Even if there is no interlining and your bag wasn't checked through, and/or you don't have your onward boarding pass, you can still go to the transit desks air side, check-in for your next flight, have them manually retrieve your bags and re-tagg for your next flight, all behind the scene. You don't have to go through customs or immigration if you don't want to. I tried it and it worked flawlessly, whether it's a midnight or day time arrival and the next flight was 12+ hours away.

Only if your connecting flight is on a budget airline that you will have to go through customs/immigration.

http://www.changiairport.com/in-tran...it-information

My bold.
Does subject transit desks on air side handle ALL airlines check-in?
I come in SIN by QF (arr T1, I think) late evening; I depart on CZ at 8:00am next morning (also T1, I think). Plan to stay at Transit Hotel for a few hours. Would the "retrieve bag" scenario work in my case? ( I assume there is NO interline relationship between QF & CZ).

Thanks.

CZ is not mentioned one way or another on the above official link, but I would imagine they can handle the check-in and re-tag since CZ is a full service airline.

Thanks beep88.

I know that CZ uses T1. According to the chart (from the web link), there is no mention of CZ, but there is an entry that said: "All other Terminal 1 Airlines Transfer Lounge C or D, Terminal 1".
So can I assume that the transfer "desk" is located Lounge C or D ?

I did this 2 years ago from PEN and it worked, but a coworker tried to do this 3-4 years ago and it didn't YMMV. FYI NWA/Delta MSP-NRT-SIN then SIN-PEN and back.

Hi there,
Im planning to meet someone else on another incoming flight into Singapore. Both mine and his is via Singapore Airlines (probably diff Terminals though) and then we have a connecting flight from Emirates at 1am from T1

Would really like to get out from the airport and see Singapore as we would have a 10hr wait.

So does this work out:
1) Clear Immigration, get baggage, clear customs
2) Meet friend
3) Check-In bags for next flight (by then Emirates wld have opened there Counter for checkin I believe)
4) Grab a cab into Singapore
5) Come back and refresh at Transit Hotel for a couple of hrs
6) Fly out from T1

Should be doable. Ten hours is a lot of time for a transit and SIN is very efficient.

Some additional info:
1) SQ flies out of both T2 and T3, however they don't finalize which terminal a particular flight will be assigned to until fairly late, like two days before? Anyway, not an issue, it's easy to get around the three terminals.
2) It seems to me that a lot hinges on when the EK check in counter is open. You may want to check this out before leaving.
3) Please keep in mind the Transit Hotels are airside, so be sure to take into account time needed to go through Passport Control. Also, if you have any lounge memberships/privileges, this might be an option instead of going to the Transit Hotel.

The weak point is 3). Iam not sure if you are able to check in that early. Alternative would be the left luggage counter (if i recall it correctly it was somewhere in the basement of T2).

Immigration/Baggage collection/Customs can easily be done within 1 hour. So depending on the arrival time of your friend you may still have up to 9 hours to kill.

I read somewhere here that Emirates CheckIn counter at Changi Airport opens 12hrs before flight time.

Can someone confirm this?

Many Thanks

I've stayed at the transit hotel a few times ... so I want to try staying outside the airport (but nearby) and was thinking of the Crowne Plaza.

Thoughts?

I am arriving from BKK on TG at 19:40 and Leaving on UA in the morning. Can I get my boarding pass at the transfer desk when I arrive. If I can, is it ok to go out to town and get back in before midnight and stay at the transit hotel?.

I already have a reservation from 23:00 at the transit hotel. If I can not go out, I plan to spend time inside the airport until 23:00, but prefer to go out.

UA does not open their transfer desk until 4-4:30am. Until that time you can not get a boarding pass. If you go outside through immigration you will NOT be able to get back in until the UA ticket counters open about the same time. This is unlike SQ and others that will give you a BP anytime and that is your ticket back in to the secure area.

If you stay airside at the transit hotel they will suggest a wake up call and check out time that will allow you to hit the UA transfer desk at the appropriate time.

Ted is right. I had a similar itinerary as yours - flying in on TG from BKK in the evening and leaving the next morning on NH. I went to the transfer counter to get my boarding pass so I wouldn't need to rush in the morning. Although there's another NH flight departing in 30 minutes, the agent told me she couldn't check me in for the morning flight and suggested I come back in the morning. I went to transit hotel at 11:30 pm and was offered a wake up call. There were a few people on the line in the morning but the wait time wasn't long. Because I had my baggage check through, I only needed to provide the luggage tag while checking in at the transfer counter. I think the operation of UA is the same as of NH.

Lost Luggage counter hours?
 

Specifically is it possible to retrieve your luggage retrieve my luggage at 4h30 a.m.?

Luggage not picked up after certain time post arrival will be taken to an area in front of the lost luggage counter. You just look for your bag, take it with you on your way out past customs.