HK connection
 

Hey folks,

How's connecting in HK these days? Any rule or regs to be aware of? Will I be able to get landside to check in for my connecting flights (planning Taiwan to UK via HK). Cheers.

You cannot go landside. You can only transit in Hong Kong if you have a through ticket.

I would have two non-connected tickets, one for Taiwan to HK and one for HK to UK. Impossible to connect then?

No. Must be a connected ticket.

Ok, I'll try to buy both via BA then. Thanks!

Must be on the same eTicket.

You must be issued a continuing board pass at your origination as there is no transfer desk service. You bags must also be checked through.

AND you must be on airplanes of the same airline-group. So, BA to CX, or whatever is not allowed. Which effectively shuts down your options to transit with CX. Please correct me, when I am wrong.

That part has been loosen. As long as it's same ticket and checked through it's fine.
https://www.hongkongairport.com/en/i...523424631510-3

Is there anything open at night? It looks like I have to fly TPE-HKG-NRT (one ticket), with an 11h layover overnight in HKG.

I have a NCL-HKG award I need to use on BA. Can't add another flight to the ticket but would like to get to HKT. I would be able to get a BP by checking in online and also I haven't taken a check-in bag on a flight since 2008. Reckon there is a chance of such a situation working?

Still not officially allowed as of now: https://www.hongkongairport.com/en/i...523424631510-3

The rule says "under the same ticket," so if you can't add another HKG-HKT flight to your award ticket, it technically doesn't meet the requirement. That being said, it is theoretically possible (but not easy to do) to add a CX revenue segment on a BA award PNR via a travel agent. BA's policy is to through-check to other oneworld carriers only if on the same PNR. This might help with the through-check with boarding pass part of the requirement but still not the same ticket part.

Yeah it’s difficult to know whether they mean one ticket number when they say ticket. To a lay person, one PNR would be one ticket.

I can’t seem to access timatic rules on EF (maybe pulled during covid) so I can’t see what the exact wording that BA will see on their screen... I doubt the HKIA or CX website will be used by BA staff to get their rules. However I bet timatic does clearly state both flights on one ticket :(

In fact, CX's website says 1 booking per https://www.cathaypacific.com/cx/en_...it-in-hkg.html

Since CX is always willing to through-check if doable, it's a different story compared to originating the trip with a BA flight.

TIMATIC actually says "same ticket":

The short answer is NO.

How much time should a person give to make a connection in HKG. Is two hours long enough or would everyone suggest more time?

HKG is nowhere close to busy right now so providing your flight arrives on time, it should be enough.

Is it possible to transit airside with two separate CX tickets ( to and from HKG)? Would I be able to check in luggage at port of origin to final destination?

Normal time, yes. Right now the requirement explicitly stated it has to be in a single booking.

Remember they aren't just saying baggage has to be checked through to the final destination and/or you have your onward boarding pass so until that requirement is dropped that doesn't matter.

I have a second sector left over from an AM award booking issued way back in 2019, and which is now rescheduled for October. The sector originates in HKG and I am unfortunately not in HKG. Before COVID I would have booked a one way positioning flight to HKG and called it a day, but looks like that won’t fly at the moment.

I was wondering if it might be doable to book a TPE-HKG-XXX flight to any random asia destination to get past the same ticket restriction, so I can at least get through the transit area to the departures hall, then just ditch the second sector, and online check-in for the left over sector originating in HKG without going landside.

Does anyone know whether online check-in is still allowed and if electronic boarding passes are still being issued without having to show up at the check-in counter?

IIRC you can call Asiamiles to add a separate TPE-HKG segment and award ticket into your existing award booking. This way all tickets would be under the same PNR (not same ticket)

What you said sounds possible, but I wouldn't bank on the last assumption. Even if electronic boarding passes can be issued to some other pax, it doesn't mean it would be for you, as the system might block it due to entry restrictions. Also, this is definitely under the assumption that you are not checking bags.

If they can do it, great, but sounds like MSC (Married Segment Control) violation to me. A TA might be able to do it (was able to do it myself pre-COVID), but very very risky these days.

To jaytw: Feel free to PM me since we are both in Taiwan, if you really want to try, although I strongly advise against it.

Not sure if it's for all destinations, but many destinations now require document check, and online check in has been suspended for those.. Will require you to check in, in person at the airport...

and many destinations require COVID-19 -ve test reports for check-in.

you need to find a XXX place which you are eligible to enter first.

If you cant enter that place (XXX), then you will most probably be denied boarding at TPE.

Not sure about the Covid situation in TPE in Oct. but there is someone who is returning to SIN from TPE in late May, was not able to book a pre-departure PCR test. The earliest slot is 2 weeks after booking.

My understanding is Wing F is currently open 05:30 until "last departure" but not sure when that is during these times. Apart from that I assume pax transiting with overnight connection in HKG simply have to wait it out in the terminal. Anyone got recent information on this?

CX:829 Ckeck in YYZ/HKG/BKK
 

CX:829 Ckeck in YYZ/HKG/BKK
What to expect(??)
Online check-in(boarding Pass)??
Vaxx Cert(??)
Dbase

Why don't you do a bit of your own research?
The CX website is good to answer most of your questions.
The main issue is to satisfy Thailand entry requirements. Transit in HKG won't add to your requirements. as long as you are on a single ticket with bags checked through. Thailand is experiencing a big covid wave. Testing is limited there, so the number of cases reported strongly understate the situation. Entry requirements can change on short notice. Documents will be checked at YYZ.

No online boarding passes as they check documents at the airport.

You will still need to apply for the Thai COE from the Thai embassy, which can take a while and has many requirements, prior to boarding. 14 day quarantine in Bangkok is still required at least until Oct 1st or further notice.

Bumping this thread to see if anyone has up to date information on precisely this point.

I am sure I am not alone in having had flight schedule changes that mean (extremely) elongated layovers.

In my case on a MEL - HKG - LHR schedule in J on CX / BA (one ticket / PNR) on Aug 11th.

BA pulling forward the HKG - LHR from a 23 10 departure to 13 15 means I can’t connect from the one CX MEL - HKG flight per day.

So now arrive HKG at 21 45 and leave at 13 15 next day.

Specific question is the one posed above:

What time does The Wing close (“last departure”) ahead - per the CX website - of reopening at 05 30?

Guess there would be no difference between when the F or J class lounges close? (As a OWE I can access F)

Just trying to figure out how much time I might have to spend in the Terminal 😀.

In days gone by there used to be flights to places like DXB and BOM that left around 02 00 but of course schedules these days are somewhat different.

Thanks in advance for any up to date information.

You might have further changes.
It is unclear whether your BA32 flight will operate, but so far it does.
I don't know what ticket you are on, but it might have been better to change to CX251 (HKG-LHR) which provides a good 2h connection (provided it operates).

You can see the current departures on:
https://www.hongkongairport.com/en/f...passenger.page

Today the last OW departing flight was CX675 at 01:15, but this is not a daily flight.

You might also consider a plan B avoiding HKG as transit point, such as QR.
Good luck.

Many thanks Brunos - very helpful.

Am braced for further changes to BA 32 in this rather “fluid” situation.

Had though about CX 251 but - and I should have mentioned this - this is a FF points booking (using BA Avios) and there is no availability on CX.

I do have a “back up” to avoid HKG as a transit point which is an SQ booking via SIN (also on miles)

This is rather better than QR via Doha given SIN is (currently) on the UK’s “Green List” (as is HKG) whereas DOH is of course “Red” (requiring hotel quarantine upon arrival in the UK)

Arrivals from Green List countries of course do not require hotel quarantine.

However 14 days is a long time on a Covid world so we’ll assess the situation daily!

Thanks again for your help.

Flights HKG-LHR are quite full nowadays. BA is even running two flights on some days. You might get some last minute award on CX251, but not obvious given how full the flights are.

Silly I did not remember that Qatar is red-listed.

Just wanted to post an update on this in case someone else might find it helpful.

I called MPO and explained my situation. The agent was super helpful and very proactively tried to find a solution for me. He was eventually able to add an additional award segment to the original PNR as you said, with absolutely no fuss at all.

In the app it now shows up for me under the same booking.

https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...e5e2db018.jpeg

Now fingers crossed that the flights don’t get cancelled!