CZ-China Suthern connect in CAN
 

I am interested in HKG-CAN-PEK connection, with 90 min stop over, is that enough time to clear customs to re check to domestic flight?

I've only used CAN as O&D, but it's a very well-organised airport with abundant staff and short queues all-around, so I would be totally shocked if one had any problems doing a 90' connection (assuming an ontime arrival, of course).

Hmm... 90 minutes may be a rush cause you will have to take your luggages out instead of direct transfer to domestic. They do have an area for transits but it's never open... so maybe you will need to run and hope there will be no delays, or their plane will be waiting for you.

You will get your boarding passes at HKG for both sectors, but if for some reason you couldn't get your boarding passes for CAN-PEK, be aware of flight cancellations or adjustments. Once you go through immigration (about 5 minutes if no lines, but if you arrive with a bunch of Japanese Airlines... it can take 30 minutes), if you look non-Chinese or you came from a destination not Chinese based, customs will ask you to have your luggage go through x-ray no matter what (about 5 minutes if checked and no long lines).

After that, you will need to go up the escalator/elevator and walk to the departure area to re-check your luggages again (about 10 minutes). You will then need to look at the screens to find out which check-in counter it is. It's really a mess in CAN because the check-in spots can be anywhere for China Southern... they are never in a set spot.

Once all these are finished, you will proceed to Area B to go through domestic flights, where you will once again be checked by immigration and safety regulators (about 10-15 minutes if no line). Then, depending on where your boarding gates are, you will proceed to the right or left side for boarding purposes... which if you walk normally, it would take at least 5 minutes to reach the first boarding gate nearest you.

CAN is ok for O&D, but for transit I think a direct flight from HKG is much better.

Will you already be at HKG, or just in Hong Kong proper?

Taking a bus from downtown direct to the Shenzhen airport might be an idea. From Kowloon Station (the Airport Express station) to the Shenzhen Bay Bridge border crossing is only 40 minutes, and you can buy a bus ticket for all the way to Shenzhen airport --- which is about 45 minutes after you get through immigration. Cost to the border crossing is about HKD 45, so I guess all the way to Shenzhen airport is probably 90 HKD?? With hours or less total travel time?

If you are just arriving at HKG, there are smaller shuttles going to Shenzhen Airport as well, but cost is higher. I think I paid HKD150 just to the border crossing. Or even better could be to take the ferry from HKG to Fuyong, the ferry port right next to Shenzhen airport.

Thanks for the reply. I guess it sounds like too much trouble, so that I will buy a tiicket on a non stop flight. The connection was free ticket using Northwest Airlines miles, so maybe i will save miles for another trip ,besides CZ, the other choice was all day connection via NRT (NWA).

I'm surprised you couldn't book one of the nonstops on CZ; they are typically much cheaper than CA-KA-CX on that route, which suggests that mileage tickets should be easy to snag. BTW, I suggest booking through the NWA CTO in BJ; ask for James.

Hi there,

I am reviving an old thread because it seemed like a good place for a new question.

What is a (current, realistic) time estimate for a transfer through CAN?

I am interested in SYD-CAN-SIN, with 80 minutes in CAN. Looking at flight performance data for SYD-CAN, the flight gets regularly delayed, form 20 to 60 or so minutes.

If i get an average delay, say 30 minutes, would I be able to make the connecting flight?

I plan on only having carry-ons, and flying business class (front of either plane, etc)...

The CZ staff at LAX were not too reassuring (oh you may miss your connection, but you may also make it...), so i revert to the experts of FT:)

Thank you!

Do you have the option of flying Y on QF or SQ instead?

I thought the same thing!

The fare is refundable, so theoretically I can pull the trigger and go on SQ/QS if needed, even in Y (I MUST be in SIN by the following morning)...Of course, I'd prefer to a. try the 330 biz product and b. keep eanring on skyteam... but not at the expense of a missed day of work...

I researched the "plan B" - if the inbound CZ flight is late, walk over to SQ/QS and go from there...

What would be a good cutoff time? say, 30 minutes? I've never been to SYD so not sure how the operations would work out (i.e. temrinal switch if I go QS, etc...)...

But that's why we have flyertalk right? :D

I've never done an int-int connection at CAN, but have tried dom-int and int-dom a handful of times, though not during the past 3 years. I'm guessing that you would probably make your connection (let's say 80% chance), but I'd still go with one of the non-stops in a heartbeat (unless your biz class ticket on CZ is actually cheaper than SQ Y).

thanks for the advice!

Are you suggesting that SQ in Y would be a better experience than CZ in C/J? :D The reviews and reports have been.. ahem, mixed

Or is the recommendaiton out of concern to make the SIN arrival time... :D

Thank you again!

Yes. You see, CZ J is an increasingly decent experience, but that CAN connection (which caused you to bump this thread) can be a real killer. I did one in 2006 during the spring trade fair and it sucked up ~100 minutes of my time... the air conditioners in the main lobby aren't especially powerful.

As for SQ, I go to Singapore around 2 times per year and often have to choose between SQ Y and CA J. To me, this decision is a complete no brainer. While SQ Y seats are a bit tight, for reasons I can't explain, those six hours (PEK-SIN) pass by in a heartbeat.

I read a trip report, possibly yours, about a similar experience... hence my questions :)

As much as I waant to be adventurous, I probably should play it safe. Book the SQ EWR-SIN flight, credit to A3 for years of *G status and spare the hassles of a SkyTeam itinerary that is [borderline] insane (jfk/lax/syd/can/sin/nrt/atl/nyc :D)...

I will have to sleep on it and talk with boss-man

I didn't know that trip report still existed. But, the info contained therein is more accurate that what I've posted here (e.g. if I said "70 minutes", then that number is more reliable.. and I might have been off by a year or two... now that I think about it, I went Xinjiang during the May holiday in 2006, so Thailand must have been 05 or 07). But, the bottom line remains the same; I am hard pressed to think of any less desirable transfer options than CAN. Since I'm almost tall, I appreciate business class, but SQ Y >>>> CZ C if you have to deal a connection, let alone a connection that is out of the way. BTW, I don't consider SQ to be nearly as sacred as some other FTers do.