BKK Int. to Int. Separate Ticket Connection
 

Hello there!

I booked an international to international connection through Bangkok on separate tickets, and I've got a couple of questions I'm hoping ya'll can help with. I'm a little nervous about the connection time, and how the connection will work.

Itinerary:
Mid-October 2019
Inbound flight: SYD>BKK on TG476 in first class; arrives 16:20
Outbound flight: BKK>HKG on CX704 in business class, departs 18:55
American Passports

Questions:

• Will my wife and I need to pass through immigration and then re-check in, or can we check stay air-side and check in there?
• Do you think 2.5 hours of connection time at BKK is going to be alright?
• God willing we make good time, is there a Thai arrival lounge in BKK? Or should we stick with the Cathay lounge?

Side note - I booked this itinerary specifically to fly the Queen of the Skies. My wife and I are very excited! Thank you so much for your help!

When you check in with TG in Sydney, bring your e-ticket numbers and record locator receipts for the other trip and ask them to check you through to HKG on the C flight.

If they do that, and they check your bags through as well, you can just use the transfer security. If not, you would have to enter Thailand, collect your bags, go back up to checkin with CX ...

The Cathay Pacific lounge will be much closer to where their flights leave from and they have a noodle bar. I'm not sure if you would be able to use the TG F lounge or not, but it's really far from your gate and I don't believe it's an arrivals lounge.

-David

Will you have checked luggage?
If you do, you will have to convince TG to interline to CX, when on separate tickets. They may or may not do that.
Otherwise go through full immigration, collect luggage & customs then to landside and check in for the CX flight.
At SYD TG will check your documents to ensure you are OK for admission to Thailand. As far as TG is concerned you are going to Thailand.

Good luck (you may need it)

If you are not able to check your baggage through:

In BKK you will be met by staff with buggy and escorted through Immigration and staff will collect your luggage. They may also escort you to check in for next flight (for a small tip). You will be able to use the Fast Track Immigration. This should be quick.

If you are able to check your bagge through then you will be met by the buggy and escorted through transit/transfer security.

In either case you cannot use the Thai Airways Lounges, but any of the One World Lounges, which are open. Qatar Airways Lounge is worth visting.

Assuming the flight is on time/not too late you have plenty of time.

Hopefully OP will just be able to check their bags through to their final destination, but the point about being met my a buggy in BKK is a good one, since the first flight is TG F.

I've done the check through in BKK (but not in SYD) many times .. when checking in with TG for BKK-NRT-HNL-OGG with HNL-OGG (Maui) on a separate ticket. They can't produce the boarding pass for the Hawaiian Airlines leg, but I get it on my phone when in Narita. I've never had a problem doing that. (Same with Cathay Pacific). I never really had to convince anybody to do it .. just had to produce the e-ticket receipts with all the required info and ask at checkin. Hopefully OP will have a similar experience in Sydney.

-David

I'd ask/look in the TG sub-forum here; quite a few first-hand experiences listed there.

Thank ya'll so much for your help. I forgot to mention we won't be checking any bags. Does that mean we'll just hop on the buggy and be taken to transit security? Do I need to say anything at check in in Sydney?

I believe you will need a boarding pass for your CX flight. (possibly a paper one).

-David

I have done this from MNL to BKK on TG and then onto QR to DOH. Sort of the same Star Alliance to One World. You do not have to clear immigration if you do not have baggage. You can go straight to Transfer check in for CX.