siw

I will be flying with XiamenAir (MF) business class in the springtime and I will have a 10hr 30min connection in Xiaman airport (XMN). Arrive in XMN at 1:40pm and depart at 12:10am.

MF seem to offer 3 choices for transfer passengers (https://www.xiamenair.com/en-eu/PassengerService/Ground%20Service/Xiamen%20Hub%20Transfer%20Service.html):

1) transfer lounge
2) transfer sightseeing
3) transfer accomodation

It seems passengers can only choose one of the three. I think the sightseeing is the best option because in the hyperlink it says 'The transfer lounge does not provide meals and hot food.' so I don't know what the lounge offers other than a chair and WiFI perhaps. But as a business class passeger I assume I will have access the the lounge after the sightseeing. Also, I wont be tired to sleep at the hotel as I'll sleep on the flight and the hotel option also requires paying for the transport to/from the hotel using Renminbi only. However, the sightseeing bus operation time is 08:30am - 4:30pm so I will be in time for it. But how frequent is the bus(es), how long is the sightseeing tour and what would I need to do with reagrds to embarkation/landing card? I already have an in date 2 year UK citizen tourist visa for China.

What are the recommendations and feedback from others who have transitted in XMN on MF flights? Thanks.

jansoncheng

There’s an article that have a brief introduction about the sightseeing bus, unfortunately it’s in Chinese but you can try google translate

siw

Thanks for the reply.

As I am only in China for the transfer I did not intend to have any RMB with me nor use an ATM and have any RMB left over just before my departure from XMN.

What do you think of XiamenAir's 3 options? Ignore them all and just get a taxi into the city instead, if so I will have to read up on getting the 72 hour transit visa unless my 2 year UK tourist visa already covers me?

moondog

If your visa is valid, of course it covers you. If not, the fact that you've been offered options 2 and 3 suggests that you would be provided 24 TWOV (so you can leave the airport).

I agree with jansoncheng wrt going it alone. You can connect a credit card to didi for your transportation needs, though I don't like taking didi from airports or train stations, and just pull out Y300-500 from an ATM, unless you plan to be a little more extravagant.

jansoncheng

If you really don't want to get any RMB, then probably the sightseeing bus is not a good option for you. It's just that kind of hop on/off bus that connect you with major sightseeing points in Xiamen, that you still need to pay for entrance tickets (if apply for that place) and cost for food/drink (also depend on you). Going out with 0 RMB may not be a good option, withdraw 300-500 RMB from ATM will be a good cover.
Back to the options Xiamen air provided, definitely the lounge will be most simple choice as you will stay in airport without bothering anything, but it will be quite boring to spend half day in Airport lounge as well

siw

I also thought the lounge would be boring for such along time. The MF website I linked to also says that there is no food in the lounge, to make it even worse. I think will get some RMB and try the hop on/hop off bus at the major sights just the make the day pass a faster.

Has anyone transitted in XMN with MF and taken these options?

endet

I have done XMN transfer last October. The lounge and the hotel. Not the sightseeing tour.
The business class lounge is small and limited in food. There were 2 hot Chinese dishes. very very few cold options. The "sandwiches" are in the little fridge. when you see them you know why I put them in quotation marks.
During the day it is very quiet but a door to the bus gate waiting area is always open. If I am not wrong this area is also the waiting lounge for economy class passengers. So they literally sit at a better bus gate. Seating inside the business class lounge is comfy.
Shower facility is available and clean. There are few sofa's were you can catch some sleep. Lounge fills up for the evening flights. Beer is lukewarm even tough stored in a fridge.
The lounge is on the lower level so you are on tarmac level and you can sit directly at the road looking at some of the gates. But it gets boring after a few minutes as you can't see anything left or right.
The hotel is the much better option: I flew business class and the hotel is owned by Xiamen Airlines: Xiamen Airlines Lakeside Hotel. The taxi costs just above 40 RMB each way.
The hotel is located next to a lake. The room was very large with view over the lake. On the elevator i saw some floors marked with no smoking signs. It seems that the hotel is not fully non-smoking. I had a room on a floor that was not showing a non smoking sign. Next time I will ask for a room on a floor that seems to non-smoking.
Hotel seems to be upper class and I even met a captain on his layover there.
There is a left storage facility just after customs at the airport.
Make you need the blue arrival card for the free 72 hours transit visa. When I arrived on my inbound flight with KLM they gave the yellow one which is for normal visa holders. In case you have the wrong arrival card you can pick up the blue one just before the immigration counter.
BTW: both legs have to be on Xiamen Air and not a codeshare (KLM for example) to avail of the options. This will be checked at the transfer counter (which is after immigration and customs).


Hotel room for business class transfer passengers


Immigration card for free transit visa.


View from hotel room.


Hotel voucher

siw

endet - thanks for the very useful post.

I remember seeing the MF hotel (I noticed the logo) when I visited Xiaman last year (I stayed at the Pullman on the north-east corner of the lake). I have a 2 year UK ciziten tourist visa to China so I should not need anything else. Other than to find the MF transit service counter. Is it possible to reserve this hotel room before my flight or must it be done only at arrival on XMN? Must get non-smoking room as I am sensitive to cigarette smoke.

I am flying on two MF international flights (not codeshares) both in business class: HKG-XMN and XMN-AMS with this +10 hour layover in the middle.

The hotel seems the best option. Get to stroll around the nice park again, eat somewhere and freshen up before my long-haul home.

moondog

Do you honesty want to spend your time there, instead of experiencing Xiamen?

endet

If it refers to the hotel I don't know what the issue is. He gets a free room, a shower, can sleep for a bit and then roam the city on his own will.

siw

That's my aim now. Thanks.

endet

The transfer counter is between international and domestic terminal on the arrivals level: pass immigration and customs. turn to the right and and go to into the direction of the domestic part of the terminal. Its a smallish terminal so its just 2 or 3 minutes and you dont see any differences between the two parts. Its just that they are separated airside.
The taxi takes about 30 minutes or a bit less and there was little to no traffic.
You cannot book the hotel in advance and the room is only reserved at check-in at the hotel. I was on floor 19 and if I remember correctly the floor with the non-smoking signs started at 23. Just ask at the reception.
Wifi is free and is a combination of your room number and passport number. If any problems you can ask the reception staff.

Let me know if you have any more questions.

siw

endet - thanks for the information.

On my previous trip to XMN, my MF812 was an early, bleary-eyed 05:30 arrival and being one of the first off I made my way through the airport to the taxi (for my hotel) without paying too much attention to what was around me

endet

I have that coming up in May this year.
I was thinking to ask at hotel check-in if the breakfast could be used same day. Maybe you can check if your are flying before?

siw

My April trip which has the 10hr 30min transit in Xiamen (MF382 HKG12:20 - 13:40XMN and MF811 XMN00:10+1 - 06:10AMS) misses breakfast time. I'll have to find somewhere (maybe the MF hotel itself) for an early dinner before a ~9:30pm taxi back to the XMN T3.

I'll do my best to remember (noted on my smartphone) and ask your question at the hotel reception. Shame these cannot be pre-arranged before the flights (I could with my long KE in ICN and CI in TPE stopovers).