NickW

Just to revive an old thread and to check my understanding...

I'm arriving in TG F from HKG in the mid afternoon (this will be at Terminal 1). My onward flight to CDG is not until the late evening, with AF in J (this will be from Terminal 2).

Normally with a layover this long, I'd head off into the city, but I'll be at the end of a busy two week trip and suspect I won't have the energy for Bangkok! From what Swiss Tony says, it sounds like I'll be able to use the TG F lounges during the layover period. Is that right? I suppose TG won't interline to AF on different tickets, so I will have to collect my bags and recheck them at the transfer desks and collect my AF boarding passes. Since the two terminals are connected airside, I guess this should be possible.

However I don't know BKK at all well, so I'm not sure exactly how all this would pan out - does it sound feasible? I want to avoid sitting around for a long time in the AF J lounge, which will - no doubt - be absolutely rammed and less comfortable than the TG F alternative!

Is it just a matter of waltzing up to the TG F lounge and presenting a same day F boarding pass? I don't want to look like a total idiot

JackR

I strongly recommend that you present your AF ticket with a confirmed reservation at HKG TG check-in. They will tag your bags all the way to CDG. if you do not do that, you will hav eto retrieve your bags in BKK meaning going through immigration and paying the 500 baht airport tax.
Also as your AF flight is only much later, you might have to wait before you can check-in your bags as AF counters would only open earliest 3 hours before departure time.
You will need to gte your AF boarding pass from the transfer desk in terminal 2 (arrival level)

I cannot say if TG will let you in their F lounge on an arrival flight, maybe if you plead your case as AF lounge will not be opened yet, etc.
I think as per *A rules, you are not entitled to lounge access on an arrival flight but TG has been known to allow access if you interline with them.

Good luck

Trajan

yup, I recently flew first class on TG BKK-HKG-BKK.... just for comparison, I tried the first class SQ lounge at HKG before migrating to the TG first class lounge...other than the slighty better dim sum at the SQ lounge, I much prefer to the open-ness of the TG first class lounge and access to the TG biz areas.....is the UA first class lounge area much better than the UA biz class area at HKG?

NickW

OK, I'm at BKK now, in the TG F lounge in Terminal 1.

I checked my bag through HKG-BKK-CDG-LHR (including the interline from TG to AF at BKK), which I think practically guarantees that it will get lost

I was given a first class transfer card, but the lounge guardian gave me a lot of grief about getting into the lounge, despite the ground services person who met me from the plane insisting it would not be a problem. I've been sternly warned that I have to leave by 6pm, which still leaves me a few hours before my next flight, because "[they] have a lot of passengers".

Excuse me if I can't control my disbelief that their late evening departures to Europe that arrive on Christmas Day will be overfilled with pax.

The policy as stated to me by the lounge guardian is that use of first-class lounge on arrival is only for pax continuing on TG. If that's the actual policy, then be aware.

Trajan

if you are flying first class out of BKK on any Star Alliance airlines you should have absolutely no problems in using the TG first class lounge with yr boarding pass....

NickW

Yes, however, as stated above I am continuing in J on AF!

I was attempting to point out that the previous statement by Swiss Tony that incoming F pax are entitled to use the F lounge during transit regardless of onward ticketing seems no longer to be true.

AJLondon

hmmm, I did use the TG F lounge as an incoming F pax from HKG a few months ago. (Infact I shuttled between 2 TG F lounges to kill time.) No problems whatsoever. I just used the transit pax card to get in. I was continuing on a LH A346 to MUC in J.

Steve Fenton

they are correct why should they provide you the lounge when you are flying on AF ? AF certainly would not do this if you were flying TG. Anyway the AF lounge in BKK sucks so you will be better taking a walk.

NickW

I'm not complaining! OK, I'm complaining a little about the mixed messages and the slightly bad attitude; but the essential point is that the reference material contained in this thread is now up-to-date - that's why I posted in the first place.

Trajan

I don't think that if you're flying out of BKK in J class (especially on a non-Star airline!) that you are entitled to use the F class TG lounge.....TG attendants might possibly be flexible if you're flying into BKK in first if the lounge is empty, but if it's not I would understand their resistance because its a small lounge....

I was in the F class TG lounges last week (all three lounges cause I was bored) and could not believe the aggressiveness of some people trying to get in--some not even flying Star carriers! (especially at the smallest F lounge (without restroom) overlooking the planes)...however, the attendants were always polite from what I saw and heard...

RChavez

I'm going to be transiting in HKG next week from SQ 1 to TG 631. A few questions:

1. I'm coming from SQ F to TG C. Will I be able to use the First class section of the TG (and/or UA) lounge ( I know it's not technically permissible, but do they generally allow it?)

2. Who has better showers? TG F, or UA F lounge?

3. How's the shopping in the terminal?

Pook

I did the same thing but from CX instead of SQ(CX from LAX and connecting on TG to BKK). Used the TG F lounge and did take a shower. Shower room at the TG F lounge, only one room right next to the toilet stalls, was not the best. Small, cramp and I felt very stuffy in there.

Steve Fenton

the best showers are in the thai business lounge that was opened last year which is on 2 floors

kyushuman

To get back to the Original question about the HKG lounges: When flying TG F HKG-BKK on the decrepit 747 last July, I found the UA F lounge to be classy, very friendly (the guy insisted on bringing me my drinks and snacks to my window seat), with nice showers and amenity kits, but just-ok food. Maybe eat in the TG lounge, then hang out at UA?
I was at the UA lounge just after a flight to the US departed, so I was the only F pax there. Nice!
But with the nearly-full 747 departing soon, the TG lounge was packed in J, kinda noisy, though empty in F.