Has anyone had recent experience transiting CGK T3 on seperate tickets but luggage checked through?
We’ll be returning from Europe in September. Originally booked QR with o/n before QF home but cancelled QR just after the bombs started and snagged CX for not much more but will arrive and depart CGK same day (plenty of buffer).
We’re expecting to have to “enter” CGK, collect bags and recheck. Fortunately, QF has “early checkin” a bit earlier than the common hard 3 hr checkin opening time but there could be some painful twiddling of thumbs waiting for that (won’t be first time we’ve waited for checkin at CGK).
However, I believe CX will or might check through CX to QF. Curious if any one has successfully done that or similar?
So a very positive experience - well, as far as transiting CGK on seperate tickets!
TL;DR:
Success checking thru on seperate tickets CX ex Europe / HKG, connecting to QF ex CGK.
Checked in with CX at MAD (2x WPs flying J) and asked about checking through to QF (also 2x J). Showed them a printed copy of the QF eTicket and the local CX staff were fantastic. The lady at the “First/OWE” counter knew it was technically possible but wasn’t entirely sure how to but called over her supervisor and between the two got the info in to check thru AND print all BPs including QF. The only thing they couldn’t do was print a lounge invite for CGK, but I’m pretty sure QF don’t provide invites either. Just rock up with your BP (although departing CGK on CX, you do get the better PP First Lounge as OWE).
The system told them that T3 to T3 was ok but we’ll need to be “escorted”. The supervisor said she’d email the CGK ground staff to alert them.
Even though we were now “Checked-In” to the QF flight, the app/website wasn’t showing electronic BPs. BUT, they did eventually appear when QF OLCI opened. Sorry, forgot to ask if they were adequate for transferring.
On arrival at CGK yesterday, the CX rep was in the air bridge and I enquired about Transferring and he knew immediately and walked us to a colleague waiting with our names on a board. He double checked that we already had BPs and luggage was checked thru and then off we went, following the signs to “Transfers” - which is the same direction as Arrivals - until you get to the Transfer Desk (that were unmanned).
The escort asked us to wait a few minutes near the Transfer Desk area while he went off to “speak to immigration”. Not entirely sure why/what that was about…
While we were waiting, a woman approached the unmanned Transfer desks - she might have come off our CX flight also and must have been served by someone after we moved on because she turned up in the lounge not long after us and then ended up on our QF flight.
So our escort returns fairly quickly and we take the elevator up (there’s also an escalator but that appeared to be turned off) to what looked like an unstaffed transfer security check point. As we approached, so people awoke from their slumber, scanned our BPs and put our stuff through the X-ray machines etc. The sliding door dropped us right into the departures level and only a short walk to the lounges.
As we walked towards the lounge with our escort, he asked for our BPs and baggage receipts. He took a photo of each and sent us on our way to the lounge. Which was reassuring that there’s some further check to ensure smooth luggage transfer. Also reassuring was seeing our luggage AirTags nearby at the HKG departure gate and then at CGK.
For the lounge, QF (and QR and non-OWE PAX on CX) all use the standard PP lounge. The one with the secret SQ Lounge within. It’s reasonable (cooked to order food etc) but gets crowded in waves. The catch however is you’re only supposed to have a max of 3 hrs before your flight. We had 7+ hrs to burn! Fortunately they let us in! Although, I was pondering if I needed to buy a block on top of our gratis block.
Just before boarding commenced, I doubled checked with the ground staff and they confirmed they had our bags and indeed, they were some of the first off the belt at SYD this morning. Happy days.
Would we do it again, probably not but useful to know it can work. We were originally booked for an o/n but changed our return flights that meant a same day connection with a decent buffer. In fact too much buffer - 7+ is a long time to spend in a PP lounge but I guess it was better than “entering” Indonesia with an eVOA, collecting bags and then waiting 3 to 4 hrs landslide until QF checkin opened - that is NOT something you ever want to do. If I was absolutely certain that we’d have to collect/recheck, I would have investigated a day room somewhere.
Anyway, we’re doing it all again next year but o/n at the Anara again on the way out and will try the Mercure at PIK on the way home. Which still saves about $5k pp to fly J Oz-Euro return via CGK.
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