving on the BA but on CX and then on MH, both in the evening. In the past I have had some pretty long waits as well, and as has been mentioned above, some of the walks can be pretty long too.

Amarone

Many thanks for the very useful info - I'm in J so hopefully might be given a Premium Lane Pass.

Amarone

Hadn't thought of buying a flex ticket - great idea - will look into that. Many thanks for the suggestion - much appreciated.