HELP: Booking Trips on your own
Feb 14, 2007 | 7:01 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2007
Posts: 2
HELP: Booking Trips on your own
I have a very basic question you guys might be able to answer...
If I buy tickets to two different sectors (or from two different airlines) do I need to go out and claim my baggage and check it back in?
Example: Going to Vietnam
London to HK = British Airways ticket
HK - Vietnam = Cathay Pacific ticket
(return is vice-versa of above)
Do I go through immigration, baggage claim and customs at HK and re-check in for Vietnam flight? Or can one "connect" the flights to have the baggage go through? I am doing this because it is cheaper than a through-and-through flight (ie Cathay Pacific - LON to HK to Vietnam or Qantas-LON to HK and Cathay-HK to Vietnam connecting flight).
Cheers!
If I buy tickets to two different sectors (or from two different airlines) do I need to go out and claim my baggage and check it back in?
Example: Going to Vietnam
London to HK = British Airways ticket
HK - Vietnam = Cathay Pacific ticket
(return is vice-versa of above)
Do I go through immigration, baggage claim and customs at HK and re-check in for Vietnam flight? Or can one "connect" the flights to have the baggage go through? I am doing this because it is cheaper than a through-and-through flight (ie Cathay Pacific - LON to HK to Vietnam or Qantas-LON to HK and Cathay-HK to Vietnam connecting flight).
Cheers!
Feb 14, 2007 | 7:36 am
#2
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: Manhattan
Programs: AA Plat
Posts: 93
Risky -
If for any reason you are delayed arriving in HK you will be SOL if you miss your CX flight if they are 2 separate tix... it is usually worth paying a bit more to have both flights on 1 tkt just for the protection factor in case of irregular ops.
just my $0.02
just my $0.02
IIf I buy tickets to two different sectors (or from two different airlines) do I need to go out and claim my baggage and check it back in?
Example: Going to Vietnam
London to HK = British Airways ticket
HK - Vietnam = Cathay Pacific ticket
(return is vice-versa of above)
Do I go through immigration, baggage claim and customs at HK and re-check in for Vietnam flight? Or can one "connect" the flights to have the baggage go through? I am doing this because it is cheaper than a through-and-through flight (ie Cathay Pacific - LON to HK to Vietnam or Qantas-LON to HK and Cathay-HK to Vietnam connecting flight).
Cheers!
Example: Going to Vietnam
London to HK = British Airways ticket
HK - Vietnam = Cathay Pacific ticket
(return is vice-versa of above)
Do I go through immigration, baggage claim and customs at HK and re-check in for Vietnam flight? Or can one "connect" the flights to have the baggage go through? I am doing this because it is cheaper than a through-and-through flight (ie Cathay Pacific - LON to HK to Vietnam or Qantas-LON to HK and Cathay-HK to Vietnam connecting flight).
Cheers!
Feb 14, 2007 | 7:43 am
#3
Suspended
Join Date: Sep 2006
Programs: AAdvantage PP
Posts: 13,913
I have a very basic question you guys might be able to answer...
If I buy tickets to two different sectors (or from two different airlines) do I need to go out and claim my baggage and check it back in?
Example: Going to Vietnam
London to HK = British Airways ticket
HK - Vietnam = Cathay Pacific ticket
(return is vice-versa of above)
Do I go through immigration, baggage claim and customs at HK and re-check in for Vietnam flight? Or can one "connect" the flights to have the baggage go through? I am doing this because it is cheaper than a through-and-through flight (ie Cathay Pacific - LON to HK to Vietnam or Qantas-LON to HK and Cathay-HK to Vietnam connecting flight).
Cheers!
If I buy tickets to two different sectors (or from two different airlines) do I need to go out and claim my baggage and check it back in?
Example: Going to Vietnam
London to HK = British Airways ticket
HK - Vietnam = Cathay Pacific ticket
(return is vice-versa of above)
Do I go through immigration, baggage claim and customs at HK and re-check in for Vietnam flight? Or can one "connect" the flights to have the baggage go through? I am doing this because it is cheaper than a through-and-through flight (ie Cathay Pacific - LON to HK to Vietnam or Qantas-LON to HK and Cathay-HK to Vietnam connecting flight).
Cheers!
Feb 14, 2007 | 7:49 am
#4
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: HH Diamond, Marriott, IHG, Hyatt something
Posts: 34,520
I often book these back to back tickets. I have rarely had problems with them, but you do need to make sure you have enough connection time. One thing I did one time on a US-Asia ticket was to forget about the date change, and I lost a LCC ticket. Luckily only $30 or so.
Check and see if BA will interline your luggage to CX. Most major airlines have interlining agreements with other airlines. I hate to have to claim my luggage and then recheck.
Check and see if BA will interline your luggage to CX. Most major airlines have interlining agreements with other airlines. I hate to have to claim my luggage and then recheck.
Feb 14, 2007 | 8:12 am
#5
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: Austin
Programs: AA EXP
Posts: 518
If they are booked as two separate trips then yes you would need to clear customs, retrieve your baggage then check in again at Cathay Pacific. If you are going to do as two separate flights I would book the second trip for the next day and spend the night or at least give quite a few hours between flight. If your first flight is delayed or you get stuck in customs (I unfortunately have no experience at customs in HK; other FTs should be able to give their experience to you) you would be SOL.
BA and CX have an interline baggage agreement, so the OP should be able to have the bags checked all the way through, and should be able to go to the transfer desk to get the CX boarding pass.
As others have noted, it is best to have plenty of connection time to allow for possible delays, as missing the CX flight could mean buying a replacement ticket.