I think CX might be adding more flight time now? All TPE-HKG flights are now over scheduled for over 2 hours, whereas pre-pandemic this was not the case.

These days I am doing many connections at 7 am with huge lines everywhere, including the one in 44 and the one in 27 gates, which used to be less crowded in the past. The only silver lining is that these days there seem to have the new scanners everywhere and you don’t need to take out anything’s from your bags as before.

As I can use the e-gates (having registered recently) next time I can I am planning to do what many people do in LHR, that is, cross the border and do the security from land-side. Anyone has tried this way?

Maybe not a viable option

Morning outbound security can be easily over 15 minutes
Morning is very crowded getting to HKIA that I have my driver drop me off at train and do online check in.

The vehicle access can be as long as 15+ minutes from CXcity.

So you'll go through the e-gates, go landslide into the arrivals hall, then take the escalator up to departures and go back through security? I must admit that's a novel approach! I can see the logic in it if there are very long and very slow-moving queues at the transit points and if your arrivals gate happens to be near the top of the terminal and thus a short walk to the e-gates... so please let us know how this experiment goes!

I will try it if the lines continue being so long… but indeed not sure at all it would work more efficiently than staying in line for 30-45 min which is what I get these days at 6 to 7 am arrivals…

In LHR terminal 5 this is a common approach as there is a special line air-side for First class passengers and OWE, normally with very few or no one there, which is not the case in HKG unfortunately.

I will reply back if I try it :)

I never transit at 7am, although I do occasionally transit HKG. I sometimes exit and reenter for different reasons (usually to drop off or pick up physical items for my next flight), the end result is the same as what you propose.

Its efficiency is gate dependent. If you're dropped off at gates 1-25 or so, and your departure gate is a similarly low number, it could maybe make sense if the transit lines are as congested as you experienced. I've personally never experienced them that bad but I've also never experienced the 7am transit (at least not in a decade, well outside my memory window!).

The plans inefficiency breaks down in a few places:
*Arrival gate, which is fairly random, but CX seems to have nearly exclusive access to most of the 60s gates and some of the 40s meaning those gates get a high pct of flights and happen to be the most inconveniently located from immigration/security aka farthest (but closest to Pier and Bridge)
*Departure gate: same issue as above, special sting if your arrival and departure gate are 60+ for example, and trying what you suggest
*Departure security, I'm not sure if you get the CX priority security pass thing, I rarely navigate the regular line and it usually seems fine but occasionally I've noticed maybe a 5-10 min wait vs. usually instant for the priority line
*A not-small amount of potential walking, if you care

Overall I probably wouldn't recommend it, however I'll also add the exit transit / reenter strategy is extremely easy and very predictable. About as easy as it can get. Just I'd be surprised if it really was a time saver, unless perhaps you arrive at like gate 5 (next to immigration) or something like that, and the transit checkpoint there is backed up. I wouldn't do it to save time with a gate 40-60 arrival and departure, although as I mention above I've done the landside transit a few times before for other reasons including a unlucky gate pairs, and it's never a huge problem.

Any recent experiences about opening of the transfer security points?
Will transit in two weeks arriving on a flight from Europe shortly before 7am. Last time in November there were huge lines at gate 27 and E2. E1 was closed.

I think (and not 100% sure about my memory) E1 was closed when I transited in Nov. but reopened where I was there in Dec.?

Now, lots of ppl at W1, and staff keep redirecting them to gate27 transit point.

I'll be on a similar schedule end of February and am also curious about this. Did transit at 63 open back up? Someone above said it was closed until the New Year.

I've got plenty of time with my connection but obviously, would just like to get through security quickly to relax in the lounge.

I don't have a question, just wanted to say that yesterday was one of my best transiting experience I ever had.

Arrived from KLA and transited to LHR in PE - it was a long taxi after landing and a very long walk from arrival to the transit point, however transit was empty and I had almost 45mins in the Bridge Lounge. More than expected. Would do again any time.

HK Express transit question
 

Have an upcoming trip in which I'm arriving QR and departing UO to Taiwan. Assuming that I only have hand luggage and have successfully OLCI for the HK Express flight, where can I get the document verification done ? I didn't purchase their "U Connect" option, so can I access one of the HKIA transfer desk for this, do it at the gate, or need to clear HK customs/immigration ?

Pretty sure UO transfer desk at arrivals before immigration can facilitate

Arriving before 7 am and transfer is a bit of a nightmare, if you ask me. Last week W1 was overflowing, having arrived in a 30s so I walked to the one in the 40s and was closed, so I walked back to W1 and assumed everything else was going to be a similar thing, I stayed there and was in line for 30 minutes. I did it two nights ago again after 9 pm and W1 was fast, though you still need to take out computers from the bags (something not necessary in the 27 transfer point as they have the new machines).

These days, I assume that arriving early morning it will be messy, so I try not to stress too much. CX in particular knows who is going to miss a connection and wait for you at the gate, hold your hand and cut the line for you in security and assure you to get to the right gate on time.

Thanks, having never done this before I'm just hoping they don't insist that I must have the "U Connect" paid option and force me into immigration route - which is not end of the world as I have time