Multiple entries to SIN in short period

[cmon0005]

Hi All,

Transiting through SIN back to MEL in a couple of weeks.

Will arrive in SIN from HKG on a thursday evening so will enter SIN stay overnight next day will early checkin go thru immigration airside wait for my relative to arrive from another destination around 10am, then take them to the lounge for some food and shower. Then I want to exit the airport again for around 10-11 hours to go on a SIN tour before both of us take the QF36 to MEL in the evening.
Question is has anyone here done multiple entries and exits in SIN without any problems? (I am on AUST passport).

Any experiences welcome!

 

[markis10]

Hi All,

Transiting through SIN back to MEL in a couple of weeks.

Will arrive in SIN from HKG on a thursday evening so will enter SIN stay overnight next day will early checkin go thru immigration airside wait for my relative to arrive from another destination around 10am, then take them to the lounge for some food and shower. Then I want to exit the airport again for around 10-11 hours to go on a SIN tour before both of us take the QF36 to MEL in the evening.
Question is has anyone here done multiple entries and exits in SIN without any problems? (I am on AUST passport).

Any experiences welcome!

Which lounge where you planning on using, the EK one and Skyview will be the only ones open.

 

[cmon0005]

Which lounge where you planning on using, the EK one and Skyview will be the only ones open.

In the morning Skyview, and when I come back in the evening QF lounge.

 

[ChrisFlyer]

My only concern would be going through immigration without actually catching a flight. I realise you'd check-in early, but getting back out of the airport might be an issue without an arriving flight. If you do manage to get out, immigration may not be too impressed to see you entering twice for the same flight.... though Singapore might be a little more relaxed than Australia?

 

[cmon0005]

My only concern would be going through immigration without actually catching a flight. I realise you'd check-in early, but getting back out of the airport might be an issue without an arriving flight. If you do manage to get out, immigration may not be too impressed to see you entering twice for the same flight.... though Singapore might be a little more relaxed than Australia?

That's my only worry, unless anyone has specific experience on it, i'll have to just ask on the day and see, otherwise I'll have to spend 10 hours in the airport. (might do a lounge tour in that case to EK, CX & QF lounges) .

2nd option is when I land in SIN from HKG the night before I might stay in the Transit hotel overnight thus negating the need to exit SIN twice, but I guess for that i'll need to be travelling with HLO so I don't have to collect my bags and just pickup my QF boarding pass from the transfers desk.

 

[AIRwin]

Once I was booked on 3K 401 from SIN to AKL, had already gone through immigration and boarded the aircraft. It was later cancelled due to technical issues and all pax had to de-plane, go through immigration (we had to fill out an arrival card) and enter SIN again in order to retrieve our checked-in baggage. I explained to the immigration officer that our flight had been cancelled and that we were being put up in a hotel for the night. So I think as long as you have all documentation (eg boarding pass, some confirmation receipt for the SIN stopover tour, etc) you will be fine.

 

[Jack_OC]

Hi All,

Transiting through SIN back to MEL in a couple of weeks.

Will arrive in SIN from HKG on a thursday evening so will enter SIN stay overnight next day will early checkin go thru immigration airside wait for my relative to arrive from another destination around 10am, then take them to the lounge for some food and shower. Then I want to exit the airport again for around 10-11 hours to go on a SIN tour before both of us take the QF36 to MEL in the evening.
Question is has anyone here done multiple entries and exits in SIN without any problems? (I am on AUST passport).

Any experiences welcome!

Are you sure you actually can check in that early? I would make sure of that for a start.

My only concern would be going through immigration without actually catching a flight. I realise you'd check-in early, but getting back out of the airport might be an issue without an arriving flight. If you do manage to get out, immigration may not be too impressed to see you entering twice for the same flight.... though Singapore might be a little more relaxed than Australia?

Relaxed is not a word I would ever use in association with Officialdom in Singapore!

Once I was booked on 3K 401 from SIN to AKL, had already gone through immigration and boarded the aircraft. It was later cancelled due to technical issues and all pax had to de-plane, go through immigration (we had to fill out an arrival card) and enter SIN again in order to retrieve our checked-in baggage. I explained to the immigration officer that our flight had been cancelled and that we were being put up in a hotel for the night. So I think as long as you have all documentation (eg boarding pass, some confirmation receipt for the SIN stopover tour, etc) you will be fine.

That's a very different situation to be fair, with a valid explanation. And it sounds like you were actually asked to explain yourself. The OP's explanation might not sound so compelling if hs/she is required to provide one!

 

[Jack_OC]

PS, would it not make more sense for your relative to go to your hotel and have a shower and food there, then do your tour, and then both go back to the airport a few hours before your flight?

 

[cmon0005]

PS, would it not make more sense for your relative to go to your hotel and have a shower and food there, then do your tour, and then both go back to the airport a few hours before your flight?

Yes but my relative is old and an extremely nervous and inexperienced flyer, so she finds it hard at best to navigate the airport let alone filling out immigration cards and the like.

 

[AIRwin]

That's a very different situation to be fair, with a valid explanation. And it sounds like you were actually asked to explain yourself. The OP's explanation might not sound so compelling if hs/she is required to provide one!

Here's my rationale:
Entry 1 - OK (overnight stay at hotel)
Exit 1 - OK (as long as there is a boarding pass for early check-in)
Entry 2 - there shouldn't be any reason to deny entry based on the documentation for the SIN stopover tour (they should be more than happy that people are choosing to spend some time in the country)
Exit 2 - OK (as there will already be a boarding pass)

 

[Jack_OC]

Yes but my relative is old and an extremely nervous and inexperienced flyer, so she finds it hard at best to navigate the airport let alone filling out immigration cards and the like.

The airline should be happy to help a solo elderly traveller with all of the above. And based on this description, I suspect she won't react very well if you get hauled off to a little room to ascertain what exactly you're up to!

Here's my rationale:
Entry 1 - OK (overnight stay at hotel)
Exit 1 - OK (as long as there is a boarding pass for early check-in)
Entry 2 - there shouldn't be any reason to deny entry based on the documentation for the SIN stopover tour (they should be more than happy that people are choosing to spend some time in the country)
Exit 2 - OK (as there will already be a boarding pass)

I agree Entry 1 will be fine, as will Exit 1 if there is a boarding pass and it has been possible to drop off checked luggage (but as I said earlier, I would not assume that will be possible 12-14 hours pre-flight, with an airline that is not on "home turf"). Entry 2, not so sure. And Exit 2 - again not sure. Obviously the boarding pass is a pre-requisite, but clearly the main purpose of passport control is not to check boarding passes. I'm not saying there will be a problem, just saying I would not rule it out.

EDIT: from QF website - [TABLE="class: basic"]


[TR="class: alt"]
[TD]Check-in for international Qantas operated services at non-Australian international airports.[/TD]
[TD="colspan: 2"]Check-in is open between 3 hours and 60 minutes before departure. We recommend that you are checked-in up to 120 minutes before flight departure.[/TD]
[/TR]


[/TABLE]

 

[cmon0005]

The airline should be happy to help a solo elderly traveller with all of the above. And based on this description, I suspect she won't react very well if you get hauled off to a little room to ascertain what exactly you're up to!

Last time she came to AUS we organised Meet and assist, but found it to be very unreliable outside australia, she pretty much got no more help than a normal passenger, 'basically just a finger point in that direction for her next boarding gate' she ended up getting lost in Changi, and only when she saw someone from her previous flight she asked them for directions to the next gate.

However when she arrived in MEL the QF FA's were fantastic and walked with her thru immigration, filled her card out for her, helped her get her baggage and then pushed the trolley for her out thru arrivals hall. But in her home port and in transit in SIN, they don't care unless you're wheelchair bound.

 

[AIRwin]

EDIT: from QF website - [TABLE="class: basic"]
[TR="class: alt"]
[TD]Check-in for international Qantas operated services at non-Australian international airports.
[/TD]
[TD="colspan: 2"]Check-in is open between 3 hours and 60 minutes before departure. We recommend that you are checked-in up to 120 minutes before flight departure.
[/TD]
[/TR]
[/TABLE]

Early check-in should be available for QF at SIN:
Early Check-in - Changi Airport

 

[cmon0005]

EDIT: from QF website - [TABLE="class: basic"]
[TR="class: alt"]
[TD]Check-in for international Qantas operated services at non-Australian international airports.[/TD]
[TD="colspan: 2"]Check-in is open between 3 hours and 60 minutes before departure. We recommend that you are checked-in up to 120 minutes before flight departure.[/TD]
[/TR]
[/TABLE]

There is early checkin at Changi.
Singapore Changi Airport Guide | Qantas

Check-inCheck-in is located on the depatures level, Terminal 1.
Check-in opens 6 hours before departure until 45 mins prior to each flight departure.
Economy check-in for Qantas flights is available at row 6.
Check-in for First, Business, and oneworld Emerald passengers is available at Singapore Airport Terminal Services Premier Check-in at the end of row 4.
Check-in for Qantas Club passengers is at row 5.
Early check-in is also available from 1000 to 1400 at Row 4 and 1400 to 1700 at Row 5.

 

[markis10]

Early check-in should be available for QF at SIN:
Early Check-in - Changi Airport

You can even early check in for JQ, done both on the last few months

 

[Jack_OC]

There is early checkin at Changi.
Singapore Changi Airport Guide | Qantas

Wasn't aware of that, but good to know. However, that says "Check-in opens 6 hours before departure until 45 mins prior to each flight departure". Doesn't that mean it opens at about 3pm for QF36? Or in practice can you check in for any flight at any time?

 

[cmon0005]

Wasn't aware of that, but good to know. However, that says "Check-in opens 6 hours before departure until 45 mins prior to each flight departure". Doesn't that mean it opens at about 3pm for QF36? Or in practice can you check in for any flight at any time?

I think early checkin is done at the SATS counter rather than by qantas.

 

[AIRwin]

You can even early check in for JQ, done both on the last few months

The Changi Airport website indicated that early check-in for Jetstar (3K/VF) is "only for flights on the same departure date" but is silent for QF. Wonder if this means early check-in for QF flights can be a day (or more) earlier?

 

[Jack_OC]

I think early checkin is done at the SATS counter rather than by qantas.

By my point is, just because there is an appropriate check-in desk open, it does not necesarily mean you can check in for any flight. The link you posted earlier implies that the cut-off is 6 hours pre departure for QF flights. No idea if that'a accurate and/or enforced though. BTW I have had to stand around waiting for check-in for international flights to open in at least 3 different airports before, but haven't ever tried to check in ultra early in Changi.

 

[AIRwin]

By my point is, just because there is an appropriate check-in desk open, it does not necesarily mean you can check in for any flight. The link you posted earlier implies that the cut-off is 6 hours pre departure for QF flights. No idea if that'a accurate and/or enforced though. BTW I have had to stand around waiting for check-in for international flights to open in at least 3 different airports before, but haven't ever tried to check in ultra early in Changi.

Early check-in for QF operates from 10 am to 3 pm in SIN, after which the QF check-in opens:
Early Check-in - Changi Airport