Possible to exit the HKG transit jail?
Nov 10, 2018, 5:49 pm
#1
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Possible to exit the HKG transit jail?
I'm in transit in Hong Kong after connecting from one international flight to another. There's no exit to immigration!
Am I stuck in this jail for the rest of the day? I planned on going into the city.
ugh.
Am I stuck in this jail for the rest of the day? I planned on going into the city.
ugh.
Last edited by johndoe123; Nov 10, 2018 at 6:49 pm
Nov 11, 2018, 12:29 pm
#4
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.
Nov 11, 2018, 12:33 pm
#5
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Nov 13, 2018, 12:01 am
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Nov 13, 2018, 12:08 am
#7
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No offense - OP deserves it.
AFAICT - the majority of airports separates departure/arrival traffic, with some exceptions. And clearly - while there was a loophole at HKG that some people may be able to exit the airside and back to arrival for immigration, the design of HKG, again, separates departure/arrival traffic.
So when OP chose to pass through transit, OP was destined for departure only.
AFAICT - the majority of airports separates departure/arrival traffic, with some exceptions. And clearly - while there was a loophole at HKG that some people may be able to exit the airside and back to arrival for immigration, the design of HKG, again, separates departure/arrival traffic.
So when OP chose to pass through transit, OP was destined for departure only.
Nov 13, 2018, 8:56 pm
#8
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In the past, when I've been at a country with transit (like Amsterdam, Bangkok/Vietnam (can't remember which), it was a three way grid.
You can go Intl Arrivals -> Intl Departures (transit) - with no immigration.
You can go curbside -> Immigration -> Intl Departures (transit) - Departures control immigration only.
You can go Intl Departures -> Immigration -> Curbside. - Just as a standard arrival would.
The only place really jailed off is intl arrivals.
You could loop 2 to 3 indefinitely, and indeed I've done it in Amsterdam on accident!
There may be a one way gate from arrivals to Departures, but there really isn't a need to "lock" you into the transit area as long as you're willing to go through immigration again.
I guess I'm missing something here on the purpose of transit and HKG must be different.
You can go Intl Arrivals -> Intl Departures (transit) - with no immigration.
You can go curbside -> Immigration -> Intl Departures (transit) - Departures control immigration only.
You can go Intl Departures -> Immigration -> Curbside. - Just as a standard arrival would.
The only place really jailed off is intl arrivals.
You could loop 2 to 3 indefinitely, and indeed I've done it in Amsterdam on accident!
There may be a one way gate from arrivals to Departures, but there really isn't a need to "lock" you into the transit area as long as you're willing to go through immigration again.
I guess I'm missing something here on the purpose of transit and HKG must be different.
Nov 13, 2018, 9:27 pm
#10
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The previous reply was inferring it was like this almost everywhere and I "deserved it" in an insinuating way . I was mostly replying to that -- noting I had no way to reasonable know this would be the case and there are multiple major airports where this is not the case. It has nothing to do with HKG being right/wrong. It's the way it is there, but who was I to know. Previous experience wasn't a teacher.
Nov 13, 2018, 10:22 pm
#11
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The previous reply was inferring it was like this almost everywhere and I "deserved it" in an insinuating way . I was mostly replying to that -- noting I had no way to reasonable know this would be the case and there are multiple major airports where this is not the case. It has nothing to do with HKG being right/wrong. It's the way it is there, but who was I to know. Previous experience wasn't a teacher.
1. Why would you expect HKG allowing what you want to do?
2. Which airports, except KUL (as KUL is the only one I know mixing departure and arrival), allow such practice? Also, which airports do not?
Nov 13, 2018, 10:45 pm
#12
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In the past, when I've been at a country with transit (like Amsterdam, Bangkok/Vietnam (can't remember which), it was a three way grid.
You can go Intl Arrivals -> Intl Departures (transit) - with no immigration.
You can go curbside -> Immigration -> Intl Departures (transit) - Departures control immigration only.
You can go Intl Departures -> Immigration -> Curbside. - Just as a standard arrival would.
The only place really jailed off is intl arrivals.
You could loop 2 to 3 indefinitely, and indeed I've done it in Amsterdam on accident!
There may be a one way gate from arrivals to Departures, but there really isn't a need to "lock" you into the transit area as long as you're willing to go through immigration again.
I guess I'm missing something here on the purpose of transit and HKG must be different.
You can go Intl Arrivals -> Intl Departures (transit) - with no immigration.
You can go curbside -> Immigration -> Intl Departures (transit) - Departures control immigration only.
You can go Intl Departures -> Immigration -> Curbside. - Just as a standard arrival would.
The only place really jailed off is intl arrivals.
You could loop 2 to 3 indefinitely, and indeed I've done it in Amsterdam on accident!
There may be a one way gate from arrivals to Departures, but there really isn't a need to "lock" you into the transit area as long as you're willing to go through immigration again.
I guess I'm missing something here on the purpose of transit and HKG must be different.
Nov 13, 2018, 10:54 pm
#13
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Before I reiterate that you deserve it...
1. Why would you expect HKG allowing what you want to do?
Why wouldn't you? More importantly, why do you think my action rose beyond being a mere uninformed mistake (ok, we make them) and to the level of gross negligence which deserves verbal abuse?
2. Which airports, except KUL (as KUL is the only one I know mixing departure and arrival), allow such practice? Also, which airports do not?
1. Why would you expect HKG allowing what you want to do?
Why wouldn't you? More importantly, why do you think my action rose beyond being a mere uninformed mistake (ok, we make them) and to the level of gross negligence which deserves verbal abuse?
2. Which airports, except KUL (as KUL is the only one I know mixing departure and arrival), allow such practice? Also, which airports do not?
Do you expect me to make this list for you of both? I already pointed out some in my reply. I can only speak to where I have been.
To date, I've visited many countries and exited transit 100% on all my previous attempts to do so.
AMS (exit/reenter multiple times same day!)
CDG
if I didn't enter, nobody looked at my passport. The only time you get jailed in these airports is after they scan your boarding pass as you board the plane.
Additionally, departures/arrivals s unrestricted to/from immigration in bkk on a flight from Cambodia onward outside bkk.
Furthermore, there is no sign saying you're going to transit in hkg. It says gates 200-300 this way. You pass security, that's it. Not obvious.
Nov 13, 2018, 11:03 pm
#14
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Nov 13, 2018, 11:39 pm
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I simply pointed out your mistake, which you should own the mistake, i.e. deserve it. In other word - you made the mistake by passing through transit security, you deserve to be stayed at departure.
Instead - I am interested why you would assume that way.
Just search any HKG arrival YouTube video and see it yourself.