I flew from SFO to HKG to TPE earlier this month (March 2026).
CX 879 to HKG, and then a quick overnight before CX 530 to TPE.
The staffs at SFO made such a big fuss about me asking them only to short check my bags through to HK.
First I was going to bring my bags back home first, and then I intended to fly the next day. The staffs were very unpleasant to deal with and they were only begrudgingly short check my bag, after seeing my onward tickets from TPE to elsewhere. The junior/part time staff insisted that he needed to ask his supervisor.
In the end, it was relatively straightforward. The staff obviously knew how to do it without his staffs supervising over him. I have a feeling that CX is cracking down on passengers throwing the last segment.

Despite fares will slightly increase if your stopover is over 24 hours but less than three days, it may worth it if you are a CX FF and want to short check your bags only to Hong Kong. Technically they cannot check your bags on a +24 hours stop.

The curious part is that when I asked the CX staffs at HKG - first class counters - the following day about short-checking my bag to HKG only from SFO, she said that it was perfectly fine and any trained agent can do it easily!

Carfield

Have an upcoming 2hr 40min same-day connection at HKG from BKK; has anyone recently been allowed (or denied) to short-check their baggage with a similar transit time?

(Have a return ticket from the onward airport)

Side note: KIX has the most stubborn and clueless ground staff I’ve ever seen with CX. Went into an hour-long argument on how to clear upgrade waitlist and include multiple long distance phone calls with CX CS to resolve the issue.

It's actually more work for CX to locate your bag on your connecting flight and deliver it back to you at HKG once you tell them you don't want to fly upon landing. Airlines can't transport a checked bag when the associated passenger isn't onboard the flight. CX is arguably shooting themselves in the foot operational wise by refusing to short check luggage. Not to mention I can think of plenty of legitimate reasons why one would need it during a layover.
For example:
- carry-on bag not big enough to fit everything
- dropping things off for someone
- need something from the suitcase during layover
- hange of clothes when flying between two different climates
- need medicine

Etc. etc.

The list goes on and on.

I agree with a comment above about forking out a little more for a connection at HKG that's over 24 hours. Probably worth it to avoid the hassle and anxiety. I prefer stress-free travel and don't want to have to talk through a wall. I know for a fact that a connection at HKG exceeding 24 hours on a XXX-HKG-XYZ-HKG-XXX is still cheaper than a HKG-XYZ-HKG roundtrip.

Sorry, none of those are 'legitimate reasons'

- Not big enough to fit what? Your kitchen sink?
- That's not CX's concern. They sold you a ticket from XXX-HKG-YYY, as long as they get you and your luggage to YYY
- That's what your personal item/carry on is for
- That's what your personal item/carry on is for
- Med?? That's what your personal item is for

You do know carrying liquids more than >100mL is still prohibited right? How is someone supposed to carry that on a plane?

And no, I'm not interested in filling up my backpack to be as heavy as a brick just to ensure I won't need access to my check-in luggage at HKG. If CX really cared about service, they would provide the convenience of letting people short check their bags to HKG to reshuffle personal belongings as needed. Kudos to check-in agents who still allow this.

What you wish and what your ticket allows you to do are two different things.
Airlines require to check your bags to your final destination unless a stopover.
Whether you like it or not, it is not the question.
There are well-known reasons why airlines do that, not only CX. Some airlines charge a hefty fee to do it. Some CX agents apply the rule more strictly than other. But that's the rule and it makes a lot of sense to me.

Recent experience as OWE, HND-HKG-PEN with a 18hr layover in HKG arriving at 2pm and departing at 8am the next day.

Expected a need to fight or call for supervisor if the check in staff reject my request to tag the bag only to HKG. But the first class check in counter staff at Haneda has swiftly checked my bag to HKG after I inform her I am going to HKG only today. No fuss. She even help me pack my umbrella into a box for check in.

sounds to me that we are all already preapred for a fight , which mean we already know we might not 100% can perform a short check.