Transfer in Guangzhou (CAN)
Jun 9, 2017 | 8:46 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Nov 2005
Location: on the path to perdition
Programs: Delta, United
Posts: 5,018
Transfer in Guangzhou (CAN)
Not very often but once in a while I have a new transfer / layover city to sort out. I did some initial searches to get a few details but wanted to ask for some additional thoughts.
We have a really crappy 9 hr lay over arriving at ~5pm from North American and leaving for Indonesia at ~2am. Normally with that much time I would go into the city but given the time of day and the onward flight my initial thought is get a 24 hour transit visa and a room at the Pullman Hotel at the airport and try to catch some sleep.
If we did that how much time should we allow for getting back through immigration and to the gate. The outbound flight is on Garuda (but as a China Southern code share)?
I am going to assume that are bags are going to be checked all the way through so we should not have to deal with them. But if experience shows otherwise let me know.
Any other ideas or considerations??
A side question - the ticket is a miles ticket (thus the crappy layover). There is an earlier Garuda flight. Any thoughts on how China Southern/Garuda is on letting people get on a earlier flight? There is one at 7pm which would be easier all the way around. we would have take it but way more miles.
We have a really crappy 9 hr lay over arriving at ~5pm from North American and leaving for Indonesia at ~2am. Normally with that much time I would go into the city but given the time of day and the onward flight my initial thought is get a 24 hour transit visa and a room at the Pullman Hotel at the airport and try to catch some sleep.
If we did that how much time should we allow for getting back through immigration and to the gate. The outbound flight is on Garuda (but as a China Southern code share)?
I am going to assume that are bags are going to be checked all the way through so we should not have to deal with them. But if experience shows otherwise let me know.
Any other ideas or considerations??
A side question - the ticket is a miles ticket (thus the crappy layover). There is an earlier Garuda flight. Any thoughts on how China Southern/Garuda is on letting people get on a earlier flight? There is one at 7pm which would be easier all the way around. we would have take it but way more miles.
Jul 28, 2017 | 11:22 am
#2
Original Poster
Join Date: Nov 2005
Location: on the path to perdition
Programs: Delta, United
Posts: 5,018
As no one replied I thought I would followup. First the flight left about 1.5 hours late. Second bags were checked through to CAN because the layover was more than 6 hours.
When we arrived CZ gave us two options we could go through immigration and collect our bags and then check ourselves in at the 3 hour mark. Or CZ would collect or bags check, us and we could remain in the terminal or lounge.
As we left I was given a lounge pass we chose the latter which meant giving CZ our passports. We were escorted up to the terminal and lounge but then they would let us in even though we had been given a pass. I was not a gold member and not a CZ connecting flight (though a code share). I was kinda pissed about that.
At that point we had wasted an hour so it was certainly no longer worth going through immigration. So instead, we found a "quiet" spot in the terminal for the next three hours.
Finally around midnight we headed back to the transit desk. First we had to find someone to let us through the doors. Fortunately CZ had a desk in the terminal with someone still at it who could call down to the transit desk and come get us.
At the point we joined several others include 4 people who came off our flight but missed their connection because our flight was late. They had been down there the whole time. About 45 minutes later - approximately 1.5 before our flight a woman came in with a stack of passports and boarding cards.
We double checked everything and went up to the gate. At that point it was about 1am and all the shops had closed. So the folks waiting had no chance for a snack - other than the water and saltine crackers the transfer desk gave out.
All in all it worked out.
When we arrived CZ gave us two options we could go through immigration and collect our bags and then check ourselves in at the 3 hour mark. Or CZ would collect or bags check, us and we could remain in the terminal or lounge.
As we left I was given a lounge pass we chose the latter which meant giving CZ our passports. We were escorted up to the terminal and lounge but then they would let us in even though we had been given a pass. I was not a gold member and not a CZ connecting flight (though a code share). I was kinda pissed about that.
At that point we had wasted an hour so it was certainly no longer worth going through immigration. So instead, we found a "quiet" spot in the terminal for the next three hours.
Finally around midnight we headed back to the transit desk. First we had to find someone to let us through the doors. Fortunately CZ had a desk in the terminal with someone still at it who could call down to the transit desk and come get us.
At the point we joined several others include 4 people who came off our flight but missed their connection because our flight was late. They had been down there the whole time. About 45 minutes later - approximately 1.5 before our flight a woman came in with a stack of passports and boarding cards.
We double checked everything and went up to the gate. At that point it was about 1am and all the shops had closed. So the folks waiting had no chance for a snack - other than the water and saltine crackers the transfer desk gave out.
All in all it worked out.