HariOm

Whoops, thank you for the correction. ^ Skipped a line on the timing. So the question is whether this would be too risky, flying in J on a single Star Alliance award:

UA 889: SFO > PEK arriving 3:30 PM, 1:35 layover
TG 615: PEK > BKK arriving 9:20 PM, 1:05 layover
TG 337: BKK > MAA

brunos

This is extremely risky bordering on impossible.
China airspace is prone to serious delays due to ATC problems, as military claim airspace. Even in normal times, the airport is very congested. Delays are chronic for afternoon/evening departures.
For example, TG 615 had an average delay of 46 minutes last month (which was a good month for China air space). And that can be well over an hour.
As you are on a single ticket, you will be protected. But I would never risk it myself. Better try to avoid China air space for tight connections. My friends connecting from China in HKG would usually take a minimum 3 hours layover.

BinSabai

agreed what brunos said, in addition it is a busy time at both airports, there is no priority queue for transit security; maybe if time is tight you get escorted in BKK as a J passenger and can jump the queue but certainly not in PEK

HariOm

Thanks very much, Bin Sabai and brunos. Your wisdom is appreciated.

guppies

I will be on the first flight out on Bangkok Airways from CNX to BKK, then will connect on JL to HND. Separate itineraries, 105 minutes connecting time. Domestic to international. Carry on only. Is this enough time or should I get to Bangkok the night before and get a hotel room? Thanks!

BinSabai

no problem!
minimum connecting time domestic to international is 75 minutes
https://www.bangkokair.com/pages/view/check-in-airport
you go through immigration in CNX and in BKK you have to go from domestic area through security into international departure area

guppies

Thanks!!!!

md10md

Flying DPS-BKK-CNX. Flight was originally scheduled like this:

Plenty of time to connect, but now the DPS-BKK has been replaced by a 788 (just got the flight change notification from United). The new times are:

As this leaves us only 40 minutes to connect from international to domestic, I can't see how that's possible. United didn't bump us to the next morning's BKK-CNX flight, so somehow the computer must still think this is legal.

What should we do? Wait it out for another schedule change or call United and get it fixed? Bonus, now that we're on a 788, maybe business class is worth it vs. the recliners on the original flight. Anyway to exploit this schedule change to allow us to pay up the extra 7.5k UA miles for business class without being charged a change fee?

Chiro1979

I'm looking at an itinerary HAN-BKK-LHR on TG in J. The connection time is 55 minutes. I wonder if this is worth booking or is this too risky a connection? This would be with UA miles so I'm not sure what would happen if I miss the connection in BKK. Would TG put me on the next flight to LHR or would this be a headache because it was a UA reward ticket?

BinSabai

a bit tight, but it depends on the time of the day as transit security can get pretty busy with some queues and there is no fast lane. If flight is slightly delayed it could be that you as a J passenger are escorted so that you can jump the queue or go to the departure gate directly
If they let you book this tight connection, they will also rebook you on the later flight if you miss

ChampagneSocialist

I've flown this route a handful of times, in fact most recently just yesterday, and second BinSabai's useful tip that transit security is going to be your main limiting factor. The second major factor is the actual walking distance between the inbound gate (usually somewhere in the middle of Concourse D) and the outbound gate (usually gate C4 on the East side) - allow 10-15m, but it is doable in 5m if you're a brisk walker with no-one blocking you at the travelators.

For the midday transit which I believe you're booked on, it will usually be quiet especially during the weekend, so you should be fine.

A couple more tips:

- TG check-in staff at HAN should give you the BKK-LHR boarding pass as well, and it should tell you which BKK Concourse it will depart from.

- Assuming you have done all of the walking and security in good time, and that the BKK-LHR does depart from C4, my favourite trick is to sit at the right-hand lounge in Concourse C (there are two facing directly opposite each other, both only 3-5m walk from the gate), and find a spot by the inward-facing window at the far end of the lounge, where one could actually see Gate C4 and when people are starting to board.

BinSabai

wow! a lot of insights into this transit.
However I would not relay on the gates mentioned as it could be different any time...
Same TG flight number could use many different gates including bus gates...it changes day by day...

Chiro1979

Wow thank you very much for the very detailed response!! I actually have rearranged my trip, so now I will be traveling from KBV instead of HAN through BKK to LHR but hopefully that info will help someone else who will be making that same connection. But once again, I just wanted to say thanks for the help!!

grey

Hi All,

Appreciate any advice for a June itinerary from HKG to CNX. My flight details:

HKG-BKK, CX701, 15:55 - 17:45, First
BKK-CNX, TG120, 18:40 - 20:00, Business

I will be on two separate tickets. Given only a 55 minute connection time between these flights, and it is international to domestic - is this itinerary too risky?

I've never connected out of BKK, so any advice would be appreciated.

BinSabai

from arrival gate you have to go to transit immigration (A/B/C/D conjunction), no fast track but at this time usually not a long queue; from immigration to security and from there to either the gate or to the domestic lounge of TG
no problem if arriving flight is not late; if you can't make it, TG will rebook you to the later flight if your ticket does not have restrictions and biz class to CNX is usually never full
if you were on TG F from HKG, TG ground staff would drive you to the immigration and accompany you through immigration and security to the departing flight....