Last edit by: GoSh4rks
Unofficial List of FFPs eligible for e-Channel as of January 21, 2017:
1. oneworld
American Airlines (AA) - Gold/Platinum/Platinum Pro*/Executive Platinum/ConciergeKey
British Airways (BA) - Silver/Gold/Premier
Cathay Pacific/DragonAir (CX/KA) – Green#/Silver/Gold/Diamond
Finnair (AY) - Silver/Gold/Platinum/VIP
Japan Airlines (JL) - Crystal/Sapphire/Diamond/JGC Card/JGC Sapphire/JGC Premier
Malaysia Airlines (MH) - Silver/Gold/Platinum
Qantas Airways (QF) - Gold/Platinum/Platinum One*/Chairman’s Lounge
Qatar Airways (QR) - Gold/Platinum*
S7 Airlines (S7) - Silver/Gold/Platinum
2. SkyTeam
Air France/KLM Royal Dutch Airlines (AF/KL) - Silver/Gold/Platinum/Club 2000/Club 2000 Skipper
China Airlines (CI) - Gold/Emerald/Paragon
China Southern Airlines (CZ) – Silver Card/Gold Card
Delta Air Lines (DL) - Silver Medallion!/Gold Medallion!/Platinum Medallion!/Diamond Medallion!
Garuda Indonesia Airlines (GA) - Silver/Gold/Platinum
Korean Air (KE) - Morning Calm/Morning Calm Premium/Million Miler
3. Star Alliance
Air Canada (AC) - Prestige 25K!/Elite 35K!/Elite 50K*/Elite 75K*/Super Elite 100K!
Air China (CA) - Silver/Gold/Platinum
Air New Zealand (NZ) - Silver/Gold/Elite
All Nippon Airways (NH) - Bronze/Platinum/Diamond/Super Flyer Club
Asiana Airlines (OZ) - Gold/Diamond/Diamond Plus/Platinum
Ethiopian Airlines (ET) - Silver/Gold
EVA Airways (BR) – Silver/Gold/Diamond
Lufthansa/Swiss International Air Lines (LH/LX)@ - Frequent Traveler/Senator/HON Circle
Singapore Airlines (SQ) – KrisFlyer Gold/PPS/Solitaire PPS
South African Airways (SA)– Gold/Platinum/Lifetime Platinum
Thai Airways (TG)- Silver/Gold/Platinum
Turkish Airlines (TK) - Classic Plus/Elite/Elite Plus
United Airlines (UA) - Premier Silver/Premier Gold/Premier 1K/ Global Services
4. Non-alliance
Hainan Airlines/Hong Kong Airlines/Hong Kong Express (HU/HX/UO) - Silver Card/Gold Card/Platinum Card*
Jet Airways (9W)- Silver/Gold/Platinum
Philippines Airlines (PR) - Classic#!/Elite/Premier Elite/Million Miler
Royal Brunei Airlines (BI) - Gold Elite
Virgin Atlantic Airways (VS)- Silver/Gold
Key:
Note:
1. oneworld
American Airlines (AA) - Gold/Platinum/Platinum Pro*/Executive Platinum/ConciergeKey
British Airways (BA) - Silver/Gold/Premier
Cathay Pacific/DragonAir (CX/KA) – Green#/Silver/Gold/Diamond
Finnair (AY) - Silver/Gold/Platinum/VIP
Japan Airlines (JL) - Crystal/Sapphire/Diamond/JGC Card/JGC Sapphire/JGC Premier
Malaysia Airlines (MH) - Silver/Gold/Platinum
Qantas Airways (QF) - Gold/Platinum/Platinum One*/Chairman’s Lounge
Qatar Airways (QR) - Gold/Platinum*
S7 Airlines (S7) - Silver/Gold/Platinum
2. SkyTeam
Air France/KLM Royal Dutch Airlines (AF/KL) - Silver/Gold/Platinum/Club 2000/Club 2000 Skipper
China Airlines (CI) - Gold/Emerald/Paragon
China Southern Airlines (CZ) – Silver Card/Gold Card
Delta Air Lines (DL) - Silver Medallion!/Gold Medallion!/Platinum Medallion!/Diamond Medallion!
Garuda Indonesia Airlines (GA) - Silver/Gold/Platinum
Korean Air (KE) - Morning Calm/Morning Calm Premium/Million Miler
3. Star Alliance
Air Canada (AC) - Prestige 25K!/Elite 35K!/Elite 50K*/Elite 75K*/Super Elite 100K!
Air China (CA) - Silver/Gold/Platinum
Air New Zealand (NZ) - Silver/Gold/Elite
All Nippon Airways (NH) - Bronze/Platinum/Diamond/Super Flyer Club
Asiana Airlines (OZ) - Gold/Diamond/Diamond Plus/Platinum
Ethiopian Airlines (ET) - Silver/Gold
EVA Airways (BR) – Silver/Gold/Diamond
Lufthansa/Swiss International Air Lines (LH/LX)@ - Frequent Traveler/Senator/HON Circle
Singapore Airlines (SQ) – KrisFlyer Gold/PPS/Solitaire PPS
South African Airways (SA)– Gold/Platinum/Lifetime Platinum
Thai Airways (TG)- Silver/Gold/Platinum
Turkish Airlines (TK) - Classic Plus/Elite/Elite Plus
United Airlines (UA) - Premier Silver/Premier Gold/Premier 1K/ Global Services
4. Non-alliance
Hainan Airlines/Hong Kong Airlines/Hong Kong Express (HU/HX/UO) - Silver Card/Gold Card/Platinum Card*
Jet Airways (9W)- Silver/Gold/Platinum
Philippines Airlines (PR) - Classic#!/Elite/Premier Elite/Million Miler
Royal Brunei Airlines (BI) - Gold Elite
Virgin Atlantic Airways (VS)- Silver/Gold
Key:
- # - Base level (non-status)
- * - New levels not included in ID's list but should be qualified.
- ! - Current name for the status levels
- @ - Miles & More is also the FFP for Adria/Austrian Airlines/Brussels Airlines/Croatia Airlines/LOT Polish Airlines. They are not included in ID's list but should be qualified.
Note:
- Please refer to Immigration Department's website for the enrollment eligibility (Select "e-Channel Service for Frequent Visitors"), as well as the hours and locations of the enrollment offices. As of October 2, 2018, airport hours are North Hall: 7:30a-11:00p and South Hall: 10:00a-6:00p, and Immigration Building, Wan Chai, M-F 8:45a-5p.
- If your FFP is not included above, assume that you are not qualified to enroll "e-Channel Service for Frequent Visitors" through your FFP membership. You may be still eligible to enroll "e-Channel Service for Frequent Visitors" if 1) you are a visitor using either HKSAR Travel Pass or APEC Business Travel Card with HKG endorsement; 2) you have entered and exited via HKG more than 3 times within last 12 months of the enrollment;
- If you are not qualified to enroll "e-Channel Service for Frequent Visitors", you may be still eligible to enroll e-Channel Service through a qualified travel document (Australian Passport/German Passport/Singaporean Passport/ROK Passport/Mainland Exit-Entry Permit with qualified endorsements/Macau ID);
- Kingfisher Airlines (IT) is included in ID's list but excluded above as it has ceased operation.
Anecdotal reports suggest a physical (i.e. non-digital) FFP membership card is REQUIRED to enroll "e-Channel Service for Frequent Visitors" through your FFP membership.- Electronic FF cards are accepted.
- E-Channel renewals/transfers onto a new passport involve taking your old sticker off your expired passport and transferring it to the new passport. New stickers are still issued for first time enrollees.
Apply for E-Channel with FF status
#151
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: ZOA, SFO, HKG
Programs: UA 1K 0.9MM, Marriott Gold, HHonors Gold, Hertz PC, SBux Gold, TSA Pre✓
Posts: 13,811
#152
Join Date: Oct 2009
Programs: SAS Diamond (*G), Marriott Titanium, Hilton Gold
Posts: 424
#153
Join Date: Nov 2013
Location: Stockholm, Sweden
Programs: TK Elite, Hilton Diamond, BA Silver
Posts: 967
I guess it doesn't matter which FFP. You just have to be lucky that the officer you will get will be kind enough to accept your digital card and scan it for you. Good luck
#155
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Truth or Consequences, NM
Programs: HH Diamond, Marriott Titanium, Hertz President's Circle, UA Silver, Mobile Passport Unobtanium
Posts: 6,192
Applied for the E-channel yesterday upon arrival at HKG from our Singapore flight. We used our TK elite plus cards. I only had the digital card but they needed the physical card to scan it. I told the officer that I forgot it at home so he tried to scan the digital card from my iphone and luckily it was clear enough. Took a few minutes and we were done. Used the e-channel for the first time today, all went well and quickly. Thanks for all the tips guys
#156
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: ZOA, SFO, HKG
Programs: UA 1K 0.9MM, Marriott Gold, HHonors Gold, Hertz PC, SBux Gold, TSA Pre✓
Posts: 13,811
This is interesting as United has apparently quit providing physical cards. I matched to UA Silver through my Marriott Platinum status and today I received the welcome package. No physical card but instructions on how to access my digital card. (I did, however, get a mini-luggage tag. Whooooo!)
All others (Gold and above) still get the physical cards due to lounge access issue.
#157
Join Date: May 2015
Programs: All the programs!
Posts: 1,005
#158
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: Houston
Programs: UA GS 2.6MM & Lifetime UC, Qantas Platinum, Hilton Lifetime Diamond, Bonvoy Platinum, HawaiianMiles
Posts: 8,682
#159
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Truth or Consequences, NM
Programs: HH Diamond, Marriott Titanium, Hertz President's Circle, UA Silver, Mobile Passport Unobtanium
Posts: 6,192
If you start reading at post #545 of the thread below, you'll find your statement is not quite accurate (though apparently Golds may call in to request a physical card since it isn't automatically provided). The same thread links to another report that Asiana has also stopped issuing physical cards....which one presumes would be the trend going forward.
2018 Premier Kits are Shipping - Have you received yours?
(Edit: I'm going to try to apply next time I'm in Hong Kong using my UA digital card since I've seen one DP that officials were able to scan it from the phone. Apparently, while UA Golds can request physical cards, UA Silver is not authorized to even request them, lol.)
Last edited by Diplomatico; Feb 28, 2018 at 9:09 am
#160
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: ZOA, SFO, HKG
Programs: UA 1K 0.9MM, Marriott Gold, HHonors Gold, Hertz PC, SBux Gold, TSA Pre✓
Posts: 13,811
Appreciate the great leap of faith to assume I was telling the truth.
If you start reading at post #545 of the thread below, you'll find your statement is not quite accurate (though apparently Golds may call in to request a physical card since it isn't automatically provided). The same thread links to another report that Asiana has also stopped issuing physical cards....which one presumes would be the trend going forward.
2018 Premier Kits are Shipping - Have you received yours?
(Edit: I'm going to try to apply next time I'm in Hong Kong using my UA digital card since I've seen one DP that officials were able to scan it from the phone. Apparently, while UA Golds can request physical cards, UA Silver is not authorized to even request them, lol.)
If you start reading at post #545 of the thread below, you'll find your statement is not quite accurate (though apparently Golds may call in to request a physical card since it isn't automatically provided). The same thread links to another report that Asiana has also stopped issuing physical cards....which one presumes would be the trend going forward.
2018 Premier Kits are Shipping - Have you received yours?
(Edit: I'm going to try to apply next time I'm in Hong Kong using my UA digital card since I've seen one DP that officials were able to scan it from the phone. Apparently, while UA Golds can request physical cards, UA Silver is not authorized to even request them, lol.)
Sorry if you felt offended.
#162
Join Date: May 2000
Location: Houston, TX, USA
Programs: UA 1K, AA Lifetime Platinum, DL Platinum, Honors Diamond, Bonvoy Titanium, Hertz Platinum
Posts: 7,969
If they want something they can scan/photocopy, consider taking a screenshot of the digital card, emailing it to yourself, then printing it out. Present that along with the "no physical card" explanation.
#163
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: ZOA, SFO, HKG
Programs: UA 1K 0.9MM, Marriott Gold, HHonors Gold, Hertz PC, SBux Gold, TSA Pre✓
Posts: 13,811
#164
Suspended
Join Date: May 2006
Location: HKG
Programs: A3, TK *G; JL JGC; SPG,Hilton Gold
Posts: 9,952
maybe time to turn to blockchain technology for verifying membership cards since it is one big group of possible fraud.
#165
Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: LCA/KUL/RGN
Programs: RJ Gold, AZ E+, Air Asia Platinum
Posts: 2,187
The FFP card requirement is just a tool for risk management (as the whole e-channel scheme is). If you entered HK 3 times previously, or if you have an FFP status (which means you travelled around a bit), then the risk that you will do something illegal (immigration wise) is relatively lower. If they think you are okay and don't pose a risk, they will try not annoy you too much... that does not of course cancel out the fact that there are some immigration officers who always insist to go by the book.