CX/AC Interline/Transit in YVR (quick reply requested)
 

I'm considering flying the following:

CX888 arriving YVR at 20:25 and then AC156 to YYZ departing at 22:30. Both of these are on separate tickets.

Will CX interline baggage to AC? Will they issue onward boarding passes at HKG?

Or will they just do the bags but not BPs? Do I need to change terminals. I see MCT according to KVS from CX I-D is 120 minutes.

Am I cutting it too fine or is this basically doable? What is the procedure for transit?

I'd really appreciate a quick reply as I'm travelling next week and need to buy my AC ticket appropriately. The other option is to check in only upto YVR and then check in from scratch onto AC162 which leaves at 23:35 but I'd like to avoid that if the 22:30 connection is doable.

What about bags? I'm in CX First but I'm in AC Economy so I get no bags for free? Where would I have to pay the bag fee?

Thanks in advance!

Another alternative is a Westjet flight leaving YVR at 22:55. Is that any better?

do you not have the option of having the WS fligth code shared from YVR to YYZ?

i do know WS has interline agreements with CX and also code share arrangements.

I've already issued by HKG-YVR ticket, so at this point code share on WS isn't an option.

My first choice would be to take AC at 22:30 assuming I can check bags at HKG. My assumption would be that the process works something like this (if it can, indeed, happen):

1) At HKG, check in bags though HKG-YVR-YYZ, get BP for HKG-YVR only
2) At YVR, collect bags and go to domestic transfer belt, drop bags (pay bag fee here??)
3) Find a transfer desk and get an onward BP

According to KVS, CX has interline agreements with both AC and WS but I'm not sure what this means. I called MPC to ask and they said that I can't through check CX-AC because it's a different alliance but I'm pretty sure that MPC doesn't have the correct information on this.

Answers:

1. No point cos you still must collect bag at YVR and go through customs. But CX can if you want, tag it to YYZ. It has nothing to do with 'alliance'. MPC knows nothing if it ain't what they are taught.
2. Yes.
3. You may print your own BP 24 hours before flight.

Thanks Guy Betsy.

Do I have enough time to do all this if I want to make the 22:30 AC flight?

It depends on how long is the queue at immigration. If yours is the only flight arriving at that time, you will have no problem. Once you exit the immigration area, you will be able to "deposit" your bags at the transfer counter. However, you must ask CX to tag your bags all the way to YYZ. You will also need to print out your BP ahead of time.

http://www.yvr.ca/en/navigating-yvr/...rough-yvr.aspx

I've gone ahead and booked the 22:30 connection. According to AC even if I don't connect, I can check in upto 30 minutes before departure (checkin should be completed before this time).

With a 20:25 scheduled arrival on CX, even if I take an hour to get out (can't imagine it could possibly take that long) I should still have enough time to make the connection.

I do have an APEC card - does anybody know if in YVR they honour the APEC card privilege to use a special immigration counter and does it make a positive difference with regards to speed?

Thanks. Does this mean that CX will issue my AC boarding pass here in HKG too?

Not unless it's on the same ticket. Sepeate tickets require separate check in. You may do OLCI.

There is a separate queue at immigration for transit passengers. The Airport staff in green uniforms will direct you thru the proper line which are shorter tan the regular lines.

Separate TKTs do not necessarily prevent through check-in, nor does single TKT always allow it. CX will be able to issue you the BP on AC segment if AC allows it and if the CX agent knows how to do it.

No bag fees other than those paid on CX as CX is MSC

If the guys at F checkin at HKIA don't know how to do it, then I don't know who else would... :) Anyway by midweek I'll have a definitive answer and will report back here.

Does MSC apply even if the two flights are not on the same ticket?

At HKIA, CX was able to check my bags through to YYZ and also issue the BP for my connecting AC flight. ^