Connection time: An acceptable risk?
 

Firstly, I apologise if there was a more appropriate thread to place this in - I went through five pages and couldn’t find one.

I have a booking SYD-HKG* in February - CX110 that arrives at 3.10pm. My ultimate destination is Hanoi/HAN - but unfortunately CX had not released HKG-HAN schedule when I elected to book.

Now the flight I want to book is available - CX743 - which leaves at 5.10pm.

My choices are: book that with a two hour contingency - noting that bags will be checked through - but they are separate tickets, OR go through the rigmarole of visas etc and stay a night (or two) in HKG.

Ideally I would take the same day flight as most times CX110 is on time; but my head is saying not to.

Would you/should I risk it?

CX will check through on CX-CX itineraries.

The bigger question is whether you're a visa national since you mentioned about the faff of having to apply a visa.

2 hours is an acceptable risk. And long haul is seldom delayed that much unless the plane comes in late (which you can probably check for around check in) or goes tech for a while (which is really unlucky)

and once you through check your baggage (even on separate ticket) you are de facto in the care of CX and they will even have someone at the gate waiting if they see the connection becomes too tight. I would say they would even book you on a next flight if you miss.

qn is though what happens if you miss? where are you going to stay if you can't go landslide... if you are OK slumming it airside then I would personally go for it

I came to this thread expecting to see 35 mins on separate tix. ;)

This isnt risky!

Absolute no brainer. Low risk. Do it. Yes of course if your ex-SYD leg is 2+ hours delayed you may misconnect, but it's rare.

Otherwise, there's no better major airport in the world than HKIA for such a thing. For perspective I regularly connect CX to CX at HKG, my last 60 minute gate arrival to next departure connection, I spent 20 minutes in the lounge. (I also prefer to board last; CX gate closes 10 mins before departure, key to note). 2 hours is an eternity in HKIA connecting.

To help your case or if you're nervous, check in online for your second flight and have your BP ready so you neednt visit the transit desk. (Although this is pretty fast also if needed ) If for some reason you land from flight one with 35 minutes to spare, flag the people who will be standing at the jet bridge and ensure they know you've got a connecting flight (just on separate tix). They'll escort you thru transit and are in touch via their cellphones with whoever at CX holds flights for transit pax. I've had a few close calls but *never* missed a flight just due to dumb luck of a bad transit (I've had flights leave without me but it was known in advance and we were hours delayed, I was met at jetbrdge with my alternative).

Absolutely not an issue at all. Good luck (but you won't need it!!!)

I know right :D 2 hours is longer than most of my transfers at HKG...

I am a bit puzzled. You write that you currently have a SYD-SIN in February 2026.
Does that mean that your ticket is SYD-HKG-SIN on CX.
If so, you run the risk that CX in SYD will check through your luggage to SIN.

If that is a typo and you meant SYD-HKG, then it is plenty of time. However, February 2026 is very far away and schedules have a chance to change.
You seem to mention that you need a visa to get into Hong Kong. Then you'd better get one for the first flight SYD-HKG on a separate ticket.

CX110 (which he mentioned) is a SYD-HKG service that arrives at 3:10pm (which he also does mention), so the SIN bit is probably a mistake.

Sorry - totally a mistake - it is SYD-HKG. Just so used to go via SIN and not HKG.

Thanks all for your replies. I’ll make the booking with the two hours wait and then just hope for the best!

While I am visa free my partner isn’t (ostensibly transit visa free but requires visa to enter); so we would have to stay airside if there was any issue.

Wish the connection was longer purely because of lounge time though!


Really appreciate all of your thoughts.

I think that the advice about needing a visa for your partner is very sensible and required: My general understanding is that an airline can't check you in on the SYD-HKG leg, even with a separate different booking, unless they can see a visa for HKG as that is for that explicit booking. So I believe you need to plan this in. I'm speaking about this conceptually, as I've no idea if Cathay (or Hong Kong) will be more flexible.

Note: In hindsight booking 11 months in advance, it likely would have been easier to wait and book it all together, avoiding this visa trouble and missing your flights (Doesn't apply if you are flying at CNY when early booking makes sense). If you need to go airside or pick-up and drop bags then 2 hours at HKG isn't enough, see this thread: https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/hong...kg-2-45-a.html

An easy override for most airlines/countries..atleast for CX,SQ,UA,AA,QR,TG in my experience (I need a visa for many countries and have flown more than a fair share of ‘funky’ cross ticket itineraries)

That said however, I recall reading posts on FT about BA being problematic on this.

CX is really good for connections on separate tickets.
But I wonder what is their procedure is when your first ticket requires a visa for the final destination (Hong Kong).
I am not familiar with what HK immigration/CX requires.
Many airlines would not let you board unless you have the right to enter your ticket final destination.
Again, CX might have a different policy and accept the second ticket as transit for immigration purposes.

Thanks all - we would likely obtain the visa anyway just to be on the safe side.

Unfortunately I couldn’t book together as CX hadn’t released flights to HAN when I booked - while there was a good deal on SYD-HKG. I could have waited of course but the period of travel is close to Tet (the purpose of our travel) so just wanted to book it in.

Given that you have a lot of time, once you have bought the HKG-HAN tickets you could contact CX (assuming you bought the tickets direct from them) and ask if they could merge the two bookings onto a single PNR. That would mitigate any risk of problems at the initial check-in.

Thanks - will try that as it is direct.

Is it not possible to just change the first ticket you bought to end in HAN?