PsiFighter37

Got a fun one to ask about here...so on my third try, I think I have finally gotten my HKG-TPE-NTG award itinerary to book. First leg is on BR, while second leg is on ZH. However, when I look up my BR itinerary online, it only shows the first leg. Ergo, two questions - one probably more about the vagueries of MP award bookings, and one about TPE itself:

1) Do folks think I will be able to have the agents (presumably BR, since that is my first leg) get me checked through entirely to NTG when I get to HKG? Or if there are truly two separate itineraries per leg, on different PNRs, I will have to pick up my bags in TPE and re-check in?
2) Any idea on transit time of 1h55m being enough time should maximal contingencies occur? I feel like it might be cutting it a tad close.

bocastephen

In my experience, Asian airlines and their employees tend to be very strict about rules and procedures. Usually anything that isn't concisely included in their training and procedures is outright denied. However, since both BR and ZH are *A members, it's possible the BR agents in HK would be willing to do this, but I am going to give an opinion that more likely than not, they will refuse because you're on two different tickets and PNRs and they will be confused by this if it's not documented in their regulations. What you can do is call BR reservations and ask them for their official policy on something like this.

Given this, can you change the itinerary to add more transit time? Worst case, the HK agents transfer the bags through and you can wait in a lounge vs sweating it out in the immigration line which can get very, very long depending on your arrival time, then back upstairs to check in with ZH before cutoff, and re-clear outbound security and immigration again.

wxguy

I just booked a P fare BOS-TPE-BOS (via SFO) for mid-July, $2750 all in! Wowzers.

What's interesting is that "Premium Economy" is coming in $300 MORE for the same flights, and you get coach BOS<>SFO and PE (R class) on the SFO<>TPE. With the P fare, you get lie-flat on all four segments!

restlessinRNO

Interesting. When I enter BOS-SFO-TPE in July I too get a P fare for $2753. However when I enter SFO-TPE for same dates, I get a P fare of $4887. (Business class RNO-SFO-TPE requires a D fare at $7360!)

Airline pricing has never made much sense to me.

sau54

When flying in economy as a *G or UA 1K, is there priority check-in and priority security screening at TPE? I forgot how things were like pre-COVID.

bocastephen

Priority check-in lanes are managed by the airlines, but no priority screening

sau54

So TPE doesn't offer priority security screening for any airlines? Everyone, whether they're flying Y or J, uses the same security screening line?

1KChinito

No.

Yes.

sau54

That's unfortunate! I wonder why there isn't priority security screening at TPE?

bocastephen

I know someone in airport management there, and we've had this debate endlessly - there is a feeling that the airport is for public use and certain classes of people should be given special privileges because of their airline membership or airline cabin assignment. In fact, the APEC card entrance is hidden away so almost no one can find it and airport staff repeatedly deny its existence to anyone who asks.

It's a highly annoying situation that is unlikely to ever change because of a very stubborn, old-fashioned mindset.

myperks

the APEC line was already not the “behind the scenes” crew/staff line pre pandemic Dec 2019. It was already part of the general security entry door but to the side on the left… at least for the UA/BR terminal.

username

The up side is the line moves pretty fast.

sau54

Not on my last trip to TPE in the summer of 2018! There was a huge line as I was trying to catch the UA flight flying back to SFO!

bocastephen

Good to know they moved it, I haven't been able to get there since the block on foreign arrivals. I assume the entrance is staffed and monitored to check for valid cards? Does it now spill into the general security line or still have its own x-ray and metal detector?

myperks

have their own to the very left of the general security. It’s roped off as you enter from the outside and hang a left. Someone is checking and they were flexible with accompanying family members (at least back in Dec 2019). What I don’t remember is if that is also the crew line but I do remember seeing an APEC sign sticking out from the roping poles.