Is HKG same day turn around possible now?
Jul 26, 2022, 7:30 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Jul 2015
Location: SYD | HGH
Programs: CX DM, Hyatt Globalist, Hilton DM, Marriott Plat
Posts: 2,121
Is HKG same day turn around possible now?
under the current travel restrictions, would I be able to be able to board a flight SYD-HKG-SYD same day turn around, without actually entering Hong Kong? The purpose for the flight is to pick up my daughter from HKG.
Jul 26, 2022, 10:56 am
#2
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: Toronto, Canada
Posts: 946
I think your odds of success are slim.
Transit is allowed on a same ticket (and any luggage must be checked through - current rules here) but Hong Kong would be your destination and not a transit point. You would need an agent to generously interpret the rules to let you board the flight to HKG, which is NOT how things are done for HKG-bound flights in this environment.
Separate to the point above, flight schedules to/from HKG are never set in stone these days. The likelihood that your flights operate as you expect isn’t as high as you would need given your inability to go landside at HKG.
In sum, this is not at all advisable until the HK government decides to open the borders.
Transit is allowed on a same ticket (and any luggage must be checked through - current rules here) but Hong Kong would be your destination and not a transit point. You would need an agent to generously interpret the rules to let you board the flight to HKG, which is NOT how things are done for HKG-bound flights in this environment.
Separate to the point above, flight schedules to/from HKG are never set in stone these days. The likelihood that your flights operate as you expect isn’t as high as you would need given your inability to go landside at HKG.
In sum, this is not at all advisable until the HK government decides to open the borders.
Jul 26, 2022, 4:00 pm
#4
Suspended
Join Date: Mar 2022
Programs: OWE. KLM PE.
Posts: 125
In theory yes but practically No as its almost certain you will not fly on the ticketed flight. Plus the chance of your daughters flight been cancelled are equally as high as yours
Jul 27, 2022, 3:26 am
#7
Join Date: Oct 1999
Location: New York
Posts: 7,347
NO, NO, and NO
There is no more transit desk in the traditional sense. You have to transit with a thru ticket and ground staffs will meet you on arrival and send you to the transit security immediately.
You can try to do a Southeast Asia like BKK/SIN/KUL/SGN/HAN to Sydney via Hong Kong, and then just meet up your daughter in the secure area. If she is too young to travel on her own, it is impossible. CX will not sell you a turnaround ticket because in order to enter Hong Kong, you must have all the documents including a 7 days quarantine hotel reservation. If you must pick up your daughter, you just have to fly to Hong Kong, go through the seven days of quarantine and pray to God that you don't get Covid! Maybe you should ask CX if they still have their UM unaccompanied minor program.
As of this point and in the foreseeable future, you cannot exit immigration and custom, and then pick her up at check-in. Once you arrive in Hong Kong, you have to go to quarantine hotel. There is no exception except you are a diplomat of a certain level or Jaime Dimon, CEO of Chase.
Carfield
There is no more transit desk in the traditional sense. You have to transit with a thru ticket and ground staffs will meet you on arrival and send you to the transit security immediately.
You can try to do a Southeast Asia like BKK/SIN/KUL/SGN/HAN to Sydney via Hong Kong, and then just meet up your daughter in the secure area. If she is too young to travel on her own, it is impossible. CX will not sell you a turnaround ticket because in order to enter Hong Kong, you must have all the documents including a 7 days quarantine hotel reservation. If you must pick up your daughter, you just have to fly to Hong Kong, go through the seven days of quarantine and pray to God that you don't get Covid! Maybe you should ask CX if they still have their UM unaccompanied minor program.
As of this point and in the foreseeable future, you cannot exit immigration and custom, and then pick her up at check-in. Once you arrive in Hong Kong, you have to go to quarantine hotel. There is no exception except you are a diplomat of a certain level or Jaime Dimon, CEO of Chase.
Carfield
Jul 27, 2022, 6:37 pm
#10
Join Date: Jun 2003
Posts: 1,952
Jul 28, 2022, 2:53 am
#11
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: HKG
Programs: Marriott Ambassador (Titanium Lifetime), BA Gold, Ex-Hertz 5* PC, Ex-HH Diamond, Ex-BD*G
Posts: 3,062
Or a variant, so presumably the route would have to be something like this, which I'd only be offering for a kid that was probably 13/14 years old plus, as they'd have to go through HKG security and get to the right airline gate by themselves.
SYD - HKG - (Somewhere else, say BKK or SGN), overnight for a few days (not sure how often the return flights would be)
Then SGN - HKG - SYD: And then you meet your daughter on the HKG - SYD leg, but she'd have to check in (would they let an unaccompanied minor check in, probably not, would depend on her age)
It would take more than a day, it has risks of misconnects and similar, but could be better than 7 days in a HK quarantine hotel (and you probably wouldn't need to take a PCR test if you chose the destination well). Good news is that Cathay will probably charge you less than a SYD-HKG return.
SYD - HKG - (Somewhere else, say BKK or SGN), overnight for a few days (not sure how often the return flights would be)
Then SGN - HKG - SYD: And then you meet your daughter on the HKG - SYD leg, but she'd have to check in (would they let an unaccompanied minor check in, probably not, would depend on her age)
It would take more than a day, it has risks of misconnects and similar, but could be better than 7 days in a HK quarantine hotel (and you probably wouldn't need to take a PCR test if you chose the destination well). Good news is that Cathay will probably charge you less than a SYD-HKG return.
Jul 28, 2022, 4:04 pm
#12
Suspended
Join Date: Mar 2022
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Jul 28, 2022, 6:42 pm
#13
Join Date: Jun 2003
Posts: 1,952
You are not aware of the current situation and restrictions at HK Airport, are you?
Jul 29, 2022, 5:52 am
#15
Join Date: Oct 1999
Location: New York
Posts: 7,347
No you cannot do a turnaround in the traditional sense.
You have to fly to Singapore first, exit immigration and custom, and then check in at Singapore airport's normal check-in counters for flights to Hong Kong because of the strict document check, even if you are transiting only and do not require all those Covid tests and quarantine hotel. CX will be fined severely if they do not get the paperwork right. You have to allow at least four hours in Singapore Changi Airport for check-in on CX flights to Hong Kong. If you don't want to overnight in Singapore, you have to fly SQ or QF early morning or midnight flights to Singapore first, and then fly CX to Sydney via Hong Kong.
There is no transit desk for CX in Changi Airport.
Carfield
You have to fly to Singapore first, exit immigration and custom, and then check in at Singapore airport's normal check-in counters for flights to Hong Kong because of the strict document check, even if you are transiting only and do not require all those Covid tests and quarantine hotel. CX will be fined severely if they do not get the paperwork right. You have to allow at least four hours in Singapore Changi Airport for check-in on CX flights to Hong Kong. If you don't want to overnight in Singapore, you have to fly SQ or QF early morning or midnight flights to Singapore first, and then fly CX to Sydney via Hong Kong.
There is no transit desk for CX in Changi Airport.
Carfield