Weird luggage checking question
 

So, I'm essentially doing a SIN-CGK-SIN turnaround followed by a connecting flight to MNL. The first SIN-CGK is on one PNR and the CGK-SIN-MNL is separate. Assuming I leave my luggage in the left luggage, can I, upon my return to SIN, then check in my luggage to MNL? Awkward I know, but it'll save me some time and a visa fee in CGK.

Chris

I guess the fact that you check-in at CGK without luggage, and then suddenly appear to have luggage at SIN may raise some eyebrows. But I guess you can always find some excuse for that....

Here is the link to the left luggage locations at SIN.

Would it not be similar to buying something at the airport during my layover and then wanting to check it?

Chris

That was exactly what I was thinking as well.

I doubt you will have a problem.
Especially since SIN is known for shopping.

Hoping someone on FT has actually done something like this.

Is your SIN-CGK-SIN-MNL same day?
If yes, what you can do is to check in for your flight SIN-CGK (separate tix), then tell the agent to do a return check-in for CGK-SIN-MNL. And you can check-in your bags for SIN-MNL. Remember that SQ allows you to check-in bags 48 hours prior.

Very good thoughts. Hope the OP can try this and let us know.

It is same day, and I will check-in in advance, but the CGK turnaround is on the same aircraft, so it's a quick 55 minute turn. I won't have a problem getting to my flight, but I'd have to collect my bag and re-check it in at Jakarta. I'll of course ask when I'm in SIN the first time.

Chris

You don't check-in your bags to CGK. The agent will understand that you do a turn around at CGK. And your bags should only go from SIN to MNL.

By doing a return check-in, you will get your BP for SIN-CGK as well as CGK-SIN. This will make you be able to do a quick transit without going through immigration and customs. Once you get off the plane follow the sign for the immigration. Just before the immigration, you will see an escalator up, and prior to that, if you look to the right and left, you will see transit desk.
Before the escalator, there is an x-ray. Sometimes there is a person who man the x-ray. From many times I have done this in the past, generally my carry -on need to get x-ray. I still have time to go to the lounge (Esplanade Lounge) to wait for the flight. Once it's announced boarding, I head to the gate. And remember that you need to pay the departure tax. You can pay in Singapore Dollars or USD, but of course the exchange rate would not be favourable.

SIN Transit
 

IMHO if you are maiking a sme day connection back at SIN you should check either yourself OR yourself and your bag at SIN outbound for CGK-SIN-MNL. Consequentially:

1.You would be issued with boarding cards for all sectors outbound at SIN.
2. Your bag would be tagged CGK-SIN-MNL and would have to travel this route with you. I do not believe that the Agent would be able to check your bag just SIN- MNL unless you were doing an early check-in on a separate discreet ticket for this route. Remember also that the check-in Agents, unless you are able to use the F check facility, are NOT employed by SQ but CIAS, so there would be less potential flexibility. Not that SQ ground staff are renowned for their flexibility either! Another alternative, using only the SIN-CGK and checking the bag to CGK only would not give you enough time at CGK to clear Immigration, claim you bag and re-check. This would also cost you a USD 25 Visa Fee (Unless you have an ASEAN Business Pass or are an Indonesian Resident) AND an IDR 150K AIrport Tax.
3. In CGK arrivals go up the transit escalator on the right before going down the ramp to Immigration and head for the SQ lounge. In the lounge, or at the Reception desk if you are flying Y, ask to speak to the Station manager, explain the situation and ask him to confirm to you either in the Lounge or at the Gate that your through bag has been located and is on board the same aircraft back to SIN and MNL. If you want to be sure, don't board until you are given this confirmation.
4. At SIN on the way back you would be in Transit only and would NOT have to go down to the Immigration Hall and would NOT be subject to Airport Tax. Your "Transit" security check would be at the Gate. The final alternative, leaving the bag at SIN in Left Luggage then collecting it and checking the bag to MNL, although you would theoretically be subject to Aiport Tax at SIN, you would already have your through Boarding Card to MNL and, in my experience, in similar but not identical circumstances, I have never been challenged to pay, I guess mostly because at SIN it is always included in the ticket price so neither Check-in staff nor Immigration are charged with collecting airport tax.

IMHO, checking the bag with you all the way gives you the maximum convenience whilst, recognising that CGK is not the most efficient, ensuring that your bag gets turned around and back on the returning flight and on to MNL.

+1. I've done this before (to FRA on a flight the next day instead of MNL in the example) and it works.

But don't I have to pick up my bag at CGK? I thought I've read that's the case, and then I would have to clear immigration to collect it, right? Regarding seeing if they'd bend the rules or whatnot for me, I am in F between SIN and CGK (C for the other two legs)

So my verbiage is, "Hey, check me in for all my flights, and just check this for my SIN-MNL flight?" or something obviously more polite.

Chris

Stand by Original
 

I stand by my original post. IF you use ONLY the SIN-CGK ticket (You said you had separate PNR's, one for SIN-CGK and one for CGK-SIN-MNL) to check your bag, then, yes, the bag would have to be checked to and collected at CGK and, like I said, you would not have time to collect and re-check, mainly because of the slow Immigration (Visa on arrival) process.

If, however, you use BOTH tickets Outbound at SIN to check your bag CGK-SIN-MNL, then your bag, like you, will only be in transit at CGK and you will be issued with Through Boarding Cards and a Baggage Tag marked MNL as the final destination. That said, as I noted earlier, CGK is not the most efficient of airports so I suggested ensuring that the SQ Station Manger be made aware of the situation so as to ensure that your bag makes the transit back onto the same aircraft. If you flag the issue up at CGK to someone in authority with SQ, then I'm sure that your bag will be identified and re-loaded. Without that, I have seen transit bags at CGK riding around the carousel until all bags have been collected by arriving PAX. By that time, your SIN flight would have departed without your bag. On many occasions making tight transfers I have raised the issue and have never had problems.

You can have a go, as a first option, at using both tickets but checking the bag only SIN-MNL. If that fails, as I suggested it will (Only because you have the two separate PNR's, the first of which you would need to use to check a bag for the purposes of system ID and continuity between the first and second reservations), you can revert to the above, Plan B as it were.

Good luck, hope it works out. Let us know.

+2. Done this on a SIN-KUL (1 ticket), and KUL-SIN-BNE (another ticket), all on the same day.

At check in in the morning, checked in for all flights, and received BPs for SIN-KUL, KUL-SIN and SIN-BNE, and the bags were just labelled for the direct SIN-BNE flight. Worked perfectly well.

"Hi, I'd like to check in for SIN-CGK. I'd also like to do a return checkin for my CGK-SIN-XXX flight. And can you please only tag my bag for SIN-XXX?"

They'll warn you that they'll offload the bag for the SIN-XXX flight if you don't board before the gate closes 10 minutes (or whatever it is right now) before the flight. Say ok.

Take a printout of your ex-CGK eticket - it makes it easier for them and removes any confusion.

:confused:
I'd put you on ignore if you weren't so amusing :D